Kira Anderson, originally from NJ, received her ballet training from several institutions including Manhattan Youth Ballet and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT. She’s also received private training from Galina Gladkova and Marina Stavitskaya. Kira started her professional career with BalletMet as a second company member, under the direction of Edwaard Liang, before joining Alberta Ballet. Her most memorable productions with Alberta Ballet have been George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Helen Pickett’s Petal, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Botero, and Loughlan Prior’s Hansel & Gretel. After 6 seasons, she’s returned home to NYC and can be found helping dancers as a pointe shoe fiitting specialist with Gaynor Minden.
Anna Antongiorgi (she/her) is a poet, choreographer, and dancer from Redondo Beach, CA. She earned her BA in English with a certificate in Theatre, Dance, and Media at Harvard University, followed by an MFA in Creative Writing under the poetry emphasis at the New School. She has worked as a guest choreographer with the Wellesley College Dancers, the Harvard Ballet Company and NYU’s Ballet Collaborative. She is the author of the poetry chapbook refinding the rules of gravity (Finishing Line Press, July 2021), which was featured in Dance Magazine’s summer reading list for dancers and included in Flight Path Dance Project’s dance reading curriculum. She wrote and choreographed a choreopoem titled SUNDAY, which was presented via the Emerging Artists Theater’s New Works Series in October 2022 in New York City. She has danced professionally with VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, Gleich Dances, and the Kennedy Dancers. You can find her on Instagram: @annaantongiorgi
Emma Lou Blakley is a dancer and writer from Wichita, Kansas. Emma trained pre-professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, during which she performed in the company’s production of The Nutcracker. Her summer studies have included Houston Ballet and the Oklahoma International Dance Festival. She earned her B.F.A. in Ballet Pedagogy and a minor in Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma. While at the university, she performed soloist and corps roles in a range of classical, contemporary, and modern works. Emma is a freelance artist based in New York City and is thrilled to be returning to Brooklyn Ballet for her second season.
Audrey Borst was born in Berkeley, California and has been dancing since the age of three. She trained at the San Francisco Ballet for 10 years where she performed the lead role of “Clara” in the Nutcracker. Audrey immersed herself in the dance community, serving as a company member in Sarah Bush Dance Project, and Peninsula Ballet while also performing as a guest artist with Oakland Ballet School. It was at Alonzo King LINES Ballet that she began to explore multiple modern disciplines including Gaga, Horton, and contemporary ballet. She gained fluency in these styles, training at summer sessions around the country including Ballet San Jose, San Francisco City Ballet, and Dance Theater of Harlem. After transplanting to New York City, Audrey began her studies as a scholarship student at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2016. She lives in Brooklyn where she is a teaching artist and freelance dancer. Audrey is a part of Brooklyn Ballet and Jamal Jackson Dance Company.
Kendra J. Bostock is a proud Detroit native working as a dancer, choreographer, teaching artist, facilitator and community organizer in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. As a dancer in New York City, Kendra has worked with Urban Bush Women (UBW), Andrea E. Woods/Souloworks, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Monstah Black/ Motion Sickness, MBDance, Moving Spirits Dance Company, RAKIA!, Melanie Green, Movement of the People Dance Company and as a guest artist with Oyu Oro. Kendra completed a European tour dancing with Adira Amram and DJ Kid Koala in Vinyl Vaudeville 2.0 and performed with Gyptian at the MTV Iggy awards. Kendra’s choreographic work has been presented at the Florida A&M University, the off Broadway show 7 Sins, Museu de Arte in Salvador, Brazil, Dixon Place, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Actors Fund Theater, and Mark Morris. She has been an Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Studios for Dance, Bates College, Marymount Manhattan, and The Neighborhood Project Through 651Arts, a BAX Space Grantee, and a Visiting Artist at Atlantic Center for the Arts. She was recently the 2022 Inaugural BedStuy Artist in Residence at The Laundromat Project. She is currently a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow. Along with sharing her art world-wide, Kendra serves as the Founder/Director of STooPS that uses art as a catalyst to strengthen ties between different entities in Bed-Stuy and as a Facilitator with UBW’s BOLD (Builders, Organizers, and Leaders Through Dance) network. www.thekendrajbostock.com
Aliesha Bryan (Pájaro negro) is a multidisciplinary performing artist and founder of Blackbird Dances, a space that advocates and offers movement-based healing approaches and content and has the overarching mission of countering limiting perspectives about the body, its capacity, potential and roles within societies. Since first encountering live Flamenco, Aliesha has learned from and worked with a diverse roster of artists, developing a rich tapestry of movement. Aliesha's performative work includes choreographic commissions and site-specific creations, most recently the conception and production of El Mensaje/The Message, which was presented during the BlaktinX Performance Series at BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance. Aliesha has also appeared on stages ranging from international festivals to more intimate venues, including The Hemispheric Institute in New York, the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the United Nations Headquarters. She is an advocate for social change through healing, and has notably been featured on the BBC Podcast, The Reset, in Dance Magazine, and in the curated Camille A. Brown series Social Dance for Social Change. Aliesha is a graduate of Barnard College and Sarah Lawrence College, with a BA in French and Francophone Studies and an MS in Dance/Movement Therapy.
Joseph "Klassic" Carella is a renowned figure in the world of flexn, known for his exceptional talent and dedication to the art form. With a passion for teaching and sharing his expertise, he has traveled extensively across the globe, conducting workshops, classes and performing to inspire and educate other artists.
In addition to his teaching endeavors, "Klassic" has made a significant impact in the entertainment industry through his appearances in various TV shows such as "So You Think You Can Dance", "Showtime At The Apollo", "MTV Awards", "BET Awards", "PBS: Third Rail With Ozy", and many more. His dynamic presence and unique style have captivated audiences worldwide, earning him recognition as a versatile performer with a flair for creativity and innovation.
Klassic is currently commissioned by Works & Process, and has been to several artistic residencies such as: Guild Hall, Kaatsbaan, Bridge Street Theatre, Catskills Mountain Foundation, Jacobs Pillow and many others. He has also recently been part of the U.S. Embassy's Arts Envoy tour to Belgium, to teach about the elements of Hip-Hop and showing people/students the importance of community and growth.
Originally from New Jersey, Lindsey Casale began her pre-professional ballet training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, and continued her training at Ballet Academy East. She had the privilege of dancing various soloist roles in their productions, two of her favorites being George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, staged by Darla Hoover, and the Bluebird Pas de Deux, staged by Maina Gielgud. Lindsey spent her summers training at American Ballet Theatre, The Washington Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, where she was awarded the Birger Bartholin Scholarship, and most recently at Orsolina28 with Juliano Nunes. Upon graduation, Lindsey spent a year in Chicago as a trainee with The Joffrey Ballet, and the following year, she was a member of Ballet Arizona’s studio company, where she performed in various productions with the main company, such as George Balanchine’s Bourree Fantasque. Lindsey then spent the next season performing with Ballet Rhode Island. She is currently a freelance dancer based in NYC, and has performed with various companies both in the city, as well as internationally. Most recently, she performed Gerald Arpino’s Confetti in the Arpino Dance Festival at The Joyce Theatre as a member of AVID Dance Company. She joined Brooklyn Ballet in 2024, and is very excited to perform with them again this season!
Adrienne Chan is a contemporary ballet choreographer, dancer, and theatermaker based in New York City. Blending the language of contemporary ballet with sociological themes and playful, earnest theatricality, her work investigates dance as a narrative medium. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Adrienne trained at Cleveland City Dance and performed with its pre-professional company, City Ballet of Cleveland. She continued her training at summer intensives with Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, and Kaatsbaan. In 2023, she was a summer trainee at Ohio Contemporary Ballet.
Her choreographic work spans concert and theatrical dance, musical theater, and interdisciplinary performance. Recent work includes Romeo & Juliet (2024), a contemporary dance-theater adaptation that she directed and co-choreographed at the Loeb Ex at the American Repertory Theater. Lauded for its emotional depth and formal ambition as the first evening-length narrative dance production at Harvard, the production was described as a “total artwork… blending choreography, storytelling, and design into a profoundly moving whole—like no Shakespeare we’ve seen before” (The Harvard Independent). Her work has also been performed by the Harvard Ballet Company, the Asian American Ballet Project, and the Columbia Ballet Collaborative.
In recognition of her choreographic and academic work, Adrienne has received the E. John Busser Scholarship, the Harvard Office for the Arts’ Radcliffe Doris Cohen Levi Prize for choreography and musical theater, and the Sociology Department’s Albert M. Fulton Prize for her honors thesis on labor, passion, and precarity in the dance industry. She graduated from Harvard University, where she studied Sociology and Theater, Dance, and Media.
Vitoria Correia (she/her) is a dancer and teaching artist from Taboão da Serra, São Paulo, Brazil. She began her dance training at the Escola Municipal de Bailado de Taboão da Serra and, at age 13, received a full scholarship to the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil. After graduating, she joined the Bolshoi Brazil Junior Company, where she performed in numerous classical ballets, including Don Quixote (Vladimir Vasiliev’s staging) and The Nutcracker, as well as contemporary works by William Almeida and Amarildo Cassiano. While in Brazil, Vitoria appeared as a guest artist at several dance festivals and in national TV commercials for brands such as Pantene Brazil and Instituto Cultural Vale. In 2022, she moved to the United States to pursue a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma (OU). At OU, she performed both soloist and corps de ballet roles, including Green Girl in Antique Epigraphs by Jerome Robbins, Whereabouts Unknown by Jiří Kylián, and Strand by Robin Mineko Williams. She also deepened her work as an educator, teaching dance to students of all ages—from children to older adults. Now based in New York City, Vitoria performs and teaches throughout the city. She is Dance for PD® trained and currently volunteers at the Mark Morris Dance Center. She is excited to be performing in her first Brooklyn Nutcracker!
Megan Eng began her dance training at Ballet Tech in 2009 under the direction of Eliot Feld, alongside Christine Sarry and Ashley Tuttle. As a student, she had the opportunity to perform in several of Eliot Feld's original works for Ballet Tech Kids Dance, including soloist roles in A Yankee Doodle, The Jig is Up, and Pointing. After graduating from their high school program in 2019, she returned as a faculty member and repetiteur in 2023, staging and rehearsing Eliot Feld’s repertoire on the middle school students. She has also performed as an alumni guest artist, including their production of Paquita. She is excited to be performing in her first Nutcracker with Brooklyn Ballet this season!
Lauren Evans is originally from Sacramento, California. She received her early dance training at Deane Dance Center under the tutelage of Barbara Crockett, and went on to graduate from UC Irvine with her BA in Dance, and BS in Biological Sciences. During her time at UCI, she trained with esteemed faculty Molly Lynch, Tong Wang, Vitor Luiz, Lar Lubovitch, and Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and was honored to receive the Beth L. Koehler Scholarship and the William J. Gillespie Foundation Scholarship. She expanded her training at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet summer program on a scholarship, as well as the American Ballet Theatre and Complexions Contemporary Ballet summer programs. She was chosen to participate in SALT Contemporary Dance’s LINK Festival, where she performed works by Tiare Keeno and Courtney Mazeika. Post college, she had the opportunity to teach and choreograph at the School of Sacramento Ballet and other local Sacramento studios, and found a deep passion for teaching alongside her love of performing. Currently, Lauren is dancing her first season with VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, and is very excited to continue her career in New York City.
Choreographer, Educator, and Dancer, Michael “Big Mike” Fields is a performing artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Specializing in hitting, animation, waving and isolations, he combines storytelling and comedic elements in his work. At 6'2" and 250 pounds, his movement can be raw and explosive and yet subtle. The New York Times says his work in the Brooklyn Nutcracker [makes] "musical sense of all the physical isolations of hip-hop." Crowned as "New York's best-kept secret", he has done work with Hip-Hop Connections, a group that brings educational performances to schools around the tri-state area, and with artists such as Chaka Khan and Busta Rhymes. In 2015, he was invited by the Singapore Tourism Board as part of the Singapore Invites initiative for a short video. He is active in the New York dance scene, holding his own practice at Brooklyn Ballet, and often subs classes at Broadway Dance Center and Peridance.
Valentina Fory Olaya is originally from Colombia, South America, born in Cali and raised in Jamundí Valle del Cauca. She began her ballet training at the age of 9 at Incolballet in Colombia and at the age of 13 she participated in intensive workshops with Frederick Earl Mosley at Incolballet, where she received a scholarship to Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts (EMIA) Dance Summer Intensive. Valentina has danced with Brooklyn Ballet, Visions Contemporary Ballet, Albano Ballet and Danza Experimental de Bogotá. She has choreographed for Latin Grammy nominated Colombian singer Esteman, whose music video “On Top” has over 2 million views on YouTube. She has worked as a dancer for the British rapper Lancey Foux for the release of his album; for the beer brand, Corona, at their sunset festival in Santa Marta, Colombia; and in commercials for brands such as Huawei, Subway Colombia, and Bon Bon Bum.
Tristan Grannum is a professional ballet dancer, dance educator, and arts leader dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and access within classical ballet. A Brooklyn native, Tristan began his formal ballet training at age 14 at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts and Manhattan Youth Ballet. His commitment led to year-round training with the School of Pennsylvania Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he participated in outreach performances that deepened his belief in the transformative power of dance.
Tristan has received full scholarships to prestigious summer intensives, including the Harid Conservatory, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and Charlotte Ballet. In 2017, he earned first place in the contemporary ballet category at the Royal Dance Grand Prix in Beijing, China, under the direction of Nadege Hottier (Premiere Division).
Professionally, Tristan has performed with Brooklyn Ballet, Ballet Austin, Dayton Ballet, and the Black Iris Project, interpreting works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Septime Webre, Stephen Mills, Marianna Oliviera, and Tan Dao.
As an educator, Tristan has taught nationally and internationally, including at Canada’s National Ballet School during the International Association of Blacks in Dance Festival. He holds teaching certifications from the Mark Morris Teaching Artist Training Program and the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum (Primary-Level 3). He currently serves on the faculties of Brooklyn Ballet and the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Tristan's leadership in arts education is evident from his tenure as Associate Artistic Director at the Brooklyn Center for the Arts, where he established over 15 dance programs within NYC public schools. In 2021, he was named an Emerging Dance Leader through Dance/USA’s DILT program under the mentorship of Peter Boal (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and was selected as a National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet for the 2021–2022 cohort. In 2025, Tristan was accepted into the New York Foundation for the Arts' Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color.
Currently, Tristan serves as Director of Community Engagement and Rehearsal Director for Brooklyn Ballet, where he continues to build inclusive pathways for young dancers and supports the company’s mission to reflect the diversity of its community on stage and in the studio.
Born Keenen Victor Thomas, Kinen The Gridwalker was raised in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. Kinen’s foundations as a Street Dancer start in Lite Feet, and later progressed into the study of Animation. His focus is in body control, footwork, stop motion, and mechanical movement.
Danielle Guirma is originally from New Paltz, NY. where she began her dance training at the age of three. Danielle performed in the children’s corps with the New York City Ballet in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Coppélia during their summer residencies in Saratoga Springs, NY. From 2015-2017 she attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and was a recipient of the Future Artists Initiative Scholarship in 2016 and 2017. Danielle continued her studies at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School where she had the opportunity to perform with the company in Geoffrey Holder’s Dougla during their 50th Anniversary celebration in 2019. She danced for two seasons as a company member with First State Ballet Theatre in Wilmington Delaware performing in various classics including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Don Quixote, as well as original contemporary works. Danielle is currently based in New York City as a freelance artist. She draws inspiration from the diverse dance styles incorporated into Brooklyn Ballet's repertoire and is excited to perform in "The Brooklyn Nutcracker” for a second year.
Brian HallowDreamz Henry, the New York Krump King from Bed-Stuy known for his Tedx titled "Krump is Language" and playing a major role in building the New York Krump community. Founding member of the dance trio The Nuu Knynez. He calls his personal Krump style BROOKLYN BUCK. Brian started Krumping in 2004. Inspired by Mijo and Tight Eyez “The creators,” Brian has been pushing the Krump movement relentlessly with great passion. He is one of the leaders of EO Squad (Entertainers Only), an entertainment group founded by his older brother George Depeyster. In 2008 Brian joined E.S.K. (East Street Kingdom), a branch of the group STREET KINGDOM founded by Tight Eyez, and honed his skills further. Brian has taught at and collaborated with EXPG, Broadway Dance Center, B.A.M, Guggenheim, PMT, House of Duende, The Met, Alvin Ailey, Brick House, Kaatsbaan, Coupe, Joffrey's Ballet, The August Wilson Center and many more studios/locations. Also, with experience in street dance, all style competitions, Ballet, Modern, contemporary, and African he has become one of the most sought after krump/dance teacher and performer. Brian has worked with some amazing creatives such as Madonna, Vouge, J Balvin, Nas, Asap Ferg, Bill T Jones, 50 Cent, Gallim dance, John Grant, Spike Lee, Oshun, Karol G, Lous and the Yakuza, and others.
Sophie Herron is an artist originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She began her ballet training with the School of Madison Ballet and Central Midwest Ballet Academy, then moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 2017 to attend Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She trained for several years under the leadership of Marcia Dale Weary and Darla Hoover, before continuing her studies in Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Training Division. In 2020, Sophie joined Minnesota Ballet, where she danced for three years. She performed a variety of corps de ballet and soloist roles with the company, in classical repertory such as Sleeping Beauty and A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as new works. She also began working as a freelance dancer in the midwest, performing in curated festivals and site specific shows. Since relocating to New York she has performed with Neglia Ballet, CityDance NY, and Dances Patrelle, and frequently collaborates with independent choreographers, photographers, and filmmakers. Sophie is excited to join Brooklyn Ballet for the Nutcracker this year.
Shiloh Hodges is a performer and zine maker. Her early training was at Florida Dance Theatre. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance from Florida State University at age 19, with additional training from Orlando Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts. After graduation, she immediately moved to Lenapehoking, this place currently known as New York. Here she has had the pleasure of working with artists including Sidra Bell/SBDNY, André M. Zachery/Renegade Performance Group, Monstah Black, and Sarah H. Paulson. She is in ongoing collaboration with Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson and was the associate artist for loveconductors from 2016-2023, with evening-length performances at sites including The Kitchen, ISSUE Project Room, and the Park Avenue Armory. She performed for two years in Third Rail Projects' award-winning off-Broadway immersive show Then She Fell. Her own performances have been presented by BAAD!, The Space Upstairs, the EstroGenius Festival (in collaboration with Kim Savarino), and LEIMAY, where she was a 2022 LEIMAY Incubator artist-in-residence. She is a student in the School of 3 Lights. shilohhodges.com
Natasha Huang began her dance training professionally at Temple University, where she pursued her BFA in Dance and had received all styles dance training including Horton technique, Contemporary, House dance, Breaking and Hip Hop. She had also work with various Phildelphia based dance companies and choreographers, including Kyle “JustSole” Clark, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, Merian Soto. In 2021, Natasha decided to move to NYC, where she got into Popping and Voguing. All these diverse training background deeply influenced
Natasha’s artistic expression and gradually help her to form a unique dance style. Currently, Natasha is a dancer with Sun Kim Dance Theatre and Petra Zanki. She has performed works by choreographer such as Francoth3Artist, Robert Taylor Jr, Beasty, Alora Nina Oricci, and has performed in multiple events such as The Carnival Choreographer’s Ball, Peridance’s 40th Anniversary Legacy Ball, Work & Process at Guggenheim Museum, Behind the Groove, and opening for Philadelphia 76ers. Natasha is also performing for El Último Sueño de Frida y
Diego at the Metropolitan Opera in Summer 2026.
Miku Kawamura began dancing ballet at the age of six in Japan. Her early training included the Sapporo City Ballet and many prestigious summer programs on full scholarship including Pacific Northwest Ballet and The Royal Ballet School. She was a semi-finalist at the renowned Prix de Lausanne (2004), Best of 12 at the Youth America Grand Prix NY final (2002), and has received awards at the NBA All Japan Competition (second prize) and the Japan Grand Prix (second prize). She received a full scholarship to the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, and since graduating Ms. Kawamura has performed many classical and contemporary roles with K-Ballet Company under director Tetsuya Kumakawa in Tokyo. Since she arrived in NYC, she has danced principal roles with Albano Ballet, Brooklyn Ballet, Ballet Inc, and Neville Dance Theater. Miku has danced with Brooklyn Ballet for 10 seasons, in both classical, neo-classical, modern and mixed movement repertory. She danced the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Brooklyn Nutcracker at Kings Theater in 2018 and 2019.
ShanDien Sonwai LaRance is a Champion Native American Hoop Dancer. The daughter of renowned Native American Artist Marian ‘Kaawaadeh' Denipah-LaRance and Steve 'Wikviya’ LaRance, Her tribal affiliations are Hopi, Tewa, Navajo and Assiniboine. Starting her Hoop Dance journey at 8 years old she learned how to Hoop Dance from her brother Nakotah LaRance(1989-2020). When she turned 19, Sonwai ran away to Cirque Du Soleil’s Big top Show “TOTEM" to perform and share her culture to the world. During this time she became an unofficial spokeswoman for her people. Sonwai has traveled to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and many other European Countries dancing for thousands of people. Since returning home to New Mexico she continues to dance, model and act, though her greatest aspiration is continuing the legacy of her brother Nakotah by teaching Indigenous youth the empowering art of the Native American Hoop Dance.
Barbara Lins is a distinguished professional ballet dancer with a breadth of experience as both a dancer and instructor. Barbara began dancing when she was six years old, with her first training at Ballet Eliana Cavalcanti in Maceio, Brazil where she ended up dancing as the Principal Dancer for five years. She has received training from distinguished Bolshoi teachers including Denis Nevydommy, Galina Kozlova (Ex Prima Ballerina of Bolshoi), Boris Storojkovo, Olga Dolganova, and others. Barbara has completed the Trainee Programs at Ballet Chicago and Joffrey Ballet School (NYC). She has also completed the Certificate Program at Peridance Capezio Center in NYC. Since moving to NYC, Barbara has danced with numerous companies including Connecticut Ballet Company, Arch Contemporary, Homo Veritas Dance Theatre, Albano Ballet of America, American Swiss Ballet Company and was a guest at Metropolitan Ballet & Academy. Her performance experience includes Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Paquita, The Flames of Paris, Nutcracker, Coppelia, La Esmeralda, La Sylphide, Diana y Action, Serenade, Concerto Barroco, and many others. Barbara won the Award for Artistic Excellence and Leadership in Dance in her hometown of Maceio, Brazil by the Government and had the unique opportunity to direct a performance about Black Lives Matter in Brazil (2021). Barbara is excited to be a part of Brooklyn Ballet Company this year.
Bobby “Anime” Major is a dancer from the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Bushwick section of Brooklyn who uses a mixture of popping and flexing to create a style that reflects various moods of the human condition. His first teacher, Vibez, taught him how to Bone Break. He was then inspired to learn popping from Mike “Big Mike” Fields. Under Mike’s tutelage he learned many fundamental aspects of popping which includes hitting, robotic dime-stopping, joint isolations, strobing, ticking, and stop motion/animation. He’s excited to join the cast of The Brooklyn Nutcracker for another year!
Sira Melikian is a NYC born and raised Middle Eastern Belly Dance performer and choreographer. Sira’s love of Near and Middle Eastern dance is rooted in her Armenian heritage. She was first exposed to belly dance at a young age, sparking a lifelong love for the dance. Since then, her professional training has led to an active career belly dancing throughout New York, the tri-state area and internationally for theatrical shows, private parties as well as high-profile events. In addition to regular event performances, she loves taking the art of belly dance to the theater stage. She has worked with Brooklyn Ballet since 2015 performing "Danse Arabe" for the Brooklyn Nutcracker, the Metropolitan Opera, as well as several Off-Broadway productions. Film/TV experience includes Sex and the City 2, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and MTV. The New York Times said her work is "not an imitation piece of eastern culture..but a real example of belly dancing.” As the dance genre continues to evolve over time, Sira relishes every opportunity to continue elevating the art of Raqs Sharqi/Belly Dance. She is honored to work with Brooklyn Ballet again for this year’s Brooklyn Nutcracker.
Kayla Muchotrigo is a 22 year old dancer/choreographer from Lima, Peru. Her career began when she was 13 years old after finding inspiration through cultural dances and later being introduced to street styles. She spent her next few years developing her craft and focusing on the foundation within Hip Hop. After years of experience with multiple competitions, tv show appearances,etc. Her dream was always to share her knowledge and love for dance and she was able to begin doing that by teaching her community in Peru .Kayla has spent the last year establishing herself in New York. In doing so she has worked with “Soul project dance company” by Candace Brown , off-broadway plays “Breakin’ NYC” season 1 & “Break! The funk spectacular “. She’s also been featured in multiple music videos, ads and commercials . Her goal is to keep pursuing her passion, and live off of doing what she loves.
Imani Nzingha, raised in New Haven, CT, has always had a love for the arts but only decided to pursue her dance career in 2009. Since then she has had opportunities to work with artists such as Abdel Salaam, Matthew Rushing, Nathan Trice, Young Paris, Frederick Earl Mosley, Asé Dance Collective, Ismael Kouyate, Urban Bush Women, Ronald K. Brown, and many more. The Long Island University grad is now a freelance artist and continues to broaden her artistry by working with a wide range of artists in New York City and beyond.
Aoi Ohno from Kanagawa, Japan. She started dancing when she was 3 years old. She graduated from Tokyo Visual Arts vocational school and joined dance company RAKUDO. She then moved to NYC and trained in modern dance at The Ailey school as a scholarship student. During her time there, she worked with Ray Mercer and Darrel Moultrie. Since graduating from the Ailey School she has worked with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Arch Ballet, Jon Lehrer Dance Company, Ballet Nepantla and Brooklyn Ballet. She currently teaches ballet at Brooklyn Ballet for their Adult ballet classes and conservatory program for students age 10 and older. Additionally she has worked as a Gyrotonic teacher at BodyEvolution in Manhattan and has choreographic experience for YAGP finalists in 2022.
Calista Olson is a professional ballerina and versatile performing artist with a strong foundation in the Balanchine technique. She trained for four years at Miami City Ballet, under the guidance of renowned teachers and performed works from the Balanchine repertoire. Her summer training includes programs at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Rock School, Ballet West, and the School of American Ballet. Calista is currently an online student at the University of Florida on a full scholarship, continuing her academic growth on the side. Following Miami City Ballet, Calista danced five seasons with Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, performing a wide range of repertory from neoclassical and Balanchine to contemporary works. Afterward, she spent a year freelancing across the U.S., expanding her artistry into jazz, go-go, cabaret, and aerial dance, showcasing her adaptability and stage presence across genres and venues.
Red Dance Studio (aka Eva Dance Studio) is a new dance troupe established in New York in 2017. Their training and practice is based on classical ballet and mainly focuses on Chinese classical dance and folk dance. Many of their dancers are working professionals and all strive for excellence in performance. This year their dancers include performers who are successful in other professions as well, including a medical doctor (who has been working nonstop on the front lines since the pandemic started), a film producer, an accountant from a healthcare organization, a real estate broker, an IT director, and professionals with doctorates and masters degrees from top universities, including Columbia University. Red Dance Studio (Eva Dance Stuido) has participated in the largest dance festival in the northeast, performed in Chinese New Year galas, in colleges, and at Lincoln Center. They also have performed in New York public libraries and senior centers. Through the pandemic Red Dance Studio (Eva Dance Studio) kept practicing Chinese dance via Zoom, participated in the World TaoLi Dance Competition (online), performed multiple times online for all audiences via YouTube Live, and provided free dance lessons online for all ages worldwide. Their mission is to present Chinese heritage and culture through dance performance.
Kamala Saara was born in Los Angeles, CA, now residing in Brooklyn, NY Training: Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet, School of American Ballet. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (fourth season). Kamala is a recipient of the Grow Annenberg Fellowship and a full scholarship for the School of American Ballet. She received 1st place Award for Training and the Performance Scholarship at the 2018 Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Kamala placed 2nd in the Classical category at the 2016 Youth American Grand Prix Paris, France.
Ladell “Mr. Ocean” Thomas is a dancer specializing in Popping and waving. He’s learned other dance styles such as dancehall and hip hop. Some of his mentors include Big Mike, Future Ninja and Chris “Shaik” Mathis. Ladell has danced with Iluminate from "America’s Got Talent” and “It’s Showtime NYC.” He has also had the pleasure of performing for Bill T. Jones’ Deep Blue Ocean, PBS’ Barefeet with Mikaela Mallozzi, NY Philharmonics Bandwagon, Lincoln Centers Restart Stages, Lincoln Centers Centrifugal Force with Buddha Stretch, It’s Time For Hip Hop in NYC Concerts.
Akiko Tokuoka is a choreographer, and actress, from Kyoto, Japan, and currently based in New York City. She has more than 15 years of experience as an artist performing vogue, ballet, contemporary dance, kabuki dance, baton twirling, and, her specialty, freestyle dance. Her credits include performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, New Era, and commercials. She was hand selected by Madonna for an exclusive dance show on the icon's birthday in 2011, performed for Ciara in "Level Up" at the MNF Genesis Halftime Show in Seattle, and choreographed and performed in Lovari's “Paparazzi” music video, featured on MTV in October 2018.
She fell in love with the voguing and ballroom culture in New York when she saw Willi Ninja at a nightclub in NY in 2005 and worked her way up to becoming an official member of the “Legendary House of Ninja” with the crew name “KiT Ninja” in 2009, three years after Willi passed away. The Legendary House of Ninja is a voguing collective who have worked with artists including Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl. In 2010, Akiko coordinated their tour through major cities in Japan including her hometown of Kyoto.
This year, Akiko joined members of The House of Ninja in bringing vogue to the 113th NAACP National Convention. She completed a 2-year advanced acting program with Maggie Flanigan Studio which led to her to produce the dance/theater performance “TANABATA 2021” thanks to the support of a New York City Artist Corps Grant in October 2021. Akiko’s performances embody power and beauty. She often breaks the fourth wall to more deeply connect with audience members, interacting with and sometimes bringing them onstage to participate, making each performance unique.
Born in Colombia, Santiago Jimenez Vargas started his artistic journey at the age of 15. He started training at Ballet Anna Pavlova in a special program with the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Theater in Bogota. “Alma en Movimiento”; where he improved his technical skills to become a professional dancer. In 2018 he was offered a full scholarship with Ballet Academy East in NYC where he graduated in 2020. During the time he studied at Ballet Academy East, he worked with famous choreographers and coaches as Darla Hoover, Lia Ciro, Alan Hineline, Silas Farley, Maina Gielgud, Ariel Rose, and others. In 2021 Santiago joined Ballet de Barcelona as an apprentice. After an amazing experience in Europe, Santiago decided to return to the USA to share his knowledge with the dance community and grow as an artist. He has been cast in leading and featured roles for such performances as “Valse Fantasie” of George Balanchine, Romanza by Alan Hiline, In excelsis by Silas Farley, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by George Balanchine, in which he served as a Demi-Soloist as the well-loved character of Puck.
After his comeback to the USA Santiago has worked with several companies which he has stood out for his amazing technique and dancing. In 2022 he was invited to be a part of the Nutcracker of Brooklyn Ballet as a soloist in Candy Cane and Waltz of the Flowers. Afterwards, he also worked with the Ballet Des Ameriques in principal roles in White Plains and various Contemporary productions. He has also performed with the Staten Island Ballet for their productions during the 2023- 2024 season and Currently, Santiago is exploring new dance forms with the East Coast Contemporary Ballet specifically in the realms of neoclassical and contemporary dance. Santiago will be joining Brooklyn Ballet for the second time in The Brooklyn Nutcracker 2025.
Asia Yiu is a professionally trained ballet artist, and educator who began her training at Ballet Tech, studying under teachers from diverse backgrounds, who helped shape her into a versatile artist. She continued her studies through the American Ballet Theatre Collegiate Program and Manhattan Youth Ballet’s Summer Intensive, refining her technique and her artistry across both classical and contemporary forms. Outside of dance, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Communication, building her skills beyond the studio. As an educator, Asia teaches repertoire at Ballet Tech and adult ballet classes at the 14th Street Y. She has performed at The Joyce Theater, The New Victory Theater, and The Minskoff Theatre, appearing in works with Ballet Tech, Public Works, and Broadway Serves. She also appears in the Amazon Prime Video series Étoile, marking her television debut. This season, Asia is thrilled to join Brooklyn Ballet in performing her first-ever production of The Nutcracker.
