Claudia Rhett Sinclair
Claudia Rhett Sinclair is from Nashville, Tennessee and began her dance training at a young age. She attended summer intensives on scholarship at the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and The Chautauqua Institution, where she also performed with Nashville Ballet and Charlotte Ballet. Claudia attended Indiana University Ballet Theatre as a member of IU’s Hutton Honors College and graduated in 2020 with Distinction, earning a B.S. in Ballet with an Outside Field in Business Studies. Her most notable performances while at IU were soloist and principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Sasha Janes, Mark Morris, Antony Tudor, and Twyla Tharp. Claudia joined Grand Rapids Ballet as an Apprentice in 2020 and was promoted to Company Artist in 2022. Her most notable performances have been in works by George Balanchine, Andy Blankenbuehler, Val Caniparoli, Devon Carney, Lar Lubovitch, Trey McIntyre, Danielle Rowe, Penny Saunders, Katarzyna Skarpetowska Ben Stevenson, Christopher Stowell, and Septime Webre. Some of her favorite roles have been in “Berceuse” by Penny Saunders, “Sinfonia Concertante” by Yuka Oba-Muschiana, ”For Pixie” by Dani Rowe, and the Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s “Serenade”. Claudia has been teaching for 10 years and loves finding new ways to inspire the next generation of dancers, both in the Grand Rapids community and beyond.
Sam Epstien
Sam Epstein is from Saratoga Springs, New York. He trained at Indiana University on a full scholarship and attended summer intensives at The Royal Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre. Sam began his professional career with Cincinnati Ballet's Second Company before joining Grand Rapids Ballet as a Company Artist in 2023. His repertoire with Grand Rapids Ballet includes principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Lar Lubovitch, Justin Peck, Dani Rowe, and Penny Saunders; featured roles in classics such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker; and he has originated roles in new works choreographed by Jennifer Archibald, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, and James Sofranko. Sam has also appeared as a guest artist throughout Michigan, including Martha Graham's Appalachian Spring for Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100, an official Graham100 partner event.
