Addison Camper
Bristol Ballet announces that senior company member Addison Camper, 16, of Piney Flats, Tennessee, is the 2026-2027 recipient of the Teresangela Schiano Memorial Scholarship.
Camper is a junior at Tops Academy. She has been dancing at Bristol Ballet since she was 3 years old and has been in the senior performing company for two seasons. Some of her favorite roles include Clara, Marzipan, Snow, Spanish Lead, and Arabian in “The Nutcracker,” and the Wicked Witch in the “Wizard of Oz.” Her first show with Bristol Ballet was “Snow White,” and she has loved dancing in every show since.
Camper says, “Ballet means a lot to me. Ballet has always been a way for me to have fun and to take care of my body. Ballet has been a part of my life since I was 3, so I couldn’t imagine it not being a part of my future.” She also loves the self-expression she is able to explore through ballet. She credits her teachers at Bristol Ballet and her parents as her biggest influences.
Upon receiving the award, Camper said, “Receiving the scholarship has always been a dream of mine ever since I was little. I’m so grateful to everyone at Bristol Ballet for this wonderful opportunity to continue to grow in my dancing.”
In addition to ballet, she loves spending time with her friends and family. Camper plans to attend college and minor in dance. She also plans to become a psychiatrist in the future.
The Teresangela Schiano Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to dancers at the intermediate/advanced level of ballet who are also part of Bristol Ballet’s performing company. The chosen dancer must be active in performing and exhibit skill and dedication to excellence. He or she must possess a desire to progress and grow within the art form; aspirations to dance professionally are not a requirement. The scholarship provides for all fees for the 2026-2027 season. This includes tuition, registration, production fees and summer intensive tuition. The fund is capitalized by donations from private individuals or corporations who wish to perpetuate the art of ballet through Schiano’s memory.
Schiano’s untimely death at age 33 on March 8, 2014, shocked and saddened an entire community of friends and family. It was their wish to keep her memory alive and perpetuate the vibrancy that she had on stage, as well as her love for ballet, by establishing the Teresangela Schiano Memorial Scholarship Fund at Bristol Ballet.
