Artists
Company
Company
Andrea Allmon was born in Miami, Florida and began her ballet training with Marielena Mencia and Yanis Pikieris at Miami Youth Ballet. She performed with Miami Youth Ballet in several …
Felecia Baker grew up in Chesapeake, Va and began her dance training at Academie de Ballet. She trained for 11 years studying the Vaganova Method for ballet technique, as well …
Sponsored by Betsy and Mike Keeley
Rafael Bejarano Vidal, from Guadalajara, Mexico, began his dance training at age 11 at the Royal Dance Academy of Mexico with Ana Torquemada. He has studied intensively around the world …
Nardia Boodoo, born in Baltimore, Maryland, of Indo-Trinidadian heritage, is in her fourth season with The Washington Ballet, after dancing for two years in The Washington Ballet’s Studio Company and …
Kimberly Cilento, of Middletown, DE is in her eleventh season with The Washington Ballet after being a member of both their Studio Company and Trainee Program. Cilento began her dance …
Nicholas Cowden began his ballet studies at the age of 9 at the Virginia Ballet Company in Fairfax, and later Southold Dance Theatre in South Bend, Indiana. In 2014, a …
Gilles is from Belgium, began dance training at the age of 10 in many amateur school. At 13 he joined the Royal Ballet School Of Antwerp. He then continued his …
Kateryna Derechyna of Ukraine is in her 14th season with The Washington Ballet. She trained and graduated from the Odessa Ballet Academy under Elvira Karavaeva where she performed at the …
Sponsored by Celina and Mark Emery
Jessy Dick, a native of Michigan, is in her eighth season with The Washington Ballet. She joined TWB Studio Company in 2017 and was promoted to the company in 2019. …
Catherine Doherty, from Olathe Kansas, is in her first season with the Company at The Washington Ballet. Catherine began her professional training at The Kansas School of Classical Ballet when …
Nicole Graniero of New York City is in her tenth season with The Washington Ballet. Her repertoire with the company includes principal roles in Ashton’s The Dream, Symphonic Variations, Balanchine’s …
Akira Iida was born in Osaka, Japan, where he began training at the age of seven. Mr. Iida studied at the Washington School of Ballet beginning with a summer scholarship …
Ayano Kimura of Japan, is in 14th season with The Washington Ballet and seventh year teaching at The Washington School of Ballet. Kimura, born in Germany, went on a short-term …
Eun Won Lee from Korea is in her ninth season with The Washington Ballet. She was formerly a Principal dancer with Korean National Ballet for six years and received her …
Sponsored by James Smailes and Susan Gehring
Lope Lim, from Manila Philippines, is in his sixth season with The Washington Ballet. He was a member of the Studio Company before being promoted to apprentice in 2019. Lope …
Ariel Martínez began his ballet studies at School of Ballet Alejo Carpentier and continued his education at Fernando Alonso National Ballet School, associated with Ballet Nacional de Cuba. His instructors …
Sponsored by Julie and David Brown
Tamako Miyazaki of Tokyo, Japan, is in her 12th season with The Washington Ballet after dancing with Columbia Classical Ballet. Prior to that, Miyazaki was a member of The Washington …
Javier Morera of Havana, Cuba is in his fifth season with The Washington Ballet after dancing with the Florida Classical Ballet, where he was a Principal Guest in 2015, and …
Sponsored by The Jeté Society
Ashley Murphy-Wilson, hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, joined The Washington Ballet in 2015 after a remarkable 13-year tenure at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). She began her dance training in …
Stephen Kristopher Inainakame’ekuakeali’inuiokekai Nakagawa of Fontana, California began his training at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. He then continued to train at various schools such as the University of …
Andile Ndlovu of Johannesburg, South Africa, is in his tenth season with The Washington Ballet, after dancing one season with TWB’s Studio Company. Ndlovu began his training in Latin American …
Sponsored by Luanne Adams and Murrell Smith
Born in Kanagawa, Japan, Maki enters her 20th season with The Washington Ballet after one season with The Studio Company. Before joining TWB, she danced and studied with Goh Ballet …
Samara Leila Rittinger, from North Vancouver, Canada, started her training at Anna Wyman School of Dance Arts when she was eight years old and then continued her studies at Goh …
Oscar Sanchez is in his tenth season with The Washington Ballet. Sanchez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1991 and started training at the age of 15 at The National …
Noura Sander, originally from Northern California, is in her fourth season with The Washington Ballet. Noura started training seriously at the age of eight at Franklin School for the Performing …
Stephanie Sorota of Glen Rock, New Jersey is in her tenth season with The Washington Ballet. She has performed in works by various choreographers including George Balanchine, Gemma Bond, Sir …
This is Mr. Tapkharov’s first season with The Washington Ballet. Mr. Tapkharov is originally from Irkutsk, Russia. He received his education at the Buryat Republican Choreographic School and the East …
Studio Company
Studio Company
Summer 2025 Chaperone
Roman began his ballet training at age 12 at City Ballet School in his hometown of San Francisco. Following his years there, he began training at the San Francisco Ballet …
Ida Cacanindin grew up in Asheville, North Carolina training at Southside Dance Studio and The Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. She then spent her sophomore and junior years of high school …
Olivia DeAngelo, a native of Minnesota, is starting her first season as a Studio Company member of The Washington Ballet. In 2020, Olivia began her professional training at the Harid …
Elena deGuzman began her ballet training at age three in California. She has trained at the Philadelphia Dance Theatre, The Washington School of Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, …
Mario Elefante from Naples, Italy, began dance training at age 9 with modern dance in his hometown. At age 12 he joined The Ballet School of Teatro Alla Scala in …
John began his training in London at The Royal Ballet School’s Associates Program, and continued his formal training at Central School of Ballet, graduating with a Ba(Hons) Degree in Professional …
Francesco is joining The Washington Ballet’s Studio Company following his graduation from The Washington School of Ballet’s Trainee Program (Formerly known as The Professional Training Division) as a member of …
Originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Jackson spent his early years moving around the U.S. playing numerous sports and adventuring outdoors. He started dancing at a small studio in Northern California where …
Charlize is from Novi, Michigan. Her classical training began at age 9 at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. Charlize was 14 when she received a full scholarship to attend …
Katelyn Yang was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and began dancing at the age of four. At age 16, she moved to the Netherlands to pursue professional training at …
Artistic Team
Artistic Team
Artistic Director
American arts leader and acclaimed choreographer Edwaard Liang is the Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet. Edwaard is one of only four people to have led the organization, and the first person of color. He is also the first Asian American to lead a major American ballet company.
Rehearsal Director
Andres Estevez began his training in Havana, Cuba, and joined Ballet Nacional de Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso. After several seasons, Mr. Estevez joined Ballet Clasico de la
Havana under the direction of Laura Alonso; where his career flourished…
Rehearsal Director
Tamás Krizsa, of Hungary, is in his 13th season with The Washington Ballet. Krizsa graduated from the Hungarian Dance Academy with honors in 2002. During his school years, he was …
Music Supervisor
gsales@washingtonballet.orgGlenn Sales, Pianist, has been well-known to Washington, DC audiences since his National Symphony Orchestra debut at age 14 and his subsequent invitations as soloist with NSO. Sales attended the …