Chalnessa Eames

Background

Eames was born in Los Angeles, California. From the age of three, she grew up in Bellingham, Washington, where she studied ballet at the Nancy Whyte School of Ballet and the Morca Academy of Performing Arts.

Education

She attended summer programs at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and completed her final year of training at Winnipeg.

Career

She is one of five children born to Rebecca (Becky) and David Eames. She then moved to Eugene (Oregon) to work with Kathleen Smith Epstein, who taught using the Vaganova syllabus. Classes were very strict and for a year it was just her in class! She worked with her for two years, from ages 12–14, and then felt she needed to move on for high school.

She auditioned for Harid Conservatory (auditions were held at PNB) and received a two-year scholarship.

In 1996, at the age of 18, she joined Royal Winnipeg Ballet, as an apprentice and was promoted to the corps de ballet the following year. Eames left the Pacific Northwest Ballet in June 2011.

She currently performs with Olivier Wevers" Whim West"Him dance company. Leading roles Eames has danced leading roles which include: George Balanchine"s Agon, Coppélia, Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, A Midsummer Night"s Dream (Butterfly), Rubies, Serenade, and Symphony in C Todd Bolender"s Souvenirs Ulysses Dove"s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, Serious Pleasures, and Vespers Nacho Duato"s Jardí Tancat and Rassemblement William Forsythe"s Artifact II and One Flat Thing, reproduced Ronald Hynd"s The Sleeping Beauty (Bluebird pas de deux, Gold and Silver pas de trois) Jiri Kylian"s Petite Mort José Limón"s The Moor"s Pavane Jean-Christophe Maillot"s Roméo et Juliette (Nurse) Jerome Robbins" Dances at a Gathering and Fancy Free Kent Stowell"s Cinderella (Stepsister), Delicate Balance, Nutcracker (Clara, Flora), Quaternary, and Silver Lining Twyla Tharp"s Afternoon Ball, In the Upper Room, and Nine Sinatra Songs Christopher Wheeldon"s Variations Sérieuses She also originated the leading roles in: Benjamin Millepied"s 3 Movements Susan Stroman"s TAKE Five.

More or Less Twyla Tharp"s Opus 111 Olivier Wevers" Shindig Other work.

Achievements

• Eames is married to Ash Modha, the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the Mondetta Clothing Company.

Membership

She joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2001, where she was promoted to soloist in 2007.