SANTIAGO BEDOYA, originally from Medellín, Colombia, began training at Andrea Wolff Ballet in his hometown at the age of eight and attended the summer intensive programs at Miami City Ballet from 2015 to 2017. At the age of 14 in 2017, Bedoya received a scholarship to Idyllwild Arts Academy, a boarding school for the arts in L.A., and moved there to combine his high school studies with dance training. In 2018, he attended the Houston Ballet summer intensive program and received a full scholarship to the professional division. He graduated after three years. During his time at the Houston Ballet Academy, he had the opportunity to perform works by Houston Ballet Artistic Director and Choreographer Stanton Welch A.M, as well as various performances throughout the year-round school program. In 2021, Bedoya was offered a contract with Atlanta Ballet 2, where he was able to expand his training and experience, dance alongside company dancers in a number of their productions, and perform leading roles in the second company. Bedoya was promoted to Atlanta Ballet at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Company Ballet Dancers
KHULAN BURENJARGAL was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and studied at the Mongolian State Conservatory from 2015 to 2022. After graduating, she danced major roles such as Odile in Swan Lake and The Queen of Dryads in Don Quixote, among various other classical and national repertoire pieces at the prestigious Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Burenjargal was also a valued member of the Nomadic Ballet production. In 2023, she became a soloist at The National Buryatia Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where she performed iconic roles such as Giselle in Giselle, Nikiya in La Bayadere, Niriti in Talisman, and Prelude and Seventh Valse in Chopiniana, among others. While in Buryatia, Russia, she had the honor of working with the legendary Andris Liepa. Burenjargal’s talent has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Gold medal of the Mongolian International Ballet Competition, the Mongolian Grand Prix, the Silver medal of the Korea International Ballet Competition, and the Bronze medal of the World Ballet Grand Prix. She joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2024-25 season.
GEORGIE GRACE BUTLER began her training at the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. In 2015, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to train at Boston Ballet School as a pre-professional student. In 2018, Butler became a trainee at Pennsylvania Ballet. There she danced roles in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Angel Corella’s Giselle, and The Sleeping Beauty. She joined Atlanta Ballet 2 in 2019, and joined as a company artist in 2023. Some notable works she has danced in include Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, August Bournonville’s Napoli, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Annabel Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Kiyon Ross’s Harmony of Opposite Tensions, Alexander Ekman’s Tuplet, La Sylphide, Giselle, Don Quixote, and Paquita, as well as Nighthawks and The Rite of Spring by Choreographer-in-Residence Claudia Schreier. Butler has also danced the roles of The Evil Queen in Snow White and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, both choreographed by Bruce Wells, as well as Madge in La Sylphide.
VALERIA CHAYKINA was born in Podporozhye, a small town in Russia and began her training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg at the age of 7. Throughout her years there, she performed at the Mariinsky Theatre and danced the role of Marie in The Nutcracker at age 13. After graduating in 2012, she danced with multiple acclaimed Russian ballet companies in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2014, Chaykina moved to the U.S. to study at Miami City Ballet School on full scholarship, where she danced principal roles and was featured in Teen Vogue’s Strictly Ballet. In 2015, she joined The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, where she spent 10 seasons performing a diverse repertoire and collaborating with some of today’s most renowned choreographers, including John Neumeier, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexander Ekman, and Justin Peck. Chaykina’s repertoire highlights include Serenade by George Balanchine (Russian Girl); Hummingbird by Liam Scarlett; The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon (Marie); Anna Karenina by Yuri Possokhov (Kitty); Midsummer Night's Dream by Alexander Ekman; Don Quixote by Yuri Possokhov (Amour, Kitri's Friend); The Little Mermaid by John Neumeier; and Cinderella by Sir Frederick Ashton (Spring Fairy).
CATHERINE CONLEY was born in Chicago and began her formal dance training at the Ruth Page School of Dance. She danced as Swanhilda in Coppélia and appeared in Civic Ballet of Chicago productions. At age 18, she participated in an exchange program between Ruth Page and the National Ballet School of Cuba. Conley was subsequently invited to train in Havana full time—a first for an American ballerina. While there, she performed as Gulnare and Medora in Le Corsaire, and competed in the International Competition for Ballet Schools in Havana, winning the silver medal with the pas de deux from Paquita. In 2017, Conley entered the National Ballet of Cuba as the company’s only foreign dancer. During her time with the company, she performed in Giselle, Swan Lake and Cinderella, as well as Queen of the Nymphs in Alberto Mendez’s La Fille du Danube. She then went on to dance with Milwaukee Ballet, performing in Coppélia, The Nutcracker and Rise by Nicole Teague-Howell. Conley joined Atlanta Ballet in 2020 and has performed leading roles in George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour, and Stanton Welch’s Tutu. She has also danced in works by Johan Kobborg, Cathy Marston, Guilherme Maciel, Mark Morris, Juliano Nunes, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sergio Masero Olarte, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokhov, Kiyon Ross, Laim Scarlett, Claudia Schreier, and Remi Wörtmeyer.
LARISSA CAPITANIO DAL’SANTO was born in Chapecó, Brazil, and graduated from the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil in 2018 after seven years of training with renowned Russian teachers. During her studies, she had the opportunity to rehearse with legendary dancer and former Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, Vladimir Vasiliev. In 2019, Dal'Santo joined the Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia as a soloist, performing roles including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Tereza in Cavalry Halt, Masha in The Nutcracker, and Manu in La Bayadère. In 2021, she was invited to perform at the prestigious Soul of Dance Awards at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow. Dal'Santo joined Atlanta Ballet in the 2022–23 season. Her repertoire includes Frida in Frida by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, the Pas de Trois in George Balanchine’s Emeralds, Zulma in Giselle, and Golden Hour by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, as well as works by Yuri Possokhov, Lar Lubovitch, Stanton Welch, Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, Claudia Schreier, and Juliano Nunes. Beyond the stage, Dal'Santo is the co-founder of Ballet Couple, a digital platform dedicated to sharing the world of professional ballet through educational content, workshops, and collaborations.
BROOKE GILLIAM is from Boulder, Colorado, and began her training at the Colorado Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Julia Wilkinson Manley. At 16, after attending the summer intensive, she was offered a merit scholarship to the Conservatory Program at Atlanta Ballet. From there, Gilliam was a part of Atlanta Ballet 2 for two seasons before her promotion to the main company in 2018. Since joining, some of her most noteworthy performances include The Sacrifice in Claudia Schreier’s The Rite of Spring; Catch by Liam Scarlett; The Shadow in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon; Orange Woman in Lar Lubovitch’ Elemental Brubeck; Russian Girls in George Balanchine’s Serenade; Dawn and War and Discord Principal in George Balanchine’s Coppelia; Garrett Smith's Corridors; Alexander Ekman’s Cacti; and Juliano Nunes' Yellow. One of her most memorable moments with Atlanta Ballet has been touring and performing The Nutcracker at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is Gilliam’s ninth season with Atlanta Ballet.
GIANNA HORTON-SIBBLE was born in Hornell, New York, and began pursuing her ballet career under the training of Rafael Grigorian. In 2012, Horton-Sibble moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to study ballet pre-professionally under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. There she performed many roles which included Juliet in Alan Hineline’s Romeo and Juliet, Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and more. In 2019, Horton-Sibble was accepted into the School of American Ballet for their winter term. While training at the school, she performed Valse Fantasie, Chaconne, Four Temperaments, Raymonda Variations, and several student choreographic pieces. In 2022, Horton-Sibble studied under former San Francisco Ballet principals Davit Karapetyan and Vanessa Zahorian at Pennsylvania Ballet Academy. During her time there, she performed Le Corsaire and competed in the Youth America Grand Prix Finals. This is Horton-Sibble’s third year with Atlanta Ballet as a company dancer, following two seasons with Atlanta Ballet 2. Since being in the company, she has performed Stanton Welch's Tu Tu, Lar Lubovitch's Elemental Brubeck, Kiyon Ross's Harmony of Opposite Tensions, George Balanchine's Coppélia, Helgi Tomasson's 7 for Eight, Claudia Schreier's The Rite of Spring, Liam Scarlett's Catch, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Hypnagogia, Yuri Possokhovs’s Lolita (an excerpt from Swimmer), George Balanchine’s Emeralds Pas de Trois, Justin Peck’s In Creases, Gennadi Nedvigin’s Peasant Pas and Moyna in Giselle, Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Frida.
AIRI IGARASHI was born in Gunma, Japan. She received her early training at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School and continued her training under John Neumeier at The Ballet School of the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, where she performed in Neumeier’s The Nutcracker and danced the role of Princess Florine in Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty. She won first place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2011 and third place in 2015. In addition, she was a semi-finalist at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2013 and 2015. Igarashi joined Atlanta Ballet in 2017, and she has performed principal roles such as Kitri in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, The Sylph in Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide, Marie in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, Firebird in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird and Giselle in Marius Petipa’s Giselle. She has also performed works by Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, Mark Morris, Jili Kylian, George Balanchine, Kiyon Ross, John McFall, Stanton Welch, Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, Ricardo Amarante, Craig Davidson, Max Petrov, Claudia Schreier, Remi Wörtmeyer, Ben Stevenson and Cathy Marston. Igarashi was named as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2020.
SAYAKA IWASE, originally from Kumamoto, Japan, began her ballet training at Yuriko Ballet Studio. In 2021, she continued her training at The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, where she performed the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Medora in Le Corsaire. During her training, she was awarded the Fred Lieberman Award for Excellence and received multiple Dance Study Awards. Iwase joined Atlanta Ballet II for the 2024-25 season, during which she performed with the Company in several works, including Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Coppélia, and Gennadi Nedvigin’s Giselle. She also performed in The Swan Princess and the lead role in Snow White, both choreographed by Bruce Wells. Iwase was promoted to Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season. She is excited to continue developing as an artist and to take on new challenges as a member of the Company.
CAMILLE-MARGARET JACKSON is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up training with Atlanta Ballet. Recognized as a Decade 2 Dance Scholar, she began her training in the Centre for Dance Education at age four and entered the Academy program at eleven. Her training was under the direction of Sharon Story and Serena Chu. As a student, she performed in numerous school productions and full-length works with Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Ballet 2, including Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, and Don Quixote. Jackson also explored choreography, creating original works for the Academy’s annual Spring Concert. During her training, she learned from Atlanta Ballet masters and former Artistic Director John McFall. Additional training opportunities included working with artists such as Veronika Part and Itziar Mendizabal, and attending summer programs at Royal Ballet White Lodge, Royal Ballet Covent Garden (by direct invitation), and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, where she was offered a full merit scholarship to the Professional Training Division. Jackson joined Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2023-24 season, performing in La Sylphide, The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Giselle, Sandpaper Ballet, Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, and Frida. She danced featured roles in Cinderella, The Swan Princess, and Snow White. In February 2026, she was promoted to Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
DARIAN KANE is from northern California where she received her dance training at the Capitol Ballet Center in Sacramento, under the direction of Stuart Carroll and Sharon Newton. From 2015 to 2018, she danced with BalletMet2 and BalletMet in Columbus, where she performed in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s Carmen, as Cigaretta. This is her ninth season with Atlanta Ballet. In past seasons, some of her favorite roles include performing in Alexander Eckman’s Cacti, Return to a Strange Land from Jiří Kylián, and dancing the third movement principal in Sum Stravinsky choreographed by Kiyon Ross. Most recently, she performed the Siren in George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, the Deer in Anabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Frida, has performed in Claudia Shreier’s Fauna, danced the role of Myrtha in Gennadi Nedvigin’s re-staging of Giselle, and danced Arabian in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker. In 2020, she appeared as the dancer in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories on Apple TV+. She began choreographing on the Company in 2021 with the beginning of her ballet Dr. Rainbow’s Infinity Mirror and in 2022, she expanded that work into a full, world premiere ballet returning again in the 2027 season. She was selected as a 2022 Dance Magazine 25 to Watch.
AYUMI KOBAYASHI, originally from Ishikawa, Japan, began her ballet training at the age of five and later continued her studies at Swan International Ballet School. She also attended short-term training programs at Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin, Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, and European School of Ballet, gaining experience in a variety of international training environments. After receiving top awards at ballet competitions in Japan, she won First Prize at Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) Germany and the Grand Prix Award at the YAGP Virtual Competition. Kobayashi continued her professional training at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart and graduated in 2024 before joining Houston Ballet II. During her time in Houston, she performed with Houston Ballet in productions including Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Raymonda, and also appeared on Houston Ballet’s Japan Tour. With Houston Ballet II, her repertoire included Don Quixote Pas de Deux, the Brown Pas from Vicente Nebrada’s Our Waltzes, Stanton Welch's Garden of Mirth, Joplin, Sparrow, and Swan Lake. Kobayashi also performed at the Youth Grand Prix (YGP) New York Gala and the YGP Houston Finals Awards Ceremony. In 2026, she received the HBII Academy Award from Houston Ballet Academy in recognition of her work and development during her time in the program. She now joins Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
MILEI LEE was born in Melbourne, Australia and started dancing at the age of three. She trained at the Brian Nolan Academy of Dance and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. At the age of 16, she moved to London, where she furthered her training at the English National Ballet School (ENBS) for three years. In her graduate year, she was invited to perform with the English National Ballet in Wayne Eagling’s The Nutcracker and with Hong Kong Ballet in Vladimir Malakhov’s La Bayadere. Upon graduating ENBS in 2023, she joined Teatrul De Balet Sibiu in Romania where she performed a variety of soloist roles including the First Shade in La Bayadere, Clara in The Nutcracker, Pas De Trois and Small Swans/Cygnets in Swan Lake, Cupid in Don Quixote, Spring Fairy in Cinderella, as well as the Pas D’escalve Pas De Deux from Le Corsaire. One year after joining the company, she was cast for her first principal role in the title role of Cinderella.
JORDAN LEEPER, a native of Jamestown, New York, began dancing at age 12 with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet and later studied at San Francisco Ballet. Leeper danced with Charlotte Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during Ballet Across America in 2013. He has performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Bubeníček, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, among others. He has been a guest artist with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and City Ballet of Wilmington. He also danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson during the company’s 20th-anniversary season at the Joyce Theater in New York City.
GUILHERME MACIEL is an award-winning dancer and choreographer who trained at the prestigious The HARID Conservatory in Florida after beginning his studies in Brazil. Recognized for his artistic excellence, he is a two-time bronze medalist at the YAGP New York Finals (2006, 2008) and was named Outstanding Choreographer at the YAGP Finals in 2016. Throughout his professional career, he has performed principal and soloist roles with São Paulo Dance Company, Cisne Negro, and Intuição Cia de Dança, alongside touring Russia in the "Virtuous of the Ballet World" gala. Notably, in 2017, he became the first Brazilian choreographer selected for the Workshop for Young Choreographers at the Mariinsky Theatre in San Petersburg, Russia. Maciel previously served as artistic director, resident choreographer and ballet master of Grupo Jovem Paulista (2012–2018), coaching and mentoring dancers for elite global careers, and has taught internationally across South America. Since joining Atlanta Ballet in 2019, he has performed a diverse classical and contemporary repertoire while also serving as a Ballet Master for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education's Summer Program.
MIGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA was born in Cali, Colombia, and began his training at the Colombiano de Ballet and Incoballet. He continued to dance with Incoballet Company under the direction of Gloria Castro de Martínez. In 2008, Montoya moved to Philadelphia to attend The Rock School. In 2010, he reached the second round semifinals in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as the Youth America Grand Prix New York City finals. In 2012, as an Atlanta Ballet apprentice, he originated roles in Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & the Goblin. Other favorite roles include the Slave in Le Corsaire and Basilio in Don Quixote. He joined the Atlanta Ballet company in 2013. He has performed in such notable ballets as Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Gina Patterson’s I AM, Helen Pickett’s Camino Real, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush and Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas. Montoya has been featured in the Paquita Pas de Trois, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort.
MARIUS MORAWSKI graduated from the State Ballet School in his hometown of Łódź, Poland. As a student, he won several national and international competitions. He participated in various dance workshops, including Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive, Arts Ballet Theater of Florida, and Dance Open Festival, among others. In 2017, he joined the Finnish National Ballet Junior Company and after two years was promoted to Corps de Ballet, where he danced soloist roles in ballets such as La Bayadere (Natalia Makarova), Infra (Wayne McGregor), and Carmen (Liam Scarlet), and has performed in works by Alexander Ekman, John Neumeier, August Bournonville, Carolyn Carlson, Patrice Bart, Jorma Elo, Anjelin Preljocal, and Val Caniparoli, among others. In 2021, he joined Tulsa Ballet, where he danced in repertoire created by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Yury Yanowsky, Andy Blankenbuehler, Katarzyna Kozielska, Andrew McNicol, Ma Cong, Jennifer Weber, Craig Davidson, Nicolo Fonte, Kenneth Tindall, Itzik Galili, and Alexander Ekman. As a young choreographer, Morawski has presented his own creations at many different dance galas in the Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, and on TV shows. He choreographed for Tulsa Ballet Centre for Dance Education and won first place and four special awards at the IX International Choreography Competition in Poland. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Dance Pedagogy and Science from Chopin University of Music in Poland. Morawski joined Atlanta Ballet in the 2023-24 season.
MAYU NAKAYAMA is originally from Tochigi, Japan, where she began her training at Osozawa Ballet Studio. In 2018, she moved to the United States after receiving a full scholarship to the HARID Conservatory through the Japan Grand Prix. During her time at HARID, she performed leading roles including the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and graduated in 2022 after completing the four-year program. Nakayama joined Atlanta Ballet 2, where she performed featured roles such as the Enchantress in Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, and both Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother in Bruce Wells’ Cinderella. She was promoted to the main company in 2024. Since joining Atlanta Ballet, Nakayama has enjoyed performing in Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, La Sylphide (staged by Johan Kobborg), Harmony of Opposite Tensions by Kiyon Ross, The Rite of Spring by Claudia Schreier, Coppélia by George Balanchine, and Tuplet by Alexander Ekman. She is excited to continue working with Atlanta Ballet in her third season.
DENYS NEDAK was born in Odessa, Ukraine. In 2005, he began to study in the Kyiv Municipal Ukraine Dance Academy, named after Serge Lyfar. While in the Academy he was invited to perform at the National Opera House in Kyiv, where he danced his first professional performances as Paris in Romeo and Juliet and Prince in The Nutcracker. After graduation, Nedak joined National Opera House of Ukraine in Kyiv, working under the supervision and guidance of a People's Artist of Ukraine, N.D Pryadchenko, to create his repertoire. In 2008, Nedak became principal dancer. He has become known as a performer of lyrical-romantic repertoire at National Opera House of Ukraine. In the theatre he frequently partners with leading ballerinas, including E. Filipeva, T. Golyakova, N. Matsak, U. Lopatkina, N. Polakova, V. Part and P. Herrera. In 2011, Nedak was honored with the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine. His popularity in Ukraine has led to many invitations to perform at international festivals. He is a regular guest artist at the, Rudolf Nureyev International Festival of Ballet Art in Ufa. Since 2014, Nedak performed as a regular guest at the National Theater of Serbia; from 2014 to 2015, as a guest dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the Vienna State Opera; from 2016 to2017, as a guest dancer in the Finnish National Opera and Ballet; and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. He worked with teachers, such as N. Pryadchenko, V. Yaremenko, N. Makarova, I. Kolpakova, I. Muchamedov, M. Legris, J. Boocca, and O. Evreinoff. In 2017, Nedak was honored with the prestigious title of People’s Artist of the Ukraine. He now travels frequently throughout Russia, France, Italy, Germany and Japan to show his skill. Nedak’s repertoire includes: Solor in La Bayadere, Basil in Don Quixote (Nureyev), Prince in The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (Nureyev), Albert in Giselle, Jose and Escamilio in Carmen Suite, Jean de Brienne in Raymonda, Conrad in Le Corsaire, Prince in The Nutcracker, Krass in Spartacus, The Golden Slave in Scheherazade and Alexandre in Lady of Camellias, as well as roles in a Classic Pas de Deux (Balanchine), a Grand Pas de Deux (Ober), Silvia Pas de Deux (Balanchine), Red Giselle as Chekist (Eifman) and Touch of illusion (Ricardo Amarante).
CARRAIG NEW was born in Juneau, Alaska. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography where he studied classical Russian technique under the guidance of Bolshoi Theatre first soloist Denis Medvedev. He performed on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Yuri Grigorovich’s staging of La Fille Mal Gardée, dancing in the Gypsy Dance as one of the four friends, as well as being featured as a demi-soloist. Upon graduating in 2018, New joined Atlanta Ballet 2, and was promoted to company artist in 2020. New has performed principal and soloist roles as a company artist, including Hilarion in Giselle, Ethan in Cathy Marston's Snowblind, and a featured pas de deux in Liam Scarlett's Catch. He has danced many works by Choreographer-in-Residence Claudia Schreier including Pleiades Dances, Nighthawks, and The Rite of Spring, as well as performing principal roles in both Fauna and Carnivale. New has also had the pleasure of performing works by renowned choreographers including Juliano Nunes, George Balanchine, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Yuri Possokhov, Justin Peck, Kiyon Ross, Helgi Tomasson and Remi Wörtmeyer.
SAYRON PEREIRA was born in Campinas, Brazil, and at the age of 12, joined the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil. Soon after his graduation in 2016, he was selected to join the Youth Company of the Bolshoi Theater School where he debuted in repertoires such as Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and Raymonda. 18 months later, Pereira began his international career as a soloist at Perm Opera and Ballet in Russia, where he performed several ballets from the Russian repertoire over the course of three years in Russia and on tour. His roles included Hilarion in Giselle; Neapolitan Dance in Swan Lake; Conrad in Le Corsaire; Shaherezada, The Musician in Romeo and Juliet; and Polovtsian Chief in Polovtsian Dances. Pereira joined the Ballet Theater of Sibiu in Romania in 2022, where he performed leading roles such as Solor in Lá Bayadère, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Prince in The Nutcracker, Basílio in Don Quixote, and Prince in Cinderella. Other neoclassical works in Romania included Bolero and Vivaldi Seasons.
ELIZABETH POWELL, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, began her ballet training at Boston Ballet School. In 2007, she joined San Francisco Ballet School and, in 2011, joined San Francisco Ballet as an apprentice. She entered the corps de ballet in 2012 and was promoted to soloist in 2018. Her repertoire spans both classical and contemporary works, including featured roles in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet, as well as creations by George Balanchine, Cathy Marston, Wayne McGregor, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokhov, Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tómasson, Christopher Wheeldon, and other leading choreographers. As a guest artist, she has performed Christopher Wheeldon's Finale Finale at the PAAX GNP Festival in Mexico, Jerome Robbins' In the Night at Fall for Dance in New York City, Johan Kobborg's Les Lutins at the Despertares Gala in Mexico City, and Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour in Shanghai. She was also featured as Clara in San Francisco Ballet's The Nutcracker, broadcast nationally on PBS's Great Performances. Powell joins Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
ÍCARO QUEIROS is from Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil, and began his dance training at Núcleo de Artes Cênicas Sebastian, where he studied classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance, and improvisation. He later continued his training at Ballet do Teatro Escola Basileu França in Goiânia, performing roles such as Hilarion in Giselle and Espada in Don Quixote, while appearing in a range of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works. Following his participation in the Youth America Grand Prix Brazil, Queiros joined Atlanta Ballet 2, where he performed leading roles including the Prince in Cinderella and Snow White, and Von Rothbart in The Swan Princess, all choreographed by Bruce Wells. He also performed in La Sylphide, George Balanchine’s Coppélia, and other productions alongside the main company. Queiros was promoted to Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
ÁNGEL RAMÍREZ was born in Trinidad, Cuba, and trained for eight years at the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana, winning the gold medal in the Cuban International Ballet Competition his graduating year. Upon graduation, he was accepted into the National Ballet of Cuba and performed in numerous classical ballets. Ramirez was invited to train at The Rock School in Philadelphia and competed in Youth American Grand Prix the following year, winning the Grand Prix Award in Philadelphia. Since joining Atlanta Ballet in 2021, he has performed principal roles such as Frantz in Coppelia by George Balanchine, Albrecht in Giselle, the Prince in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, and Prodigal Son by George Balanchine, and has worked with renowned choreographers like Cathy Marston, Yuri Possokhov, Justin Peck, Helgi Tomasson, Remi Wörtmeyer, and Juliano Nunes. He has also performed in galas, festivals and projects dancing roles such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet balcony pas created by Andrea Schermoly, and Le Bourgeois by Van Cauwenbergh, among others. Ramirez was named as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2026.
ISABELLA ROMAN grew up in Pennsylvania and started her pre-professional training with International Ballet Theatre in Malvern. Under Jaelyn Fellona’s direction, she participated in Youth America Grand Prix and won many scholarships and awards, such as the Youth Grand Prix in Philadelphia in 2020, the Grand Prix Award in Philadelphia in 2023, and scholarships to many renowned European schools. In 2023 she competed in the renowned USAIBC in Jackson and then joined the American Ballet Theater Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (ABT JKO) for her graduating year of school. After graduating from ABT JKO, she joined the acclaimed State Ballet of Georgia in Tbilisi under the direction of Nina Ananiashvili where she spent two seasons performing a variety of roles in classical ballets. She performed demi-soloist roles including Big Swans in Swan Lake, Spanish Doll in The Nutcracker, Four girls in George Balanchine’s Mozartiana, Giselle’s Friends in Giselle, as well as many other Corps de Ballet roles. After finishing her second season with State Ballet of Georgia, she now joins Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
ASHLEY ROSENDAHL is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she started her training at WestMet Classical Training under the direction of Allynne Noelle and Thomas Brown. During her pre-professional career she performed various works such as George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie, Sidra Bell’s Beyond The Edge of the Frame, and the title role in Act II of Giselle. In 2022, under the direction of James Sofranko, Rosendahl began her professional career with the Grand Rapids Ballet. During her time in Grand Rapids, she had the opportunity to perform in works by Devon Carney, Val Caniparoli, and most notably, one of the Demi Russian Soloists in George Balanchine’s Serenade. In 2024, Rosendahl joined the Richmond Ballet’s Studio Company. Some memorable roles include Spring Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, Flower Festival Pas de Deux, and the lead in Raymonda Pas de Dix. Rosendahl is now excited to join Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
JÚLIO SANTOS was born in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was introduced to ballet at the age of 7, after having learned acrobatic dance through gymnastics. Santos commenced his ballet training following an audition to the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil at age eight. Upon graduating in 2023, Santos joined the Bolshoi Brazil Junior Company and competed in and placed second at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in Tampa, Florida. He then joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, where he trained until May 2024. Santos joined Atlanta Ballet 2 in August 2024 and joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2025-26 Season.
MIKAELA SANTOS was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, where she began her ballet training at the Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet. She earned second place at the 2014 Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition and was a Top 15 finalist at the 2016 World Ballet Competition. That year, she joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice before moving to the United States at 17 to train with Atlanta Ballet. She became a Company Apprentice in 2017 and joined Atlanta Ballet as a Company Artist in 2018. Santos also trained at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Her repertoire spans both classical and contemporary works, with leading roles including Giselle in Giselle, Frida in Frida, Swanilda in George Balanchine’s Coppélia, Kitri in Don Quixote, Marie in The Nutcracker, Coco in Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Mattie in Snowblind, and Effie in La Sylphide. She has also performed works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Yuri Possokhov, Juliano Nunes, and Dwight Rhoden. In 2023, Dance Magazine named Santos one of its “25 to Watch,” and in 2024 she was featured as the digital cover star of Pointe Magazine’s May/June issue. The 2026–27 season marks her ninth season with Atlanta Ballet.
MINJI SON is from Seoul, South Korea. She trained at the Korea National Institute for Gifted in Arts, Seoul Arts High School, and the Korea National University of Arts. She was awarded First Prize in the Pas de Deux Division and Third Prize in the Senior Women Classical Division at the 2024 Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York. She has also received First Prize at the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition, Sicilia International Ballet Competition, Seoul International Dance Competition, and the Dong-A Dance Competition. Son’s repertoire includes Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Giselle, Coppélia, Delibes Suite, Stars and Stripes, and The Nutcracker. She joins Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season.
ANDERSON SOUZA, born in Santo Ângelo, Brazil, trained at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Dança under Jorge Teixeira. After graduating, he joined Cia. Brasileira de Ballet in Rio de Janeiro, where he performed principal and soloist roles, competed nationally and internationally, including at the Beijing International Ballet Competition, and toured to Colombia, China, Israel, and France. In 2013, Souza joined Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, continuing his artistic development under Gelsey Kirkland. Souza joined Atlanta Ballet in 2016. His featured roles include Hilarion and the Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle, Gurn in La Sylphide, the male duet in Christopher Wheeldon’s Golden Hour, and roles in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon. His repertoire also includes works by Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Mark Morris, Liam Scarlett, and others. Alongside his performing career, Souza has developed a growing choreographic practice. His works have been presented by Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Ballet 2, the UNCSA Choreographic Institute, and Atlanta Ballet’s Pro Summer Intensive, including Touchline, Inherited, Reverie, Dusk, and Airborn.
PAXTON SPEIGHT is from Poquoson, Virginia, where he began pursuing musical theater at Centerstage Academy. In 2018, he began studying at Eastern Virginia School of the Performing Arts with Ron Boucher. A year later, he began classical ballet training at International Ballet Academy in Cary, North Carolina, under the direction of Nadia Pavlenko. It wasn’t until 2021 that he realized dancing was the dream he wanted to pursue for his early career. While in North Carolina, Speight had the privilege of competing in international dance competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix and American Dance Championships Youth International Ballet Competition, where he accepted a position at Atlanta Ballet 2. After two years with Atlanta Ballet’s second company, he joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2024-25 season.
EMANUEL TAVARES began studying dance at the age of 14 in his hometown of Fortaleza, Brazil, at the Instituto de Dança Goretti Quintela. He has been celebrated at many dance festivals and has received national and international scholarships. Tavares started his professional career in 2016 with Especial Academia de Ballet in São Paulo, performing principal roles such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, Ali in Le Corsaire, and Jean de Brienne in Raymonda. At 19, he joined Virginia National Ballet as a soloist and soon was promoted to principal dancer. In 2021, Tavares joined Cleveland Ballet, where he performed featured roles in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Ilia Zhivoy’s Symphony of Life, and Robert Weiss’ Sleeping Beauty. He has also performed as a guest artist with Ballet Hawaii and Toledo Ballet. Tavares is a Jacob’s Pillow alum from the 2024 Contemporary Ballet summer program, where he performed works by acclaimed choreographers Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Silas Farley. Since joining Atlanta Ballet in 2024, Tavares has danced in 7 for Eight by Helgi Tomasson, Tutuby Stanton Welch, Elemental Brubeck by Lar Lubovitch, Coppélia and Emeralds by George Balanchine, and Catch by Liam Scarlett. This is his third season with Atlanta Ballet.
YI-MIN TSUNG, a native of Taoyuan, Taiwan, is joining Atlanta Ballet for the 2026-27 season. He began his professional training at Canada's National Ballet School, where he studied from 2018 to 2020 and was awarded the Peter Dwyer Scholarship in 2020. After graduating, he continued in the school's Post-Secondary and Company Life Programs before joining the National Ballet of Canada as an apprentice. There, Tsung performed in The Nutcracker, MaddAddam, Sugar Water, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Onegin. He later joined Alberta Ballet as a corps de ballet member, performing in Boléro, Once Upon a Time – A Thousand Tales, Petrushka, Spectre de la Rose, Firebird, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake.
JONAS TUTAJ grew up in Chicago, where he started his training at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Under Victor Alexander, he trained in many styles of dance and traveled to Cuba to train at Uscuela Nacional de Ballet de Cuba. He studied Cuban and Bournonville technique, as well as taking the influence of Larry Long. At age 14, he moved to New York to train at the School of American Ballet. During his time there, he participated in New York Choreographic Institute, performances with the New York City Ballet, and in the annual Workshop Performances. Additional training consisted of Summer Programs at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2022, Tutaj started his professional career with the Los Angeles Ballet, directed by Melissa Barak. In his time there, he performed Prince Ivan in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, Prince in Edward Liang’s Cinderella, and Cavalier in The Nutcracker, as well as in works by Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, and Hans Van Manen.
MUNKHJIN ULZIIJARGAL received a full scholarship to study at Perm Ballet School when he was ten years old and completed his studies as a professional ballet dancer in 2018. He started his career as first soloist at Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in 2018. During his college years, Ulziijargal participated in the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition (IBCC) in 2017 and was awarded the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) special award. In 2019, he was awarded the silver medal from the 1st Russian Japanese Eurasian Ballet Competition, and in 2022, received a Diplomat award from the Moscow International Ballet Competition. That same year he participated in the Korea International Ballet Competition 2022 and was awarded the Gold medal. In 2023, Ulziijargal became the dancer of the year in Mongolia and received the National award “Mungun Mod”. His latest achievement was the Robert Joffrey Award of Merit from the USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC 2023). Ulziijargal joined Atlanta Ballet in the 2023-24 Season.
LUIZ FERNANDO XAVIER was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and received his professional training at the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil, graduating in 2018. During his training, he worked with distinguished artists including Vladimir Vasiliev and Galia Kravchenko. In 2019, Xavier joined the Youth Company of Bolshoi Brazil before being appointed soloist with the State Opera and Ballet Theater of Voronezh, Russia. In 2021, he received the Bravo Contest Prize from the Cultural Union of the Russian Federation for his portrayal of Nikolia in The Toy Seller. His repertoire in Russia included Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Solor and the Golden Idol (La Bayadère), Prince (The Nutcracker), Rothbart (Swan Lake), Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty), and Pas d'Esclave (Le Corsaire), among other leading roles. Xavier joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2022–23 season. His repertoire with the company includes The Nutcracker, Classical Symphony, and Don Quixote (Yuri Possokhov), Emeralds, Coppélia and The Prodigal Son (George Balanchine), Concerto Grosso (Helgi Tomasson), La Sylphide (August Bournonville), Tuplet (Alexander Ekman), and The Rite of Spring (Claudia Schreier), among others. He has also performed in world premieres by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Juliano Nunes, and Remi Wörtmeyer. Beyond the stage, Xavier is co-founder of Ballet Couple, an educational platform that has reached more than 1,000 ballet students across Brazil through workshops, masterclasses, and digital content.
REI YAMAGUCHI is from Hokkaido, Japan. He began training at Hisatomi Ballet in Japan and continued training at the English National Ballet School in London, graduating in 2021. He danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet during his time at school, English National Ballet, and Hong Kong Ballet before joining Atlanta Ballet as a Company Dancer in 2023. Yamaguchi has performed in numerous productions, including David Bintley’s Cinderella for Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Wayne Eagling’s The Nutcracker and Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda for the English National Ballet. For Hong Kong Ballet, he performed in Septime Webre’s Carmina Burana, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet, in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, and in Vladimir Malakhov’s La Bayadere. This is his third season with Atlanta Ballet.
NICHOLAS YURKEVICH was born in San Francisco and started folk dancing at the age of five, creating many riveting YouTube videos and a fan following. At the age of nine, he retired from his folk dancing career, and committed to classical ballet training. Yurkevich progressed through every level of the San Francisco Ballet School on a merit-based scholarship, including their trainee program. Performing with the company from a young age, Yurkevich was inspired by San Francisco Ballet's principals, Pascal Molat and Gennadi Nedvigin. While at San Francisco Ballet, Yurkevich performed in many ballets, including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Frankenstein, Sleeping Beauty, Flames of Paris, and Nutcracker. As part of the school's showcase, Yurkevich danced principal roles in George Balanchine's Symphony in C and Paquita. Through his training and performing opportunities, Yurkevich developed into a charismatic and technical dancer. He joined Atlanta Ballet in the 2024-25 season.
RACHEL OLIVIA ZINMAN is from Montreal, Québec where she trained as a competitive gymnast until age 11. She then joined Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, Ontario where she studied for the next six years. During her time at the school, Zinman performed in the 2015 Pan American Games opening Ceremony, and participated in Assemblée Internationale in both 2017, and 2023. In grade 11, Zinman returned home to Montreal, where she was granted the opportunity to work with John Alleyne, a mentor who played a pivotal role in guiding her transformation from student to dancer. Upon graduating National Ballet School, Zinman spent a year in their Company life program and was then offered a contract with Atlanta Ballet 2, where she had the opportunity to perform in a variety of acclaimed productions, including La Sylphide, Coppélia, and Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon. She also portrayed both Odile and Odette in Bruce Wells’ The Swan Princess. After completing two years in Atlanta Ballet 2, Zinman was promoted to Atlanta Ballet as a company dancer for the 2025-26 season.