Olympic Torch Ceremony

Dancers from Alexandra Ballet performed Unity and Peace at the St. Nicholos Greek Orthodox Church in St. Louis as part of the festivities to celebrate the passing of the Olympic Torch from St. Louis, on its way to Athens, Greece. St. Louis was the site of the first Olympic Games held in the western hemisphere a century ago.

Set to the beautiful melody of Handel's Water Music, Unity and Peace pays tribute to the ideals of the Olympic Games, unity and peace. It is choreographed by Susan O'Connell. The dancers were dressed in recreations of Doric tunics worn by the women of ancient Greece during 776 B.C., the beginning of the first known Olympiad. The costumes have been created by award winning designer Camille Everett of St. Louis.

Participating dancers were Megan Buckley, Katie Fanger, Anna Jennings, Andrea Lucas, Aggie Schmank, and Consuelo Williams. Alexandra Zaharias, Artistic Director of Alexandra Ballet, is the daughter of Greek immigrants, and has been taeching ballet in St. Louis for over 50 years.

Susan O’Connell was trained at the Stone-Camryn School of ballet and at the University of Utah. A gifted dancer and choreographer she was a featured dancer in the movie, Footloose, and was a company member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for three years. Miss O’Connell is a recipient of the Monticello Scholarship, the Regional Dance America’s Choreographer’s Connection Award, and the National Choreography Plan Award. A staff member of Salt Creek Ballet, Miss O’Connell has choreographed nine other dances for the company including Veils of Anger, which was featured at the 2002 Regional Dance America Festival in Chicago, Illinois.