Boston Ballet principal dancers BBT alumna to star in BBT's Spring Voyage
Step into spring with Boca Ballet Theatre’s production of Spring Voyage on April 18 & 19, 2026! This delightful mixed repertory performance will feature BBT alumna Sasha Lazarus and Boston Ballet principal dancers Yue Shi and Madoka Sugai alongside a talented cast of BBT’s student dancers.
Yue Shi and Madoka Sugai will be dancing the “Black Swan” pas de deux from Swan Lake as well as the leads in Michel Fokine’s Les Sylphides—roles that were originated by Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, who danced in Sergei Diaghilev’s company Ballets Russes. Sasha Lazarus will be performing Caravan, an original piece created on her by Emmy Award-winning director, choreographer, and educator Al Blackstone.
Spring Voyage
You don’t want to miss some of our most beloved works, including the breathtaking romantic ballet Les Sylphides, our rip-roaring tribute to the big band era Just Swingin, and a celebration of the elegance and poise of classical ballet in Voyage Classique.
Join us for this exciting showcase of local and professional talent at Countess de Hoernle Theatre at Spanish River High School. Learn more about our guest artists below, and reserve your tickets to Spring Voyage today!
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2 PM
Featured Guest Artists
Yue Shi began his early ballet training at the Liaoning Ballet School. He was invited to join the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School Aspirant Program when he competed at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, where RWB Artistic Director André Lewis was a member of the Jury. Shi joined the RWB Company as an Apprentice in 2015 and promoted to principal dancer in 2021. He has been recognized at numerous international competitions, including the 2018 Shanghai International Ballet Competition (Gold Medal, Senior), 2017 Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition (Gold Medal, Senior), Varna International Ballet Competition (Silver Medal, Senior, 2016; Gold Medal, Junior, 2014), Jackson International Ballet Competition (Jury Special Award, Junior, 2014), Moscow International Ballet Competition (Silver Medal, Junior, 2013), and Seoul International Ballet Dance Competition (Gold, Junior, 2013). In 2025, he was invited to serve as a judge at the international Elite Arts Festival. Shi joined Boston Ballet in 2023 as a principal dancer.
Madoka Sugai began her dance training at Sasaki Mika Ballet Academy (SBA) and was coached by Mika Sasaki and Mikio Ikehata. She joined Bundes Jugend Ballett in 2012 and Hamburg Ballett in 2014. She was promoted to soloist in 2017 and to principal dancer in 2019. Her repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, William Forsythe’s Blake Works V, Hans van Manen’s Variation for Two, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Justin Peck’s Times are Racing, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale, and numerous works by John Neumeier. Sugai has participated in many galas including Roberto Bolle and Friends and World Ballet Festival and she performed as a guest with The National Ballet of Ukraine and Ballett Zürich. In 2012, she was awarded the Prix de Lausanne gold medal and contemporary prize, and first prize in Concours de Paris Le Chausson d’Or. Sugai joined Boston Ballet as a principal dancer in 2025.
Sasha Lazarus has danced with Giordano Dance Chicago for five years. Growing up, she trained at Boca Ballet Theatre and Performance Edge 2. In 2017, Sasha graduated from The Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and then completed Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program with Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson in 2018. From 2018 to 2020, she danced with Menlowe Ballet, performing principal roles in works by Michael Lowe, Dennis Nahat, and Donald McKayle. Sasha has been recognized as a National Young Arts Winner in both Ballet and Modern Dance. During her time with GDC, she has had the opportunity to perform works by Al Blackstone, Ray Leeper, Liz Imperio, Marina Davis, Gus Giordano, Nan Giordano, Roni Koresh, Randy Duncan, Ray Mercer, Brock Clawson, Troy Powell, Kia Smith, Autumn Eckman, Joshua Blake Carter, Adam Houston, and more. She has choreographed works for Giordano II, the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, and various other schools across America. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the BBT stage for this special performance!