Sovereign Ballet Company
Arie Frase began her training at the Lake Erie Ballet School at the age of three. She continued her training with Patterson School of Ballet and then Sovereign Ballet until she graduated from high school in 2023. Arie has attended summer dance intensives at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Forte Wayne Ballet, and Dallas Ballet Conservatory. Her dance education is comprised of a strong base of classical ballet in addition to other genres including modern, contemporary, tap, acro, character and partnering.
Arie’s performance experience ranges from ballet to contemporary. Some highlights include “Snow Corps,” “Flower Corps,” “Chinese,” “Seraph,” “Marzipan,” “Dream Clara,” and “Snow Queen.” In 2023, Arie performed the role of “Clara” in “Gem City Nutcracker,” a film created for television by WQLN. She has also performed soloist roles in “Coppelia” and “Swan Lake” as well as many choreographic works in other genres. In March of 2023, Arie competed at the New York City Dance Alliance in Buffalo, NY where she won two platinum awards for a duet and a group piece she performed with Tap Essentials.
Arie’s performance experience ranges from ballet to contemporary. Some highlights include “Snow Corps,” “Flower Corps,” “Chinese,” “Seraph,” “Marzipan,” “Dream Clara,” and “Snow Queen.” In 2023, Arie performed the role of “Clara” in “Gem City Nutcracker,” a film created for television by WQLN. She has also performed soloist roles in “Coppelia” and “Swan Lake” as well as many choreographic works in other genres. In March of 2023, Arie competed at the New York City Dance Alliance in Buffalo, NY where she won two platinum awards for a duet and a group piece she performed with Tap Essentials.
Lilah Ackerman began her dance training in 2016 at Sovereign Ballet in Erie, Pennsylvania. She studied under Christina Maria and Carrie Frase. Lilah attended summer intensives at Magnum Opus in Madison, Wisconsin under the direction of Abigail Henninger in 2023 and 2024. Lilah’s performance experience includes many roles in Lake Erie Ballet Company’s production of “Erie’s NUTCRACKER Reimagined” including “Marzipan,” “Snow,” and “Flowers” in addition to “Coppelia” in 2023 and many other original works. In 2024, Lilah was excited to have the opportunity to perform the role of “Black Swan” in Sovereign Ballet’s school production of “Swan Lake.”
Mia Adelhardt began her early training at the Lake Erie Ballet School at the age of three. She continued her studies at Sovereign Ballet until she graduated from high school in 2023. She has attended summer dance intensives at Dallas Ballet Summer Conservatory and Ballet 5:8 in Chicago, Illinois. Mia’s training encompasses a strong foundation of ballet along with modern, contemporary, tap, acrobatics and acro partnering. Mia’s performance experience ranges from ballet to contemporary. Of note, she has performed the roles of “Bon-bon,” “Kissy Doll,” “Marzipan,” “Arabian Lead,” “Snow Queen,” “Snow Corps,” “Flower Corps,” and “Dream Clara” in “The Nutcracker.” In 2021 she performed the role of “Clara” in a film version of “The Nutcracker” that was released in digital format. Mia has also performed soloist roles in “Coppelia” and “Swan Lake” as well as many choreographic works in other genres. In March of 2023, Mia competed at the New York City Dance Alliance in Buffalo, NY where she won a platinum award for both a duet and a group piece she performed with Tap Essentials. Mia enjoys teaching dance at Sovereign Ballet and the Neighborhood Art House as well as choreographing in various genres.
Kyla began her training at the age of 15 with Sovereign Ballet in Erie, Pennsylvania under the instruction of Christina Maria and Carrie Frase. She additionally trained with Orlando Dance Conservatory in Orlando, Florida under the direction of Aretuza Garner. Kyla attended summer intensive programs at Miami City Ballet, Magnum Opus Ballet, and Grand Rapids Ballet. In 2024-2025, she completed a trainee program with Chevalier Ballet in New York City. Kyla has performed corps, soloist and principal roles in classic productions such as “The Nutcracker,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Coppelia,” “Giselle,” “Paquita,” and “Swan Lake.” Her repertoire also includes participation in a televised “Nutcracker” performance and a unique community immersion dance experience.