It takes commitment, proficiency, maturity and stage presence to make a quality dancer, and those are the traits the Maine State Ballet looks for when naming principal dancers or promoting dancers to its company.
And three dancers from Scarborough have shown artistic director Linda Miele that they have what it takes to be featured in Maine State Ballet productions.
Two students, Nick Anderson and Laura Moskevich, were recently named as company members while the third dancer from Scarborough, Maiki Saito, has been named a principal dancer.
“Having trained these dancers through the years, I am thrilled to have them join us as full members of our company,” Miele said.
“They have grown tremendously as dancers and will continue to grow as they entertain our audiences with their grace, athleticism, and talent,” she added.
The ballet company, based in Falmouth, is one of New England’s leading performing arts institutions and was twice named Maine’s Best Dance Group by Downeast Magazine, according to the school’s website.
The dance school offers both a School for the Performing Arts, which includes instruction in ballet, tap, jazz and other dance styles, as well as the Maine State Ballet Co.
The company, which was established in 1986, “has fast become the leading professional dance company in the state of Maine,” the dance school’s website states.
In all, the company is comprised of more than 25 dancers, who train and perform throughout the year.
Its repertoire includes iconic ballets, such as “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Swan Lake,” as well as newer classics, such as “The Little Mermaid” created in 2005 and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which had its world premiere in 2011.
Miele said company dancers are often referred to as the corps de ballet, which means they mostly dance in larger groups, whereas, principal dancers dance solos and duets and often dance the leading roles in a ballet.
In talking about Anderson, Moskevich and Saito, Miele said, “all three of these dancers have been dancing for me for several years and they exhibit a willingness to sacrifice other sports and activities to devote the time needed for dancing.”
She said all three are also at “a high level of ability in their dance technique.”
For Miele ballet dancing is “the ultimate blending of grace and strength. Being able to control your muscles and have them execute movements to music is close to being able to fly.”
She enjoys working with the company dancers and “seeing them grow as artists and as individuals,” she said.
Miele added, “I think people should know that these dancers train as long and as hard as any athletes. They give up a lot to do what they do. I think people should know that this quality of dance is being created right here in Maine.”
Anderson, who is 16, and Moskevich, who is 17, both attend Scarborough High School and are both looking forward to the Maine State Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker,” which opens on Nov. 28 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.
Anderson will play the role of the Nutcracker/Prince, as he did last year, and Moskevich will be featured in the Chinese, Spanish and snow dances.
Saito, who is 19 and a Scarborough High alum, will play the role of the Mouse King, along with playing the Cavalier and being featured in the Russian dance.
Anderson and Saito both enjoy the physical nature of dance and building the stamina and technique it takes to become featured performers.
They are most looking forward to the fight scene between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker that takes place at a pivotal moment in the ballet.
All three dancers have given up a lot to commit themselves to ballet, with Moskevich foregoing gymnastics and music. She once played the piano, the saxophone and the flute, but just doesn’t have time for those pursuits any more.
Although company and principal dancers spend four days a week at the dance studio, all three dancers from Scarborough said they still have plenty of downtime to socialize with friends.
Both Anderson and Moskevich said they don’t intend to pursue dance professionally, while Saito is unsure what the future holds and whether he will ever leave Maine for a career in dance.
Anderson said he started taking ballet lessons when he saw his sister dancing and said, “I can do that.”
For Moskevich and Saito, who are cousins and live next door to each other, it was their parents who got them started with dance lessons.
All three said they have enjoyed their years of taking dance at the Maine State Ballet and are now ready to enjoy their success as company dancers.
Laura Moskevich, of Scarborough, dances a solo during last year’s production of “The Nutcracker” by the Maine State Ballet. 
Maiki Saito, of Scarborough,a newly minted principal dancer with the Maine State Ballet, performs in last year’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Courtesy photos
These dancers from Scarborough will all be featured in the Maine State Ballet’s upcoming production of “The Nutcracker.” From left are Nick Anderson, Laura Moskevich and Maiki Saito.Staff photo by Kate Irish Collins
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