Marika Gould is a gifted ballerina sharing her talent with the San Diego Ballet. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Gould’s father moved the family to the “little town” of Hesperia, Calif., when she was 2 years old. Life as a performer began in Lomitas Elementary School “when I was a tree in the ‘Wizard of Oz.’” Bitten by the performance bug, she attended tap, jazz, contemporary dance, and aerial arts classes during her junior and high school years. Gould’s Encore High School’s musical theatre group was so talented, they traveled to Scotland to perform at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Performances included “Alice in Wonderland” – Gould held the leading role of Alice – “Freestyle Circus,” and “Blazing Tide.” While attending Riverside City College, she continued to audition for coveted spots in traveling and summer dance companies. The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, D.C. accepted her for their 2016 summer program. With her talent on full display, she was quickly brought on board for their year-round training program. Gould then met Erin Forrest, a ballet professional who would change her life. “Erin taught me ballet fundamentals, pieces that were missing because of my musical theatre background,” said Gould. “Ms. Forrest soon opened her own school – the Forrest Academy of Ballet New York – in Manhattan the following year. I moved to New York to attend FABNY and learn even more.” “Marika was blessed with a beautiful physique for ballet, wisdom, and a determination to move mountains,” said Forrest. “Her drive and curiosity to learn the unknown, combined with her goal to be the best she can be, continues to catapult her to success. Within three years, she was cast to perform the coveted, iconic, lead role of Odette in ‘Swan Lake,’ something unheard of in the ballet world.” In New York, Gould performed as the soloist in Manu Dance in ‘La Bayadere’; as Aurora in ‘Sleeping Beauty’; and Odette in ‘Swan Lake.’ She continued with the Bolshoi Ballet’s summer intensive program and the St. Petersburg Festival Ballet intensive in St. Petersburg, Russia. “The St. Petersburg Festival Ballet intensive is organized by Oleg Vinogradov, the former director of the Mariinsky Theatre,” explained Gould. “Vinogradov only invites a select group. I worked with amazing and well-known ballerinas including Irina Gensler, Irina Guseva, Gabriella Komleva, Tatiana Sokolova, and Oleg Vinogradov himself.” Upon graduating from the Forrest Academy of Ballet New York in 2019, the starlet was invited to join the ensemble of San Diego Ballet. Gould spoke highly of the “unique company” with “lots of original choreography by our artistic director, Javier Valesco.”
“I love the diversity of the repertoire at San Diego Ballet,” she continued. “I’m excited to explore new styles of movement and to work with the other beautiful dancers in the company.”
In addition to a full schedule of rehearsals in Liberty Station’s Dorothea Luab Dance Place, Gould is carrying a full-time course load in criminology from Norco College to become a behavioral analyst “when my body can’t perform anymore.”
Despite the grueling, six-day commute that averages two hours each way, Gould is thrilled to be dancing with San Diego Ballet. “The company environment is a close-knit family-like team working together to showcase amazing performances,” she said.
“Marika is a lovely company dancer,” said Noriko Zaragoza, assistant to the directors of San Diego Ballet. “Marika’s loved and respected by her peers because she’s genuine, honest, and trustworthy with a can-do attitude that inspires, encourages and uplifts others,” added Forrest. “Marika’s every teacher’s dream – hard-working, intelligent, determined, and inquisitive. Not a day went by without questions to clarify – and ultimately improve her performance.”
“I know that with hard work and dedication, I will achieve my dreams,” Gould concluded. “I hope to be in San Diego for a long time, rising the ranks within San Diego Ballet.