Distinguished Alumni

  • Carmen began her ballet training in Cary, NC at Cary Ballet Conservatory, where she trained throughout high school. She spent summers training as a scholarship student at Houston Ballet Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. During the early years of her career, Ms. Felder performed in Carolina Ballet’s Coppelia and The Nutcracker. She went on to earn her BFA from the University of Oklahoma in Ballet Performance with a minor in German.

  • Lauren began studying ballet at the age of 11 at the Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, North Carolina. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summers of 2004 and 2005 and enrolled at SAB as a full time student in 2006. In October 2009, Ms. Lovette became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2010. She was promoted to soloist in February 2013 and to principal dancer in June 2015.

  • School of American Ballet, Saratoga Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, New York City Ballet. Associate at McKinsey & Company | MBA Graduate, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

  • Santino received scholarships to several prestigious ballet schools around the world after his participation at the 2025 Prix de Lausanne competition. He has chosen to attend the Royal Ballet School in London.

  • Eric was the second winner of the 2025 Prix De Lausanne competition, receiving a full scholarship to any of their internationally renowned partner ballet schools. He has chosen to attend the Paris Opera Ballet School.

Meet more of our Distinguished Alumni

  • Alina Ramirez Vance - BFA in Dance Education from East Carolina University (2010), Dance Teacher at Cardinal Gibbons (2018 -2020), and Cary Ballet Conservatory (2003-present)

  • Gretchen LaWall - Owner, Your Body Pilates, and certified Fletcher Pilates professional teacher (2018-present); River North Chicago Dance Company (2012-2015), BFA, University of Arizona (2009-12)

  • Tanya Haglund – BFA University of Arizona, Broadway Performer

  • Allison Ansinn - Portland Ballet (2022-present), BFA from University of Oklahoma (2022)

  • Anna Huynh – Cary Ballet Conservatory Office

  • Gabby Cooper – Duke University

  • Greg Goessner - Expressnez Dance Center - Faculty (present), Indianapolis Ballet (2018-2020), Dayton Ballet apprentice (2016-2018)

  • Maddie Zisk - Cary Ballet Conservatory Faculty (2021-present); Ballet Met trainee (2018-2019); Washington Ballet trainee (2016-2017)

  • Sara Roe - Corps de Ballet, Carolina Ballet (2017 Trainee, 2016 Student Artist); NCSU Alumni

  • Addison Spey

  • Alfredo Espinoza - Cleveland Ballet 2017

  • Emily Hall - Washington Ballet trainee (2017-2020)

  • Kayleigh Western - Lexington Ballet Company (2019 – present), Louisville Ballet trainee (2017-2019)

  • Agustin de Sousa – Cary Ballet Conservatory Faculty Present, Cleveland Ballet (2020-2021), Sarasota Ballet Studio Company (trainee 2018-2020)

  • Joaquin Gaubeca - Stuttgart Ballet (present), John Cranko School of Stuttgart Ballet, Germany (school 2019-2020)

  • Andrea Huynh – San Antonio Ballet (2020-present), Pennsylvania Ballet Trainee (2019-2020); Ballet Met trainee (2018-2019)

  • Cooper Everson - NYC (present), Cary Ballet Conservatory faculty (2021-22); Ballet Met II (2019-2020), Ballet Met (trainee 2018-2019)

  • Emma Rodriguez

  • Izhak Eschebach, Trained with Acosta Dance in Cuba 

  • Maddison Goodman – Miami City Ballet (2019-present), Ballet Met (trainee 2018-2019)

  • Megan Dillion – Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line

  • MiKayla McKean - Kansas City Ballet Second Company

  • Samantha Schaubach - Saratoga Ballet

  • Francisco Schilereff - Miami City Ballet, Apprentice (2019-2025), Full Company member Boston Ballet (present)

  • Logan Leve - Butler University

  • Logan White - Goodnight Scholar, NCSU (2021-present), Lexington Ballet trainee (2019-2020)

  • Reynu Wood – Roanoke Ballet (present), Syracuse City Ballet (2021 - 2023); Ballet Fantasique Apprentice (2020-2021)

  • Victoria Bevil - Palmetto City Ballet (2020-present)

  • Yazmine Akamine - Boston Conservatory at Berklee (2021-present); Trainee, Sacramento Ballet (2020-21)

  • Emily Fong – Duke University

  • Francesca Raypon - Orlando Ballet II

  • Haley Lowder – UNC Chapel Hill

  • Isabella Vanik – Joffrey Ballet Trainee

  • Luke Jones – English National Ballet School, London

  • Maddy McGee - Cornell University

  • Mary Wyatt Johnson - Cary Ballet Conservatory Faculty (2021-23), Liberty University (2021), New Orleans Ballet Theatre

  • Miranda Thomas – Florida Ballet Trainee

  • Rayan Dridi – Oklahoma City Ballet Second Company

  • Reagan Arenz – Ballet Austin Trainee, Texas Butler Fellow

  • Sydney Upchurch – Royal Ballet School in London, UNC Chapel Hill

  • Nathan Cronheim-Strasser – Nashville Ballet Second Company - Tulsa

  • Valentina Facal – Ballet Idaho

  • Zoe Gordon – Florida Ballet

  • Anna Scott Thompson – UNCSA – Winston Salem

  • Elissa Resnick – The Ailey School

  • Hannah Brickey – The Ailey School

  • Itay Krasnovsky  - Richmond Ballet

  • Katherine Steele  - New Orleans Ballet Trainee

  • Mary Wyatt Johnson – New Orleans Ballet Trainee

  • Alexa Lattanze - Ballet Idaho, Duke University (present)

  • Chelsea Marriott - Boston Ballet Graduate Program

  • Ellie Carlson - Sacramento Ballet Second Company

  • Ellen Smith - Nevada Ballet Theater II, Second Company, Las Vegas.

  • Ethan Maas - Lithuanian National Opera & Ballet Theatre (present), Studio Company, Joffrey Ballet Chicago

  • HannahJane Case - Studio Company, Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.

  • Harris Yesenik - Texas Ballet Theatre Studio Company

  • Isabelle Burke - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • John Fontanini - Birmingham Royal Ballet (present), Academie Princess Grace

  • Maceo Gerard - Stuttgart Ballet (present), John Cranko School of Stuttgart Ballet, Germany 

  • Charlie Baldwin won the bronze medal at the 2025 ADC|IBC Finals, receiving several traineeship and professional contract offers. He will join the second company of the Cincinnati Ballet in Ohio.

  • Jadon Mychael Branner won the silver medal at the 2025 ADC|IBC Finals and received multiple professional opportunities. He will join the Sacramento Ballet as a Sacramento Ballet 2 Artist for the 2025-2026 season.

  • Cate Couch received several traineeship opportunities and scholarships through her performance at the ADC|IBC Finals. She will join the New Jersey Ballet as a trainee for their 2025-2026 season.

  • Stirling Jones received multiple training and professional opportunities through her performances at the ADC|IBC Finals and YAGP Job Fairs throughout the season. She is a trainee with Carolina Ballet.

  • Abigail Kane-Haspel will join the Alvin Ailey School’s three-year Certificate program and participate in the Complexions Academy Pre-Professional program, which includes performing with the Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

  • Sarah Lehtinen received several professional opportunities through her performances at the ADC|IBC Finals and YAGP Finals. She will join the Richmond Ballet in Virginia as a trainee.

  • Ryan Razon will attend Harvard University in the fall. He is planning to major in Computer Science and hopes to continue dancing by joining a student club.

  • Madelyn Stankas received multiple traineeship opportunities after performing in the ADC|IBC and YAGP Finals. She will join the Richmond Ballet as a trainee.

  • Grace Thomas will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as part of the Class of 2029. She will study linguistics and marine biology.

  • Grace Zheng will attend Duke University on a full-ride scholarship this fall. She plans to major in electrical engineering and minor in dance, and plans to join the Devils En Pointe performance group.

  • Corbin Simpson - ADC Assistant to the Director

  • Sophia Hatton

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