NOW: Premieres

Isabella Boylston

Born in Sun Valley, Idaho, Isabella Boylston began dancing at the age of three. While training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet, she won the gold medal in 2001 at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. In 2002, she began training at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, on a full scholarship.

Boylston joined the ABT Studio Company in 2005, the main Company as an apprentice in May 2006 and the corps de ballet in March 2007. She was promoted to Soloist in June 2011 and to Principal Dancer in August 2014.

Her repertory with the Company includes Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadère, the Ballerina in The Bright Stream, Fairy Godmother and the Fairy Summer in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, Moss in James Kudelka’s Cinderella, Aurora in Coppélia, Gulnare and an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, Chloe in Daphnis and Chloe, Kitri and a flower girl in Don Quixote, the second girl in Fancy Free, Lise in La Fille mal gardée, the title role in Alexei Ratmansky’s Firebird, Giselle, the peasant pas de deux and Moyna in Giselle, the title role in Jane Eyre, Manon and Lescaut’s Mistress in Manon, Clara the Princess in The Nutcracker, Olga in Onegin, Other Dances, Juliet and a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Princess Florine and the Fairy of Fervor in The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile, the pas de trois and the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, the Mazurka in Les Sylphides, Sylvia and Persephone in Sylvia, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the lead in Theme and Variations, Princess Tea Flower in Whipped Cream, leading roles in AFTERITE, Bach Partita, Ballo della Regina, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Désir, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once, Her Notes, From Here On Out, Let Me Sing Forevermore, Monotones I, Songs of Bukovina, Symphonie Concertante, Symphony in C and With a Chance of Rain, and featured roles in After You, Birthday Offering, Brief Fling, Deuce Coupe, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, In the Upper Room, Gong, The Leaves Are Fading and Sinfonietta.

Boylston created Columbine in Alexei Ratmansky’s Harlequinade, The Spirit of the Corn in Ratmansky’s The Seasons, the Diamond Fairy in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, leading roles in Ratmansky’s Chamber Symphony, Christopher Wheeldon’s Thirteen Diversions and Gemma Bond’s A Time There Was, and featured roles in Lauri Stallings’ Citizen, Ratmansky’s Dumbarton and Demis Volpi’s Private Light.

Boylston won the 2009 Princess Grace Award and was nominated for the 2010 Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2011 she received the Clive Barnes Award. She was the recipient of the 2014 Annenberg Fellowship.

She has appeared as a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg and the Royal Danish Ballet.

Isabella was featured as the Artist-In-Residence for the 2016 Vail Dance Festival.

India Bradley

Lil Buck

Lil Buck is a movement artist who began jookin at age 13. Named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, he gained international notoriety after an impromptu piece with Yo-Yo Ma went viral. Since then he has collaborated with artists including JR, Damian Woetzel, the New York City Ballet, Madonna, Benjamin Millepied, and Spike Lee. Buck is an avid arts education advocate, recipient of the WSJ Innovator Award. He has collaborated with brands like Glenfiddich and Louis Vuitton, and launched a capsule collection with Versace.​

Herman Cornejo

Herman Cornejo was born in Villa Mercedes, San Luis province, Argentina, and began his ballet studies at the age of eight at Teatro Colón’s Instituto Superior de Arte, Buenos Aires. At fourteen he received a scholarship from the School of American Ballet, the dance school of New York City Ballet and on his return to Buenos Aires he joined Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentino. In 1999 Herman joined American Ballet Theatre, New York, was promoted to Soloist in 2000 and was appointed Principal Dancer in 2003. Herman has participated in numerous galas and has performed as Principal Guest Dancer with Ballet del Teatro Argentino de La Plata, Boston Ballet, Compañía de Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Corella Ballet Castilla y León, New York City Ballet and Sapporo Ballet.

Robbie Fairchild

Robbie Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began his dance training at Dance Concepts. His formal ballet training began at the age of ten at the Ballet West Conservatory. Mr. Fairchild attended the 2002 and 2003 summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full time student in the fall of 2003. In June 2005, Mr. Fairchild became an apprentice with NYCB, and the following June, he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to soloist in May 2007, and in October 2009 was promoted to principal dancer.

Joseph Gordon

Joseph Gordon is a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet. Born in Phoenix, AZ, he began his dance training at age 5 at Phoenix Dance Academy, and came to the School of American Ballet in 2006. Named an NYCB apprentice in 2011, he joined the NYCB corps de ballet in 2012, was promoted to Soloist in 2017, and to Principal Dancer in 2018. His repertory includes leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, August Bournonville, William Forsythe, Peter Martins, Benjamin Millepied, Matthew Neenan, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, Troy Schumacher, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Photo by Erin Baiano

Christopher Grant

Christopher Grant was born in Jamaica, Queens. He began his dance training at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in 2002. Additional training includes summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) and the New York State Summer School of the Arts.

In August 2015, Mr. Grant became an apprentice with NYCB. As an apprentice with the Company, Mr. Grant originated a featured role in Nicolas Blanc’s Mothership. He joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2016.

Lauren Lovette

Lauren Lovette is a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet. Born in Thousand Oaks, CA, she began her dance training at age 11 at California Dance Theatre, continued at the Cary Ballet Conservatory, and came to the School of American Ballet in 2006. Named an NYCB apprentice in 2009, she joined the NYCB corps de ballet in 2010, was promoted to Soloist in 2013, and to Principal Dancer in 2015. Her repertory includes leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon, among others. Lovette has choreographed three works for NYCB: For Clara (2016), Not Our Fate (2017), and The Shaded Line.

Roman Mejia

Roman Mejia is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. Born in Fort Worth, TX, he began studying ballet at age 3 with his mother and father, and continued his training at the Mejia Ballet Academy before coming to the School of American Ballet in 2015. Named an NYCB apprentice in 2017, he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet later that year. His repertory with NYCB includes leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Kyle Abraham, Edwaard Liang, Peter Martins, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, and Gianna Reisen.

Ron Myles

Bessie-Award winner, Ron Myles was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, in a neighborhood called Orange Mound. Growing up the only dancer in the area, Myles described his friends and family as his greatest inspiration and motivation during this time. In 2009, Myles moved to Los Angeles, CA with his cousin and close friend Charles “Lil Buck” Riley, and since then has become one of the premier interpreters of the style of dance known as memphis jookin’, often in partnership with Riley. Since 2009, Myles has appeared as a featured dancer in the 2011 film Footloose; starred in several commercials including a Diet Pepsi segment alongside Sofia Vergara, and a spot for Adidas Originals; appeared in a TED Talk; and headlined evenings at the Vail International Dance Festival, where he also worked with children from the Celebrate the Beat program, the Colorado affiliate of the National Dance Institute which offers hundreds of students in the Vail Valley intensive music and dance classes in a week-long summer residency.

Mira Nadon

Mira Nadon is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and began her ballet training at the age of six at the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, California under the direction of Victoria Keonig and Jill Voznick. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of NYCB, in 2014 and 2015, before entering SAB full-time for the 2015 winter term. In November 2017, Ms. Nadon became an apprentice with NYCB and as an apprentice. She joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2018.

Dario Natarelli

Dario Natarelli is a 2016 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts, a YoungArts Winner, and a Capezio Athlete. He is a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Dario is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York where he was a drama major and delivered a commencement address at Lincoln Center centering around the importance of arts education. He is a 2020 cum laude graduate of Pennsylvania State University’s BFA Musical Theatre Program.

Credits include: DEMO by Damian Woetzel (Kennedy Center), Tappin’ Thru Life with Maurice Hines (Off-Broadway), Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Nat’l Tour), A Salute to the Presidential Scholars (Kennedy Center), Scholar-In-Residence at the Vail Dance Festival, Assistant Choreographer to Michelle Dorrance at Vail Dance Festival, films & national commercials, and has worked with acclaimed artists such as Jared Grimes, Justin Peck, Debbie Allen, and more. Dario is on the teaching faculty at the acclaimed Broadway Dance Center in New York City.

He is grateful for the VDF community, and all of his teachers and supporters, especially his late tap dance mentor, Robert L. Reed, who always reminded him to “Respect the Dance.”

Photo by Taylor James Photography

Tiler Peck

Tiler Peck is a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet. Born in Bakersfield, CA, she began her dance training at age 2 at Bakersfield Dance Company, and studied with Alla Khaniashvili as well as Conjunctive Point and the Westside School of Ballet before coming to the School of American Ballet in 2003. Named an NYCB apprentice in 2004, she joined the NYCB corps de ballet in 2005, was promoted to Soloist in 2006, and to Principal Dancer in 2009. Her repertory includes leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon, among many others.

Unity Phelan

Unity Phelan is a Soloist with New York City Ballet. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, she began her dance training at age 5 at the Princeton Ballet School and came to the School of American Ballet in 2009. Named an NYCB apprentice in 2012, she joined the NYCB corps de ballet in 2013 and was promoted to Soloist in 2017. Her repertory includes leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Robert Binet, William Forsythe, Lauren Lovette, Peter Martins, Matthew Neenan, Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Calvin Royal III // Artist-In-Residence

Calvin Royal III began his formal dance training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia L. Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida.  He was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Scholarship Competition in New York City in April 2006 and joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2006.  Royal was the recipient of the Ethan Stiefel Scholarship in 2006 and 2007.  While at the ABT JKO School, Royal appeared in original works by Raymond Lukens and Jessica Lang.

Royal joined ABT II (now ABT Studio Company) in December 2007 and danced leading roles including Prince Siegfried in the White Swan and Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Antony Tudor’s Continuo, and works by Edward Liaang, Aszure Barton, Jodie Gates and Brian Reeder.

Royal joined the main Company as an apprentice in October 2010 and the corps de ballet in April 2011.  He was appointed a Soloist in September 2017 and Principal Dancer in September 2020. His repertoire with the Company includes the title role in Apollo, a Cavalier in Cinderella, Dorcon in Daphnis and Chloe, Espada in Don Quixote, the third sailor in Fancy Free, Persian Man in The Golden Cockerel, Pierrot in Alexei Ratmansky’s Harlequinade, Reverend Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre, Lescaut in Manon, the Recruit in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, a Carnival Dancer in Othello, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, the Spanish Prince and Prince Fortune in The Sleeping Beauty, von Rothbart, Benno and the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, Jaseion in Sylvia, Prince Coffee and Prince Cocoa in Whipped Cream, leading roles in Bach Partita, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Her Notes, Piano Concerto #1, Seven Sonatas, Symphonic Variations and Thirteen Diversions and featured roles in AfterEffect, Black Tuesday, Clear, Company B, Deuce Coupe, Duets, In the Upper Room, Raymonda Divertissements and Sinfonietta.

He created the North Wind in A Gathering of Ghosts, Bacchus in The Seasons, a Fairy Cavalier in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, leading roles in AFTERITE, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium and Songs of Bukovina and featured roles in After You, Aftereffect (first production), AfterEffect, Dream within a Dream (deferred), New American Romance and Praedicere.

Royal was named a finalist at the 2013 Clive Barnes Awards and, in 2014, was awarded the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship to further his artistic development. Royal has been featured in global campaigns for GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Target, Ralph Lauren and Canali. He was featured in the 2019 Pirelli Calendar alongside Misty Copeland, photographed by famed Scottish fashion, celebrity, and art photographer Albert Watson.

Royal was named the 2020-2021 Artist-in-Residence for the Vail Dance Festival in Vail, Colorado.

Cory Stearns

Born on Long Island, New York, Cory Stearns began his classical training at the age of five with Mme. Valia Seiskaya at the Seiskaya Ballet. At age fifteen, he participated in the Youth America Grand Prix and was offered a full scholarship to The Royal Ballet School in London. Stearns performed in Madrid, Moscow, Milan, Düsseldorf and London while at The Royal, and appeared with Kylie Minogue in her music video Chocolate in 2004. Upon graduating from The Royal Ballet School with honors, he received, for the second year consecutively, the Dame Ruth Railton Award for excellence in dance. Stearns joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in September 2004, the main Company as an apprentice in January 2005 and became a member of the corps de ballet in January 2006. He was appointed a Soloist in January 2009 and a Principal Dancer in January 2011. Stearns won the 2009 Erik Bruhn Prize for best male dancer.

Devon Teuscher

Devon Teuscher began her ballet training at the age of nine under Deanna Doty of the Champaign Urbana Ballet Academy in Champaign, IL.  When her family moved to Vermont, she continued her training at the Vermont Ballet Theatre School in Essex, Vermont under the direction of Alex and Kirsten Nagiba.  At the age of eleven, Teuscher attended The Kirov Ballet Academy summer intensive.  She also attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet summer intensive on full scholarship for two years.

From 2002 to 2006 Teuscher attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive, and was a National Training Scholar from 2003 to 2006.  In January 2005 at the age of 15, Teuscher relocated to New York City to dance at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on full scholarship.

Teuscher joined ABT Studio Company in 2006.  She joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in December 2007 and the corps de ballet in June 2008.   She became a Soloist in August 2014 and Principal Dancer in September 2017.

Teuscher was nominated for the Clive Barnes Award in 2014 and received the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship in 2016.

Byron Tittle

At a young age, Byron Tittle began tap dancing with David Rider and the American Tap Dance Foundation in his hometown of New York. Determined to be a multi-faceted artist, he trained weekly at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in other disciplines: ballet, jazz, hip-hop foundations, modern, and dancehall. Byron is a co-captain of Dorrance Dance, touring with the tap dance company for the last decade. He is humbled to have been a featured dancer with Hugh Jackman’s 2019 “The Man, The Music, The Show,” touring The United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and in Jon M. Chu’s soon-to premiere feature film “In the Heights.” He is also a recipient of a 2019 Princess Grace Foundation Dance Fellowship Award.

Melissa Toogood

Melissa Toogood is a New York Dance and Performance Award winning Performer. She is Dancer, Rehearsal Director and Artistic Associate for Pam Tanowitz Dance. Melissa was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, has taught Cunningham Technique internationally since 2007, is a 2013 & 2015 Merce Cunningham fellow, and is an official stager for the Merce Cunningham Trust. She has performed with Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, Kimberly Bartosik, Wally Cardona, Rosie Herrera Dance Theater, Stephen Petronio Company, Miro Dance Theater, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Reiner, Sally Silvers, Michael Uthoff Dance Theater, Christopher Williams, The Bang Group:Tap Lab, and others. She has made work for New York Theater Ballet, Boston Ballet, Vail Dance Festival and created her own show titled Set A|Part in collaboration with her sister Jodie Toogood and visual artist Kenneth E. Parris III. Dance Magazine named her in their 25 to watch (2014) and featured her in the inaugural episode of Behind the Curtain. Toogood is originally from Sydney, Australia, is a proud mom, and holds a B.F.A in Dance Performance from New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL.

Shawn Cusseaux

Shawn Cusseaux is BalletX’s Independence Foundation Dance Fellow. 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.The BalletX Dance Fellowship is sponsored by the Independence Foundation.

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 came to BalletX in 2013 after working as a company member with the Washington Ballet Studio Company and Los Angeles’ American Contemporary Ballet. She trained with Gina Forcella at Dance Stop Education Center in New Jersey, then continued her classical ballet training with Risa Kaplowitz and Susan Jaffe.  At 16 she joined Houston Ballet II (HBII) and continued training with Claudio Munoz and Sabrina Lenzi.  With HBII, she toured nationally and internationally, and in 2011, she represented Houston Ballet at the International Youth Dance Festival in Budapest, Hungary. Francesca has enjoyed the privilege of having ballets set on her by choreographers Ma Cong, Elie Lazar, and Lincoln Jones.  She has danced ballets by George Balanchine, Stanton Welsh, Twyla Tharp, and Septime Webre.  Among her favorite roles are the female leads in Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June and in Stanton Welch’s Fingerprints. 

Savannah Green

Savannah Green was born & raised in New York City, where she attended the famed LaGuardia High School for Music, Art & the Performing Arts as a Dance Major. She studied at Manhattan Youth Ballet on a full merit scholarship, performing featured roles in professional-level repertoire including George Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes, Emeralds, & Serenade, as well as Jerome Robbins’ Interplay. Savannah graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in June 2017 with a BFA in Dance & a minor in Political Science. In her final year at UCSB, she was a member of the Student Dance Company & spent the year touring internationally & performing works by José Limón, Andrea Miller, Anna Halprin, among others. During that time, Savannah was privileged to be a featured soloist in Limón’s tribute to Isadora Duncan, Dances for Isadora. In May 2017, she traveled to New York City with the Student Dance Company to perform as part of The Radical Bodies Exhibition at Hunter College. Savannah also worked with Buglisi Dance Theater, performing new works in New York City & the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. She also had the opportunity to perform in Jacqulyn Buglisi’s Table of Silence at UCSB as well, as in New York City. Last summer, she performed at the Vail Dance Festival in Merce Cunningham’s Antic Meet, staged by Melissa Toogood. She spent a season as a Dancer 2 Fellow with BalletX, before being asked to join as a company member for the 2020-2021 15th Anniversary Season.

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.

Blake Krapels

Blake Krapels, a 2011 United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, trained in New Jersey under the tutelage of Billy Larson and Jamie Salmon. In 2015, Blake graduated with a BFA in dance from The Juilliard School, where he performed repertoire by William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Elliot Feld, Jose Limon and Peter Chu. In addition to his core training at school, Blake participated in Summer Intensives at Nederlands Dans Theatre (2014, 2016) and Springboard Danse Montreal (2013). Since graduating, he has danced for The Metropolitan Opera, Keigwin & Company, GroundWorks Dance Theatre, Emery LeCrone Dance, and Konverjdans. Last fall, Blake launched Alpha, a dance theater company with two of his Juilliard classmates Michael Marquez and Gemma Bender. They curated their world premiere as a part of Cleveland DanceWorks 2017. Blake joined BalletX in 2018.

Skyler Lubin

Skyler Lubin is originally from Miami Beach, also growing up in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area. She received her early training from The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA, then continued her training at the Miami City Ballet School. Skyler also attended summer programs at The School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. From 2010-2014, Skyler danced as a member of the Corps de Ballet with Miami City Ballet, under the direction of Edward Villella and Lourdes Lopez. She has performed in featured roles, including Flower Festival pas de deux, Swan Lake pas de trois, 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 is originally from West Palm Beach Florida and trained at A.W Dreyfoos High School of the Arts and her local dance studio, School of Ballet Arts. In 2016 Ashley became a Young Arts Winner before moving to New York City to train at the Ailey/Fordham BFA program majoring in Dance and Communications. During her time in college, Ashley performed the works of such choreographers as Dwight Rhoden, Alvin Ailey, Bradley Shelver, Nijawwon Matthews, Janice Rosario, Troy Powell, and Hope Boykin. In 2019, Ashley was awarded the Denise Jefferson Memorial Scholarship, representing her class at the annual Ailey/Fordham benefit concert. Additionally, Ashley joined ‘XY Dance Project,’ a project-based company directed by Nijawwon Matthews, performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and was a trainee/apprentice for Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing with the company during their Joyce season. Most recently she was a part of the dance ensemble for the movie production of Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, which comes out in 2021. To supplement her training, Ashley attended Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, Arts Umbrella, Alonzo King Lines, Juilliard, Orlando Ballet, BalletX, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Joffrey Chicago and Next Generation Ballet summer intensives. During her senior year at Ailey/Fordham, Ashley joined ‘Collage Dance Collective’ and was able to work professionally and tour internationally while finishing her last year of college. While at CDC, Ashley performed the works of Kevin Iega Jeff, Amy Hall Garner, Darrell Moultrie, Joshua Manculich, and Kevin Thomas. Ashley is thrilled to be joining BalletX and is excited to experience the City of Philadelphia.

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.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance

Currently celebrating its 51st Season, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is an international, cross-cultural, dance-arts and educational institution rooted in African-American traditions and the Diaspora, dedicated to excellence in performance, instruction, and community programming. The renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble holds the works of some of the most iconic choreographers of American modern dance in its repertoire, including Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, and Alvin Ailey. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance views dance as a universal language of movement which transforms the world and transcends boundaries of culture, class, and age. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance is committed to honoring diversity and inclusiveness throughout the global community.