Born in Rockford, Illinois, Anna Graczyk discovered her love for dance at five years old when she began taking classes at Mary Lee’s School of Dance and later Rockford Dance Company where she worked with artistic director Emily Cooke and former dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Dmitri Roudnev. With experience growing up in many styles including jazz and tap, Anna’s love for ballet and encouragement from her teacher, Talita Rubio Byrnes, led her to Ballet Chicago at the age of twelve. She feels incredibly fortunate to have trained under Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair for six years, as a student in the school and later as a member of the Ballet Chicago Studio Company.

At Ballet Chicago, Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair fostered Anna’s love for the Balanchine technique, encouraging the growth of both her skill and artistry. During her time with Ballet Chicago, Anna feels extremely honored to have been given the opportunities to perform in ballets such as George Balanchine’s Swan Lake, Who Cares?, and Concerto Barocco, Daniel Duell’s Hansel and Gretel and The Secret Garden, as well as newly choreographed works by Ballet Chicago’s resident choreographer, Ted Seymour. In addition, Anna is also incredibly thankful to have had the opportunities to dance in works choreographed by Miriam Mahdaviani and Durante Verzola during her time in Chicago.

In 2023, Anna was thrilled to join the Indianapolis Ballet as a Professional Level Program student. Since joining the program, Anna has performed with the company in Victoria Lyras’s The Nutcracker and Carnival of the Animals, David Hochoy’s Ancient Airs and Dances, and Septime Webre’s Romeo and Juliet. Anna absolutely loves it in Indianapolis and is ecstatic to be joining the company as an apprentice for the 2024/2025 season!

Sponsored by Mary Jamia Jacobsen