ATLANTA (August 25, 2017) – With his second season at Atlanta Ballet in full swing, artistic director Gennadi Nedvigin has announced the 2017|2018 Company roster. Now in the studio preparing for an exciting performance season featuring a balanced blend if traditional favorites and inventive new works, this special group of artists have been brought together to create the next generation of Atlanta Ballet.

The professional company has expanded since last season to include 30 members, including six apprentices. Providing the Atlanta community with an immensely talented and globally diverse group of professional performers, the company represents 10 countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay.

This year’s roster includes a mix of 17 familiar faces and 13 new dancers from notable companies around the world, such as Ballet Memphis, Boston Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego, Houston Ballet and Orlando Ballet, among others. Internal promotions to the professional company include Dylan Clinard, Saho Kumagai and Francesca Loi. Dancers who were promoted from the top level of the school to Apprentices in the company are Erin Robinson and Mikaela Santos.

Nedvigin’s vision aims to expose audiences to a wide spectrum of dance styles through balanced programming. In addition to the final production of the current version of Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, this performance season features classical favorites Don Quixote and Act III of Swan Lake, Balanchine’s neoclassical Who Cares?, the revival of preeminent contemporary choreographer Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, and three exciting world premieres from some of today’s top-tier dance makers. Creation of the choreography for Atlanta Ballet’s new Nutcracker production by Yuri Possokhov, which premieres in December 2018, will also begin this fall.

“With such a rigorous season of diverse repertoire and a brand new Nutcracker production in the pipeline, it was my mission to bring together a versatile group of dancers who are equipped to execute any style of choreography with impeccable form and artistry,” Nedvigin shares about the process of assembling this season’s Company roster. “The dancers have only been rehearsing for a few weeks, and their energy, excitement and passion radiates throughout the studio. I am excited for these dancers to share their gift with the city of Atlanta, and for audiences to experience what this talented group of artists has to offer throughout each program.”

By continuing to focus on Atlanta Ballet’s tradition of versatility, excellence and commitment to introducing audiences to a wide variety of dance styles, Nedvigin continues to build on the foundation created by the three artistic directors who preceded him throughout the company’s 88-year history. While a balanced repertoire, innovative choreography and quality programming depict Nedvigin’s artistic direction, it is Atlanta Ballet’s next generation of Company dancers who will bring his vision to life. Atlanta Ballet’s 17|18 Season begins in December with the 22nd and final production of Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker at The Fox Theatre. The season will continue at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with choreographer Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote in February, Black Swan in March, Tu Tu & More in April, and the season finale program, Bach to Broadway, in May.

To learn more about Atlanta Ballet and the Company, please visit www.atlantaballet.com.

ATLANTA BALLET 2017|2018 COMPANY ROSTER

Zachary Alden‡, born in San Francisco, California, began his ballet studies as a senior in high school with Vaganova-trained dancer Anton Pankevich. After graduating, he spent the summer training at Ballet San Jose under José Manuel Carreño and became a company trainee on scholarship. In 2014, Zach moved to Pompano Beach, Florida to further his ballet training with Magaly Suárez at The Art of Classical Ballet School. Despite his relatively late start as a student, Zachary quickly accelerated in ballet and spent the 2016|17 Season dancing with BalletMet 2 under the direction of Edwaard Liang and performed in Laing’s Romeo and Juliet. Zachary looks forward to applying his experience at his new home, Atlanta Ballet.

Erica Alvarado, born in Tucson, Arizona, began her dance training at Ballet Arts in Tucson under the direction of Mary Beth Cabana. She spent her summers training in acclaimed programs such as The Jillana School, The Rock School, San Francisco Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Upon graduating high school, Erica joined Ballet Tucson, where she worked closely with ballet masters Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner and performed leading roles in many Antony Tudor ballets. Two years later, she joined the Milwaukee Ballet II program, and, in 2011, she joined City Ballet of San Diego as a principal dancer. At City Ballet, she performed lead roles in Firebird, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet, as well as principal roles in a number of George Balanchine works that included Who Cares?, Donizetti Variations, Allegro Brillante, Serenade, and the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Erica also danced the role of the principal woman in Peter Martin’s Hallelujah Junction.

Jessica Assef, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, received her early training from Escola de Ballet Corpo e Arte with Jolles Salles. At the 2010 Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), she was awarded full scholarships to Orlando Ballet School and the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. That same year, Jessica won the gold medal at Passo de Arte and went on to receive a YAGP semi-finals silver medal and YAGP NYC finals gold medal in 2013. Jessica spent two years at Orlando Ballet School as a trainee before becoming a member of the Orlando Ballet second company, and a year later she joined the professional company. In 2014, she competed in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Alexandre Barros, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, received his early training from Escola de Dança Alice Arja and Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa. At the age of 15, he came to the United States to study with the Harid Conservatory. After graduating from the Harid Conservatory, he joined the Atlanta Ballet Fellowship Ensemble in 2011. In 2012, he progressed into the Company, where he has performed works by John McFall, David Bintley, Ohad Naharin, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Helen Pickett, Tara Lee, Jiří Kylián, Andrea Miller, and others. Alexandre is thrilled for his sixth season with Atlanta Ballet and would like to thank his family and friends for all their support and love.

Jacob Bush grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, where he trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Lise Houlton. He continued his training under Sharon Story at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education as well as the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet under Susan Connally. He spent the 2012 to 2014 seasons with Germany’s Theatre Augsburg, where he worked with notable choreographers such as Douglas Lee, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Christian Spuck, Michael Pink, and Itzik Galili. In Atlanta, Jacob has danced many principal roles in classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works, including Ivan in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, the principal male in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and Gutman in Helen Pickett’s Camino Real, among others. He has also been featured in Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine.

Stéphano Candreva is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and graduated from the Alice Arja School of Dance in 2006. Stéphano attended summer programs at Miami City Ballet School and Milwaukee Ballet School on full scholarship. At 18 years old, he began his professional career dancing with Sesiminas Cia de Dança. He went on to dance with Milwaukee Ballet II, City Ballet of San Diego, and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Stéphano represented Brazil at the 2012 Seminario Internacional de Dança de Brasília, where he was a silver medalist. He has been a guest artist with Cisne Negro, Ballet Chicago, and California Ballet and has performed principal roles in numerous George Balanchine ballets, including Allegro Brillante, Donizetti Variations, Danses Concertantes, and Serenade, to name a few.

Emily Carrico, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, began her training at the Kentucky Ballet Theatre Academy under the direction of Rafaela Cento Muñoz. At the age of 14, Emily received a scholarship to attend The Harid Conservatory, where she was the recipient of the Dance Study Award during both years of attendance. In 2012, she joined the Kentucky Ballet Theatre under the direction of Norbe Risco, where she performed many soloist and principal roles. After two years, she moved to Florida to study under Magaly Suarez at The Art of Classical Ballet School, where she was guided by her tutelage to dance with Columbia City Ballet for two seasons. She has also competed in the Youth America Grand Prix on several occasions, placing in the top 12 and qualifying for the New York City finals every time. Emily is very excited to join Atlanta Ballet and is thrilled to call Atlanta her home.

Dylan Clinard, from Clemmons, North Carolina, began his dance education at the UNCSA Preparatory Dance Program under the direction of Dayna Fox. At the age of 13, he was offered a scholarship to train at Houston Ballet Academy, where he spent three years in the top level of the school before being promoted to Houston Ballet II under the tutelage of Andrew Murphy, Sally Rojas, Sabrina Lenzi, Claudio Munoz, and Stanton Welch. While at Houston Ballet II, he performed in Stanton Welch’s Raymonda, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, La Bayadère, Clear, Swan Lake, The Gentlemen, Blue, The Long and Winding Road, and Brigade. In 2015, Dylan joined Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice. Dylan’s favorite performances thus far are Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. He is thrilled to return to Atlanta Ballet this year as a Company member and thanks his family for all of their love and support.

Taylor Fikes‡, an Atlanta native, began her formal ballet training in 2008 at Baltimore School for the Arts. In 2010, she enrolled in the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, D.C. As a recipient of the U.S. State Department and Russian American Foundation’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship, Taylor trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia for six weeks. This opportunity was the springboard to her acceptance as a full-time student with the Bolshoi. Following her time in Moscow, Taylor moved to New York City to attend the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet and to begin her college studies at Columbia University. Ultimately, Taylor decided to commit herself to a career in ballet and accepted an offer to join the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program in Chicago. Taylor’s time at Joffrey exposed her to a multitude of opportunities and experiences that have served as catalysts to her acceptance to join Atlanta Ballet.

Nikolas Gaifullin, born in Sarasota, Florida, received his ballet training from his parents, Stephanie Murrish of Sarasota Ballet and Daniil Gaifullin of Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Nikolas has danced with the American Ballet Theatre Collegiate Program, the National Ballet School of Canada, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and Kansas City Ballet II. He has competed in the Youth America Grand Prix many times, receiving awards in both the semi-final and final rounds. In 2007, he performed in the International Spoleto Festival in Italy. In 2012, he was a silver medalist at the World Ballet Competition, a recipient of the Grishko Scholarship award from the Carreno Dance Festival, and a guest performer in the 17^th International Miami Dance Festival Young Medalists performance. At Kansas City Ballet II, he performed Devon Carney’s Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Viktor Plotnikov’s Vesna, and Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Sujin Han, originally from South Korea, she began dancing at age 9 at the Yewon School and studied character dance at the Vaganova Academy. At the Yewon School, she enjoyed performing “Flower Festival” in Genzano and Don Quixote, among others. At age 16, Sujin entered into Seoul Arts School on scholarship, where she performed pas de duexs such as the Sugar Plum Fairy variation from The Nutcracker. She also participated in many ballet competitions in South Korea, including the Seoul International Dance Competition. Sujin earned the great performers scholarship to attend Ewha Womans University, where she began choreographing and had the opportunity to learn several works by George Balanchine and the Bournonville method. After graduating, she worked as a freelance ballet dancer and performed Ahn Jung Geun, a Dance in the Heaven with M Ballet in South Korea and Tree with Soul Ballet Company in South Korea. Sujin is excited to dance with Atlanta Ballet.

Monika Haczkiewicz was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout her training, she has danced at Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kwak Ballet Academy, Tara Foy’s Elite Ballet, Nevada School of Dance, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In 2015, Monika competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, where she ranked second place in the Senior Division of the Las Vegas semi-finals and performed at the Lincoln Centre in the finals. For the 2015|16 Season, Monika received a full-tuition Nijinksky Dance Scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division Program, where she performed the lead in Paquita with the Professional Division in addition to the Paquita pas de trois. Monika joined Atlanta Ballet last season, where performed featured roles in Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and had the pleasure of working with renowned choreographers Yuri Possokhov, David Bintley, and John McFall.

Jessica He, originally from Rancho Cucamonga, California, began her ballet training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. In 2012, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to enter a more vigorous pre-professional training program at The Rock School on full scholarship. In 2015, Jessica joined Houston Ballet's second company. She has attended many prestigious summer programs across the country and earned multiple awards and merit scholarships at competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix and the World Ballet Competition. While dancing with Houston Ballet II, Jessica enjoyed touring internationally and performed Stanton Welch’s A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and Brigade, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Ben Stevenson’s Sleeping Beauty Act III, and John Neumeier’s Yondering. She has also danced in many of Houston Ballet’s company productions, such as Stanton Welch’s world premiere of Giselle and The Nutcracker.

Airi Igarashi was born in Gunma, Japan. At the age of seven, she began her training at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School. She 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 Neumeier’s The Sleeping Beauty. She won first place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2011 and third place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2015. In addition, she was a semi-finalist at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2013 and 2015. Some of Airi’s favorite performances include Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Václav Kuneš’ Double Beethoven, and Victor Gsovsky’s Grand pas Classique.

Saho Kumagai, originally from Japan, began dancing at the age of nine. In 2009, she moved to the United States to study at the Boston Ballet School on scholarship. Saho continued her studies with Pacific Northwest Ballet School Professional Division under the direction of Peter Boal, where she performed corps roles in Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2014, she joined Charlotte Ballet II and danced soloist roles in Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker and had the opportunity to work with then resident choreographer Dwight Rhoden. That year, she also placed among the top 20 finalists at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland. Since joining Atlanta Ballet, Saho has performed the role of Marya in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and works by Yuri Possokhov and Darrell Grand Moultrie.  

Jordan Leeper, a native of Jamestown, New York, began dancing at the age of 12 with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet and later studied at San Francisco Ballet. Jordan went on to dance with the Charlotte Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center during Ballet Across America in 2013. Jordan has performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Bubeníček, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, and many more outstanding choreographers. Jordan 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 season anniversary at the Joyce Theater in New York City.  

Keaton Leier grew up in Saskatoon, Canada, where he discovered his love for dance at eight years old while dancing hip-hop. At age 15, he began taking ballet classes at his local dance studio Brenda’s School of Baton and Dance. In 2013, Keaton began training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, where he received various scholarships throughout his three years, and graduated with marks of distinction. For the 2016|2017 season, Keaton danced with Houston Ballet’s second company. He has danced the lead role in Marius Petipa’s Paquita and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. He has also performed Alexander Gorsky’s La Fille mal gardée pas de deux, Nikolai and Sergei Legat’s Fairy Doll pas de trois, and excerpts from John Neumeier’s Yondering. In addition, Keaton has performed in various Stanton Welch ballets such as Brigade, Play, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, and A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Francesca Loi was born in Cagliari, Italy and began her training at the ballet school of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. She graduated from the La Scala Ballet School in Milan and went on to perform many ballets with the La Scala Ballet Company, including Raymonda, Giselle, Aida, and Notre Dame de Paris. In addition to working with Opera National de Bordeaux and the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Francesca was a member of the Hong Kong Ballet, where she performed demi-soloist and soloist roles and had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers Cynthia Harvey, Nina Ananiashvilli, Alexei Ratmansky, Alexander Ekman, and Krzysztof Pastor, to name a few. At Atlanta Ballet, she has performed Sugar Plum Fairy in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and Snow White in the Bruce Wells ballet. Last summer, Francesca won bronze in the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition and participated in the 2017 Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program.  

Nadia Mara, born in Montevideo, Uruguay, trained at Uruguay’s National School of Ballet, where she graduated as the best dancer in school and earned the Elena Smirnova Gold Medal. In the United States, Nadia started dancing with North Carolina Dance Theatre and joined Atlanta Ballet as a Company dancer in 2006. Nadia’s most notable lead roles include Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, Mina in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Nathalie in Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet, and Marguerite in Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. She has also been featured in works by choreographers Alexei Ratmansky, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Christopher Wheeldon, and Wayne McGregor, to name a few. Last season, she danced lead roles in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. In 2016, Nadia was invited to Despertares, a world-renowned international ballet and modern dance festival in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she shared the stage with Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin and event presenter Isaac Hernández.

Sergio Masero-Olarte, originally from Madrid, Spain, began his training at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma. Sergio trained on scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School and then joined Ballet Memphis as a Company dancer. At Ballet Memphis, he performed lead roles in Steven McMahon’s Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake; Matthew Neenan’s The Darting Eyes and Water of the Flowery Mill; and in works by Mark Godden, Gabrielle Lamb, and Yuri Sands. As a principal guest artist, he has danced with Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet and Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas, Texas. In addition to dancing, Sergio enjoyed teaching and choreographing in the Memphis area. Sergio has created two pieces for the Company dancers of Ballet Memphis as well as two full-length productions for The Dance Academy of Bartlett.

Juliana Missano‡ was born in Lloyd Harbor, New York and started studying ballet at the age of five. She trained at the Lynch School of Ballet until she was 15 years old. She continued her training at The Rock School under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. In 2017, Juliana was named a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts and had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center. Juliana competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, and she received the Grand Prix Award, placed first in the Pas de Deux Category, and advanced to the final round where she performed at the Lincoln Center. Some of her favorite performances include Nutcracker and Don Quixote. Juliana is very excited to start her career here with Atlanta Ballet.  

Miguel Angel Montoya was born in Cali, Colombia, where he began his training at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet, Incoballet and continued to dance with Incoballet Company under the direction of Gloria Castro de Martinez. In 2008, Miguel moved to Philadelphia to attend The Rock School. In 2010, Miguel made it to the second round semi-finals 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 performed over the course of his career include the Slave in Le Corsaire and Basilio in Don Quixote. Upon joining the Atlanta Ballet company in 2013, Miguel performed in notable ballets like 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. He was also featured in the Paquita Pas de Trois, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort.

Jackie Nash, a native of Connecticut, started her pre-professional ballet training at the Connecticut Dance School under the direction of Alan Woodard. She then spent two years in the dance and academic residency program at The Rock School, graduating in 2009. During her summer studies, she attended the Chautauqua Institute, Nutmeg Conservatory, Miami City Ballet, and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. She has enjoyed dancing roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, the principal roles in Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony and Firebird, and the lead female in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. She has also performed featured roles in works by Christopher Wheeldon, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Douglas Lee, and Alexei Ratmansky. She has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as James Kudelka for The Man in Black, Jorma Elo for 1st Flash, and Ohad Naharin for Secus. This past summer, Jackie performed as a guest artist in Amy Siewert’s Imagery, a contemporary ballet company. 

Keith Reeves‡, from Augusta, Georgia, began his training with Jennifer Tools at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. In 2010, he continued his training with the Augusta Ballet School and later joined the company Dance Augusta under the direction of Zane and Ron Colton. Prior to joining Atlanta Ballet, he trained with Nicolas Pacana and Jocelyn Buchanan of the Atlanta Festival Ballet Company and studied at distinguished dance schools such as Nashville Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. He has received multiple scholarships, including the Audrey B. Morgan scholarship for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Conservatory program. Throughout his time at Atlanta Ballet, Keith has performed works by George Balanchine, David Bintley, Yuri Possokhov, Jorden Morris, John McFall, Tara Lee, Bruce Wells, and Helen Pickett, among others.

Boris Richir, originally from Antwerp, Belgium, received his dance education at the Paris Opera Ballet School. In 2009, he joined the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden Germany, under the direction of Aaron S. Watkin, as a corps de ballet member. In 2014, he joined Boston Ballet. His most notable roles include the [LW1] Principal Couple in “Emeralds” from George Balanchine’s Jewels and Count von Rothbart in Aaron S. Watkin’s Swan Lake. Boris has performed corps de ballet, soloist, and lead roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, John Cranko, Mikko Nissinen, August Bournonville, Jiří Bubeníček, Aaron S. Watkin, Alexei Ratmansky, and William Forsythe, among others.

Erin Robinson‡, a native of Acworth, Georgia, began her training at The Georgia Ballet under the direction of Gina Hyatt-Mazon and Janusz Mazon. At 16 years of age, Erin was a finalist for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program affiliated with the Russian American Foundation to study for six weeks at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. She later received an invitation to attend the international program year round. In 2012, she was awarded . A year later, Erin was promoted to the Fellowship Ensemble, where she danced lead roles such as Snow White in Bruce Wells’ Snow White and Aurora in John McFall’s The Sleeping Beauty. Erin is also an instructor with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. She is thrilled to be joining Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice for the 2017|2018 Season.>span class="ecxbumpedfont15">

Mikaela Santos‡, a native of Manila, Philippines, began her dance training at Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet and then joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an Apprentice in March 2016. She was offered a scholarship to the Atlanta Ballet Professional Summer Intensive and was subsequently offered a position in the Fellowship Ensemble. In 2014, Mikaela ranked second place in the Junior Division at the first Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition, and, two years later, she was a finalist at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Florida. She has performed in Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker by John McFall, Bruce Wells’ Snow White, Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, David Bintley’s Carmina Burana, and Robert Barnett’s Arenskey, among others. Mikaela is excited to dance with the Company as an apprentice this season.

Anderson Souza, a native of South Brazil, received his training at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Dança under Jorge Teixeira. After graduating, Souza joined the Cia Brasileira de Ballet in Rio de Janeiro, where he danced principal and soloist roles in many well-known productions and competed in national and international dance competitions, including the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Anderson also traveled with the Company to perform in various countries such as Colombia, China, Israel, and France. In 2013, Souza joined Gelsey Kirkland Ballet as a Company member, where he received praise from many national critics, including The New York Times. His most notable roles and repertoire include Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Leonid Yakobson’s Wedding Procession, Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, the Prince in The Nutcracker, Phillip in Cavalry Halt, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and Basilio and Espada in Don Quixote, among others. Anderson is excited for his second season with Atlanta Ballet.

Jared Tan, originally from the Philippines, began dancing at the age of nine with the Philippine Ballet Theatre under the direction of Gener Caringal. He trained for more than 14 years under Russian Ballet Master Anatoly Panasyukov. In 2009, Jared came to the U.S. to join American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey under the direction of Graham Lustig, and, in 2010, he joined Atlanta Ballet. Jared is most proud of the work he has done with choreographers Ohad Naharin in Minus 16 and Secus, Alexandre Ekman in Cacti, and Jiří Kylián in Petite Mort. He has performed featured roles in many works, including Christopher Hampson’s Rite of Spring, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & the Goblin, and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine.

Ashley Wegmann, born in New Jersey, received her early training from the National Ballet of New Jersey and later studied at the Princeton Ballet School on scholarship. After attending the graduate program at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, she joined the company as a corps de ballet member in 2007. From 2012 to 2015, she danced with BalletMet, and she joined Atlanta Ballet in 2016. Ashley has been fortunate to work with many choreographers and dance a variety of dance styles. Some of her favorite roles and repertoire include Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, a stomper in Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Nurse in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s Lovely Together, and James Kudelka’s Real Life and The Four Seasons.

Olivia Yoch, from Richmond, Virginia, received her dance training from the School of Richmond Ballet and Butler University. She spent two years with Tulsa Ballet II and Tulsa Ballet before joining Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice in 2014. Olivia holds a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in English Literature from Butler University. Last season, in Olivia’s first year as a Company member, she enjoyed originating a role in the world premiere of Gemma Bond’s Denouement. Other favorite ballets include Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, the Paquita Pas de Trois, and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. Olivia would like to thank her fiancé and the rest of her family for all of their love and support. 

‡ Atlanta Ballet apprentice

MEDIA CONTACT:
Julia Berg
Public Relations Manager – Atlanta Ballet
jberg@atlantaballet.com
(c) 404.226.1127
(o) 404.873.5811 x203