Pilar Ortega was born and raised in Oakland, California. She started her ballet training at Ronn Guidi’s Oakland Ballet School where she discovered her deep love for ballet through her eight years at the school. While training at Oakland Ballet School, Pilar was accepted into the rigorous dance emphasis at Oakland School for the Arts, ran by Reginald Ray-Savage. She studied under Mr. Savage throughout her middle school years where she was introduced to all different styles of dance including contemporary, jazz, and modern (Horton, Graham, and Dunham techniques). Pilar had the opportunity to attend the San Francisco Ballet School summer intensive where she was accepted into their year-round program.

The fall of 2016 was the start of her four year journey with San Francisco Ballet School where she was taught by esteemed artists such as Patrick Armand, Tina LeBlanc, Karen Gabay, and Sandrine Cassini. Throughout her time at San Francisco Ballet School, she performed with the company in Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker as Clara and in Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein as Young Justine. Additionally, she performed annually in the San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase which included works by Helgi Tomasson and Karen Gabay. As well as her yearly training, she attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, and the Joffrey Academy of Dance.

In January of 2020, Pilar was accepted into the Joffrey Academy of Dance Trainee Program. Upon moving to Chicago, Pilar had the opportunity to work with incredible teachers such as José Carayol, Raul Casasola, Christopher Marney, Karin Ellis-Wentz, and Oğulcan Borova. She performed in Joffrey Academy’s annual Winning Works productions where she danced in new works by Chanel DaSilva, Durante Verzola, Taylor Carrasco, Derick McKoy, Christopher D’Ariano and Natasha Adorlee. She has danced leading roles with the Academy in Kenneth MacMillan’s Winter Dreams Pas de Deux, Raymonda (Principal) in Raymonda (staged by Karin Averty of the Paris Opera Ballet) and a new work by Yoshihisa Arai, Appalachian Spring. Pilar was also chosen to perform in the Joffrey Ballet’s annual production of Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Yuri Possokov’s Don Quixote, and John Nuemier’s The Little Mermaid. Pilar spent two years as a Joffrey Ballet Trainee before being promoted to the Studio Company in the fall of her second trainee year.

Pilar is thrilled to be starting her professional career with the Indianapolis Ballet for the 2023/24 season!

Sponsor: Alisa and Richard McPheron