VITA

Ashley IS A FOUNDING PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH BALLET FANTASTIQUE | FEATURED BFAN ROLES LISTED BELOW

Ashley was born in Buffalo, NY where she received her first ballet lessons at Buffalo City Ballet—and in the basement ballet studio of her mother, founding BFan Artistic Director Donna Marisa Bontrager. She moved to Oregon with her family in 1995, where she and her sister started a prolific backyard theater company, The Littlest Theatre Group, and she trained almost daily in ballet at the Conservatory of Classical Dance. As a young student, Ashley was also privately coached by mother, an expert master coach in the Vaganova syllabus—who would soon go on to open her own professional training school and company: Ballet Fantastique. Ashley graduated from The Academy of Ballet Fantastique after completing all eight levels of the rigorous Vaganova Syllabus.

Ashley joined Ballet Fantastique’s company as a founding member, promoted to Principal Dancer in 2012-13.

Ashley’s extensive repertory includes originating title and solo roles to critical acclaim in a wide range of ballets, including: Cleopatra in Cleopatra, Natasha (Beauty) in Beauty & the Beast, Lizzy (Elizabeth) Bennett in Pride & Prejudice, Annabel Lee in Nevermore: Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, Katrina Van Tassel in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Princess Serena in Dragon and the Night Queen, Princess Nausicaa in The Odyssey, Princess Taema in Tales from a Floating World, Marilyn in An American Christmas Carol, and Annie Oakley in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet (as featured in the New York Times and including the Ballet Fantastique 2013 Italy tour)—and many more. Ashley is known for her artistic interpretation in both comedic and tragic roles in combination with her expression and technical clarity.

Ashley holds a BA from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, one of the first professional journalism schools in the country, and one of only 112 accredited programs worldwide. With a dual focus in TV Broadcast and Documentary, Ashley completed her college education while dancing full-time, teaching as a faculty member of Ballet Fantastique, and working in the service industry.

Currently, Ashley also serves as Ballet Fantastique’s Development Director and plays an active role in the creative team for Ballet Fantastique’s world premiere projects as well as the international/national audition tour, and remains on the faculty. She is one of the co-hosts of the podcast, Nobody Ya Know, and is the creator of Well Red with Ashley, a YouTube channel dedicated to book reviews paired with the perfect glass of wine.

"Magnificent."

—Gwen Curran, The Register-Guard

Quick Facts

Hometown: 
Buffalo, NY

Ballet Fantastique: 
Since 2000, favorite role Cleopatra in Cleopatra

Favorites:  
reading, wine, good conversation

PHOTOS OF ASHLEY: GREG BURNS, BOB WILLIAMS, STEPHANIE URSO, GUSTAVO RAMIREZ, NEW RELIGION

Featured Ballet Fantastique roles

With Ballet Fantastique, Ashley has performed many acclaimed soloist roles at home + internationally, including:

*Originated role

Take Class from Ashley

Advanced/Pro Ballet
Classical Variations
BFan Repertoire