FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2026 Contact: Joshua Shack, Executive Director, operations@balletwolcott.com
Ballet Wolcott Appoints Vladimir Roje as Artistic Director
Wolcott, VT – Ballet Wolcott is excited to announce the appointment of Vladimir Roje as Artistic Director. In this role, Roje will provide artistic and educational leadership for all faculty and students, as well as teaching intermediate and advanced level ballet classes. With decades of international performing and teaching experience, he is bringing an exceptional level of high quality ballet training to Northern Vermont.
“Vladimir Roje is not only an internationally decorated ballet dancer, but a passionate and gifted teacher,” says Ballet Wolcott Executive Director Joshua Shack. “It has been fifty years since June Gorton founded the original Wolcott Children’s Ballet. The torch has been carried by many, including Kennet Oberly, Brynar Mehl, Brandy Perez, Avi Waring, Steffi Thomas, Joanne Whitehill, and Gabrielle Berger, and we are over the moon to be partnering with such a unique artist and educator as Vlad as we enter the next chapter of Ballet Wolcott.”
Ballet Wolcott will be hosting a Meet & Greet with “Mr. Vlad” on Friday, July 31 at 6:00pm at the Wolcott Town Hall. All are welcome to come get to know him and hear about his vision for the future of Ballet Wolcott. The fall/winter semester will run from August 31-December 19, and the nonprofit studio offers generous financial aid.
"Vlad was a guest instructor at Ballet Wolcott years ago, and he had such an impact on our students," states Ballet Wolcott Founder and Board President Helene Nilsen. "The students appreciated his strong technical guidance and discipline along with his playful sense of humor. We are so honored to welcome Vlad back to our community, and we are excited for the unique possibilities ahead under his artistic leadership."
Vladimir Roje began his ballet training at the National School of Choreography in Sofia, Bulgaria. He received his BS and MS in Pedagogy and Choreography from the Ballet Faculty of the Bulgarian National Academy of Music and Arts. In 2020, he completed his PhD in Music and Dance Arts at the same academy in the Department of Music and Performing Arts.
Dr. Roje performed as a principal dancer with national companies in Bulgaria, Germany, and Austria, as well as with Carolina Ballet (NC), New Jersey Ballet Company, and Albany Berkshire Ballet. He has danced leading roles in many classical ballets, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, La Bayadère, La Sylphide, Napoli, Don Quixote, La Fille Mal Gardée, Coppélia, Esmeralda, Sylvia, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker.
Dr. Roje has taught at the Ballet School of the Opera House Graz (Austria), the School of the New Jersey Ballet Company, and Stowe Dance Academy (Vermont). He has frequently served as a guest teacher at Valentina Kozlova Conservatory (NY), the School of Albany Berkshire Ballet (NY), Cantarella School of Dance (MA), Lebanon Ballet School (NH), the Ballet School at the Varna Opera House (Bulgaria), and several other schools in the New York City area and in Vermont. He has staged and co-choreographed a variety of full-length ballets, including The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Cinderella, La Vivandière, and Les Sylphides.
Ballet Wolcott is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster healthy development and creativity in its students by providing them with quality dance education and the opportunity to become involved in the creative process in a nurturing and disciplined environment.
At Ballet Wolcott, teachers, students, staff, and supporters work together to create an inclusive, creative community, where young people can grow, connect, and inspire through hard work, perseverance, and fun. www.balletwolcott.com
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