2023-2024 Dancers

Anna Antongiorgi

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

Audrey Borst headshot

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

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 headshot

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.

ChrissyAnn Carpenter is originally from Raleigh, NC where she trained at the Raleigh School of Ballet. ChrissyAnn went on to train at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase where she graduated in 2020 Cum Laude with a BFA in dance performance with a concentration in ballet.  While there, she performed works by George Balanchine, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Bettijane Sills. ChrissyAnn has danced professionally with the Digital Dance Project, Neville Dance Theatre, and Company XIV. This is her third season with Brooklyn Ballet.

Franklin ‘Gin’ Chen

Franklin ‘Gin’ Chen began dance at a relatively late age compared to most professional dancers. At 14, he discovered a “how-to-breakdance” guide on the internet. Reading a badly written, only-text lesson of how to do the most basic step in breakin’, Franklin quickly realized what it meant to have two left feet. After this failed attempt of dance, he started practicing after-school with a large group of friends in the High School’s cafeteria. Before long, the numbers quickly dwindled to a consistent two or three.This did not dissuade him, since all that mattered was this new found passion. 20 years later, Gin continues his passion through all avenues of dance. He is the founder of WondrousNYC, New York City’s first dance studio dedicated to the style and dance of Breakin’. He reps Brooklyn hard with the Brooklyn Nets’ TeamHype for the fifth season. He continues to strive to improve and explore creative avenues such as creating short films, teaching, battling/competing, choreographing, and organizing events for the dance community and general public.

Bret Coppa

Bret Coppa began his dance/ballet training at the age of 3 in San Pedro, California, eventually finding Dance Peninsula Ballet under the artistic direction of Roberto Alumgar. He has participated in numerous summer intensives around the U.S. as well as internationally; some include Kirov Academy of Ballet, Ballet West, Miami City Ballet, Alonzo King Lines, Elmhurst School for Dance, and Jacob’s Pillow. He has been a participant of YAGP Regionals and Finals, as well as participating in the Prix de Lausanne twice.

He attended University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he finished highschool. During his time there he performed many leading roles including Principal Man in Donizetti  Variations, Waltz Boy in Serenade, Solor in La Bayadere, The Poet in Les Sylphides, and numerous roles from The Nutcracker. After graduating from UNCSA he attended Ballet Heritage in St. Petersburg, RU to receive a teaching certification in the Vaganova Method.

Starting his professional career as a member of Atlanta Ballet 2; having roles created for him such as Bruce Well’s Beauty and the Beast where he premiered the role of Gaston, later also performing as the Beast. The following time spent at Atlanta Ballet he danced in works by Ricardo Amarante, Yuri Possokhov, Mark Morris, Alexander Ekman, Johan Kobborg, Claudia Schreier, Lar Lubovitch, Alexander Ekman, Liam Scarlett, and Dwight Rhoden.

In 2021-2022 he left the Atlanta Ballet to return to freelancing, something he had begun at the age of 13. During this time he danced with Terminus Modern Ballet Theater and various other schools and companies dancing principal and soloist roles.

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 headshot

Born in Cali, Colombia and raised in Jamundi Valle del Cauca, Valentina Fory Olaya began her ballet classes at the age 9 at the Incolballet. At the age 13 she won a scholarship for Emia Dance’s summer camp in New York. At the age of 18 she moved to Bogotá, Colombia and joined Alma Movimiento company with Major Julio Mario Santodomingo Theater.

Valentina joined Anna Pavlova company in November 2018 as soloist her roles with Anna Pavlova included The Firebird, Kitri 's friends and The Queen of the Dryads Don Quixote, Arabian Dance in the Nutcracker. In 2019 she also performed the Spanish Dance as a soloist with Albano Ballet in Hartford, CT. She is also a member of Rumbamena Dance Company in New York.

Tristan Grannum headshot

Tristan Grannum is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He began training in classical ballet at the age of 14 at Fiorello H. Laguardia High School for Performing Arts and Manhattan Youth Ballet. Over the years he has trained year-round at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and Dance Theater of Harlem where he was selected to dance in several outreach performances.

He has also attended many notable ballet summer programs on full scholarship which include the Harid Conservatory, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and Charlotte Ballet. In June 2017 he was invited to and participated in an international dance competition (Royal Dance Grand Prix) held in Beijing, China. There he won first place in the Contemporary ballet category.

His professional performance credits include dancing with Brooklyn Ballet, Ballet Austin, Dayton Ballet, and the Black Iris Project. He has performed works by George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Septime Webre, Stephen Mills, Marianna Oliviera, and Tan Dao. Tristan has taught at several ballet/dance institutions across the country. 

He is a certified dance teacher through the Mark Morris Teacher Artist Training Program and the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum (Primary-Level 3) . He is on faculty at Brooklyn Ballet and Mark Morris Dance Group. 

In 2021, Tristan was chosen as an emerging dance leader for the Dance/USA DILT program under Peter Boal’s mentorship (PNB). He also was chosen as a School of American Ballet National Visiting Fellow for the 2021-2022 Cohort. 

Formerly, Tristan was the Associate Artistic Director for the Brooklyn Center for the Arts, an arts organization which specializes in providing access to classical art forms for underprivileged individuals across New York City. There Tristan established over 15 dance programs throughout the Department of Education. Currently, Tristan has simultaneously taken on the role as one of the Rehearsal Directors and Director of Community Outreach for Brooklyn Ballet and Rehearsal Director for the Mark Morris Student Company.

Kinen The Gridwalker

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

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 works The Fire In Which We Burn by Blake Krapels, and Sélo by Zachary Kapeluck. Danielle is currently a freelance artist residing in Brooklyn NY.

Brian HallowDreamz Henry

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.

Alexandra Jean-Joseph is a New York based educator, choreographer, culture bearer, and performing artist of Haitian heritage. She studied Psychology and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies at New York University. She has been invited to speak on Haitian spiritual tradition and its intersections in cultural and dance practice at Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary, NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Fordham University, and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University. As an artist, she has studied under and performed with notable master teachers of Haitian dance Mikerline Pierre, Julio Jean, Nadia Dieudonné, Jessica St. Vil Ulysse, and Adia Whitaker. In 2018 Alexandra co-found Imamou Lele Dance and Drum Ensemble, a company that uses traditional Haitian dance, song, and percussion to preserve and to share the stories of Haiti and its diaspora. Her choreographic work has been presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She has also choreographed for the Kofago Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Kevin McEwen. Alexandra strives to use ancestral ways of knowing and creating as paths to community health and healing. She has presented her embodied dance ritual technique at Mojuba! Dance Collective’s Festival of Dance and Culture and at Temate Institute’s Annual Black Dance and Culture Conference. Alexandra continues to share her dance practice as an experience where spirit and art meet. She is a 3rd year member of Eva Yaa Asantewaa’s Black Diaspora, an initiative that supports up-and-coming Black and Latinx identifying dance artists from various cultural backgrounds and aesthetic traditions.

Miku Kawamura headshot

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. 

Catie Kirch is from Athens, Georgia, where she studied dance at Studio Dance Academy. She also trained in ballet and other dance forms in numerous summer intensives, including American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey South, Atlanta Ballet, Festival Dance, and the Fox Theatre’s Rising Stars. In 2016, Catie joined Joffrey Ballet School’s trainee program in New York City, and enjoyed performing in principal and corps roles. Her principal roles have included Arabian Princess, The Nutcracker, Meetings Along the Edge (Africa Guzman), Prelude Variation, Les Sylphides, and Gypsy solo, Don Quixote. Catie is excited to be performing in the Brooklyn Nutcracker this season.

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.

Judea Lowe black and white headshot

Judea Lowe is excited to be a part of the Brooklyn Nutcracker as an Apprentice. She also dances as a company member with TheChoreoJoeyProject in the style of Afro-Jazz. Judea has studied ballet since about the age of four and began her pre-professional studies at six with the Cleveland School of Ballet with Gladisa Guadalupe. She danced with Cleveland Ballet Youth Company and has also done work in the theater world as well. She studied musical theater for 3 years at Kent State University all while making her professional debut as Pilar in Legally Blonde at Okoboji Theater in Iowa. She also studied at Arizona State University with a major in dance and minor in music theater. Judea is excited to be in the city to continue her dance career and hopes to give back to the community with her creativity and passion with dance!

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

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.

Lucy Nevin

Lucy Nevin began her professional ballet training at the School of American Ballet when she was ten years old. She continued through the school until graduating in 2016. From SAB, she was accepted into The Washington Ballet Studio Company under the leadership of Julie Kent. She was Julie Kent’s first promotion as director at TWB. After one season in Studio Company, Ms. Kent promoted Lucy to the Company, where she performed numerous soloist roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and many more. Lucy danced with The Washington Ballet until June of 2022 and now lives in New York City as a freelance artist.

Imani Nzingha

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 headshot

Aoi Ohno started dancing when she was 3 years old in Kanazawa, Japan. 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.

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.

Samantha Sacks

Samantha Sacks was born and raised in Chicago, where she trained at the Ruth Page School of Dance. After years of participating in the cultural exchange “Cuba y Chicago” she was invited in 2017 to train as one of two Americans at the Escuela Nacional de Ballet in Havana, Cuba. Samantha graduated summa cum laude with a B.A in Comparative Literature from Columbia University, where she also performed for four years with the Columbia Ballet Collaborative (CBC). With CBC she appeared in new works by choreographers including Gianna Reisen, Tom Gold, Derek Brockington, and Emily Coates. Samantha spent the last year dancing with Ballet Concierto in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Now pursuing her M.A in Oral History at Columbia, Samantha is excited to be back studying and working as a freelance artist in the city. This is her first time performing with the Brooklyn Ballet.

Dylan Santos

Dylan Santos is originally from Bahia, Brazil. He started his dance training at Centro de arts Pavilion D in São Paulo. He was a finalist at the YAGP competition in NYC, where he was awarded multiple scholarships to continue his ballet studies. At the age of 19, he landed his first professional company job with Orlando Ballet. Mr. Santos joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2014, where he danced for nine seasons, traveling the world and dancing on beautiful stages as a Lead Dancer with the Company.

Mr. Santos’ professional training includes: The Harid Conservatory, Houston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Joffrey Ballet. Repertório and Choreographers: George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Ulysses Dove, Annabelle Lopes Achoa, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Mr. Santos is also a Choreographer. He was invited to create a new work for the Dance Theatre of Harlem for the opening of the (IABD) International Association of Blacks in dance in 2019. His choreography was picked to be part of the DTH company repertoire.

Mr. Santos believes that new stories should be told in new ways, more relatable to viewers, reflecting the world we live in today.

Ingrid Silva, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, started dancing at 8 years old at Dançando Para Não Dançar, a social project in the Mangueira slum, and later joined the Escola de Dança Maria Olenewa and Centro de Movimento Deborah Colker in Rio de Janeiro on a full scholarship. 

In 2007, while pursuing her degree in Dance at Centro Universitário da Cidade, Silva moved to New York City to attend Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Summer Program and was invited to join Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Professional Training Program and Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble. In 2013, Silva joined Dance Theatre of Harlem and is currently in her tenth season with the company.

As a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Silva has danced principal roles choreographed by George Balanchine, Robert Garland, Ulysses Dove, John Alleyne, Annabelle Lopez, Ochoa Balamouk, Nacho Duato, Glen Tetley, Douglas Bride, and Geofrey Holder.

Silva’s notable roles include work by Marius Petipa, Alvin Ailey, Arthur Mitchell, Donald Byrd, John Alleyne, Francesca Harper, Darrel Grand Moultrie, Dianne McIntyre, Robert Garland, David Fernandez, Carol Armitage, Deborah Colker, and Rodrigo Pederneiras.

As a guest artist, Silva has performed with Dançando Para Não Dançar Company (Brazil), Armitage Gone! Dance (USA), and The Francesca Harper Project (USA). 

In 2014, Silva served as a cultural ambassador for the United States in Jamaica, Honduras, and Israel, and performed at the Brazil Foundation Gala at Lincoln Center. In 2017, Silva became the first African Brazilian to be featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine and collaborated with Alicia Keys in Keys’ She Is A King campaign. In 2020, Silva was featured on the cover of the November issue of Vogue Brazil while pregnant with her daughter, Laura. 

Film: Maré, Nossa História de Amor by Lucia Murat and Activia’s Journey To Your Dream (Cannes Silver Lion for Film Craft award)

Commercial: Nike, Facebook, AT&T, Dior Vibe Ambassador, Dove, Activia, Animale Brasil

Print: The New York Times, Vogue, People, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Allure, Huffington Post, Forbes Brazil 20 Successful Women in Brazil in 2020, Essence, BET, ESPN Women, Health Magazine, and Dance Magazine

In addition to performing, Silva has spoken at the United Nations’ Social Good Summit with Padma Lakshmi and Achim Steiner and Harvard University’s Latina Empowerment & Development Conference.

Silva is the Founder of podHER, a podcast creating a safe environment for women to share their history through encouraging and empathetic dialogue, and the Co-Founder of Blacks in Ballet, a platform highlighting Black ballet dancers of diverse backgrounds.

Silva is also the bestselling author of The Pointe Shoes That Changed My World and is currently attending Harvard University’s Crossover Business program.

Sanika Thermidor

Sanika Thermidor, born in New York City and raised in Japan, started dancing at five years old. Sanika trained in contemporary, street dance, jazz dance, ballet, cheer, and Latin dance. From 2015 to 2017, Sanika participated in the All-Japan High School Creative Dance Competition in Japan winning various awards and 1st Place. Sanika has a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Studies from Japan Woman's College of Physical Education, where she also studied muscle movement, body structure, and stage production. As a member of Team Japan, Sanika won 1st and 2nd Place at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships. Sanika has also appeared in tours, live shows, and TV programs as a back-up dancer for many Japanese musical artists. Her notable career achievements include the TOKYO 2020 Olympic Japan Festival Official World Distribution Video and LA LA LAND Live in concert A Celebration of Hollywood. Sanika’s commercial credits: Panasonic “Make New Panasonic,” UNIQLO, and PlayStation 5. In 2023, Sanika returned to the US. She is excited to be taking on new challenges as a dancer. Instagram: @sanika.isozaki

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.

KeliCharles Thomas

KeliCharles Thomas was born in St.Louis, Missouri, where her love for dance began. Growing up, she trained at the Center of Creative Arts under the direction of former Alvin Ailey dancers Kirven Douthit-Boyd and Antonio Douthit-Boyd. During this time, KeliCharles worked with many choreographers and directors, such as Ronald K. Brown, Shamel Pitts, Marcus J. Willis, Clinton Luckett, Jennifer Cudnik, and many more. In 2021, KeliCharles was accepted into the Alvin Ailey BFA program, where she continues to train. KeliCharles has received high honors from the National Honors Society of Dance Arts, has recently completed the American Ballet Theatre 2023 summer intensive, and continues to work with world-renowned artists. Such artists include Mikhail Ilyin, Caridad Martinez, Christine Dakin, and Tracy Inmann. KeliCharles is excited to perform the Nutcracker with Brooklyn Ballet this season and hopes to showcase her love for the arts on stage!

Akiko Tokuoka headshot

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.