Milwaukee Ballet II

Born in Yerevan, Davit Hovhannisyan trained at National Ballet School of Armenia on full scholarship. In 2004, he joined Milwaukee Ballet, where he performed as a critically acclaimed Leading Artist for 20 years. He danced principal roles in several Michael Pink ballets and worked with many other esteemed choreographers before retiring in 2023. 

Sponsored by Robert & Faith Einhorn

New Orleans, Louisiana 

Natalie began her dance training at the age of 3. After studying multiple styles of dance, she found her love for ballet and joined the New Orleans School of Ballet at the age of 12. At the age of 14, she joined the Kansas City Ballet School’s daytime program, after being invited through their summer intensive. In the school, she had the opportunity to perform in productions such as Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Septime Weber’s The Wizard of Oz. Throughout her time in the program, Natalie also attended summer and fall intensives at The Royal Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Austin Ballet. In 2022, she joined Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company as a trainee, where she would perform and train for two seasons. During her time with Kansas City Ballet, Natalie performed corps roles in several of Devon Carney’s ballets, such as Giselle, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Peter Pan. She also had the opportunity to perform in the North American premiere of Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll and Hyde, and George Balanchine’s Jewels, along with understudying for Alexander Ekman’s Cacti and Mark Morris’s Sandpaper. Following her time with Kansas City Ballet, Natalie is thrilled to begin her first season with Milwaukee Ballet II this September.  

Sponsored by Lori Erickson & John Bell

Toronto, Canada 

Alexander Boyd-Smith started his dance training when he was 8 years old, taking private lessons with his two brothers. When they got older, they joined the community program at the National Ballet School in Toronto and danced 3 days a week. It was when Alex made his onstage debut as ‘head mouse’ in the National Ballet of Canada’s Nutcracker, that he realized he loved performing and that he wanted to pursue ballet more seriously. His mother helped create a training schedule for him that included dancing at both the Johanna Hilchie Ballet School and Stepanova Ballet Academy – where he danced the role of ‘Fritz’ in The Nutcracker for four years. Alexander won some small local competitions and even placed second in YAGP Toronto’s senior men’s division in 2018. Eventually his teachers realized that Alex needed to join a full time ballet school to get the intensive traning and partnering experience necessary for a professional career. The next year he joined the Kirov Academy in Washington DC, and danced with them for grades 11 and 12, winning the Contemporary competition and placing third in Classical at YAGP Philadelphia in 2019. He then went on to attend the Ellison Ballet Professional Training program in New York City from 2020 to 2022, in addition to attending their summer intensive for the past 6 years. He went to the YAGP Finals in Tampa during his final year with Ellison. Alex then went on to join the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida for their 2022/23 Season and got to dance great roles such as ‘Prince Ivan’ in Firebird as well as the Swan pas de deux in Doble Corchea by Vincente Nebrada. For the 2023/24 Season, Alexander returned home and danced in many amazing productions such as the Neural Ballet Provoking Ideas Festival, the Toronto International Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker and Cinderella, and Innovative Ballet Theatre’s Greatest Love of Dance Gala. He is looking forward to joining Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company for their upcoming 2024/25 Season.  

Sponsored by Dr. Suzanne Martens

San Pedro, California 

Annika began training with her home studio, Ballet California, at six years old. She has traveled as far as Europe to attend summer intensives. She has gone to American Ballet Theatre’s New York intensives twice and English National Ballet’s intensives twice, in which she got the opportunity to perform solo roles. She has never competed before, but she has won a choreography award and has been chosen three times to attend the Ballet Alliance’s Honor Repertoire and Classical Ballet classes. At Ballet California, she has performed roles such as Cinderella, Wendy in Peter Pan, Clara and Sugarplum in The Nutcracker, and several other lead roles in contemporary/neoclassical pieces.  

Sponsored by Laurie J. Kirsch & Rodney J. Gasch

Carson, California 

Acaju has trained at Ballet California for the last 10 years, started his dance career at the age of 8. He has attended Summer Intensives at English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Louisville Ballet. In recent years he has performed in El Paso, TX and Spokane, WA during the Ballet Alliance. He performed on stage as the Cavalry Prince for The Nutcracker twice and the lead in Coppelia and Peter Pan. He has had the opportunity to perform numerous parts as a soloist and a corps member for Ballet California over the last several years.  

Sponsored by Heidi & Kevin Sjostrom

Huntington Beach, California 

Isabella Graves is originally from Huntington Beach, California, and began her dance training at the age of 3, at Huntington Academy of Dance. There she completed classical Cecchetti ballet examinations from primary, through Major 9. She has attended several summer intensive programs, including those at American Ballet Theater and Ellison Ballet, before furthering her training in joining Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program as a student under the direction of Tatiana Jouravel-Malinkine.  

Isabella has been awarded with numerous Youth America Grand Prix top placements, including 1st and 3rd place in the Senior classical category, 3rd place in Senior contemporary, as well as invitations to compete as a soloist in the YAGP Finals from 2021-2023. She has also competed in California Dance Classics, where she was awarded numerous scholarships, and the invitation to join Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. She returns to Milwaukee Ballet II for her second year in the 2024/25 Season. 

Sponsored by Jean Baumgartner

Long Beach, California 

Aurora started dancing at Long Beach Ballet Academy when she was three years old. She competed in the Youth America Grand Prix competition as a soloist for six years, placing in the Top 24 for Junior Classical Women in 2019 and Top 12 for Senior Classical Women in 2023. With her student company, she traveled to Spokane, Washington for The Ballet Alliance Fesitval in 2019 and to Tampa, Florida for Youth America Grand Prix finals in 2023. She has attended summer programs with The Rock School for Dance Education, Boston Ballet, and Southland Ballet Academy and has received scholarships to attend Louisville Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Sacramento Ballet. Aurora joined the Roland-Yanes Pre-Professional Program for the 23/24 school year, and she is beyond excited to start her first season with Milwaukee Ballet II in the fall.  

Sponsored by Lois & Richard Pauls

Cedarburg, WI 

Ella started her classical ballet training at the age of 6 years old with the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy. During her time there, she got to perform the role of Alice in Rolando Yanes’ Alice in Wonderland. After completing the final level of the academy, Ella furthered her training in the Milwaukee Ballet Pre-Professional Program for 2 years. She has attended several summer intensives, including Ellison Ballet’s New York Intensive and Milwaukee Ballet’s Summer Intensive. Ella has competed in the Youth American Grand Prix semi-finals and placed Top 12 in the Senior Classical category in 2023 and Top 12 in both the Senior Classical and Contemporary categories in 2024. She is thrilled to join the Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company for the 2024/25 Season! 

Sponsored by The Chris & Katie Hermann Family

Roselawn, Indiana 

Fayeth trained at Indiana Ballet Theatre from when she was 3 until she moved to Wisconsin to train in Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program at 17. She has spent the last two years with this program. At IBT, Fayeth was able to dance roles such as Princess Aurora, Clara, Sugar Plum, Sapphire and Autumn Fairies, Dew Drop, and Cygnet. She was a top 12 Finalist at the Youth American Grand Prix; won the Senior Ballet Division at the ICON Chicago regional in 2022; a 2022 F.A.M.E. Finalist (in dance); and Northwest Indiana’s Regional Arts Council’s Youth Arts Award winner in 2022. She has attended Summer Intensives at Joffrey Chicago, A&A Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. Fayeth is thrilled to continue the next step of her journey with MBII.  

Sponsored by Anonymous

Sun Prairie, WI 

 Ellen grew up dancing at Midwest Performing Arts in Waunakee, WI where she trained in styles of ballet, jazz, modern, and tap. After attending Ellison Ballet’s summer intensive in 2022, she decided to continue her training at Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program (PPP) for her senior year of high school. After graduating and finishing her first year of PPP, she attended Milwaukee Ballet’s summer intensive before coming back to the program for another year. Ellen is thrilled and very grateful to be joining Milwaukee Ballet II for the upcoming season.  

Sponsored by Mark & Anne Weitenbeck

Avon, Connecticut 

Christina trained at the Hartt School Dance Department in Connecticut, where she was honored with the Francine Goldfarb Scholarship Award in 2015, and more recently at the Washington School of Ballet (TWSB) and Indiana University Ballet Theater. She was invited by Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev to attend the IBstage Summer Program in Barcelona on scholarship for two consecutive summers, and has attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, and the Chautauqua Institution. In 2018, Christina won 2nd place in the senior classical category at the Youth America Grand Prix in Boston and was awarded a gold medal at the Connecticut Classic Ballet Scholarship Competition. In 2020, she decided to attend Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and graduated early with high distinction in May 2023, earning a Bachelor of Science in Music (Ballet Emphasis) and an Outside Field in Business Studies. Christina joined Grand Rapids Ballet as an Apprentice for the 2023/24 season and is excited to be joining Milwaukee Ballet II for the 2024/25 season. 

During her time at TWSB, Christina performed Snow and Flowers with the Washington Ballet in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker. Her repertoire at Indiana University Ballet Theater includes principal roles in George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations and Serenade, which she performed under the direction of Kyra Nichols and Christian Claessens, as well as the Sugarplum Fairy in Michael Vernon’s The Nutcracker and Odette in an excerpt of Swan Lake, coached by Carla Körbes. With Grand Rapids Ballet, she performed in George Balanchine’s Who Cares and as a Russian Demi Soloist in Serenade. Her performance credits last season also include Aurora’s Friends, Lilac Fairy Attendant, and Garland Waltz in Sleeping Beauty, and Snow, Flowers, and Marzipan in The Nutcracker. 

Sponsored by Stephanie Thompson

Lincroft, New Jersey

Carly trained with The Academy of Dance Arts in New Jersey, The Washington School of Ballet‘s Professional Training Division, and as a Trainee with The Washington Ballet. She attended Summer Intensives at American Ballet Theatre NYC, Philadelphia Ballet, Ellison Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and The Washington Ballet.

During her first season with Milwaukee Ballet II, Carly had the opportunity to perform in main stage productions including Michael Pink’s Dracula and as Snow and Flowers in the world premiere of The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium. In Momentum, she performed Pas de Trois and a soloist variation from Paquita as well as Timothy O’Donnell’s “At World’s End”. Carly also had the opportunity to perform in a choreographic demonstration led by choreographer Nelly van Bommel. She closed the season performing the Flames of Paris pas de deux.

Prior to joining Milwaukee Ballet II, Carly had the privilege of dancing with the Washington Ballet Company under the direction of Julie Kent in productions at The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and Warner Theatre during her time as a Trainee. Her performance highlights with The Washington Ballet include Aurora’s Friends,  Nymphs, Garland Waltz, and Mazurka in The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle’s Friends and Willis in Giselle, Theme & Variations, Serenade, Village Waltz and Cygnet in Swan Lake, and Snow and Flowers in The Nutcracker. Under the direction of Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev, she also performed featured roles in showcases with The Washington School of Ballet including the Talisman Pas de Deux, Pas d’Esclave, Gamzatti Pas de Deux, and the principal in Ruslan and Lyudmila.

Sponsored by Xiaoting Hao & Daniel Neely

Fallston, Maryland 

Kiegan trained for about 7 years at a small studio in Maryland and then moved to The Rock School when he was 14 and stayed there for 3 years. After The Rock School he went to Sarasota Ballet as a trainee. While he was there, he competed in YAGP and won second place for contemporary, top six for classical, and first place for a pas de deux at semi-finals. At YAGP Finals, he was awarded top 12 for his grand pas classique pas de deux. He has also attended Washington Ballet, UNCSA, The Haird Conservatory, and Bolshoi Ballet summer intensives.  

Sponsored by Kathy & Dave Averbeck

Murfreesboro, Tennesse  

Emily started dancing when she was 3 years old, but started taking it more seriously when she was 10. She did well in competitions like VKIVC, where she was a finalist. She has attended Summer Intensives at American Ballet Theater, National Ballet of Canada, and Boston Ballet. Emily moved away from home when she was 14 years old for Boston Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program where she was awarded the Laura Young Scholarship during her four years at the school. She then attended The Rock School for Dance Education as a postgraduate before she received a trainee contract with Grand Rapids Ballet. Emily is thrilled to be joining the Milwaukee Ballet community for the 2024/25 Season! 

Sponsored by Gregory & Susan Milleville

Japan 

Rinka began her dance career at age 4 in her hometown and was taught by Yuriko Tanoue until the age of 15. During this time, she was awarded a full year scholarship after participating in the summer school at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2015. She also participated in the short-term program at Princess Grace Academy, John Cranko Ballet School, and Cannes Rosella Hightower Academy. She received scholarships to study at Dutch National Ballet Academy, Joffrey Ballet Academy, and others, awarded by the YAGP competition in Japan in 2016. Later that year, at age 15, Rinka moved to Munich, Germany to study at Bavarian Ballet Academy with Alen Bottaini and Lisa-Marre Cullum. She graduated there at the top of the class. From age 18 to 21, she went to Junior Ballet Antwerp in Belgium directed by Alain Honorez and Altea Nunez, to gain performance experience. Rinka worked there with numerous world-renowned choreographers and teachers such as David Dawson, Monique Loudieres, and Veronique Jean. She danced the main role in Cinderella by Alain Honorez and Altea Nunez, soloist part in Metamorphosis by David Dawson, duet from Concerto con Brio by Yannick Boquin, and more.  

Fun Facts: She likes to travel, hear different languages, and know different cultures. She has been to around 15 countries. Since she studied at ballet school in Germany with many Italian friends, one of her dreams is to be able to speak in German and Italian. She wants to use her ability for after her ballet career as well, such as teaching ballet abroad, teaching language, being an international coordinator for any business in Japan, and so on.  

Sponsored by Tim & Sue Frautschi

Arizona, USA 

Ezra first started ballet at age five. She trained with Ballet Etudes in Gilbert, Arizona from age twelve to sixteen. She then studied at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia for one year. During the 2023/24 Season she danced as a Joffrey Ballet Trainee in Chicago. Ezra has attended summer intensives at the Royal Ballet School virtually from London, Ellison Ballet in New York City, Jacqueline’s School of Ballet in Utah, and the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.  

Sponsored by Jeff & Kelly Fitzsimmons

Los Angeles, CA 

Jackson was born in Los Angeles, but his family has since relocated – first to San Francisco, and most recently to Chicago. He began his dance career in 2018, training under the instruction of Nikolai Kabaniaev at City Ballet School San Francisco. In 2022, he moved to Chicago to be a trainee at The Joffrey Ballet under Ogulcan Borova. During February 2023, he performed as a guest artist in Grand Rapids Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet. After his time there he returned to Chicago and in April performed with Joffrey Ballet in John Neuemeier’s The Little Mermaid and a month later performed with the Joffrey Academy as Basilio and Espada in excerpts of Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote. Throughout the 23/24 Season Jackson participated in more performances with Joffrey, including Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein and Joffrey Academy’s Winning Works, multiple guest performances, and most recently the Joffrey For All gala performance and Joffrey Ballet’s Anna Karenina Los Angeles tour. He is so excited to be joining MBII and looks forward to the future!    

Sponsored by Jason & Wanetta Fricke

Hinsdale, Illinois 

Emery began her training at Hinsdale Dance Academy, under the direction of Jennifer Grapes Croughan, a former Principal of Milwaukee Ballet. At HDA, she performed the lead roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Midsummer Night’s Dream. She competed and placed in the Top 12 and was a Finalist at several competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix, ADC/IBC, and World Ballet Competition. She continued her training at BalletMet as a trainee, under the guidance of Maria Torija and Carrie West-Suslov. While at BalletMet, Emery worked with the company and performed roles such as Snow and Flower corps, Swan corps, Flamingo in Edwaard Liang’s Alice, and Ball & Street Women in Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet. Also within the trainee program, she had the opportunity to perform roles such as Gulnare in Le Corsaire, Dulcinea in Don Quixote, Demi Soloist in Balanchine’s Walpurgis Nacht, Corps in Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. Emery has attended multiple summer intensives including English National Ballet School, The Royal Ballet School, and BalletMet.   

Sponsored by James McFarland & Jaime
Sebastian Andres

San Antonio, TX 

Andrew began his dance journey at the age of 7 and delved into ballet at the age of 10, training at various schools in San Antonio. Notably, he honed his skill at Decruz Ballet under the guidance of Directors Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz before venturing to his first summer intensive out of town in 2021 at the esteemed San Francisco Ballet School, led by Director Patrick Armand. He then continued his education at San Francisco Ballet School until his recent graduation in 2024.  

Sponsored by Michael & Susan Nesemann

Middleton, WI 

Genevieve began her training with Madison Ballet at 3 and became a trainee with them at 13. She then joined Milwaukee Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program where she trained vigorously for four years and recently performed Odette in their graduation show. She attended many summer intensives since the age of 9, examples being School of American Ballet, Ellison Ballet, and BalletMet’s Partnering week. She is excited to further her career with MBII! 

Sponsored by Sally Jarrar Baumgartner

Denver, Colorado

Roxy Slavin began her training at Rocky Mountain Ballet Academy in Denver, CO. In 2018, at 12 years old, she was one of the youngest Americans to be invited to train full-time on the Russian track at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. When the pandemic brought her home in 2020, she was invited to join The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL. Career highlights for Roxy include Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Clara and Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker, the Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle, and the Pas de Deux from La Fille Mal Gardee. Roxy attended Summer Intensives with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Connecticut; Perm State Choreographic College in Perm, Russia; Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive in Tivoli, NY; and the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. Roxy has earned numerous Youth America Grand Prix regional top placement awards, including the YAGP Hope Award and, most recently, 2nd in Senior Classical, 2023. She has been invited several times to the YAGP Finals in New York City, where she has received summer training scholarships. Roxy is thrilled to be joining Milwaukee Ballet II for her second year in the 2024-25 season 

Sponsored by Rev. David E. Cooper

Bogota, Colombia 

Sergio Suarez began dancing at age 12 in Bogota, Colombia and after 3 years of training, came to the states to live with his new “family” and work on perfecting his dancing and technique. While training at St. Lucie Ballet, Sergio joined the Pre-Professional Program and started competing in competitions like YAGP, UBC, and ADC IBC. Sergio was recognized with top placements, including a 1st place in the Senior Division which led him to continue training at Cary Ballet Conservatory. There he continued to compete and perform, including roles in The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Alice in Wonderland, and Who Cares? In 2023, he received top 10 in the Senior Men’s Division and in 2024 he received 2nd place in the Senior Men’s Division at ADC IBC Finals. In addition, Sergio was invited to YAGP finals in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.  

Fun Fact: He came to America in 2019 to further his ballet training without knowing any English and without knowing anyone. He was welcomed by a host family, who became his family away from home. They helped him financially and to learn English, and they traveled together for competitions like YAGP, ADC IBC, and UBC. He spent 3 years living with them and they became and remain very special to him. 

*Remi unexpectedly passed away in October 2024. We mourn his loss and, although he is no longer with us, honor his memory as an MBII dancer for the 2024/25 season.

Sponsored by Sarah & Peter Damsgaard

Colorado Springs, USA

Remi began his ballet career in Colorado and has trained in the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program since 2021. While with SFB, he performed in The Nutcracker, was a featured dancer in After Light, danced various roles in Giselle, Cinderella, and Seasons, and performed a choreographed role in Stereo is King. Additionally, Remi has been a guest artist for Panama Youth Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet Spring Festival in Moscow. He has attended the summer intensives of San Francisco Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Oklahoma City Ballet.