Amelia Sturt-Dilley
Amelia was raised in Colorado where she trained under Karen and David Samuelson. She received her high school education at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts under the direction of Michael Owen and Samuel Kurkjian. She then went on to receive her BFA from the Juilliard School. She has attended summer intensives at schools including The Nutmeg Conservatory, Washington School of Ballet, Houston Ballet, Ballet Austin and The Paris Opera. While at Juilliard, Amelia danced in works by Monica Bill Barnes, Emery Le Crone, Darrell Grand Moultrie, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Larry Keigwin, Merce Cunningham and Jessica Lange. She appeared in the 2015 Vail International Dance Festival where she performed Larry Keigwin’s Stormy Weather. As a company member of Charlotte Ballet, she has been featured in works by Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond, David Ingram, Dwight Rhoden, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, George Balanchine, Javier de Frutos, Myles Thatcher, Robyn Mineko Williams, Bryan Arias and Filipe Portugal.
- Hometown: Gypsum, CO
- Dancing Since: Age 4
- Seasons with Charlotte Ballet: 4
- Favorite ballet: One Flat Thing reproduced by William Forsythe. There are set phrases within the ballet but the work is largely based on improvisation. Visual and audible cues dictate movement requiring the dancer to my hyper aware of themselves and others on stage. It is the most “in the moment” I have ever been on stage.
- What does “Pretty Powerful” mean to you? “Pretty Powerful” highlights the juxtaposition in a dancer. Dancers can be asked to execute steps that are beautiful but can also deliver movement that is more raw and real. In that I believe there is so much power, to show vulnerability but also strength in movement.
- Never miss an episode of: FRIENDS! I’ve seen each episode more than 5 times.
- Advice for aspiring dancers: “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are as an artist. If you love it enough you can become anything you desire.”
