SANTIAGO BEDOYA, originally from Medellín, Colombia, began training at Andrea Wolff Ballet in his hometown at the age of eight and attended the summer intensive programs at Miami City Ballet from 2015 to 2017. At the age of 14 in 2017, Bedoya received a scholarship to Idyllwild Arts Academy, a boarding school for the arts in L.A., and moved there to combine his high school studies with dance training. In 2018, he attended the Houston Ballet summer intensive program and received a full scholarship to the professional division. He graduated after three years. During his time at the Houston Ballet Academy, he had the opportunity to perform works by Houston Ballet Artistic Director and Choreographer Stanton Welch A.M, as well as various performances throughout the year-round school program. In 2021, Bedoya was offered a contract with Atlanta Ballet 2, where he was able to expand his training and experience, dance alongside company dancers in a number of their productions, and perform leading roles in the second company. Bedoya was promoted to Atlanta Ballet at the start of the 24|25 season.
Company Ballet Dancers
SEVERIN BROTSCHUL's training commenced at the Dance Conservatory of Maryland and was further refined at the Academy of International Ballet in Media, Pennsylvania. He continued his studies at the Houston Ballet Academy, where he was fortunate to join the junior company. Recognized for his dedication and artistry, Brotschul was honored with a Professional Program Academy Award. In 2020, he moved to Atlanta to dance in the Atlanta Ballet 2. He joined Atlanta Ballet in 2022.
KHULAN BURENJARGAL was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and studied at the Mongolian State Conservatory from 2015 to 2022. After graduating, she danced major roles such as Odile in Swan Lake and The Queen of Dryads in Don Quixote, among various other classical and national repertoire pieces at the prestigious Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Burenjargal was also a valued member of the Nomadic Ballet production. In 2023, she became a soloist at The National Buryatia Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where she performed iconic roles such as Giselle in Giselle, Nikiya in La Bayadere, Niriti in Talisman, and Prelude and Seventh Valse in Chopiniana, among others. While in Buryatia, Russia, she had the honor of working with the legendary Andris Liepa. Burenjargal’s talent has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Gold medal of the Mongolian International Ballet Competition, the Mongolian Grand Prix, the Silver medal of the Korea International Ballet Competition, and the Bronze medal of the World Ballet Grand Prix. She joined Atlanta Ballet for the 24|25 season.
GEORGIE GRACE BUTLER began her training at the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. In 2015, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to train at Boston Ballet School as a pre-professional student. In 2018, Butler became a trainee at Pennsylvania Ballet. There she danced roles in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Angel Corella’s Giselle, and The Sleeping Beauty. She joined Atlanta Ballet 2 in 2019, and joined as a company artist in 2023. Some notable works she has danced in include Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, August Bournonville’s Napoli, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Annabel Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Kiyon Ross’s Harmony of Opposite Tensions, Alexander Ekman’s Tuplet, La Sylphide, Giselle, Don Quixote, and Paquita, as well as Nighthawks and The Rite of Spring by Choreographer-in-Residence Claudia Schreier. Butler has also danced the roles of The Evil Queen in Snow White and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, both choreographed by Bruce Wells, as well as Madge in La Sylphide.
VALERIA CHAYKINA was born in Podporozhye, a small town in Russia and began her training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg at the age of 7. Throughout her years there, she performed at the Mariinsky Theatre and danced the role of Marie in The Nutcracker at age 13. After graduating in 2012, she danced with multiple acclaimed Russian ballet companies in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 2014, Chaykina moved to the U.S. to study at Miami City Ballet School on full scholarship, where she danced principal roles and was featured in Teen Vogue’s Strictly Ballet. In 2015, she joined The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, where she spent 10 seasons performing a diverse repertoire and collaborating with some of today’s most renowned choreographers, including John Neumeier, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexander Ekman, and Justin Peck. Chaykina’s repertoire highlights include Serenade by George Balanchine (Russian Girl); Hummingbird by Liam Scarlett; The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon (Marie); Anna Karenina by Yuri Possokhov (Kitty); Midsummer Night's Dream by Alexander Ekman; Don Quixote by Yuri Possokhov (Amour, Kitri's Friend); The Little Mermaid by John Neumeier; and Cinderella by Sir Frederick Ashton (Spring Fairy).
CATHERINE CONLEY was born in Chicago and began her formal dance training at the Ruth Page School of Dance. She danced as Swanhilda in Coppélia and appeared in Civic Ballet of Chicago productions. At age 18, she participated in an exchange program between Ruth Page and the National Ballet School of Cuba. Conley was subsequently invited to train in Havana full time—a first for an American ballerina. While there, she performed as Gulnare and Medora in Le Corsaire, and competed in the International Competition for Ballet Schools in Havana, winning the silver medal with the pas de deux from Paquita. In 2017, Conley entered the National Ballet of Cuba as the company’s only foreign dancer. During her time with the company, she performed in Giselle, Swan Lake and Cinderella, as well as Queen of the Nymphs in Alberto Mendez’s La Fille du Danube. She then went on to dance with Milwaukee Ballet, performing in Coppélia, The Nutcracker and Rise by Nicole Teague-Howell. Conley joined Atlanta Ballet in 2020 and has performed works by George Balanchine, Johan Kobborg, Cathy Marston, Guillherme Maciel, Mark Morris, Juliano Nunes, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sergio Masero Olarte, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokhov, Kiyon Ross, Claudia Schreier and Remi Wörtmeyer.
LARISSA CAPITANIO DAL’SANTO was born in Chapecó, Brazil. She graduated as a ballet dancer in 2018 from the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil, where she trained for seven years under the guidance of renowned teachers. In addition to her formal training, she completed the Bolshoi School Internship Program, earning certification as an assistant teacher. During her studies, she had the distinguished opportunity to rehearse with the legendary dancer Vladimir Vasiliev. In 2019, Dal'Santo joined the Voronezh State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russia as a soloist. While there, she performed leading and corps roles in many classical productions, including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Manu and the Drum Dance soloist in La Bayadère, Little Swans in Swan Lake, and Little Red Riding Hood in The Sleeping Beauty. In 2021, she was honored with an invitation to perform at the prestigious “Soul of Dance” awards, held at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow. Dal'Santo is also the co-founder of Ballet Couple (@ballet_couple), a creative brand and digital platform that shares insights into the life of professional ballet dancers. Through this project, she engages with ballet students and enthusiasts, offering behind-the-scenes content, hosting workshops, and teaching in various cities across Brazil during the months of June and July. Ballet Couple also features a signature collection in collaboration with Capezio Brazil. Dal'Santo joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2022–2023 season. Since then, she has performed works by acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Lar Lubovitch, Stanton Welch, Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, and Remi Wörtmeyer. Her repertoire with the company also includes world premieres such as Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, The Rite of Spring by Claudia Schreier, Yellow by Juliano Nunes, and Querencia by Sergio Masero. This is Dal'Santo's fourth season with Atlanta Ballet.
TALISSON FARIAS is originally from Resende in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2011, at age 8, he started his dance training at the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil, where he studied for nine years with renowned masters such as Galina Kravchenco and Vladimir Vasiliev. Upon his graduation, Farias joined the Junior Company of the Bolshoi School in Brazil where he performed in ballets such as Don Quixote, Raymonda, The Nutcracker and Les Sylphides. In 2021, Farias joined Tulsa Ballet Second Company and then Tulsa Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member in 2023, performing works by Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andrew McNicol, Kenneth Tindall, and other great choreographers.
BROOKE GILLIAM is from Boulder, Colorado, and began her training at the Colorado Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Julia Wilkinson Manley. At 16, after attending the summer intensive, she was offered a merit scholarship to the Conservatory Program at Atlanta Ballet. From there, Gilliam was a part of Atlanta Ballet 2 for two seasons before her promotion to the main company in 2018. Since joining, some of her most noteworthy performances include The Sacrifice in Claudia Schreier’s The Rite of Spring; Catch by Liam Scarlett; The Shadow in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon; Orange Woman in Lar Lubovitch’ Elemental Brubeck; Russian Girls in George Balanchine’s Serenade; Dawn and War and Discord Principal in George Balanchine’s Coppelia; Garrett Smith's Corridors; Alexander Ekman’s Cacti; and Juliano Nunes' Yellow. One of her most memorable moments with Atlanta Ballet has been touring and performing The Nutcracker at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is Gilliam’s eighth season with Atlanta Ballet.
JESSICA HE, a native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, began her dance journey at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. Her talent quickly flourished, leading her to join The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia on full scholarship in 2012. Further refining her artistry, Ms. He joined Houston Ballet II in 2015 and subsequently became a member of the esteemed Atlanta Ballet in 2017, where she is currently celebrating her eighth season with the company. She has since performed featured principal and soloist roles; some of her most memorable include George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Jiří Kylián's Return to a Strange Land, Kiyon Ross’ Sum Stravinsky, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and world premiere Catch, Ricardo Amarante’s Love Fear Loss, Lar Lubovitch’s Elemental Brubeck, and Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird. Ms. He received praise and recognition as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2019 for her performances in Craig Davidson's world premiere Remembrance/Hereafter, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Who Cares?
GIANNA HORTON-SIBBLE was born in Hornell, New York, and began pursuing her ballet career under the training of Rafael Grigorian. In 2012, Horton-Sibble moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to study ballet pre-professionally under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. There she performed many roles which included Juliet in Alan Hineline’s Romeo and Juliet, Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and more. In 2019, Horton-Sibble was accepted into the School of American Ballet for their winter term. While training at the school, she performed Valse Fantasie, Chaconne, Four Temperaments, Raymonda Variations, and several student choreographic pieces. In 2022, Horton-Sibble studied under former San Francisco Ballet principals Davit Karapetyan and Vanessa Zahorian at Pennsylvania Ballet Academy. During her time there, she performed Le Corsaire and competed in the Youth America Grand Prix Finals. This is Horton-Sibble’s second year with Atlanta Ballet as a company dancer, following two seasons with Atlanta Ballet 2. Since being in the company, she has performed Stanton Welch's Tu Tu, Lar Lubovitch's Elemental Brubeck, Kiyon Ross's Harmony of Opposite Tensions, George Balanchine's Coppélia, Helgi Tomasson's 7 for Eight, Claudia Schreier's The Rite of Spring, Liam Scarlett's Catch, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Hypnagogia.
AIRI IGARASHI was born in Gunma, Japan. She received her early training at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School and continued her training under John Neumeier at The Ballet School of the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, where she performed in Neumeier’s The Nutcracker and danced the role of Princess Florine in Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty. She won first place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2011 and third place in 2015. In addition, she was a semi-finalist at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2013 and 2015. Igarashi joined Atlanta Ballet in 2017, and she has performed principal roles such as Kitri in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, The Sylph in Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide, Marie in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, Firebird in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird and Giselle in Marius Petipa’s Giselle. She has also performed works by Liam Scarlett, Helgi Tomasson, Mark Morris, Jili Kylian, George Balanchine, Kiyon Ross, John McFall, Stanton Welch, Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, Ricardo Amarante, Craig Davidson, Max Petrov, Claudia Schreier, Remi Wörtmeyer, Ben Stevenson and Cathy Marston. Igarashi was named as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2020.
DARIAN KANE is from northern California where she received her dance training at the Capitol Ballet Center in Sacramento, under the direction of Stuart Carroll and Sharon Newton. From 2015 to 2018, she danced with BalletMet2 and BalletMet in Columbus, where she performed in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s Carmen, as Cigaretta. This is her sixth season with Atlanta Ballet. In past seasons, some of her favorite roles include performing in Alexander Eckman’s Cacti, Return to a Strange Land from Jiří Kylián, and dancing the third movement principal in Sum Stravinsky choreographed by Kiyon Ross. Most recently, she performed in Claudia Shreier’s Fauna, danced the role of Myrtha in Gennadi Nedvigin’s re-staging of Giselle, and danced Arabian in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker. In 2020, she appeared as the dancer in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories on Apple TV+. She began choreographing on the Company in 2021 with the beginning of her ballet Dr. Rainbow’s Infinity Mirror and in 2022, she expanded that work into a full, world premiere ballet as part of the Company’s Firebird program.
MATOI KAWAMOTO, originally from Tokyo, Japan, began her early ballet training at the Kaneta Kouno Ballet Academy in Japan. She continued her training at San Francisco Ballet School, where she received a David Palmer scholarship, and completed the Architanz Training Program in Tokyo before starting her professional career. Kawamoto’s career has seen her dance with companies such as Balletmet and Opéra National de Bordeaux, before joining Atlanta Ballet in 2024. She has also been recognized at numerous international competitions, most recently winning the 1st Professional Prize at the Rudolf Nureyev Concours in 2024. Other awards include 2nd prizes at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition, Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), and the All Japan Ballet Union Competition. Kawamoto has performed a diverse range of roles in both classical and contemporary ballets, in productions such as Pas de Deux, Pas de Trois, and Pas de Quatre in Swan Lake, Pas de Deux in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Clara in The Nutcracker, La Sylphide (Bournonville), Don Quichotte by José Martinez, and Grand Pas Classique, some of which were also performed in by-invitation galas. In addition to her classical repertoire, Kawamoto has also performed contemporary works such as Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Justin Peck’s Times Are Racing, Edward Liang’s Murmuration, Tributary, and Dorothy and the Prince of Oz, Ulysses Dove’s Vespers, David Nixon’s Dracula and Roland Petit’s Notre Dame de Paris. This is her second season with Atlanta Ballet.
MILEI LEE was born in Melbourne, Australia and started dancing at the age of three. She trained at the Brian Nolan Academy of Dance and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. At the age of 16, she moved to London, where she furthered her training at the English National Ballet School (ENBS) for three years. In her graduate year, she was invited to perform with the English National Ballet in Wayne Eagling’s The Nutcracker and with Hong Kong Ballet in Vladimir Malakhov’s La Bayadere. Upon graduating ENBS in 2023, she joined Teatrul De Balet Sibiu in Romania where she performed a variety of soloist roles including the First Shade in La Bayadere, Clara in The Nutcracker, Pas De Trois and Small Swans/Cygnets in Swan Lake, Cupid in Don Quixote, Spring Fairy in Cinderella, as well as the Pas D’escalve Pas De Deux from Le Corsaire. One year after joining the company, she was cast for her first principal role in the title role of Cinderella.
SOJUNG LEE, from South Korea, began her ballet training at age 6 at her mother’s studio, and continued her studies at Korea National Institute for Gifted in Arts, Yewon Arts School, and Seoul Arts High School. She was accepted two years early to the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, and went on to earn top accolades at global competitions, including 1st place at the Youth America Grand Prix (2009) and a finalist at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi (2014). Lee joined Boston Ballet in 2016, and under the direction of Mikko Nissinen, Russell Kaiser, and Larissa Ponomarenko, performed works by Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, John Cranko, August Bournonville, Sir Frederick Ashton, Mikko Nissinen, and Jorma Elo. She later danced with the BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee returned to Korea and spent time performing in a variety of productions across the country. In 2021, she joined Atlanta Ballet and made her debut as Marie in The Nutcracker. This season marks her fifth with Atlanta Ballet.
JORDAN LEEPER, a native of Jamestown, New York, began dancing at age 12 with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet and later studied at San Francisco Ballet. Leeper danced with Charlotte Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during Ballet Across America in 2013. He has performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Bubeníček, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, among others. He has been a guest artist with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and City Ballet of Wilmington. He also danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson during the company’s 20th-anniversary season at the Joyce Theater in New York City.
GUILHERME MACIEL began his studies at the age of 11 in São Paulo, Brazil. He studied at renowned schools, such as Ballet Adriana Assaf and Raça Centro de Artes e Especial Academia de Ballet. In 2006, he attended The HARID Conservatory's Summer Program in Boca Raton, Florida, where he followed his studies for the following year. Maciel was awarded as a dancer and choreographer in important dance competitions in Brazil, standing out among them, Passo de Arte, Festival de Danças de Joinville, Premio Desterro, among others. In 2006 and 2008, he was a Bronze medalist in the senior category and Best Choreographer in 2016 at the Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York, where he received a scholarship for Houston Ballet II. Maciel was a dancer at São Paulo Dance Company, directed by Iracity Cardoso and Inês Bogea from 2008 to 2010. He participated in the 2011 and 2017 editions of The Nutcracker of the Black Swan Dance Company directed by Hulda Bittencourt and Dani Bittencourt. In 2013, Maciel was a guest dancer of the galas “Black Swan” and “The Virtuous of the Ballet World” on tour in Russia. In 2017, he was the first Brazilian to participate in the Workshop for Young Choreographers at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, as a choreographer and dancer. In 2018, Maciel was a guest professor at the “Cloche Ballet” summer course in Cordoba, Argentina, and judged at the Danza National Contest in Paraguay. Under the direction of Vinicius Anselmo, he performed as a dancer in the production of Intuição Cia de Ballet "Epifania" in 2019. Maciel was the artistic director and resident choreographer of the Grupo Jovem Paulista em São Paulo, Brazil, between 2012 and 2019. This is his seventh season with Atlanta Ballet.
JULIANA MISSANO was born in Lloyd Harbor, New York, and began studying ballet at age five. She trained at the Lynch School of Ballet until she was 15, and then continued her training at The Rock School under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. In 2017, Missano was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performed at the Kennedy Center. She has competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, receiving the Grand Prix Award, placing first in the pas de deux category and advancing to the final round where she performed at Lincoln Center. This is Missano’s ninth season with Atlanta Ballet. Some of her favorite repertoire include Gemma Bond’s Denouement, Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Claudia Schreier’s Nighthawks and Kiyon Ross’ Sum Stravinsky.
MIGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA was born in Cali, Colombia, and began his training at the Colombiano de Ballet and Incoballet. He continued to dance with Incoballet Company under the direction of Gloria Castro de Martínez. In 2008, Montoya moved to Philadelphia to attend The Rock School. In 2010, he reached the second round semifinals in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as the Youth America Grand Prix New York City finals. In 2012, as an Atlanta Ballet apprentice, he originated roles in Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & the Goblin. Other favorite roles include the Slave in Le Corsaire and Basilio in Don Quixote. He joined the Atlanta Ballet company in 2013. He has performed in such notable ballets as Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Gina Patterson’s I AM, Helen Pickett’s Camino Real, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush and Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas. Montoya has been featured in the Paquita Pas de Trois, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort.
MARIUS MORAWSKI graduated from the State Ballet School in his hometown of Łódź, Poland. As a student, he won several national and international competitions. He participated in various dance workshops, including Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive, Arts Ballet Theater of Florida, and Dance Open Festival, among others. In 2017, he joined the Finnish National Ballet Junior Company and after two years was promoted to Corps de Ballet, where he danced soloist roles in ballets such as La Bayadere (Natalia Makarova), Infra (Wayne McGregor), and Carmen (Liam Scarlet), and has performed in works by Alexander Ekman, John Neumeier, August Bournonville, Carolyn Carlson, Patrice Bart, Jorma Elo, Anjelin Preljocal, and Val Caniparoli, among others. In 2021, he joined Tulsa Ballet, where he danced in repertoire created by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Yury Yanowsky, Andy Blankenbuehler, Katarzyna Kozielska, Andrew McNicol, Ma Cong, Jennifer Weber, Craig Davidson, Nicolo Fonte, Kenneth Tindall, Itzik Galili, and Alexander Ekman. As a young choreographer, Morawski has presented his own creations at many different dance galas in the Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, and on TV shows. He choreographed for Tulsa Ballet Centre for Dance Education and won first place and four special awards at the IX International Choreography Competition in Poland. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Dance Pedagogy and Science from Chopin University of Music in Poland. Morawski joined Atlanta Ballet in the 23|24 season.
MAYU NAKAYAMA is originally from Tochigi, Japan, where she began her training at Osozawa Ballet Studio. In 2018, she moved to the United States after receiving a full scholarship to the HARID Conservatory through the Japan Grand Prix. During her time at HARID, she performed leading roles including the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and graduated in 2022 after completing the four-year program. Nakayama joined Atlanta Ballet 2, where she performed featured roles such as the Enchantress in Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, and both Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother in Bruce Wells’ Cinderella. She was promoted to the main company in 2024. Since joining Atlanta Ballet, Nakayama has enjoyed performing in Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, La Sylphide (staged by Johan Kobborg), Harmony of Opposite Tensions by Kiyon Ross, The Rite of Spring by Claudia Schreier, Coppélia by George Balanchine, and Tuplet by Alexander Ekman. This is her second season with Atlanta Ballet.
DENYS NEDAK was born in Odessa, Ukraine. In 2005, he began to study in the Kyiv Municipal Ukraine Dance Academy, named after Serge Lyfar. While in the Academy he was invited to perform at the National Opera House in Kyiv, where he danced his first professional performances as Paris in Romeo and Juliet and Prince in The Nutcracker. After graduation, Nedak joined National Opera House of Ukraine in Kyiv, working under the supervision and guidance of a People's Artist of Ukraine, N.D Pryadchenko, to create his repertoire. In 2008, Nedak became principal dancer. He has become known as a performer of lyrical-romantic repertoire at National Opera House of Ukraine. In the theatre he frequently partners with leading ballerinas, including E. Filipeva, T. Golyakova, N. Matsak, U. Lopatkina, N. Polakova, V. Part and P. Herrera. In 2011, Nedak was honored with the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine. His popularity in Ukraine has led to many invitations to perform at international festivals. He is a regular guest artist at the, Rudolf Nureyev International Festival of Ballet Art in Ufa. Since 2014, Nedak performed as a regular guest at the National Theater of Serbia; from 2014 to 2015, as a guest dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the Vienna State Opera; from 2016 to2017, as a guest dancer in the Finnish National Opera and Ballet; and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. He worked with teachers, such as N. Pryadchenko, V. Yaremenko, N. Makarova, I. Kolpakova, I. Muchamedov, M. Legris, J. Boocca, and O. Evreinoff. In 2017, Nedak was honored with the prestigious title of People’s Artist of the Ukraine. He now travels frequently throughout Russia, France, Italy, Germany and Japan to show his skill. Nedak’s repertoire includes: Solor in La Bayadere, Basil in Don Quixote (Nureyev), Prince in The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (Nureyev), Albert in Giselle, Jose and Escamilio in Carmen Suite, Jean de Brienne in Raymonda, Conrad in Le Corsaire, Prince in The Nutcracker, Krass in Spartacus, The Golden Slave in Scheherazade and Alexandre in Lady of Camellias, as well as roles in a Classic Pas de Deux (Balanchine), a Grand Pas de Deux (Ober), Silvia Pas de Deux (Balanchine), Red Giselle as Chekist (Eifman) and Touch of illusion (Ricardo Amarante).
CARRAIG NEW was born in Juneau, Alaska. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography where he studied classical Russian technique under the guidance of Bolshoi Theatre first soloist Denis Medvedev. He performed on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Yuri Grigorovich’s staging of La Fille Mal Gardée, dancing in the Gypsy Dance as one of the four friends, as well as being featured as a demi-soloist. Upon graduating in 2018, New joined Atlanta Ballet 2, and was promoted to company artist in 2020. New has performed principal and soloist roles as a company artist, including Hilarion in Giselle, Ethan in Cathy Marston's Snowblind, and a featured pas de deux in Liam Scarlett's Catch. He has danced many works by Choreographer-in-Residence Claudia Schreier including Pleiades Dances, Nighthawks, and The Rite of Spring, as well as performing principal roles in both Fauna and Carnivale. New has also had the pleasure of performing works by renowned choreographers including Juliano Nunes, George Balanchine, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Yuri Possokhov, Justin Peck, Kiyon Ross, Helgi Tomasson and Remi Wörtmeyer.
SAYRON PEREIRA was born in Campinas, Brazil, and at the age of 12, joined the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil. Soon after his graduation in 2016, he was selected to join the Youth Company of the Bolshoi Theater School where he debuted in repertoires such as Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and Raymonda. 18 months later, Pereira began his international career as a soloist at Perm Opera and Ballet in Russia, where he performed several ballets from the Russian repertoire over the course of three years in Russia and on tour. His roles included Hilarion in Giselle; Neapolitan Dance in Swan Lake; Conrad in Le Corsaire; Shaherezada, The Musician in Romeo and Juliet; and Polovtsian Chief in Polovtsian Dances. Pereira joined the Ballet Theater of Sibiu in Romania in 2022, where he performed leading roles such as Solor in Lá Bayadère, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Prince in The Nutcracker, Basílio in Don Quixote, and Prince in Cinderella. Other neoclassical works in Romania included Bolero and Vivaldi Seasons.
SOPHIE POULAIN began dancing at the age of 3 in her hometown of Halifax, NS, and later began her pre-professional ballet training at Canada's National Ballet School. At 15, she moved to Florida to continue her training at The Art of Classical Ballet under the direction and guidance of Magaly Suarez and during her time there, qualified and competed in the Youth America Grand Prix NYC Finals (2018, 2019). Following her performance in the 2019 Youth America Grand Prix Finals, Poulain was offered a position in the Dutch National Ballet Academy’s BA program, where she spent the following two years. While in Amsterdam, Poulain danced with the corps de ballet of the Dutch National Ballet in Wayne Eagling and Toer van Schayk's The Nutcracker, and in Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante's Giselle. In 2021, she was awarded the Youth Grand Prix Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Canada competition and was also awarded Top 12 in the contemporary dance category at the Youth America Grand Prix International Finals. Upon graduation from The National Ballet Academy, Poulain began her professional career back in Canada with the Alberta Ballet and in 2022 she returned to Florida to continue training with coach Magaly Suarez. She later joined Tulsa Ballet II where she danced for one season before joining Atlanta Ballet in 2024. Since being in Atlanta she has had the opportunity to dance roles in works by prominent choreographers including George Balanchine (Coppélia), Alexander Ekman (Tuplet), and Kiyon Ross (Harmony of Opposite Tensions).
ÁNGEL RAMÍREZ was born in Trinidad, Cuba, and trained for eight years at the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana, winning the gold medal in the Cuban International Ballet Competition his graduating year. Upon graduation, he was accepted into the National Ballet of Cuba and performed in classics such as Giselle, Theme and Variations and Don Quixote, as well as in works by Alberto Mendez and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Ramirez was invited to train at The Rock School in Philadelphia and competed in Youth American Grand Prix the following year, winning the Grand Prix Award in Philadelphia. Most recently, he danced with the Georgia Ballet performing principal roles in various classical ballets. Ramirez joined Atlanta Ballet in 2021 and has danced works by Cathy Marston, Claudia Schreier, Yuri Possokhov, Justin Peck, Kiyon Ross, Helgi Tomasson and Remi Wörtmeyer.
JÚLIO SANTOS was born in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was introduced to ballet at the age of 7, after having learned acrobatic dance through gymnastics. Santos commenced his ballet training following an audition to the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil at age eight. Upon graduating in 2023, Santos joined the Bolshoi Brazil Junior Company and competed in and placed second at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in Tampa, Florida. He then joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, where he trained until May 2024. Santos joined Atlanta Ballet 2 in August 2024 and now joins Atlanta Ballet for the 2025-26 Season.
MIKAELA SANTOS was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, where she began her ballet training at the Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet. Her early promise was recognized in 2014 when she earned second place at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Ballet Competition. In 2016, she was a top 15 finalist at the World Ballet Competition. That same year, she joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice. At just 17, Santos moved to the U.S. to join the Atlanta Ballet Fellowship program, becoming a Company Apprentice in 2017 and officially joining the Company in 2018. She also attended the prestigious summer intensive at Jacob’s Pillow. Santos has performed a wide range of classical and contemporary roles, including Swanilda in George Balanchine’s Coppélia, Kitri in Don Quixote, Marie in The Nutcracker, Coco in Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Mattie in Snowblind, and Effie in La Sylphide. She has worked with leading choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Juliano Nunes, Claudia Schreier, and Dwight Rhoden. In 2023, she was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” and in 2024, she was the Digital Cover of Pointe Magazine's May/June issue.
ANDERSON SOUZA, born in Santo Angelo, Brazil, received his training at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Dança under Jorge Teixeira. After graduating, he joined the Cia Brasileira de Ballet in Rio de Janeiro, dancing principal and soloist roles and competing in national and international competitions, including the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Souza traveled with the Company to perform in Colombia, China, Israel, and France. In 2013, Anderson joined Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, where he matured his artistry under the unique guidance of Kirkland. His talent received praise from national critics, including those at The New York Times. He has had the pleasure of dancing roles in renowned ballets such as The Nutcracker (by Yuri Possokhov), La Sylphide as Gurn (staged by Johan Kobborg), Sum Stravinsky (by Kiyon Ross), Sandpaper Ballet (by Mark Morris), Tuplet (by Alexander Ekman), and the world premiere of Catch (by Liam Scarlett). Anderson is thrilled to be joining Atlanta Ballet for his tenth season, having joined the company in 2016.
PAXTON SPEIGHT is from Poquoson, Virginia, where he began pursuing musical theater at Centerstage Academy. In 2018, he began studying at Eastern Virginia School of the Performing Arts with Ron Boucher. A year later, he began classical ballet training at International Ballet Academy in Cary, North Carolina, under the direction of Nadia Pavlenko. It wasn’t until 2021 that he realized dancing was the dream he wanted to pursue for his early career. While in North Carolina, Speight had the privilege of competing in international dance competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix and American Dance Championships Youth International Ballet Competition, where he accepted a position at Atlanta Ballet 2. After two years with Atlanta Ballet’s second company, he joined Atlanta Ballet for the 24|25 season.
EMANUEL TAVARES began studying dance at the age of 14 in his hometown of Fortaleza, Brazil, at the Instituto de Dança Goretti Quintela. He has been celebrated at many dance festivals and has received national and international scholarships. Tavares started his professional career in 2016 with Especial Academia de Ballet in São Paulo, performing principal roles such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, Ali in Le Corsaire, and Jean de Brienne in Raymonda. At 19, he joined Virginia National Ballet as a soloist and soon was promoted to principal dancer. In 2021, Tavares joined Cleveland Ballet, where he performed featured roles in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Ilia Zhivoy’s Symphony of Life, and Robert Weiss’ Sleeping Beauty. He has also performed as a guest artist with Ballet Hawaii and Toledo Ballet. Tavares is a Jacob’s Pillow alum from the 2024 Contemporary Ballet summer program, where he performed works by acclaimed choreographers Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Silas Farley. Since joining Atlanta Ballet in 2024, Tavares has danced in 7 for Eight by Helgi Tomasson, Tutu by Stanton Welch, Elemental Brubeck by Lar Lubovitch, Coppélia by George Balanchine, and Catch by Liam Scarlett. This is his second season with Atlanta Ballet.
JONAS TUTAJ grew up in Chicago, where he started his training at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Under Victor Alexander, he trained in many styles of dance and traveled to Cuba to train at Uscuela Nacional de Ballet de Cuba. He studied Cuban and Bournonville technique, as well as taking the influence of Larry Long. At age 14, he moved to New York to train at the School of American Ballet. During his time there, he participated in New York Choreographic Institute, performances with the New York City Ballet, and in the annual Workshop Performances. Additional training consisted of Summer Programs at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2022, Tutaj started his professional career with the Los Angeles Ballet, directed by Melissa Barak. In his time there, he performed Prince Ivan in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, Prince in Edward Liang’s Cinderella, and Cavalier in The Nutcracker, as well as in works by Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, and Hans Van Manen.
MUNKHJIN ULZIIJARGAL received a full scholarship to study at Perm Ballet School when he was ten years old and completed his studies as a professional ballet dancer in 2018. He started his career as first soloist at Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in 2018. During his college years, Ulziijargal participated in the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition (IBCC) in 2017 and was awarded the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) special award. In 2019, he was awarded the silver medal from the 1st Russian Japanese Eurasian Ballet Competition, and in 2022, received a Diplomat award from the Moscow International Ballet Competition. That same year he participated in the Korea International Ballet Competition 2022 and was awarded the Gold medal. In 2023, Ulziijargal became the dancer of the year in Mongolia and received the National award “Mungun Mod”. His latest achievement was the Robert Joffrey Award of Merit from the USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC 2023). Ulziijargal joined Atlanta Ballet in the 23|24 Season.
LUIZ FERNANDO XAVIER was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and began his ballet training at the age of 9 at the Municipal Dance School “Iracema Nogueira.” There, he had the opportunity to participate in workshops led by renowned Brazilian dance companies such as Deborah Colker, Cisne Negro, and São Paulo Companhia de Dança. At age 14, Xavier was accepted into the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil, where he graduated in 2018 under the instruction of Ayrat Khakimov. During his training, he worked with legendary figures such as Vladimir Vasiliev and Galia Kravchenko. That same year, he completed the Bolshoi School's Internship Program and received certification as an assistant teacher for first- and fourth-grade classes. In 2019, Xavier joined the Youth Company Bolshoi Brazil, where he danced until September. The following month, he was hired as a soloist at the State Opera and Ballet Theater of Voronezh, Russia. In 2021, he was awarded the Bravo Contest prize by the Cultural Union of the Russian Federation for his performance as Nikolia in The Toy Seller. While in Russia, Xavier performed leading roles including Solor and the Golden Idol (La Bayadère), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), the Prince (The Nutcracker), Cipollino (Cipollino), Rothbart (Swan Lake), Ratmir (Ruslan and Ludmila), Piotr (The Calvary Halt), the Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty), and Pas d’Esclave (Le Corsaire). During the pandemic, Xavier co-founded Ballet Couple (@ballet_couple) with Larissa Dal’Santo, an initiative created to present the reality of professional ballet in a more informal and relatable way, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, daily routines, and personal experiences. The project has reached approximately 1,000 ballet students across Brazil through its classes. In addition, the brand features a signature collection in collaboration with Capezio. Xavier joined Atlanta Ballet in the 2022|2023 season. Since then, he has performed in The Nutcracker, Classical Symphony and Don Quixote (by Yuri Possokhov), Coppélia (by George Balanchine), Concerto Grosso (by Helgi Tomasson), La Sylphide (by August Bournonville), Tuplet (by Alexander Ekman), and The Rite of Spring (by Claudia Schreier), among others. He has also been part of the world premieres of works by choreographers including Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Juliano Nunes, and Remi Wörtmeyer. This is Xavier's fourth season with Atlanta Ballet.
REI YAMAGUCHI is from Hokkaido, Japan. He began training at Hisatomi Ballet in Japan and continued training at the English National Ballet School in London, graduating in 2021. He danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet during his time at school, English National Ballet, and Hong Kong Ballet before joining Atlanta Ballet as a Company Dancer in 2023. Yamaguchi has performed in numerous productions, including David Bintley’s Cinderella for Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Wayne Eagling’s The Nutcracker and Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda for the English National Ballet. For Hong Kong Ballet, he performed in Septime Webre’s Carmina Burana, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet, in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, and in Vladimir Malakhov’s La Bayadere. This is his third season with Atlanta Ballet.
NICHOLAS YURKEVICH was born in San Francisco and started folk dancing at the age of five, creating many riveting YouTube videos and a fan following. At the age of nine, he retired from his folk dancing career, and committed to classical ballet training. Yurkevich progressed through every level of the San Francisco Ballet School on a merit-based scholarship, including their trainee program. Performing with the company from a young age, Yurkevich was inspired by San Francisco Ballet's principals, Pascal Molat and Gennadi Nedvigin. While at San Francisco Ballet, Yurkevich performed in many ballets, including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Frankenstein, Sleeping Beauty, Flames of Paris, and Nutcracker. As part of the school's showcase, Yurkevich danced principal roles in George Balanchine's Symphony in C and Paquita. Through his training and performing opportunities, Yurkevich developed into a charismatic and technical dancer. He joined Atlanta Ballet in the 24|25 season.