Jessica Tretter

A Rochester, New York native, Jessica Tretter trained at The Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education, and the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy under full scholarship. She also attended the School of American Ballet summer intensive, under full scholarship, and American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive in New York City. Ms. Tretter was a member of Houston Ballet II, and then went on to join the Houston Ballet where she performed in The Nutcracker, Dracula, Giselle, Don Quixote, Onegin, Madame Butterfly, Coppelia, Carnival of the Animals, Western Symphony (Balanchine), and as one of the four Little Swans for the world premiere of Mr. Welch’s Swan Lake.

Since returning to the Rochester City Ballet she has danced as the Christmas Spirit, Harlequin, Dew Drop, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Spring Fairy, Fairy Godmother, and Cinderella in Cinderella, the Waltz Girl and Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Ms. Tretter originated many roles in former director Jamey Leverett’s ballets, including the Chosen Virgin in the world premiere of The Blood Countess. Under former RCB director David Palmer, Ms. Tretter originated the role of the Ugly Duckling in Jimmy Orrante’s The Ugly Duckling, and danced featured roles in Mr. Palmer’s Under the Moonlight, Adiemus, Follow the Rose, Mist, and Summer of Love.

Splitting her time between RCB and then NYC based BalletNext in 2014 and 2015, she performed in New York City and Ibiza, Spain, originating roles in new works and collaborating with Flex dancer Jay Donn and former American Ballet Theater principal Michele Wiles. Ms. Tretter is a regular guest performer with Olney Ballet Theatre, in Maryland, where she has danced Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy in their annual production of The Nutcracker.