WE ARE
Cleveland's
BALLET
2026-2027 COMPANY ARTISTS
Quinn Bates
Quinn began dancing at the age of 10 at Oakland School for the Arts, where his passion for ballet soon developed. This led to his training at the Academy of Ballet San Francisco, under Zory Karah, before moving on to the pre-professional level at San Francisco Ballet. Quinn graduated from The School of the Hamburg Ballet, where he had the honor of performing the featured role of Serjoscha in John Neumeier’s "Anna Karenina." In 2024, Quinn was awarded the Young Creation Award at the Prix de Lausanne. During his two seasons with Ballet Idaho, Quinn performed in works such as Dani Rowe’s "Carnival of the Animals," Justin Peck’s "Pulcinella," and Anne Mueller and Garrett Anderson’s "Cinderella" and "Appalachian Spring." Quinn is thrilled to be joining the Cleveland Ballet for the 2026-2027 season.
Madison Campbell
Madison Campbell started her career with Cleveland Ballet in 2016, where she originated roles in many of Cleveland Ballet’s repertoire. Some of her favorite roles with the ballet have included Iris in Margo Sappington’s Alice, Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Madison grew up in Des Moines, Iowa where she first started her ballet training with Emery and Melissa Uyehara and performed in numerous productions with Iowa Dance Theatre. She supplemented her training at summer intensives such as Joffrey Midwest, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, School of American Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. After graduating early from high school, Madison studied with Miami City Ballet School, The School of Philadelphia Ballet, and Nashville Ballet where she performed in various company performances, toured locally and to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and participated in several community outreach events. In addition to being a dancer in the company, she enjoys teaching the students of the Academy of Cleveland Ballet and helping the next generation achieve their dreams.
Diego Garcia Castillo
Diego Garcia Castillo is originally from Colombia. He began his training at the age of eight at INCOLBALLET, the national ballet institution in Colombia. He got his first company contract at 17 years old in the National Company of Ballet in Colombia for two years where he was able to perform ballets such as Sinfonia Vivante, El Bolero de Rabel, The Nutcracker, Los Pasos Perdidos and Don Quixote all choreographed by Gonzalo Galguera. After that, he spent two years in the second company at Milwaukee Ballet where he performed ballets such as Diana & Acteon Pas de deux, Paquita Pas de trois, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Swan Lake and others. In 2019, he was offered a company contract with Cleveland Ballet where he has been given the opportunity to perform a wide range of roles in a variety of ballets.
Gabriela Checo
Originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where she started her training at three years old with Doris Infante. In 2012, she got third place at the first edition of 'Premios Eladia de Cuello’ Contest in Dominican Republic. Later in 2015, she joined the National School of Ballet. On the same year, she moved to Spain where she joined Youth Ballet de Cámara de Madrid, in which she has performed classical roles in Alicia Alonso’s production of Giselle as Myrtha, Queen of Willis and First Willie, Coppelia as Prayer, Raymonda as Raymonda, Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen and Mirlitons in The Nutcracker, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux, La Sylphide Pas de Deux, La Fille Mal Gardeé as Lise’s Friends, among others. During her time there, she graduated obtaining a Degree in Pedagogy of Classical Dance and won Academic Excellence Award in 2019 at Instituto Universitario de Danza Alicia Alonso, King Juan Carlos University. In 2019, she joined as company member for of Sibiu Ballet Theater in Romania where she has performed in productions such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Lady of the Camellias, Romeo and Juliet, The Rock Story, La Fille Mal Gardee, Anna Karenina, Walpugrisnatch, Grand Pas of Raymonda, Snow White, among others. She has also participated in international tours to Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherland, Belgium and Turkey, also nationals tour around Romania. In 2023, she joined Cleveland Ballet where she has performed in production as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda Pas de Dix, Arabian, Mirlitons, Snow and Flowers corps in The Nutcracker. Gabriela has been a guest artist at International Ballet Galas where she participated at the ‘XXIII International Dance Day Ballet Gala’ in San Sebastián, Spain, ‘XII Gala of Stars’ in Dominican Republic and ‘VI Edition Dance Campus and Contest San Francesco di Paola Gala’ in Romania.
Anna Cole
Anna Cole is from Marietta, Georgia; she began her ballet training in 2007 at Georgia Metro Dance Theatre under the instruction of Kathryn McBeth and Lisa Toups. There she performed roles such as Aurora, Odile, Sugar Plum, and the Bride of Dracula. In 2018, Anna joined The Washington School of Ballet’s Professional Training Program, later becoming a trainee where she had the pleasure studying under the tutelage of Xiomara Reyes, Rinat Imaev, and Artistic Director, Julie Kent. She has also trained at several summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre in New York and Pacific Northwest Ballet. With The Washington Ballet, Anna performed Julie Kent’s Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Theme and Variations, and Serenade. In 2021, she worked with the Italian Embassy and choreographer, Mimmo Miccolis, in the screendance film, Magnifica. Anna joined Cleveland Ballet in 2023, and in her first season, she performed Raymonda in Pas de Dix, Sugarplum in The Nutcracker, and the Lilac Fairy in Robert Weiss's The Sleeping Beauty. Also, Anna recently became certified in Progressing Ballet Technique to coincide with her degree in Kinesiology.
Katharine Cowan
Katharine Cowan was born in southern China and grew up in Olympia, Washington, after moving to the U.S. as a child. She began her dance training at Studio West Dance Academy under Stephanie Wood, performing roles such as Sugar Plum, Cinderella, and Giselle, while working with choreographers Laura and Jerome Tisserand, Dawn Fay, and Joseph Jeffries. During her time at the Joffrey Ballet’s trainee program under Raymond Rodriguez, she performed in the Winning Works Program, dancing pieces by Claudia Schreier, Edgar Zendejas, Brendan Fernandes, and Marissa Osato. Since joining Cleveland Ballet in 2019, she has performed roles including Caroline in The Nutcracker, Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty, Russian Girls in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Fate in Ilya Jivoy’s Symphony of Life, and danced in Cleveland ballet’s productions of Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Carmen, and Margot Sappington’s Alice in Wonderland.
Chelsea Endris
Originally from Indiana, Chelsea Endris began her love of dance at her mother’s studio, Southern Indiana School for the Arts. She continued to pursue her passion at Point Park University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree with a concentration in Ballet. While on scholarship at the university, Chelsea was able to dance a soloist role in Septime Weber’s Fluctuating Hemlines, Kitri in Susan Stowe’s Don Quixote and the lead female soloist in Antony Tudor’s Continuo. Before joining Cleveland Ballet, Chelsea danced as a guest with the Montgomery Ballet and as a company dancer with Manassas Ballet Theatre. At Manassas Ballet Theatre, she performed many soloist roles including Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Myrta in Giselle, Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, Waltz Variation from Les Sylphide, Lucy in Dracula and The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. She joined Cleveland Ballet in 2022.
Alia Federico
Alia Federico was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. After moving to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, she began her dance training at the Swarthmore Ballet Theatre with Lori Ardis and Amber Flynn. She went on to train at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet where she furthered her dance education under the direction of Arantxa Ochoa and William DeGregory. In 2015, Alia started her degree at Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music. While a member of the IU Ballet Theater, Alia had the honor of performing many notable works such as George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Valse Fantasie, and La Source, Jerome Robbins’ Fanfare, and Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels. Alia spent three years completing her Bachelor of Science degree in ballet with an urban studies outside field in addition to co-founding the Bloomington Ballet Ensemble and teaching for the Pre-College Ballet Program. Alia was invited by Nick Mullikin to join Nashville Ballet II. Upon completing Nashville Ballet II’s two-year program in 2020, she was hired by Cleveland Ballet as a company artist. This will be Alia’s seventh season with the Cleveland Ballet. Alia’s repertoire with Cleveland Ballet includes Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Margo Sappington’s Alice, Robert Weiss’s The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and Messiah, Timour Bourtasenkov's Cinderella and Walpurgisnacht, Lynne Taylor-Corbett's Dracula, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. Alia has also showcased her choreography in the Cleveland Ballet's ChoreoLab performances with her pieces Futile Devices, Crushed Velvet, and Razorblade Cupcake.
Alexander Guzmán
Alexander Guzman was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Alex is currently a company artist at Cleveland Ballet and a costume/fashion designer under the name Alessander Lee. At the age 15, he started dancing with Ballet Señorial, studying and performing a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, acro, aerial dance, hip hop, folklore and salsa. At age 20, he became a company member with Kentucky Ballet Theater, where started his professional career as a performing artist. He also developed his choreography skills and has been performed at Kentucky Ballet Theater (KBT) and KBT’s Academy, Cleveland Ballet, and Ballet Señorial. Alexander has performed a wide range of dance repertory including Dracula, Raymonda Pas de Dies, La Ventana Pas de Trois, Friends of Giselle, The Nutcracker, Robert Weiss's Sleeping Beauty, Beethoven, Swan Lake Pas de Trois, Laurencia, The Little Mermaid, La Peri Pas de Deux, Carmen, Beauty and the Beast and many other classical and contemporary works. Alex participated in Disney Performing Arts workshops at the Epcot Center and Universal Studios. Additionally, he has been recognized at dance competitions, including Dance Open America wining 1st place in pas de deux and 1st place for Choreography; World Ballet Competition; and the International Dance Competition.
Johan Mancebo
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Johan started his dance training in 2006 as he became part of the first generation of male dancers graduated from the National School of Ballet of Dominican Republic on 2015. During his training on 2013-2015 he received an apprentice position at Dominican National Ballet, on November 2014 he was invited by CODA21 in Puerto Rico to perform Septime Weber's Alice in Wonderland and from January 2015 he became part of The Washington Ballet Studio Company under the direction of Septime Weber performing classical productions with the company such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Septime Weber's Alice in Wonderland and worldwide premiere of Septime Weber's Sleepy Hollow. Later that year, he moved to Spain where he joined Ballet de Cámara de Madrid and obtained a Degree in Pedagogy of Classical Dance: Cuban Method and won the Interpretation Award of his generation at Instituto Universitario de Danza Alicia Alonso, King Juan Carlos University, Spain. On 2019, he joined Sibiu Ballet Theater in Romania as a company member. His repertoire includes classical roles of the renowned productions of Alicia Alonso's Giselle as Albrecht, Coppelia as Franz, La Fille Mal Gardee as Colas, The Nutcracker as Sugar Plum Cavalier, Black and White Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, James in August Bournonville's La Sylphide, Raymonda as Jean de Brienne, Tybalt in Marcello Algeri's Romeo and Juliet, Bachus in Walpugrisnatch, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake, Rat King, Spanish Dance and Arabian Dance in The Nutcracker, Spring Water Pas de Deux, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux, Bayadere Act III Pas de Deux and Mehmet Blakan's Lady of the Camellias. On 2023, he joined Cleveland Ballet in which he has performed roles such as Jean de Brienne in Raymonda, Don Jose in Carmen, Cavalier in The Nutcracker and Blue Bird and Raven in Robert Weiss’s Sleeping Beauty. He danced as a guest artist at galas around Spain: ‘Closing Gala Contest Castellon 2016’, ‘Beca Hormigon-Torrado Closing Gala 2016’ Riojaforum, Spain; ‘XXI Internacional Dance Day, San Sebastián’ in 2017; ‘Internacional Dance Day Colmenar III and V edition’, ‘Segovia en Danza 2016-2019’; ‘XII Gala of Stars 2021’ in Dominican Republic and ‘Gala Internazionale Sulle Ali Della Danza’ on 2023 in Livorno, Italy.
Emmanuel Martirosyan
Emmanuel Martirosyan is from Yerevan, Armenia. He trained at the Yerevan State National Choreographic College in Armenia. At the age of 16, he was awarded an apprenticeship at the National Ballet Theatre of Armenia. In 2015, Emmanuel received a full scholarship from Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, which brought him to the United States. From 2016 to 2020, he was a company member with the New Jersey Ballet Company where he danced under famous choreographers such as Margo Sappington, Paul Sutherland and Edward Villella. Emmanuel has succeeded in many international ballet competitions in different countries throughout his dance career. He joined Cleveland Ballet in 2021.
Levian Mondville
Levian began dancing at the age of nine at Fairport Dance Academy. There they discovered a love for movement and its many styles including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and contemporary. Upon deciding to make a career out of performing ballet, they started high school at Cleveland School of the Arts spending their summers at the Ballet Intensives at University of Buffalo, Cincinnati Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Houston Ballet Academy. After receiving an invitation to train year-round with the Houston Ballet Academy in 2018 they learned from Claudio Muñoz, Kelly Myernik, and Melissa Bowman. They then trained virtually with Texas Ballet Theater’s Studio Training Company under Ben Stevenson, Kathy Warakomsky, and Leticia Oliveira. Most recently Levian has been dancing with the Cleveland Ballet and performing with local ballet schools. Their recent performances have included Lead Male in Cleveland Ballet’s Symphony of Life, Dragon's Left Hand in Cleveland Ballet's Sleeping Beauty, and Aladdin in Fairport Dance Academy’s Yearly Recital.
Bruno Palheta
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bruno Palheta began his dance training at Centro de Dança Rio where he graduated with a Dance Associate’s Degree. His versatile repertoire spans ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, and musical theater. Bruno has garnered recognition in prestigious ballet competitions, including the Youth America Grand Prix and the Valentina Kozlova International Competition. In 2017, after training with CityDance Conservatory in Bethesda, he earned a full scholarship to train at The School of Washington Ballet, where he performed alongside the main company in acclaimed works such as John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and Septime Weber’s The Nutcracker. Joining Orlando Ballet's second company in the subsequent year, Bruno showcased his talent in various productions, including Arcadian Broad’s Wonderland: Mad Tales of the Hatter and Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella. In 2022, Bruno was awarded a full scholarship to the Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program under the direction of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. There, he had the opportunity to perform in works by Ochoa and Jennifer Archibald. Since joining Cleveland Ballet in 2020, Bruno has taken on numerous leading roles, including Cavalier and Prince in The Nutcracker, Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. His repertoire also includes performing works by esteemed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Ilya Jivoy, and Margo Sappington.
Nashializ Gomez Orengo
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nashializ Gomez Orengo started her training at the Escuela Especializada en Ballet Julián E. Blanco where she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary and dance history. There, she performed in Coppélia, The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, The Nutcracker and La Bayadere. At the same time, Nashializ was training at Mauro Youth Ballet Company where she danced in Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia and other pieces by Marena Perez. She later joined Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico where she danced in The Nutcracker, Coppélia, La Vivandiere and Napoli pas de six. She came to Cleveland in the summer of 2017 where she danced as a trainee for a year before being promoted to company artist. With Cleveland Ballet, Nashializ has had the privilege of performing The Nutcracker, Alice, Coppélia, Le Corsaire pas de six, Carmen, Kitri in Don Quixote, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Swan Lake, one of the Russian Girls in Balanchine’s Serenade, Ilya Jivoy’s Symphony of Life, Carabosse in Robert Weiss’s Sleeping Beauty, and the role of Vakchanka in Timour Bourtasenkov’s Walpugisnacht.
Tiera Peters
Tiera Peters began her dance journey recreationally at the age of 10 in her hometown of Rockland County, New York. At age 13 she joined the Pre-Professional Training Program at Ballet Rockland in Haverstraw, NY under the tutelage of Rebecca Tew, where she trained until her high school graduation. She also attended the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s 2020 Intensive Summer Program. In her time as a student of Ballet Rockland, Tiera has had the incredibly opportunity to perform with both professional and nonprofessional companies including; Hudson Valley Ballet, Hudson Lyric Opera, Capezio Dance Center Showcase in NYC, Garner Arts Center, Fischer Ballet Company, and Rockland Theater Company. Her repertoire features Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Anastasia, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretal, and more. In 2021, she accepted a position in Cleveland Ballet’s Trainee Program, where she was honored to perform in Cleveland Ballet company productions: Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. As an apprentice with Cleveland Ballet, she has performed in Carmen, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. Tiera looks forward to continuing to learn and grow as an artist with the Cleveland Ballet.
Lorenzo Mattia Pontiggia
Lorenzo Pontiggia is originally from Milan, Italy and began his dance training at L’Omino Danzante. He continued his training in Aosta at Institut de Danse du Val d’Aoste and at ForDance Institute. Lorenzo also studied at Accademia Teatro alla Scala and Professione Danza Parma. In October 2015, he received a scholarship for Orlando Ballet School where he was a trainee for a year before being promoted to the second company where he danced for two years. In 2018, he was awarded second place in the classical division and third place in the contemporary division at the Youth America Grand Prix in Boston. Lorenzo was selected by international star Roberto Bolle to be part of OnDance in 2018 where he was awarded by the Étoile the Encouragement Prize during the Roberto Bolle and Friends Gala. In June 2021, he was one of 60 dancers from around the world selected to compete at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition, known as one of the most prestigious and historical dance competitions in the world. Lorenzo originally joined Cleveland Ballet in 2019. Some of his favorite roles with the company were Prince Tamino, Prince Desire and Sugar Plum Cavalier. This past year, he participated at Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition where he got the bronze medal. Additionally, he was invited to dance as Basilio in Seattle and Prince Charming in Atlanta. Lorenzo is very excited to continue his journey with Cleveland Ballet, as he enters his sixth season with the company.
Elizabeth Rasmussen
Lizzie Rasmussen grew up in South Coventry Pennsylvania, at the age of four she began her dance training with the Pottstown Dance Theater, under the direction of artistic director Michelle Jones Wurtz and former Kirov Ballet principals Andrei Ustinov and Elena Martinson. While there she performed with the Schuylkill Regional Dance Company as Sugar Plum and Clara in The Nutcracker. Her training continued at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. She spent summers training with the American Ballet Theater and the Bolshoi Ballet. In 2022 Lizzie was awarded a full tuition scholarship with the Cleveland Ballet for the duration of her trainee years. Lizzie has performed corps roles in Carmen, Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker. Performing swan corps in Swan Lake her first year as a trainee was a highlight as was dancing as a guest artist with the Tulsa Ballet in Strictly Gershwin in 2024.
Audrey Skidmore
Audrey Skidmore was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she trained at Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy. She was awarded the Blanche Frisch Maier Memorial Scholarship during her time at Cincinnati Ballet, recognizing her dedication and artistry. Audrey continued her studies at Butler University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Dance Arts Administration. While performing with Butler Ballet during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, she was awarded by the faculty for her performances in her classical and contemporary roles. Her training includes summer intensives with Orlando Ballet, Joffrey Chicago, Ellison Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet. Most recently, Audrey studied in Italy under Mario Alberto Zambrano, exploring the choreography of Marco Goecke with Anne Jung and Fabio Palombo, and the work of Jiří Kylián with Parvaneh Scharafali and Valentina Scaglia. Audrey is in her second season at Cleveland Ballet, bringing a rich blend of classical foundation and contemporary insight to the stage.
Vadim Slatvitskii
Vadim Slatvitskii is originally from Novosibirsk, Russia. A 2010 graduate of Russia’s Novosibirsk State Choreographic College’s Vaganova training program, Vadim had the honor of dancing with Novosibirsk’s professional company under the direction of the renowned Igor Zelensky. He has performed a number of complex soloist and corps de ballet roles in many well-known ballets such as Spartacus, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle, Le Corsaire and Cinderella. He was honored to work with Nacho Duato, Edward Klug, Igor Zelensky, Mikhail Messerer, Genrikh Mayorov, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Oleg Vinogradov, Zhanna Ayupova, Denis Matvienko, Ivan Vasiliev, Natalia Osipova, Leonid Sarafanov and Sergey Polunin. In 2018, Vadim joined Israel Ballet as a soloist. During this time, he worked with Teatro alla Scala’s Loretta Alexandrescu Stein, performing groundbreaking works such as Nova Carmen created by Batsheva Ballet’s Sharon Eyal. He also performed many classical pieces including George Balanchine’s Serenade and Giselle. In 2020, Vadim was pleased to be invited to the United States as a soloist and Vaganova expert with Manassas Ballet Theatre. He joined Cleveland Ballet in 2022.
Svetlana Svinko
Svetlana Svinko is originally from Krasnoyarsk, Russia. In 2009 she graduated from the Krasnoyarsk State Choreographic College, class of the teacher Mikhieva S.P. During her studies she took part in international and all-Russian contests, in 2009 she was awarded a scholarship of People's Artist of Russia N.L. Semizorova. In 2009 she joined the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater under the direction of Igor Zelensky, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, moving from the corps de ballet to the principal ballerina and taking part in all of the theater's productions and premieres. Svetlana has worked with teachers Ya. Serebryakova, V. Ryazhenova, and Olga Kostritskaya. From 2016 - 2023 she worked as a principal ballerina at the Leonid Yakobson St. Petersburg Ballet Theater. She has danced on the best stages in Russia at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Since 2018 she started her teaching career, working as a teacher at the Leonid Yakobson Ballet Theater. In 2021 she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Vaganova - Bachelor of Education in Ballet Pedagogy. Since 2023 she has been at Cleveland Ballet performing principal roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, and Giselle.
Gabrielle Romano-Toppetta
Gabrielle Toppetta was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she started her ballet training in a local studio, West Point Ballet, at the age of 14. She is also a graduate of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School where she gained additional training in other genres including tap, jazz, and modern and musical theater. After her years of training with the studio and graduating from the Arts School, she joined Cleveland Ballet for their 2019-2020 season as a trainee. She was then promoted to apprentice in their 2020-2021 season and has since had the opportunities to both perform at Playhouse Square and tour around Ohio as the company brings exciting performances to beautiful places.
Alexandra Veronese-Milin
Alexandra started dancing at the age of the five and trained at San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Patrick Armand and Tina LeBlanc. While still in the school she performed in company productions such as Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliette, Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. In 2016 she joined the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow and, under the direction of Marina Leonova and Irina Pyatkina, graduated with honors in classical dance and ballet pedagogy. She then accepted a position with Oklahoma City Ballet and performed roles in The Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, The Nutcracker, Firebird, Giselle, La Sylphide, and other contemporary works. In 2021-22 she was invited to join English National Ballet as a Trainee and worked under the direction of Viviana Durante and Zenaida Yanowsky. Her repertoire includes expert from La Bayadere, Corsaire, Paquita, Dracula, Petrushka, Concerto Con Brio and Empyrean Dances by Edward Stierle, contemporary works by Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye, Myles Thatcher, and Mario de Candia. Alexandra has attended summer intensives under full scholarships at The Paris Opera Ballet School, Cannes Rosella Hightower Academy, Kirov Ballet Academy, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and IBstage. She competed and was a finalist at Youth America Grand Prix, World Ballet Competition, International Ballet Competition, and Varna International Ballet Competition. Outside her dance experience, she has attended Harvard Extension University and graduated with a double major in Environmental Science and Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Sophia Veronese-Milin
Sophia Veronese-Milin received much of her training at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand, as well as at the Paris Opera Ballet, where she studied on full scholarship. In 2018, she graduated from the San Francisco Ballet School and went on to join the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow as a trainee. Under the guidance of Marina Leonova and Maya Ivanova, she completed her examinations in classical and contemporary dance with honors. Alongside performing, Sophia has worked as a choreographer, creating original works in collaboration with the Crowden Center for the Arts in Berkeley, which were presented in San Francisco. From 2021 to 2023, she trained with English National Ballet in London, further broadening her repertoire. She has performed works by renowned choreographers including Helgi Tomasson, George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, Mauro de Candia, Joseph Toonga, and Dana Genshaft. Her stage experience includes roles in beloved classics such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, as well as Balanchine’s Serenade and Stars and Stripes, among many other classical and contemporary works. Sophia joined Ballet Frontier of Texas in the fall of 2023 under the direction of Chung-Lin Tseng. There, she has performed several leading roles, including the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, the Little Swan and Pas de Trois in The Sleeping Beauty, and Bridesmaid in Don Quixote. Outside of her dance experience, Sophia pursued academic studies at Harvard Extension University, earning an associate degree in Mathematics, before continuing at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Applied Science.
2026-2027 APPRENTICES
Ava Bernardi
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ava began her ballet training at The Chicago School of Ballet under the direction of Steven Norman and Tatyana Mazur. During her training, she performed leading roles including Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, Dew Drop, Snow White, Juliet, Aurora, and Gamzatti. She later continued her artistic development through summer intensive and pre-professional programs with The Joffrey Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Orlando Ballet, and has studied with renowned teachers including Susan Jaffe, Marjorie Grundvig, Mme. Peff Modelski, Kaleigh Schock-Tyton, and Kseniya Stetsenko. A multiple-time award recipient at Youth America Grand Prix, Ava advanced to the New York Finals and received a scholarship to The Rock School for Dance Education. She continued her pre-professional training at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre before joining Orlando Ballet as a company trainee. Ava joined Cleveland Ballet as a trainee in 2025, performing in The Nutcracker, Handel's Messiah, Cinderella, and the First Shade Variation from La Bayadère in the Student Showcase. She was promoted to Apprentice for the 2026–2027 season. Alongside her professional training, Ava earned a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication from Liberty University, graduating cum laude in 2025.
Margaret Broadhurst
Margaret Broadhurst began her formal ballet training at The School of Philadelphia Ballet, then Pennsylvania Ballet, under Angel Corella and Samantha Dunster. In 2017, she was invited to join the company’s trainee program, where she had the opportunity to perform corps roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Angel Corella, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan, among others. In 2019, she was then invited to join Ballet West as a trainee. Margaret furthered her training with summers at the Chautauqua Institution, Philadelphia Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In May of 2025, she graduated from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ballet and English. While at Indiana University, Margaret studied under Sarah Wroth, Michael Vernon, Kyra Nichols, Christian Claessens, Sasha Janes, and Carla Korbes. She had the opportunity to perform works by George Balanchine, Justin Peck, Ken Ossola, and faculty member Sasha Janes, among others. Margaret joined City Ballet of San Diego for their 2025/2026 season where she had the opportunity to perform Demi’s in George Balanchine’s Who Cares? as well as multiple works by Artistic Director Elizabeth Wistrich and Resident Choreographer Geoffrey Gonzalez. Margaret is thrilled to join Cleveland Ballet as an apprentice for their 2026/2027 season!
Avery Denney
Born and raised in Rathdrum, Idaho, Avery Denney began her dance training at age two with tap and jazz classes at her mother’s studio before discovering her passion for ballet. She has received extensive training and recognition in tap, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, and contemporary. Avery furthered her ballet training through summer intensives at Ballet West and The HARID Conservatory. In 2023, she was awarded First Place in the Senior Classical Division at the Youth America Grand Prix Seattle Semi-Final, where she was invited to join Ballet West Academy. The following year, she joined Ballet West as a trainee on the Bruce Marks Scholarship under the direction of Adam Sklute and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate. With Ballet West Academy, she performed featured roles including Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée, as well as works by Trey McIntyre (Second Before the Ground) and George Balanchine (Symphony in C). She also performed with Ballet West’s main company in The Nutcracker, West Side Story Suite, Romeo and Juliet, Aladdin, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Avery is thrilled to begin dancing with Cleveland Ballet for the 2026–2027 season.
Kera Fernstrom
Kera first began her dance training at the age of two, in a suburb of Chicago where she trained in all styles of dance. From age 9 to 14 she was on full scholarship at Mohler Dance Academy. There she loved training under the guidance of Tressa Mohler and Anna Spelman and performing many leading classical and contemporary roles. Continuing her versatility, Kera was a member of the Tremaine Performance Company under the direction of Joe Tremaine and Keri LeGrand from 2019-2023. In 2020, at the age of 12, Kera was given the opportunity to choreograph and perform a contemporary piece on pointe for a Make-A-Wish recipient. From 2021-2023, Kera started training in A&A Ballet’s Youth Company directed by Alexei Kremnev and his wife Anna Reznik. There she was given multiple opportunities to perform a variety of lead roles. Kera, and A&A Ballet’s Youth Company traveled internationally to Guatemala City to perform Alexei Kremnev’s Sleepover at the Museum. Over the years she participated in many classical and mainstream competitions/conventions and received multiple awards and scholarships. She also won several placement awards for her own self-choreographed contemporary solos. In 2022, Kera competed at the Carey Rose Winski Scholarship Competition and won 1st Place along with a $1000 dollar Cash Prize Award. She competed at the Youth America Grand Prix for many years where she was awarded multiple placement titles, seven NYC and Tampa Finals invitations, and in 2023, was awarded the Grand Prix Award at the Chicago Semi-Finals. At the age of 16, Kera joined Orlando Ballet as a part of their Second Company, under the direction of Jorden Morris and Lisa Morris. Kera performed multiple corps and soloist roles with the main company. Her favorite being, Corps Lady in George Balanchine's Serenade, Desert Princess Soloist and Mrs. Staulbum, in the premiere of Jordan Morris’s new production of The Nutcracker, Aurora’s Friends and Garland Women, in Christopher Stowell’s The Sleeping Beauty, Pas de Quatre in Jordan Morris’s Deverell, Rosaline, in James Sofranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Red Pirate Lady soloist in Jorden Morris’ Peter Pan, Tall Lady, Couple 6, Charelston Lady, and Bench Jumper in Martha Graham’s Maple Leaf Rag, Corps Lady in George Balanchine’s Diveretimento No.15, and Wili in Jorden Morris’ Giselle. Kera was very honored to have had the soloist role of Desert Princess in the CYR wheel created on her for Jorden Morris’ new production of The Nutcracker. While in her second season with Orlando Ballet, Kera was asked to perform with Opera Orlando as a Featured Dancer for Gabriel Preisser’s Cendrillion. Kera joined Ballet Frontier for the 25-26 season and was honored to have performed leading roles in their productions such as Diana in Diana and Actaeo, Dewdrop, Russian Lead, and Chinese Lead in The Nutcracker, Coppelia’s Friends in Coppelia, and Bridesmaid Soloist, in their Don Quixote. When Kera is on her off season, she has choreographed solos for both classical and mainstream competitions that have been awarded several placement titles including Choreography Award. Kera has been given the title of resident choreographer at Salt Creek Ballet. During the summer Kera also assists Emily Zachery-Smith and many other faculty members at Tremaine Dance Conventions’ National Finals. This summer she taught and judged on the panel for their Dancer of the Year and scholarship auditions at the National Finals. Kera is very excited and overjoyed to be joining Cleveland Ballet for the 26/27 season.
Gabrielle Goodson
Gabrielle Goodson began training at her local dance studio in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 2019, she attended the Richmond Ballet summer intensive on a full scholarship. At age 16, she joined Richmond Ballet as a trainee and was later promoted to senior trainee. While there, she had the opportunity to perform as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty Suite, the Winter Fairy in an excerpt from Malcolm Burn’s Cinderella, and as the lead couple in Edward Stierle’s Concerto Con Brio. During her three seasons there, she also performed with the main company in Romeo and Juliet, Balanchine’s Serenade, The Nutcracker, and as a princess in Ma Cong’s Firebird. In 2023, Gabrielle joined Fort Wayne Ballet, where her repertoire there included Mark Godden’s Rite of Spring, Robert LaFosse’s Ballabile, the Arabian pas de deux in The Nutcracker, and a Russian Demi in Balanchine’s Serenade. Gabrielle is thrilled to be joining Cleveland Ballet as an apprentice for the 2026/2027 season.
Heidi Hollopeter
Born in Akron, Ohio, Heidi Hollopeter began ballet at age five and learned a variety of dance styles at the University of Akron’s Dance Institute with unique opportunities to perform at EJ Thomas Hall including DI’s Snow Maiden and Neos Dance Theatre’s Snow White. At age 11, she joined the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet/ Stabrova Youth Ballet Company where she trained in Vaganova under the tutelage of Inna Stabrova and Dmitriy Tuboltsev. Heidi earned an OCB scholarship and competed at Youth America Grand Prix becoming a New York finalist invitee twice with ensemble pieces. After performing Fairy Doll variation at YAGP in 2018, she was awarded a scholarship to the Colorado Ballet Academy Summer Intensive which she attended. Heidi joined the School of Cleveland Ballet in 2019 and became a company trainee in 2022. As a student and trainee, Heidi enjoyed performing in numerous company productions at Playhouse Square including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Carmen, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, George Balanchine’s Serenade and was a Cleveland Ballet guest dancer with Tulsa Ballet in Strictly Gershwin. In May 2025, she performed a Paquita variation in Cleveland Ballet’s Impressions of Picasso at the Akron Art Museum. Outside of dance, Heidi gained national recognition as a seven-year veteran with the Summit Choral Society’s Performance Youth Choir performing at Carnegie Hall and opening for the Grand Ole Opry. In the summer of 2024, she enriched her acting skills through Dobama Emerging Actors Program and performed Fuenteovejuna at Dobama Theatre. Heidi is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology with the University of Akron’s Williams Honors College and is a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society of Psychology.
Mia Hall
Mia Hall, originally from Texas, trained at Art Ballet Academy from 2015–2025 under the direction of Mariya Kudyakova, where she studied the Vaganova method and built a strong classical foundation while also training in contemporary, jazz, hip hop, Broadway, Irish, and Flamenco. During her training, Mia performed a wide range of principal and soloist roles. Her repertoire includes Odette in Swan Lake; the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara, and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker; Swanhilda in Coppélia; the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella; Kitri's Friend in Don Quixote and many other classical and contemporary works. A multi-year Youth America Grand Prix finalist, Mia received invitations to the YAGP Finals for six consecutive years. Her competition highlights include 1st Place in Senior Classical and 3rd Place in Contemporary in 2023, followed by consecutive 2nd Place Senior Classical finishes in 2024 and 2025. She has also received scholarships and acceptances to programs including Boston Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, Kansas City Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. Mia joined Cleveland Ballet as a Trainee for the 2025–2026 season, performing in The Nutcracker and Cinderella. She was promoted to apprentice for the 2026–2027 season and is grateful for the opportunity to continue growing as an artist while building a professional career through performance, collaboration, and lifelong learning.
Delaney Hart
Delaney Hart is from Houston, Texas, and began her dance training at City Ballet of Houston under Luis Fuente and Mary Beth Arrington. She was invited to join the professional training division at the Washington Ballet in 2021, and performed various corps roles in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Theme and Variations, as well as Julie Kent’s Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. She then trained at Charlotte Ballet for a year under Patricia McBride, Lazslo Berdo, and Kati Mayo before joining Grand Rapids Ballet as a trainee in 2024 and was promoted to an apprentice the following season. In Grand Rapids, she enjoyed performing in choreography by Justin Peck, Penny Saunders, Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparoli, Septime Weber, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, and James Sofranko.
Henry Harte
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Henry Harte recently graduated from Butler University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. While at Butler Henry trained under Marek Cholewa, Susan McGuire, David Ingram, and performed in a variety of repertoire. Some of his most notable roles include Desireé in Sleeping Beauty, Sugarplum Cavalier in The Nuctcracker. He also performed in Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom and Maria Konrad’s Bronze. Henry began his ballet training studying under Courtney Laves-Mearini at Cleveland City Dance when he was 16. Henry is excited to start his first professional season with Cleveland Ballet!
Janina Olivieri
Born and raised in Upstate New York, Janina began her training at St. Peter’s Arts Academy in Geneva, New York, where her mother was her teacher. Janina continued her studies at the Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, New York. She went on to train for three years at The School of American Ballet in New York City, where she performed in a number of Balanchine masterworks, including Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, and Western Symphony. During her time at SAB, she also had the privilege of working closely with Alexei Ratmansky and Justin Peck through the school's exclusive workshop programs. After graduating in 2025, Janina joined the Royal Danish Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet, where she had the opportunity to perform celebrated works such as Kermessen i Brügge, Balanchine's The Nutcracker and 4 Temperaments, Nikolaj Hübbe's Giselle, and the world premiere of Akram Khan's Lady Macbeth. Her time in Denmark deepened her artistry and broadened her perspective as a dancer, and she made the decision to return to the United States to be closer to family and to pursue new professional opportunities. Throughout her training, Janina attended numerous prestigious summer intensives, including New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Chautauqua, where she had the honor of performing Balanchine's Who Cares? and working with the legendary Patricia McBride. Janina is thrilled to bring her training, artistry, and international experience to Cleveland Ballet, and she looks forward to growing as an artist within the company and contributing to its vibrant creative community.
Annabella Purses
Annabella Purses was born in Canton, Ohio, and began her study of dance at the Canton Ballet. Over the course of 15 years, she trained with the school and transitioned to their pre-Professional program. With the Canton Ballet, her stage experience included performances as the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, the White Rabbit in Jill Eathorne Bahr’s Alice in Wonderland, as Cameron Catazaro’s D’amour. To supplement her training, Annabella also attended summer intensives at Boston Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, Point Park University, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Annabella joined Cleveland Ballet in 2024. She has performed in Timour Bourtasenkov’s The Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as Robert Weiss’s Romeo and Juliet. Annabella will begin the 2026 season with Cleveland Ballet as an Apprentice with the company.
Natalie Roy
Natalie Roy grew up in Orinda, California, where she trained at San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Partick Armand. In 2019 she joined Diablo Ballet School, and in 2021 she was promoted to trainee. Under the instruction of artistic director Lauren Jonas, she performed roles in Cinderella’s Wedding, Coppélia, and other contemporary works. Natalie furthered her studies at Butler University Jordan College of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Arts Administration. During her time, she performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles in The Nutcracker, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Giselle, and additional contemporary works. Her training also includes summer intensives at Ellison Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Boca Ballet Theater.
Ella Sperry
Ella Sperry began her ballet training at the age of four at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh under the direction of Lindsay and Steven Piper. In 2021, she joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, where she performed alongside the company in Terence S. Orr's The Nutcracker. She has attended prestigious summer intensives at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Company Experience. In 2017, Ella became an ambassador for Ballet in the City, an organization founded in Cleveland, performing in the Ballet in the City Gala and the Ashley Bouder Project. Through the organization, she worked with acclaimed artists and choreographers including Zippora Karz, Lauren Fadeley, and Fran Veyette while helping raise funds to support Ballet in the City's mission. After graduating from high school, Ella attended Indiana University, where she performed with Indiana University Ballet Theater in the Jacobs School of Music. During her time at IU, she performed works by renowned choreographers including Sasha Janes' Rhapsodic Dances and Ken Ossola's Silence. Her repertoire also includes principal roles in George Balanchine's La Source, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's Shindig, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Sasha Janes' The Nutcracker. Ella graduated with distinction from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Ballet and an Outside Field in Economics. In addition to her apprenticeship with Cleveland Ballet, she serves as a research consultant and website editor for Dance Data Project®. Ella is excited to continue her artistic journey with Cleveland Ballet for the 2026/2027 season.
2026-2027 JUNIOR COMPANY
Claire Hubbell, Kimbria Green, Paige Thomas, Sean Detwiller, Cassidy Jarvis, Brianna Mansi, Elise Thomas (left to right)