- May 23, 2025
Ormond Ballet senior students Eris Potts, Mira Khanna and Baylee Rogan. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Eris Potts plays the role of "Black Swan" in Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Eris Potts plays the role of "Black Swan" in Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Baylee Rogan will play the part of "White Swan" during Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Baylee Rogan will play the part of "White Swan" during Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mira Khanna will perform a pas de deux during Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Mira Khanna will perform a pas de deux during Ormond Ballet's upcoming production of "Swan Lake." Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet senior students Eris Potts, Mira Khanna and Baylee Rogan. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet dancers rehearse a scene in "Swan Lake" at their studio. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet dancers rehearse a scene in "Swan Lake" at their studio. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet dancers rehearse a scene in "Swan Lake" at their studio. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet dancers rehearse a scene in "Swan Lake" at their studio. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ormond Ballet dancers as "little swans" rehearse a scene in "Swan Lake" at their studio. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
A "little swan" performs a jump. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
As Ormond Ballet planned for its final production of the school year, Artistic Director Michelle Boutros faced a dilemma.
Three of her dancers were graduating high school, and as seniors, she likes to showcase them in major roles. Which ballet could she adapt to have three major leads?
She came up with "Swan Lake." Flagler Palm Coast High School senior Baylee Rogan will play the part of "White Swan," Seabreeze High School senior Eris Potts will play "Black Swan" and Father Lopez Catholic High School senior Mira Khanna will perform a version of a pas de deux originally part of the Tchaikovsky ballet, but later omitted from the final production.
"It's supposed to be one girl that does this, but that's so hard," Boutros said. "And I wanted them all to get a chance to do something major before they graduate."
"Swan Lake" tells the story of Odette, a princess who is transformed into a white swan, a curse that can only be broken by her true love, Prince Siegried. Ormond Ballet is using choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and restaged with additional choreography by Boutros.
The ballet features a cast of 40 dancers, which include several of the school's pre-ballet and level 1 dancers in the show in the roles of "little swans." Boutros typically doesn't combine these levels with the more advanced in her studio.
Khanna said it's been fun to dance with the younger girls.
"It's really cute — they're always watching us," she said. "... They'l be in the back of the room following along and I think it's really sweet. You know that they are looking at our roles and are wanting to do that one day."
Khanna, Potts and Rogan have all been dancing since they were 2 or 3 years old. Still, their roles in "Swan Lake" have challenged them.
Potts said it's her first time playing an evil role — and one that takes a lot of acting and being in character to pull off. She recently performed the Sugar Plum Faerie role in Ormond Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" in December.
"The 32 fuoettés is going to be a huge deal for me," Potts said, referring to the 32 turns Black Swan, or Odile, performs in the coda of Act III.
"White Swan," or Odette, has also provided Rogan with a new kind of role to play. Her past roles, including "Dew Drop Fairy" in the Nutcracker," have been upbeat.
"You're smiling the whole time, the music is very happy," Rogan said. "But White Swan is the opposite of that."
Boutros has coined Khanna's part as the "Villager's pas de deux," telling the story of a forbidden love between the prince and a village girl. Technique-wise, Boutros said it's the hardest pas de deux in the show.
"It literally fits her to a 'T' in my opinion, and shows off all of her partnering abilities," Boutros said.
Knowing that "Swan Lake" will be their last show as seniors at Ormond Ballet is strange, Potts said.
"I plan on taking classes in college, but it's going to be nothing like what I've been doing my whole life," she said. "It's definitely rewarding, but it's just going to be so sad as well."
In the fall, Potts will be attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, New York, where she will major in fashion business management.
It's hard to wrap your head around it being the last show, Khanna said. She's excited though, and said it'll be a "good last show to have."
"After every show, you're like, 'On to the next one,' and then this one's the last one, so it's definitely bittersweet," she said.
Khanna will be majoring in psychology on a pre-law track at the University of Florida. She, along with her twin sister, is also the salutatorian at Father Lopez.
Rogan share the same bittersweet feelings about the show as her fellow senior dancers.
"We've been doing it for so long," Rogan said. "Every year, it's something you look forward to, and so this being the last one is weird to think about."
Rogan will be attending Jacksonville University and majoring in exercise science.
"Swan Lake" is also giving the seniors a chance to do something they haven't done before — share the stage with Boutros, who will be dancing the part of "Queen Mother." Boutros, who is finally feeling well enough to dance following two hip replacements, missed being onstage. Her co-director, Jeremiah Garner regularly dances with their students, so she is looking forward to doing the same.
"It's going to be wonderful," she said. "I adore my dancers."
