Columbia City Ballet

Victoria Cholkas

For her performance as the Spanish spitfire, she was lauded by reviewers for her “strong technique and beautifully long lines.” The Free Times noted that she danced the part of Kitri with “tireless energy.” Don Quixote was filmed by South Carolina Educational Television for viewing in South Carolina and was released to PBS affiliates throughout the nation.  The State praised her performance in Swan Lake, stating that “she perfectly embodied the nervous fragility of Odette.” Additionally, she has danced the title role in Giselle, as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, and Swanhilda in Coppelia, and most recently as the lead in The Little Mermaid.

Victoria is a native of Florence, South Carolina, and received her early ballet training from William Starrett, Elise Jenkins, and Joffrey Ballerina Patricia Miller. She furthered her ballet training as a merit scholar at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Program and was featured in the Coppelia Pas de Deux in the final performance in New York City. Victoria numbers among her teachers and coaches Cynthia Harvey, Gelsey Kirkland, Cynthia Gregory, David Howard, and Lupe Serrano.

Joining the Columbia City Ballet in 1994, her first role was Spanish Hot Chocolate in Nutcracker. Mr. Starrett promoted Victoria to Principal Dancer the following year. She became a Ballerina of the Company in 2001. She resides in Florence, SC, with her husband, George Tassios.