Watching Dance with Heather Watts

Olivia Bell

Olivia Bell is a member of New York City Ballet’s Corps de Ballet. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she trained locally before being accepted to the School of American Ballet in 2018. While a student, Olivia performed in the New York Choreographic Institute, the Virginia B. Toulmin Female Choreography Program, and the 2022 SAB Annual Workshop, originating a featured role in Gianna Reisen’s Signs. Olivia was selected for Rising Stars Weekend at Kaatsbaan Summer Festival in 2022, where she performed works by George Balanchine, and originated a role in Haley Winegarden’s Reminisce for Tomorrow. As an apprentice with New York City Ballet, Olivia has performed works by George Balanchine, including a featured role in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

Philip Duclos

Philip Duclos is a member of the Corps de Ballet with The Royal Danish Ballet. He has danced featured roles in Wayne McGregor’s Dante Project, George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony and The Nutcracker, John Neumeier’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Gregory Dean’s Gotta Dance. He has performed roles in Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces and The Four Seasons, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and Napoli, as well as Nikolaj Hubbe’s Swan Lake and Giselle.  He has also attended the Vail Dance Festival in 2021, 2022, and 2023. 

Savannah Green

Savannah Green grew up in New York City, where she attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts as a Dance Major. She attended Manhattan Youth Ballet on a full merit scholarship, performing featured roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Larry Keigwin. In 2017, Savannah earned her BFA in Dance at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was a member of the Senior Dance Company. She spent her senior year touring internationally, performing works by José Limón, Andrea Miller, and others. Upon graduation, she began working with Buglisi Dance Theater, performing new works in New York City and the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. In 2019, Savannah became the inaugural Dance Fellow at BalletX, before being invited to join the company in 2020. Since joining BalletX, she has performed in ballets by Matthew Neenan, Jamar Roberts, Tiler Peck, Nicolo Fonte, Amy Hall Garner, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, among others.

Kayla Mak // Scholar-In-Residence

Kayla Mak grew up in Rye Brook, NY and is of Japanese, Chinese, and Cuban descent. She studied at Westchester Dance Academy and Ballet Academy East and is now in her third year at The Juilliard School in NY where she will receive her BFA, under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack and associate director Mario Alberto Zambrano. Kayla currently trains in ballet, modern, classical pointe, and contemporary pointe. Her inspiration for dance sparked at the young age of 4, while watching ABT’s production of The Nutcracker. She soon became involved in competitive dance where she was able to gain exposure to stage performance. In the past years, Kayla has performed at the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park Summer Festival 2022, in the “Rising Stars” Show where she had the honor to perform Alvin Ailey’s “Memoria” coached by Masazumi Chaya and Elizabeth Roxas- Dobrish, as well as Justin Peck’s “In Creases” in Juilliard’s Spring Dances 2023, coached by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck. This past summer Mak performed with Juliano Nunes in his work “O’clock”, which premiered in Switzerland at the Origen Festival Cultural. In the future, Kayla dreams to become a professional dancer in a company where she can meld her love for both ballet and contemporary as well as spread her love for the beautiful art form of dance.

Mayfield Myers

India Bradley

India Bradley is a member of New York City Ballet’s Corps de Ballet. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and began her dance training at the age of four at The Link School of the Arts in Troy, Michigan. At the age of eleven, she attended the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet in Novi, Michigan, under the direction of Sergey Rayevitskey.

Ms. Bradley attended the summer program at Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2012, and entered DTH’s Professional Training Program under the direction of Andrea Long that fall.

She attended the 2014 summer session at the School of American Ballet, NYCB’s official school, and enrolled as a full-time student later that year.

Ms. Bradley was named an apprentice in August 2017 and joined the Company as a member of the Corps de Ballet in August 2018.

Gilbert Bolden III

Gilbert Bolden III is a Soloist with New York City Ballet. He was born in San Diego, California and began dancing at the age of nine in Las Vegas, Nevada. His ballet training began in 2011 at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, CA, and he continued his studies at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA in 2013. In 2014, Mr. Bolden enrolled at the School of American Ballet, NYCB’s official school. He became an apprentice with the Company in August 2017, joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2018, and was promoted to Soloist in October 2023. Since joining the company Mr. Bolden has originated featured roles in ballets by Justin Peck, Silas Farley, and Gianna Reisen. He has also been featured in many works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. 

Jules Mabie

Jules Mabie is a soloist with the New York City Ballet. He was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and began his dance training at the age of 8 at the Academy of Dance, Music & Theatre in West Palm Beach. In 2011, he began training under Chelsea Nasby at Ballet East, formerly Susan Lyle Studio. In 2016 Mr. Mabie joined the school of American ballet as a full time student and later joined the company in 2018. He was promoted to the rank of soloist in 2024.

Spencer Lenain

Born in San Diego, California, Spencer Lenain began his dance training at age 7 at Ballet Arte where he was instructed by Erlends Zieminch and Sara Viale. He also attended nine summer intensives at American Ballet Theater, earning the National Training Scholar scholarship three times. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in dance in May 2024. Spencer is also very active on social media where his ballet videos are featured on TikTok @spencerdancerrr and Instagram @spencerdancer. 

KJ Takahashi

KJ Takahashi is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. He was born in Dallas, Texas, and began his ballet training at age 8 at Ballet Academy of Texas under the direction of Lisa Slagle. In 2014, he studied ballet at Mejia Ballet International under the direction of Paul Mejia and in 2015, he began training at Ballet Tech under the direction of Elliot Feld. He entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, in 2016, and received additional training at summer courses at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Mr. Takahashi was named an apprentice with NYCB in 2019 and as an apprentice, performed featured roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Candy Cane, Tea) and Lauren Lovette’s The Shaded Line. He originated a featured role in Kyle Abraham’s dance film Where We Fell in 2020 before joining the Corps de Ballet in August 2021. Mr. Takahashi was recently promoted to soloist in April 2023. 

Mr. Takahashi was the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2022-2023. 

Mira Nadon

Mira Nadon was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and began her ballet training at the age of six at the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, California.

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. She joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2018. Ms. Nadon was promoted to the rank of soloist in January 2022 and principal in February 2023.

Ms. Nadon has danced as a guest at the Vail Dance Festival and Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival and has performed as a member of Ballet Collective. She is also a part-time student at Fordham University. She is the recipient of the 2021 Clive Barnes Award for dance and is a 2022 Princess Grace Award winner.

Chun Wai Chan

Mr. Chan was born in Guangdong, China, in 1992 and trained at the Guangzhou Art School from 2004 to 2010. In 2010 he was finalist at the Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland, which earned him a full scholarship to study with Houston Ballet Academy. Chan joined the corps de ballet of Houston Ballet in 2012 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2017. In 2020, Chan was among the finalists of Hunan TV’s “Dance Smash”.  

Chan joined NYCB as a soloist in 2021 and was promoted to principal dancer the following year, making him the company’s first Chinese principle since its founding in 1948. Most recently, Forbes China included Chan in their “30 under 30” list and he was featured on the cover of Dance magazine for May 2023. (@chunner)