Erica Knowles began her dance training very early in Logan, WV. She began commuting to Charleston, concentrating on her ballet training at the American Academy Ballet, under the direction of Kim R. Pauley. She actively continues her studies at the school, although she is a full time student at WV University. Ms. Knowles has also trained with Ariel Serrano, Donald Laney, Angela Price, and Rhiannon Turley at AAB, official school of the Charleston Ballet. Exhibiting a strong talent, she was invited to join the ballet company, first as an apprentice and now performs soloist roles with the Charleston Ballet.
Ms. Knowles attended the WV Dance Festival for many years, studying under the late Duncan Noble, David Howard, Shane O’Hara, John Parks and Kate Trammel. She has appeared in many student performances for WV schools, including every holiday production of the NUTCRACKER. She has also worked extensively with frequent guest teachers and choreographers Miguel Campaneria, Ronnie De Marco, Luis Montero, Oleg Briansky, and Yves De Boutieller. She studied with nationally recognized teacher Haydee Gutierrez and studied flamenco with Margarita Bruce in Tampa, FL.
Ms. Knowles performance credits include the ballet LES SYPHIDES, PAQUITA, roles of Chinese, Spanish, and Flute dance from the full-length NUTCRACKER with the WV Symphony, De Marco’s CELEBRACION, DUSK TO DAWN, ELEMENTS, POULENC PIANO CONCERTO, Laney’s FINDING PLACE, MAGIC ACT, premiere of SHE LOVES YOU, music of the Beatles, REPETITION, and WEST SIDE STORY. She has danced in full-length productions of GISELLE, SWAN LAKE, and SLEEPING BEAUTY and in special collaborative ballet productions with WomanSong, the Montclaire String Quartet, FestivAll and in the Catholic Eucharistic Congress Festival.
In most recent seasons, audiences have enjoyed her in a variety of works including THE FLAPPERS, REHEARSAL AT TEN, Briansky’s COUNTRY MOON, AFRICAN IMAGES, Campaneri’s MAJISIMO, Christopher Flemming’s PLAY BALL!, Montero’s BOLERO, THE SEASONS, de Boutieller’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and as Velma in the WV Symphony’s production of WEST SIDE STORY.