BalletX: Sunset, o639 Hours

Shawn Cusseaux

Shawn is an emerging performing artist hailing from Tampa Bay, FL, where he attended Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. He continued his studies in Pittsburgh, PA at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, where he received his Bachelor in Fine Arts. During this time he was given opportunities to perform works by Garfield Lemonious, Jae Man Joo, Kiesha Lalama, Jennifer Archibald, Jose Limon, Jason Mcdole, Amy Hall Garner, Robert Priorie, Edwaard Liang, and Camille A. Brown. Before joining the company in 2020. This is Shawn’s third season with BalletX. 

Jonah Delgado

Jonah graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2019. His formative dance training began with The Academy of Dance Arts, in Illinois. During his time in college he also guested with Visceral Dance Chicago, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Illinois Ballet Theatre. After graduating from college, Jonah joined Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. He joined BalletX in 2021.

Francesca Forcella

Francesca Forcella (Dancer) danced with the Washington Ballet Studio Company, Los Angeles American Contemporary Ballet, and Houston Ballet II, where she toured internationally, representing Houston Ballet at the International Youth Dance Festival in Budapest, Hungary. Francesca joined BalletX in 2013.

Savannah Green

Savannah Green (Dancer) studied at Manhattan Youth Ballet and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. She graduated with a BFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2017, performing works by Jose Limon, Andrea Miller, and Anna Halprin. Savannah joined BalletX in 2020.

Zachary Kapeluck

Zachary Kapeluck hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his early training at Southwest Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. He trained at The Juilliard School and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Summer Intensives, and in the summer of 2011, he worked as a guest artist with Mary Miller Dance in Pittsburgh in a project titled Confluence. He graduated with a BFA in Dance from Point Park University, where he had the opportunity to perform works by such choreographers as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Toru Shimazaki, Kevin Iega Jeff, Val Caniparoli, Jessica Lang, and Alejandro Cerrudo.  He received training there from Doug Bentz, Kiesha Lalama, Garfield Lemonius, and Dana Arey. Zachary joined BalletX in 2013.

Skyler Lubin

Skyler Lubin (Dancer) danced as a member of the Corps de Ballet with Miami City Ballet from 2010-2014. She has performed featured roles including Flower Festival pas de deux, Swan Lake pas de trios, and Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, and has premiered pieces by Alexei Ratmansky and Liam Scarlett. Skyler joined BalletX in 2015.

Ashley Simpson

Ashley Simpson (Dancer) studied at W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts and Ailey/Fordham, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and as a Denise Jefferson Scholar. She is a Princess Grace Honoraria winner and has been featured in Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. Ashley joined BalletX in 2020.

Richard Villaverde

RICHARD VILLAVERDE, born and raised in Miami, FL, he began dancing at the age of 13, privately coached by Maria Eugenia Lorenzo, is a New World School of the Arts graduate and received his B.F.A from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Notably, he was a part of Arsenale della Danza 2012 at La Biennale de Venezia under the direction of Ismael Ivo. He later joined BalletX (2012-2021) where he was featured in works by Matthew Neenan, Kevin O’Day, Dwight Rodan, Nicolo Fonte, Penny Saunders, Cayetano Soto, Trey McIntyre, Jodie Gates, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. He’s performed at the Vail International Dance Festival, Ballet Sun Valley, Belgrade Dance Festival as well as at Jacob’s Pillow.

Pete Leo Walker

From Jacksonville, Florida, Pete Leo Walker began his training at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. In 2010 Pete joined Charlotte Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, performing a diverse repertoire including works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Dwight Rhoden, Sasha Janes, and Jiri Bubenicek. In 2011 Pete received the prestigious Princess Grace Dance Fellowship Award and in 2012 was promoted to Principal Artist with the Charlotte Ballet. The following year he was listed in Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch” and in December 2014, performed Who Cares at the Kennedy Center Honors Awards, as tribute to Patricia McBride. Following his tenure with the Charlotte Ballet, Pete joined Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, touring nationally and internationally and performing works by artists such as Gerald Arpino, Jorma Elo, Cayetano Soto, Alejandro Cerrudo, Alexander Ekman, Nicolo Fonte, and Cherice Barton. While a company member with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Pete had the privilege of performing Gerlad Arpino’s Light Rain pas de duex at the Jacob’s Pillow 2016 Season Opening Gala. Pete has been fortunate to return annually as a guest artist at Chautauqua Institution’s Alumni All-Star Ballet Gala. Pete joined BalletX in 2021.

Andrea Yorita

Andrea Yorita is from Irvine,California, where she received her classical ballet training at Academy of Dance, under the direction of Merle Sepel, Rebecca Tsivkin, and Mignon Furman. In 2012, she graduated as a Gillespie Scholar with a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of California, Irvine, where she studied under Jodie Gates, Molly Lynch, and Donald McKayle. Originally trained under the R.A.D. syllabus, Andrea has completed all Vocational R.A.D. exams with Distinction, as well as received the Solo Seal Award. In 2008, Andrea competed as a finalist in the Genée International Ballet Competition in Toronto, Canada. She has participated in the National Choreographers Initiative, as an apprentice, and the Traverse City Dance Project. Andrea was a 2016 Dance Finalist for the Clive Barnes Award. She joined BalletX in 2012.

Alexandra Day – Musician

Alexandra Day studied classical piano at Messiah College, and classical voice at Temple University. She received the honor of singing the national anthem and the alma mater at Temple’s 2006 Commencement Exercises. Since then, she has had a diverse and vibrant performance career: As a pianist-singer-songwriter, she has released 3 albums, and has toured from Boston to New Orleans, as well as in the Caribbean. She also sings regularly with jazz combos, and is in her 18th year as a wedding singer, performing all genres of popular music. This is her first production with BalletX.

Josh Machiz – Musician

Josh Machiz is a Philadelphia-based musician, comedian, and composer who’s been confusing and delighting audiences across North America for over 2 decades. He’s a 2-Time Barrymore Award Winner and co-recipient of an American Composers Forum Grant. He’s collaborated with Mickey Roker, Uri Caine, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Wilma Theater, BalletX, Opera Philadelphia, and Pig Iron Theater Company. He’s currently a member of TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb, Arcana New Music Ensemble, and Dirty Dollhouse.

The New York Times described his music as “What the mail sounds like.” CBS called TJ Kong “entertainingly unhinged.” dosage Magazine calls him “Philadelphia’s giant musical force.” The Charm City Comedy Festival describes him as “Surrealist Stand-up Comedy.” Josh’s music has been featured on NPR’s Jazz Night in America, and his comedy is featured on Amazon Prime. He’s performed at Lincoln Center, Joyce Theater, 92nd Street Y, and the Guggenheim.

Tara Middleton – Musician

Tara Middleton is a 2019 Pew Fellowship nominated vocalist, violinist, and lyricist, and winner of the 2021 A2IM Libera Award. Currently, she is the vocalist for the world-renowned Sun Ra Arkestra. She also leads her own ensemble, Jupiter Blue. In the 1990s, Tara co-founded The Foundations Singers, an African folk a cappella trio that garnered wide acclaim. Since then, she has performed as a featured vocalist incorporating a broad range of styles, from straight-ahead jazz, Portuguese Brazilian, Afro-Cuban/Caribbean, and Operatic avant-garde.

Most recently she has worked as a vocalist, instrumentalist and recording artist with Bowerbird’s Arcana New Music Ensemble and Philadelphia Jazz Project. In 2019 Tara was commissioned by BalletX to co-compose the ballet Twelve Bells, and she has collaborated with Nick Millevoi’s Desertion Trio to rave reviews in Rolling Stone magazine. Tara’s most recent work can be heard on the newly released Grammy Acknowledged Sun Ra Arkestra album, Swirling, in which she wrote the lyrics for the title track. 

Isaac Stanford – Musician

Isaac Stanford plays the pedal steel, lap steel, and dobro in several projects around the Philadelphia area. His instrumental Hawaiian-inspired quintet, Slowey and the Boats, keeps an active playing schedule and can be found at tiki bars and luaus throughout the region. Isaac also works as a 7th grade teacher in the Cheltenham School District, where he has taught social studies for the past 15 years.