Krista King-Doherty is an internationally recognized and award-winning teacher and choreographer. Krista comes from a lineage of four generations of professional dancers. Prior to returning to her dance roots, Krista enjoyed a successful career as a fashion model in Europe, USA, Asia and Australia. She worked for top designers and was featured in print campaigns, magazines, on television and runways for a decade.
Since 2005, Krista's students have repeatedly won the Youth Grand Prix Award, Grand Prix Award, and the Hope Award, in addition to overall awards in all divisions at Youth America Grand Prix. Krista’s ensemble pieces have won 1st place at YAGP 5 years in a row at the Phoenix semi-final as well as earning a spot in the prestigious top 12 at the International Finals. In 2017, her piece won the Gold Medal, and in 2020, the Bronze Medal in the contemporary pas de deux division at YAGP NYC Finals. Krista’s daughter and lifelong student, Juliet Doherty, won the Gold Medal in both Junior Women’s and Senior Women’s Division at the YAGP Finals 2012/2014.
Krista’s work is featured in galas and has been performed and recognized in the “Stars of Tomorrow” at Lincoln Center, Vail International Dance Festival, the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, Varna International Ballet Competition, USA/IBC, Australian Dance Festival, “Gala de Danza” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Cancun International Ballet Festival, Festival Internacional de Danza YAGP Mexico, ADC/IBC and World Ballet Competition.
Recent student scholarships include San Francisco Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy, Royal Ballet School, The Ailey School, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Princess Grace Academy, the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and numerous universities. Student engagements include feature films, Broadway Shows, the Radio City Rockettes, Little Dancer at The Kennedy Center, and with professional dance companies in the USA and abroad.
Krista is honored to have received the “Outstanding Choreographer” award from YAGP in 2018 and 2021 and the “Avant Garde” award for choreography from ADC/IBC in 2018. Most recently, Krista’s choreography was featured on NBC’s World of Dance Season 4. She teaches and adjudicates for national conventions and competitions. Krista is a sought-after choreographer and guest master teacher at conservatories and intensives in the USA and internationally.
Oliver Oguma was born and raised in New York City. He grew up as a hip-hop dancer and Ford model before he began dancing ballet at the age of 8. He trained at The School of American Ballet, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, The Rock School for Dance Education and San Fransisco Ballet School before returning to NYC to join American Ballet Theatre studio company. In 2014 he joined Ballet West, he danced soloist roles and also choreographed ballets for the company. In 2019 he joined Ballet de l’Opera National du Rhin in France. He has danced works of Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Alexei Ratmansky, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and many more.
Andrea Astuto has a passion for the art of contemporary dance that shines through in her unique and diverse style of choreography. Andrea is the current Assistant Director at Odasz Dance Theatre in Rochester, NY where she is also their choreographer and Director of the Contemporary Dance Program. She graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2012 with a BA in Dance specializing in Education and Choreography.
Ms. Astuto is an 8 time recipient of Youth America Grand Prix’s Outstanding Choreographer Award and was also presented with this award at the YAGP International Finals in Tampa, Florida in 2021. Her choreography has been featured in several Youth America Grand Prix “Stars of Today Meet Stars of Tomorrow” Galas as well as in the Nervi Festival in Genoa, Italy.
In 2019 she also received the Outstanding Choreography Award at the WBAC Canadian Grand Prix Finals held in Niagara Falls, Canada. She has created several YAGP Finals gold and silver medal award winning pieces in both the ensemble and Contemporary Pas De Deux categories. Andrea was a featured choreographer for Season 4 of NBC’s hit tv series World of Dance and worked alongside the ballet duet “Styles and Emma”. Her choreography can also be seen in pop artist Natalie Taylor’s music video “For A Reason.”
Diploma and certification - Teatro dell'Opera Roma
American Ballet Theatre® Affiliate Teacher - ABT® NTC Fellow
Francesca Carocci was born in Rome and started dancing at the age of five. She studied at the Ballet School of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma since 1978, graduating in 1986 under the direction of Maestro Walter Zappolini. The course of study included academic classical dance, contemporary dance (Martha Graham), the history of dance with Masters Alberto Testa and Gino Tani, the analysis of dance with Mrs. Vittoria Ottolenghi, the classical repertoire, the pas de deux and inclusion in the artistic productions of Opera and Ballet at the opera institution over the course of eight academic years. After graduating, she moved to New York with a scholarship to join The School of American Ballet from 1986 to 1989, under the Artistic Direction of Peter Martins, taking part in the artistic productions of the school dancing many of the Balanchine’s ballet repertoire of the New York City Ballet on-site and on tours abroad.
As a professional dancer - Worked closely with Masters Willy Burman, Philip Beamish, Stanley Williams, Suki Shorer, Diana Cartier, David Howard, Dianna Carter, Alexandra Danilova, Nancy Bielsky, Maggie Black, Susie Pilar, Antonina Tumkovsky, Anthony Kramaresky , Victor Livtinov, Michael Vernon, Nancy Bielsky, Robert Strainer, Zarko Prebil, Ricardo Nunez, Hainz Spoerli, Alfonso Cata', Jeanne Yves Esquerre, Maria Guerrero, Tuccio Rigano, Raymond Franchetti and with the great artists of the dance world such as: Peter Martins, Maya Plitzeskaya, Pierre Lacotte, Michael Barishnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, Lorca Massine.
Her professional career as a dancer includes roles with The Basel Ballet (Artistic Director Hainz Spoerli), Les Ballets de Monte Carlo (Artistic Director Jean Yves Esquerre), Les Ballet du Nord (Artistic Directors Alfonso Catá, then Jean Paul Comelain), Les Ballet de Montreal, Dianna Carter Project (Artistic Director Dianna Carter), Compagnia Carla Fracci (Artistic Director Beppe Menegatti), Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Artistic Director Maya Plitzeskaya), The School of American Ballet/ New York City Ballet (Artistic Director Peter Martins), Southern Ballet (Artistic Director Freddy Franzutti), Oxitoc (Artistic Director Patrick King) and Perspective Dance (Artistic Director Vittorio Biagi). With the ballet companies listed above, in addition to productions in their local theaters, he has worked dancing on tour in theaters around the world and specifically: in England, Indonesia, Africa, Russia, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, the United States and Canada. Favorite credits include Concerto Barocco, Serenade. Stars and Stripes, Rubies, Theme and Variation, Apollon Musagete, Who Cares, Symphony in C, Don Quixotte, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night Dream, Stabat Mater, La Belle Vie, La Boutique Fantasque, Marco Spada.
As a Teacher - Francesca Carocci is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary/Level 7, the ABT® National Training Curriculum - American Ballet Theatre® Affiliate Teacher and ABT® NTC Fellow and annually presents his students at the ABT® Students Examinations which take place in the presence of the Affiliate Emeritus Master Examiners of the ABT® National Training Curriculum Mr. Franco de Vita and Mr. Raymond Lukens.
In Italy she is certified as a Classical-Academic Ballet Teacher accredited by the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Capitale where she got the habilitation for teaching under the direction of Mrs. Laura Comi and Mrs Eleonora Abbagnato.
As a choreographer - Artistic director of the company "New Dance Project" Rome Italy in 2012 staging a production of The Nutcracker on stage at the Teatro San Raffaele in Rome.
Essays and performances at the end of the academic year in management dance schools, staged every year at the Quirino Theater and Parioli Theatre in Rome.
Since 2010 - Responsible for projects for schools for psychomotor activities, classical dance and performing arts in Italy and abroad:
Since 2012 - Founder and Artistic Director of Armonia 2 ASD, dance and sport association registered with CONI and CSEN Affiliated which operates with public trust at the I.C. Municipal Sports Center Volsinio Municipio II – Roma Capitale – with the patronage of the Department of Sport and Culture - Roma Capitale Municipio II.
In 2018 – Classical Dance Trainer CSEN Rome organized by IALS Rome ASD.
From 2018 to 2023 – Artistic Director - IALS Dance Training - Academic Classical Dance – Rome.
Currently – Francesca Carocci beside the direction of Armonia 2 ASD is part of:
Born in Santiago de Chile, Vinet began ballet training at Escuela de Ballet del Teatro Muncipal de Santiago. After two years under full scholarship he moved to Houston, Texas to finish his training at Ben Stevenson Houston Ballet Academy. In 2009 he joined the Houston Ballet and in 2010 the San Francisco Ballet. Vinet danced principal roles by renowned choreographers including Marcia Haydée, Kenneth Macmillan, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, Helgi Tomasson, Stanton Welch, Mark Morris, Ben Stevenson, Demis Volpi, Val Caniparoli, John Cranko, among others. He has been invited to dance at international ballet galas in England, Denmark, China, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, Japan, Australia, the United States, Hungary, Canada, Peru, Paraguay and Switzerland – where he was one of the winners and an apprenticeship recipient at the 2009 Prix de Lausanne. Vinet also was a recipient of the Premio Jovenes Líderes del diario El Mercurio (2009) – an award to Chilean artists, presented by the ambassador of Chile in the United States. Vinet appeared as a special guest dancer at the 2009 Grammy Awards and holds a parallel career as a model, appearing in campaigns for brands like Armani, Burberry, Newman and Dolce and Gabbana, and has been featured in Vogue. In 2017 Vinet was the artistic director and creator of the first international ballet gala to be presented at the emblematic theater in Chile Teatro Oriente. In 2018 he was mentioned in Dance Australia as one of the best performances of the night during the premiere of FORTE in Melbourne, Australia and in 2020 he directed and founded the digital show interMission, a production filmed in three continents gathering some of ballet’s biggest stars all coming together digitally to raise funds for the international charity Save The Children.
Most recently, Vinet was honored to be a 2020 Prix de Lausanne competition jurist in Switzerland, being the youngest person in the history of the prestigious competition to be invited to join the panel of judges.
Finishing up 18 full time seasons in 2024 as Senior and Principal Ballet Master with Dresden’s Semperoper Ballett, where she has helped build and support the present company since 2006, Laura is jumping out to share all she’s learned with dancers around the world. Since the year 2000, she has staged William Forsythe Ballets in many leading companies as well as being an International Guest ballet teacher and coach.
During a 26 year performing career she was a dancer in Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt performing leads in ‘In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Artifact, 2nd Detail, and most notably in the original cast of ‘The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude', and 'Neue Suite’s Handel 1 & 3.
Beforehand as a Principal ballerina with Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Canada, she performed the main roles in many classical ballets such as Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle & Myrta, Luisa in Neumeier’s Nutcracker, along with neo-classical favourites Rudy van Danzig’s 3rd Song of Four Last Songs, Juliet in his Romeo and Juliet, and Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de deux.
The years in Canada involved approximately 20 weeks a season touring domestically and internationally, as well as performing an eclectic repertoire while working with many choreographers on new creations.
At the age of 25 she achieved a long-term dream by attending the Varna International Ballet competition, receiving the top award. Laura has also enjoyed experiencing acting and singing on stage, some film work and cartoon dubbing. Being an avid questioner of how to find different approaches for new experiences and outcomes, she has certifications in Gyrotonic & Gyokinesis, Yin Yoga, is a Zena Rommett Floor-BarreTM instructor, and holds a German Theater Teacher's certificate based on the Kyiv Vaganova syllabus. To keep a bit of adrenaline going after her stage career and to continue observing how gravity affects us, she’s become a Rescue Scuba Diver and is in training to become a Glider plane pilot.
She loves collaborating with dancers to find their unique direction for themselves. It’s always possible to find the how if we know the why.
Michael Crawford is from Takoma Park, Maryland. He began dancing with prestigious schools, including the Maryland Youth Ballet and Kirov Academy, with summer intensives at The Rock School and San Francisco Ballet on full scholarships. In his senior year, he was accepted into the Kennedy Center.
Mr. Crawford then moved on to the Washington Ballet where, in their top training program, he performed with the company under the direction of Septime Webre. Upon graduation, he went on to study and perform in the Professional Division of The Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell.
After Pacific Northwest Ballet, he danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jose Mateo Ballet, Ballet Memphis, American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, and Oakland Ballet. At these companies, he performed several ballets as a principal artist.
While signed with New York Model Management, Mr. Crawford had the honor to internationally campaign. He has walked in several seasons of NYC Fashion Week. He also appeared in the feature film “Step Up” and can be seen on television in ABC’s production of “Forever.”
Michael is also an award-winning teacher and choreographer. He has been teaching and choreographing nationally and internationally for over 10 years. He has coached many prize-winning students for competitions, such as the Youth America Grand Prix. Some of his students have gone on to Prestigious college programs, top dance companies, and leading Broadway performers. Michael is on faculty at many studios including Broadway Dance Center, STEPS on Broadway in NYC, Pace University, Marymount Manhattan College and fellow School of American Ballet.
Maria A. Konrad graduated from the Dreyfoos High School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and then earned her BFA in Performing Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a teacher in Philadelphia, Mrs. Konrad created the early-dance-education curriculum for the school of the Koresh Dance Company, which has been featured in Dance Magazine. Ms. Konrad’s choreography has been presented nationally in such venues such as the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina, The School of Colorado Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, Florida Dance Festival, Miami Dade Cultural Center, Florida Atlantic University, The Kravis Center, Next Generation Ballet and has collaborated with artistic organizations such as Palm Beach Symphony and Palm Beach Pops. Her work has been picked up by choreographic workshops in NYC such as The STEPS Beyond Foundation at STEPS on Broadway and Uptown Rising Series at The Bridge. Her piece “Portraits” was chosen to perform in the 2018 Come Together Festival hosted by Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She will begin second season working with Opera Tampa (Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Aida). This fall she will set a new work on Pennsylvania Ballet 2.
She has been recognized by organization’s such as Young Arts and Youth America Grand Prix for “Outstanding Choreography”(2015, 2017). She has been a guest teacher for institutions such as The Colorado Ballet School, University of the Arts, Florida’s Young Dancers Workshop, The Art of Classical Ballet (dir. Magaly Suarez), Next Generation Ballet, St. Paul’s School, Florida Dance Festival and Youth America Grand Prix. She has worked at both The Harid Conservatory and A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. She served on the 2018 faculty at The International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. She is excited to join the YAGP organization for a second season as a judge and Master Teacher. She is currently resident choreographer with The Next Generation Ballet (Dir. Philip Neal) and the director of the contemporary program at Florida School for Dance Education.
James Fayette retired from New York City Ballet in 2005 at the rank of Principal dancer. Throughout James’ dancing career, he was privileged to work with the greatest dancers and choreographers of that time, originating roles in Jerome Robbins’ 2 & 3 Part Inventions and Brandenburg Concertos as well as in works by other choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, Susan Stroman, Lynn Taylor-Corbett and numerous works by Peter Martins. He also established himself as an excellent partner in a number of signature roles in the New York City Ballet repertoire, including Balanchine’s Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Brahms Schoenberg Quartet and Jerome Robbins’ In The Night and West Side Story Suite.
James started ballet at age five in his hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut. He trained in a variety of ballet styles beginning with classes that were derived from the Russian Vaganova School after which he studied the Balanchine style at the School of American Ballet as a full scholarship student. Furthermore, he was awarded a Danish/American exchange scholarship in 1989 to train in Bourneville technique at the Apprentice program within the Royal Danish Ballet. From 1986 to 1991, Mr. Fayette also participated in and helped to develop lecture demonstrations for the School of American Ballet’s outreach program to schools throughout the New York City area. His vast training and knowledge of ballet served him well as a guest teacher of pas de deux at the School of American Ballet, and guest teacher at Ballet Academy East and the New York State Summer School of the Arts, along with the number of master classes he would offer at schools across the country when visiting as a performing artist. Throughout James’ career at New York City Ballet, he was a union delegate and participated in all dancer employment contract negotiations. Following retirement from full time performing in 2005, he was recruited by the dancers’ union to become the New York Area Dance Executive for the American Guild of Musical Artists, representing professional dancer employment nationwide. He has worked closely with the managements and dancers of most major American dance companies including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet West, Kansas City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company and Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He has a deep understanding of how the employment of dancers is managed and is keenly sensitive to the needs and career concerns of professional artists. His approach to resolving problems between companies and their artists has earned him a high level of respect throughout the professional dance world with both the artists and their managements.
James also was the Managing Director in the founding years of Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project where he helped oversee the development and evolution of one of the most prominent American Contemporary Dance companies of the new millennia. James was Associate Dean of Dance at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, and also co-founded the Colburn Dance Academy with his wife, Jenifer Ringer Fayette, where he taught and coached dancers that are currently performing in some of the most prestigious companies in America including New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. James performed principal roles in the PBS Broadcasts of Live From Lincoln Center’s New York City Ballet’s Diamond Project in 2002, and Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100 in 2004. James also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from St. Mary’s College of California.
Aldo Kattón is a Rehearsal director, choreographer, Artistic Director, and former dancer with extensive professional experience. He has participated in the creation and production of numerous ballets with companies and projects around Mexico, USA, and Guatemala. His expertise is not limited to the technical and artistic aspects of dance, but extends to collaboration and coordination of logistics, sound, lighting, set design, costume design and publicity aspects of small and large-scale theatrical productions. He is committed to excellence and the development of individual artists and artistic institutions.
As a ballet teacher, he has taught all levels in dance education, from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals. Mr. Santiago is member of the International Dance Council CID (The United Nations of Dance). Kattón’s choreography and pedagogical approach promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion as means to preserve the art of classical ballet by allowing it to evolve. Currently Aldo Katton is a Ballet Instructor for Syracuse University in the Drama department.
Francisco Gella’s distinguished career as a professional dancer, choreographer, artistic director and dance educator in the genres of ballet, modern and contemporary dance, spans more than twenty years since he took his first ballet class at the University of Washington during his freshman year.
His award-winning innovative choreography, and highly effective inspirational teaching methods are sought after by universities, schools, and companies across North America and around the globe.
Born in Bacolod City, Philippines and now residing in Los Angeles, CA., Mr. Gella first began dancing in college at the age of 19 and later graduated with a B.A. in Dance from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1996.
Francisco has been a company member with the Philadelphia Dance Company; Repertory Dance Theater; Spectrum Dance Theater; Chamber Dance Company; Seattle Opera; California Ballet and Ballet Pacifica. He danced at the National Choreographers Initiative two years in a row, performed as a principal soloist at the Closing Ceremonies in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan and was featured in a PBS Dance in America Special in Daniel Ezralow’s holiday satirical work entitled the X-mas Philes.
Coming out of retirement in August 2014, Francisco performed a solo work for the Dancing Under the Stars Festival in Orem, Utah.
Olga Kostritzky is a recipient of The Senates State of New York Award, Mae L.Wien Award and the 2012 Inspirational Award for Women USA. For two decades, Ms. Kostritzky was a faculty member at the School of American Ballet where she was a pioneer and creator of the first Boys Program and it’s principal teacher as well. Ms. Kostritzky was a coach for a Cambodian dancer and was featured in the documentary film Dancing Across Borders produced by Anne Bass. She was a Ballet Consultant and a coach for Natalie Portman in Darren Aronovsky’s Black Swan. She worked with directors: Igor Zelensky at NSOBT, Moscow.
Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, Benjamin Millepied, Aure’lie DuPont-Paris Opera, Aaron Watkin-Semperoper of Dresden, Vail and Houston International Dance Festival.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Cooper currently living in San Francisco. However having spent a considerable amount of time growing up in NYC and the Bay Area, he considers himself a native of both coasts. Over his carrer he danced with two major companies, San Francisco Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, with the latter with whom he was a principal dancer with for 9 years. His travels touring with these companies have taken him all over the world.
Mr. Cooper started dancing at the age of five, when he began taking ballet classes at Richard Thomas’ New York School of Ballet. At the age of 13 Mr. Cooper received a full scholarship to train at the San Francisco Ballet School. He soon became a recipient of the Robert Kirby Scholarship, as well as the first to receive the Lew Christensen Scholarship for best male dancer. In 1989, bypassing the obligatory apprentice year, he was made a full company member.
During his time with San Francisco Ballet, Mr. Cooper danced a wide range of the repertoire. During Mr. Cooper’s nine years dancing with Dance Theatre of Harlem as a Principal dancer, he danced leading roles in such ballets as Balanchine’s Apollo, Prodigal Son, Agon, Allegro Brillante and Stars & Stripes; Albrecht in Giselle; Robbins’ Fancy Free; Ashton’s Thais pas de deux; Glenn Tetley’s Sphinx & Dialogues; Smuin’s A Song For Dead Warriors and St. Louis Blues and many others.
Born and raised in France, Fabrice Calmels began ballet training at three years old. At age eleven Mr. Calmels entered the prestigious, 300-year-old Paris Opera Ballet School, under the direction of Claude Bessy. During his training and schooling at there, Mr. Calmels worked with world-renowned dance masters such as Serge Golovine, Gilbert Mayer, Max Bozzoni, John Neumier, Jirí Kylián, Violette Verdy, and also performed at the beautiful Opera Palais Garnier theatre.
Following his graduation from the Paris Opera Ballet School, Mr. Calmels moved to the United States where he furthered his training by joining The Rock School, and danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet. Mr. Calmels grew to perfect and expand his technique in America. At Boston Ballet, under the direction of Anna-Marie Holmes, he learned the Russian technique with ballet masters Tatiana Terekhova and Sergei Berezhnoi, and also the Balanchine style at The School of American Ballet.
After September 11, 2001, unable to acquire his visa, Mr. Calmels returned home to France and joined Paris’ most famous cabaret, LIDO de Paris. There he was fortunate to hone his partnering skills by performing the show’s acrobatic pas de deux.
In 2002, Mr. Calmels established himself in Chicago with the Joffrey Ballet, under the direction of company co-founder Gerald Arpino, again being exposed to another style of dance. In 2004 and age 23, Mr. Calmels became a lead dancer at the Joffrey Ballet, notably through his Principal role as Apollo. He was also coached by the famous Sir Anthony Dowell for the title role of Oberon in Ashton’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In the fall 2009, he performed the title role in the Joffrey Ballet’s premiere of Lar Lubovitch’s “Othello”, which he reprised in the spring of 2013.
Mr. Calmels has danced several times for television and was interviewed extensively for the documentary “Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance.” Notably, in 2014, Mr. Calmels was a guest judge on the hit Fox television show, So You Think You Can Dance. Mr. Calmels has received numerous awards and accolades during his career including establishing a Guinness World Record for Tallest Ballet Dancer in the World.
Currently, Mr. Calmels is still dancing with the Joffrey Ballet. He is also focusing his time on choreography, modeling, acting, and promoting dance and dance education through his membership on the Dizzy Feet Foundation board.
Christina Johnson’s professional career began at age 17 with Boston Ballet. She then joined Dance Theatre of Harlem and became a principal dancer within four years of her 13-year tenure with the company. She danced in Switzerland for seven years, first with Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and then Ballett Basel. Christina has had original works created on her by Glenn Tetley, Dwight Rhoden, Alonzo King, Garth Fagan, RuinHorta, and Joachim Schloemer, to name a few. Christina is a founding member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and has been a featured guest artist with numerous companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet of London.
Christina held the position of Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Washington Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was on faculty at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, CA, and served as Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University in the LINES/Dominican BFA in Dance Program.
Christina is sought after as a teacher and coach; and currently works with dance schools, universities and professional dance companies across the USA and internationally. She is also a master teacher and judge for dance competitions; including Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition/International Ballet Competition and Revel Dance Convention.
Christina is featured in two recently published books, the first by Misty Copeland, Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy and also in Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration. Christina plays a lead acting role in Misty Copeland’s film Flower, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Christina holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollin University.
Momchil Mladenov is a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Bulgaria and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. A native of Bulgaria, Mr. Mladenov trained in the Vaganova Method at the National School of Ballet in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 1984 to 1993. In 1997 he earned a B.A. degree from the National Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. His honors and awards include Laureate of Arabesque Competition and the prize for best performance in P.I. Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, Perm, Russia (1998), Laureate of Masako Ohya World Ballet Competition, Osaka, Japan (1995), prize for Best Partner in "seniors" category at the National Ballet Competition, Dobritsch, Bulgaria, and a nomination for the prestigious award, "Crystal Lire," in the field of performing arts.
Mr. Mladenov successfully collaborated on a five years project that brought The Suzanne Farrell Ballet , New York choreographer Kathryn Posin to Sofia Opera and Ballet and to the National School of Dance, Bulgaria in joint program presenting works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and William Forsythe. For the past seven years Mr. Mladenov is a Guest Master Teacher at the National Ballet of China and School.
Mr. Mladenov continues to inspire and promote ballet to its highest level through his teaching, coaching and choreography.
Alina Ramirez began dancing at the young age of three. Her pre-professional training took place here at Cary Ballet Conservatory, where she was a founding member of our pre-professional ballet company & 3D Jazz Project. During her years at CBC, she danced many featured roles, including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Odette in Swan Lake. After graduation, she continued her training at a collegiate level and received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Dance Education from East Carolina University in December 2010. There, she had the great privilege of studying under principal dancer, Timour Bourtasenkov, and prima ballerina, Galina Panova, who featured Alina as the principal dancer in an original role in 2010.
Alina's passion for teaching started at CBC, where she began her teaching career in 2003. She currently is also one of two full time Dance Teachers at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, NC with a growing dance program of over 200 students. She continues to teach at the conservatory as well as choreograph for The 3D Jazz Project & the Cary Ballet Company. Alina taught at the Carolina Ballet's Youth Summer intensive program in 2011, held master classes at ECU, and has choreographed for public school dance companies, musicals and collegiate dance teams. She has been a company member and choreographer for Elevate, a NC native performance and production dance company, where she has been able to perform and travel the US. She has also been a featured guest in local performances of The Nutcracker, dancing the role of Sugar Plum Fairy. In addition, she has enjoyed choreographing and performing with Koresh dancer Micah Geyer.
Alina's choreography was recently placed in the top 12 YAGP Jr. Contemporary division in Atlanta, GA. 2015. She will also be a featured contemporary master teacher in the 2015 Jazz Fest Intensive at CBC. Alina is looking forward to continuing her career & education in dance performance, choreography, and instruction, and feels blessed to be able to pursue her passion for dance.
A native of Temperance, Michigan, Lauren Tenney began her training under Nigel Burgoine at the Ballet Theatre of Toledo. She continued her professional ballet training with Nutmeg Conservatory of the Arts, where she earned the Dona Neri Award for outstanding achievement, and Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program, where she trained on scholarship and received awards and recognition from the prestigious competition, Youth America Grand Prix.
Ms. Tenney started her professional ballet career with Lexington Ballet and later joined Rochester City Ballet, where she excelled in classical and contemporary ballet.
Alongside her professional career, Ms. Tenney has been on faculty with Lexington Ballet School, Draper Center for Dance Education, and Hochstein School of Music and Dance.
In addition, she served as Trainee Director of the New York State Ballet. Under her leadership and guidance, her students gained recognition and received awards at Youth America Grand Prix and World Ballet Competition.
Ms. Tenney joined the faculty of the Cary Ballet Conservatory in 2020. A firm believer in everything the conservatory stands for, Ms. Tenney looks forward to her continued growth with the school and the students in the coming years.
Mariaelena Ruiz, recipient of the 2019 Youth America Grand Prix NYC Finals Outstanding Teacher Award, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where she was trained and coached by Prima Ballerina of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Nina Novak.
At just 14 years old, Mariaelena became the youngest member of the Ballet Nacional de Caracas under the direction of Vicente Nebrada. Soon after, she won 3rd place in the Junior Division at the Jackson USA International Ballet Competition and received a full scholarship to continue her training at the School of American Ballet in New York. She later won the Best Couple Award and 3rd Place in the Senior Division at the Varna International Ballet Competition, as well as a prize at the Prix Volinine in Paris.
Over the next seven years, Mariaelena performed principal roles with Bay Ballet Theater, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, and Ballet Hispanico, while also appearing as a guest artist for various companies in the U.S. and Europe. Between 2000 and 2006, she danced extensive Balanchine repertoire with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and on tour all over the US and Europe.
In 2000, Mariaelena began teaching part-time at The Rock School for Dance Education and became a full-time Ballet Master in 2006, training some of today’s brightest ballet stars. In 2015, she and her husband became part owners of Cary Ballet Conservatory, where she established the Professional Training Program. That same year, she was appointed Artistic Director of Cary Ballet Company. Under her leadership, the Conservatory has earned national recognition, receiving the Outstanding School Award at YAGP and ADC and being featured in Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. Mariaelena herself was the cover feature of Dance Teacher Magazine, highlighted in the story, “Mariaelena Ruiz Works Her Magic at Cary Ballet Conservatory.”
A highly sought-after judge and guest teacher, Mariaelena has served on the panel for YAGP and collaborated with the New York International Ballet Competition. She was featured in the award-winning documentary First Position and in WHYY Philadelphia’s documentary on the first Curtis Institute of Music and Rock School Collaboration in 2009. In 2016, she was named Outstanding Teacher at the ADC International Ballet Competition.
Mariaelena has coached medalists for major competitions, including Moscow IBC, Jackson USA IBC, Boston IBC, Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix, and American Dance Competition. Her former students dance professionally worldwide in companies such as the National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, Het Nationale Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Washington Ballet, New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Ballet West, and on Broadway.
As Artistic Director of Cary Ballet Company, Mariaelena led the production of a full-length Nutcracker, which has been a sold-out favorite since 2016. She also created the Nutcracker mini-shows, an engaging one-hour narrated performance that offers insight into how the beloved ballet comes to life. She has been instrumental in bringing renowned choreographers to the company’s Spring Works productions and has choreographed and adapted excerpts from iconic classical ballets, including Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, and Don Quixote.
Under Mariaelena’s leadership, Cary Ballet Conservatory has been honored with the Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding School Award from 2017 to 2024, the ADC|IBC Outstanding School Award in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024. Cary Ballet Conservatory’s dancers have been invited to the Prix de Lausanne in 2021, 2023, and 2024, with one of its dancers winning the silver medal in 2025.
Ms. Iler began her training at the Toledo Ballet with Marie Vogt. She continued her training at several of the most prestigious ballet programs, including the School of American Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov’s School of Classical Ballet, the School for the American Ballet Theater, and the San Francisco Ballet School. She then joined Miami City Ballet, where she performed corps, soloists, and principal roles in numerous ballets. She has also danced with Richmond Ballet and Ballet Met.
Ms. Iler has been on faculty with the Miami City Ballet School, The Reston Conservatory Ballet, The Toledo Ballet, the Ballet Theater of Toledo, and the St. Louis Ballet School. In addition, she was the company ballet mistress for St. Louis Ballet with Gen Horiuchi, where she rehearsed numerous Balanchine and classical ballets and works by Michael Uthoff and Christopher D’Amboise.
Four years ago, she was invited to join the full-time faculty of Cary Ballet Conservatory (CBC). This school year, she was appointed director of the CBC ballet program and associate artistic director of the Cary Ballet Company. While at CBC, Ms. Iler has expanded the artistic opportunities for students by bringing in notable dance choreographers to set original choreography, training students for YAGP, and expanding the artistic vision and curriculum of CBC. Ms. Iler firmly believes that all dancers deserve the best, most complete training, regardless of age, skill, or facility. This philosophy imparts to all the passion and joy of dance, whether they are destined for a professional life or simply one enriched with the love of movement.
Agustin de Sousa began his training at age 13 at Danzaira Escuela de ballet in Peru, followed by the Cary Ballet Conservatory, where he graduated in 2020. While training with Cary Ballet Conservatory, he received multiple scholarships and awards, including qualifying for the Youth American Grand Prix Finals in New York. He is also an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher. Agustin received his first contract at age 19 with The Sarasota Ballet in Sarasota, Florida.
As a member of The Sarasota Ballet, he had the opportunity to perform several internationally renowned ballets, including George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Stars and Stripes, Theme and Variations, and Western Symphony a Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations.
At age 21, he joined the Cleveland Ballet in Cleveland, Ohio. After pandemic-forced closures, Mr. Agustin de Sousa returned to the Cary Ballet Conservatory as a faculty member, teaching young dancers where he was a student.
Beth Costigan joined our Cary Ballet faculty in the fall of 1997. She began her training with Chicagoland studios, including the Ruth Page Foundation and the Lou Conte Studio. She holds a BA in Theatre/Dance from Northern Illinois University, where she was awarded a Talented Student Scholarship and an Outstanding Service Award.
Beth has performed professionally with Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, Dancescape, The American College Dance Festival, and The N.I.U. Alumni Company and, most recently, with the Harrison Dance Company in Atlanta, GA.
Before moving to Cary, Beth was Assistant Director of the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre in Marietta, GA., for three years. Beth now lives in Cary with her son Jack and her daughter, Grace. She has been a wonderful asset for Cary Ballet, teaching over the past twelve years, and has remained an active leader in all aspects of the conservatory and the company. In early February 2011, Beth received her Pilates Mat Certification from "Power Pilates".
Beth is especially recognized for the numerous outstanding original works she choreographed for our Cary Ballet Company.
Madison Zisk has trained in many places within the United States. Over the course of her studies, she has trained with the Ballet Theatre of Toledo, St. Louis Ballet, Cary Ballet Conservatory, and The Washington Ballet under the direction of Julie Kent, BalletMet, and others.
While at Cary Ballet Conservatory, Madison had the opportunity to teach alongside Heather Iler and Mariaelana Ruiz. Having taught at schools in Florida and Ohio, she is thrilled to come back home to CBC!
Megan Lynn Norris graduated with a BA in Dance Choreography and Science (magna cum laude) from Goucher College. At Goucher, she had the privilege of working with Christopher Fleming, Heidi Henderson, Zippora Karz, Larry Keigwin, among others and was a member of the Moving Classroom Project, an outreach program integrating arts and academics for Baltimore City schools. Megan also studied at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, the Deborah Colker School in Brazil, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Point Park University. Professionally, she performed in NYC with Isabel Lewis and the Matthew Westerby Company.
In 2012, Megan founded her own professional contemporary company – Asterial Dance. She directed and produced over 40 different performances, including: full-length seasons of her original choreography in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and NYC, the Biomorphic Dance Festival for emerging choreographers, and the Upsurge Choreography Platform for emerging dance companies. Megan collaborated with her dancers to create works that mix elements of improvisation and athletic, technical movement that physicalized different human experiences. She also pushed the boundaries of established technique by experimenting with non-traditional props, scenic elements, lighting, and stage spaces. Megan’s choreography has been featured at the Performance Garage, Ailey Citigroup Theater, White Wave John Ryan Theater, Dixon Place, Hudson Guild Theatre, West End Theater, and Secret Theatre. Through her company, she also taught many forms of dance at the Salvation Army Times Square to underprivileged youth in NYC.
Megan is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT National Training Curriculum. She has been teaching dance for 20 years throughout New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina; serving on the faculty at Artistry in Motion, Ballet Academy East, Dancewave, Mid-Maryland Performing Arts Center, Ridgewood Performing Arts Center, and Steffi Nossen School of Dance, among others. Megan served as the Ballet Program Director at District Dance, where she pioneered District Dance Theatre (a semi-professional ballet company), Budding Ballerinas outreach program, Pop In & Plays, and produced Adventures in Oz. She is also Progressing Ballet Technique certified and her knowledge of the human body, from both studying Biology and working as a personal trainer, gives her students an opportunity to understand movement from an anatomically correct perspective. Megan is a busy adoptive mom of three and is excited to share her passion of dance with the next generation at Cary Ballet!
Aubrie Rosenkoetter, originally from Boise, Idaho, holds a BFA in Ballet from Texas Christian University (TCU). Her early training began at Ballet Idaho and Eagle Performing Arts Center, where she studied a combination of Cecchetti, Vaganova, and Balanchine techniques. Her foundation was further enriched by training in tap, jazz, modern, and contemporary dance, shaping her into a versatile and expressive performer.
As a company member with Idaho Regional Ballet (IRB), Aubrie performed at both Regional and National - Regional Dance America festivals. She continued to refine her technique through prestigious summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, BalletMet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Evergreen City Ballet.
While at TCU, Aubrie performed in original and restaged works by faculty choreographers Elizabeth Gillaspy and Jessica Zeller, as well as guest artists Rubén Gerding, Susan Dromisky, Joy Bollinger, and Rochelle Zide-Booth. She also appeared in The Sleeping Beauty with Ballet Frontier of Texas.
In addition to her performance experience, Aubrie is a passionate educator. During her time in university, she taught ballet, modern, and contemporary dance at Fort Worth Fine Arts Academy, Innovative Dance Incorporated, and Ballet Center Fort Worth. She is committed to helping young dancers discover their individual artistic voices.
Following graduation, Aubrie joined Idaho Dance Theatre, performing original works by Marla and Yurek Hansen. Simultaneously, she contributed to Eagle Performing Arts Center and Idaho Regional Ballet as a teacher, choreographer, and costume designer. Her interest in costume design grew through hands-on work as a stitcher and wardrobe crew member with Ballet Idaho.
Motivated by her love for both dance and design, Aubrie pursued a Master’s degree in Costume Making at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in England. There, she explored the intersection of choreography and costume design, creating custom pieces for performers across the UK and the U.S.
Aubrie recently became level 1 certified in the 4Pointe Teacher Training Program, a method developed through years of research to help dancers build strength, refine articulation, and connect more deeply with the floor. This technique prepares dancers for the physical demands of today’s choreography while promoting long-term health and injury prevention.
Aubrie is thrilled to be joining the Cary Ballet family, where she will be teaching ballet and contemporary dance, as well as serving as the Cary Ballet Company’s Costume Mistress, contributing her construction and design expertise to support the company’s artistic vision both on stage and behind the scenes.
Riley DeChellis (she/her) is a dedicated artist, with her focus on research, creation, and process. She approaches her craft with a well-rounded perspective. Riley found her passion for dance at CC&CO Dance Complex, where she trained under a variety of styles, teachers, and choreographers. In 2022, she attended CLI Conservatory where she had the opportunity to work with established artists such as Teddy Forance, Ethan Colangelo, Matt Luck, Spenser Theberge, and Akira Uchida. In 2023–2024, Riley furthered her training at the GibneyPRO Certificate Program in New York City. Since then, she has returned to CC&CO, where she continues to pursue her passion for teaching and choreographing.
Joyce Gaffney graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison(UW), earning B.S. degrees in Dance and Environmental Science. Born in Barrington, IL, she received early training from The Barrington Dance Academy, attended summer programs with Nashville Ballet, and performed choreography by Giordano Dance Chicago.
At UW, Joyce had the privilege to perform works by guest choreographers Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company and Rob Kitsos as well as university faculty. Joyce received scholarships to attend: River North Dance Chicago's Summer Intensive, World Dance Alliance - America's Conference (Vancouver, CA), and ACDA North Central Conferences.
Her choreography was selected to appear in multiple UW Dance Department concerts through adjudication. Professionally, Joyce danced for Chicago-based Ardent Dance Company. Her other professional performance credits include: “Moments” (2017), choreography Jin-Wen Yu and "Consider It Not So Deeply" (2018), and choreography Marlene Skog.
Joyce taught and choreographed at various studios in and around the Chicago suburbs before relocating to North Carolina in 2019.
A versatile dance teacher who brings over 40 years of dance experience to us, she has choreographed extensively and performed in folk dance and international festivals, and ballet, modern dance, musical, and jazz productions. She began her training in the Philippines under professionals including Remedios V. Piñon, Alice Reyes, Norman Walker, Corazon Inigo, Rene Hofilena, Eric Cruz, and Nez Jardin. In 2003, she was nominated for the Raleigh Medal of Arts for her achievements in the performing arts.
In 1996, Ms. Malit joined Cary Ballet Conservatory (CBC) where she still teaches and choreographs for all productions of the Conservatory. She is proud that CBC received the 2017 Outstanding School at the American Dance Competition and the 2017 Outstanding School award at the Youth American Grand Prix. She choreographs for the Cary Ballet Company, 3D Jazz Company, and productions of the Cary Ballet Conservatory performances. She has also been the choreographer of the Philippine Dance Company of North Carolina and has work with other prominent artist in their own fields.
At the Bergen Dancenter in New Jersey, she worked as the Children’s Ballet Mistress. She worked alongside respected dancers and choreographers across northern New Jersey including Joan Wolf, Mark Jelks, Mary Carpenter, Joanne Koob Brown, Helena Baron, and Shella Hellman.
In addition to teaching dance, she taught Physical Education at St. Joseph’s School in Bogota, New Jersey, Saint Joseph School in Oradell, New Jersey, and St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Apex, North Carolina. In these schools, she also produced, choreographed, and directed performances including Peter and the Wolf, Oliver, The Nutcracker, Aladdin, All that Jazz, School House Rock, The Wiz, and Over the Rainbow. In her latest production, Godspell, she choreographed and co-directed all the dances and movements for the musical theatre production class at St. Mary Magdalene, which was performed at the Haley Theater. From 1996 to 1999, she also served as a Dance Specialist in schools across the Wake County Public School System.
When she retired as a Physical Educator, she started teaching Chair Ballet classes, which are exercises classes at independent living and assisted living facilities, for the residence and for those diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia.
Ms. Malit graduated from University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelors of Science in Education (BSE) in Physical Education, was a member of the UST Salinggawi Dance Company, and graduated with a Masters in Dance Composition from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She was with the pioneering group in 1978 that founded IPAG, and subsequently, acted as IPAG’s co-founder and first choreographer. She continues to serve as the Resident Choreographer and joined the 2006 Hawaiian Islands and U.S. mainland road tours for the celebration of the Philippine Centennial in the U.S. with Tales from Mindanao. In May 2017, she led a contemporary dance workshop in Iligan, Philippines, created a signature choreography to represent IPAG internationally, and was interviewed for a documentary film on IPAG that will be presented in the Philippines in 2017.
