Gaspar Ballet, the Pirate Fantasy, announces that the lead roles have been cast.  Executive Producer Sharon Sanchez and Co-Producer, Choreographer and Artistic Director Christopher Fleming have selected key dancers with international ballet experience, as well as rising stars from the Tampa Bay area.

The pirate Jose Gaspar will be performed by Alex Crozier-Jackson.  The lead ballerina will be Samantha Barczak who will perform the role of Christina, the love interest in the story-ballet.  Don Jose, the Viceroy of Tampa will be staged by Donald Tolj, and Captain Kearney will be played by Lee Virgillio.  The part of Gaspars Crewmate will be performed by Jackson Kettel. Alex Crozier-Jackson, who will be the swashbuckling hero Jose Gaspar, is a senior BFA ballet major at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has danced with Netherlands Dance Theater, Xhale Dance Company, Long Island Ballet Theater, Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and the Donetsk Ballet of Ukraine. Most recently Mr. Crozier- Jackson has been a Principal Dancer with Long Island Ballet Theatre and the newly formed BalletFleming.

Samantha Barczak, will dance the romantic lead of the beautiful Christina, the ward of the Viceroy of Tampa who falls in love with a pirate.  She received her dance training at Myers Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, The Rock School and New York State Summer School for the Arts. She has performed with the Dayton Ballet, Northeast Ballet and The Pennsylvania Ballet, has danced many lead roles, and has served as ballet mistress for productions in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Tampa Bay area dancers include the following:

Donald Tolj, who will play the part of Don Jose, is the newly appointed director of the classical program for New Tampa Dance Theatre and the choreographer in residence for Dance Theatre of Tampa. He has returned to Florida after four years in the UK with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. During his 20 year international performing career, he was a dancer with Maryland Ballet, Richmond Ballet and Southern Ballet Theatre, as well as other companies, dancing Principal and Soloist roles.

Lee Virgillio, the Captain of the Militia in Gaspar, holds an MFA degree in Dance from Florida State University and has performed and choreographed for numerous dance companies. He has danced principal roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppelia, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, and others. He has performed in Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, and La Paz, Bolivia.  Currently he is a ballet instructor at Temple Terrace Ballet.

Jackson Kettell is a student at Blake High in Tampa. He began training at age 4 with Jeanne Lynn Dance Studio, and started ballet at age 12 with Guilfoil Academy in Clearwater.  He currently trains at the Patel Conservatory and Blake.  He has also attended intensive summer programs at the Rock School in Philadelphia and the Boston Ballet.  He has danced the roles of the Prince, and the Snow Prince in Nutcracker.

Gaspar Ballet will be performed at Tampas Straz Center for the Performing Arts, on January 30, 2011.  There will be two shows: a matinee at 2:00pm and the evening performance at 7:30pm.