Company Artists
Say Ayers
Say is from North Carolina and began dancing at the age of three. She began her professional training at twelve years old studying ballet, modern, tap, jazz and contemporary under the instruction of Kat Daniel, Willie Hinton, and April Schweitzer. She also performed with the Carolina Ballet under Robert Weiss in Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet. After high school, Say began a trainee program with the U.S. International Ballet. She studied Luigi jazz technique, Graham modern technique, and ballet technique under Debora Berger and Nancy Podrasky. She then joined Charlottesville Ballet and spent two years as a Trainee. Say is thrilled to return for her second year as a Company Artist this season.
Say’s 2024-25 season performances are sponsored by Bill Gray.
Luigie A. Barrera
Luigie started his dance training in ballet, contemporary, modern, and folk dance at the age of thirteen. He competed at the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Association of Ballet Academies, Philippines (ABAP) Competition, and the CCP National Ballet Competition. He also received several honors and awards at the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (ACB) Examinations. At the age of nineteen, Luigie joined Ballet Philippines and was promoted to Member of Ballet Philippines II. He has performed soloist roles such as the Nutcracker Prince, Franz from Coppélia, and Lankadem from Le Corsaire to name a few. Luigie was handpicked for casting in many modern and contemporary pieces including the role of Payaso Blanco. In 2023, Luigie was selected to come to the United States as a soloist for Springfield Ballet Company. He joined Dissonance Dance Theatre in July 2023 as a Dance Artist, Rehearsal Associate, and Junior Ballet Master. He is now in his first season with Charlottesville Ballet as a Company Artist.
Jeanne Berthy
Jeanne was born in Paris, France, and moved to Virginia when she was a year old. She enrolled at Charlottesville Ballet Academy (CBA) at the age of three, in its early location in Greene in 2011. She continued her training at CBA, performing student roles in numerous CB professional productions and training on scholarship in the Pre-Professional Program. Jeanne attended summer intensives at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, The Washington School of Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In 2020, she was invited to join Charlottesville Ballet’s Trainee Program and in 2023, Jeanne was promoted to Company Artist. She is also a faculty member at Charlottesville Ballet Academy, teaching classes for its youngest students, and works as a Social Media Associate. Jeanne is excited to be a part of programs that benefited her so much as a student, and for the upcoming academic year and season!
Jeanne’s 2024-25 season performances are sponsored by Penny & Dutch Dorschel.
Abigail Brent
Abigail, age twenty, is from Charlottesville, VA, and began dancing at the age of three at Charlottesville Ballet Academy. She continued her dance training through the Pre-Professional Program and Trainee Program before joining Charlottesville Ballet as a Company Artist in 2021. She spent summers training on scholarship with The School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Chautauqua. In 2022, Abigail joined The Washington Ballet as a Trainee and was promoted to Studio Company in 2023. She enjoyed performing principal roles in repertoire from Paquita and La Bayadère, as well as performing with The Washington Ballet company in The Nutcracker, Theme & Variations, Sleeping Beauty, and new works. She is excited to be returning to Charlottesville Ballet as a Company Artist and faculty member for the 2024-25 season.
Jessica Grant
Jessica began her dance training at the Ballet Box when she was three years old and studied many styles of dance under Director Jann Shenk. She completed RAD examinations, passing with Merit from Level 3 through Intermediate. At age fifteen, she began dancing with Rockingham Ballet Theatre, where she performed leading roles, including Cinderella, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Swanhilda in Coppélia. Jessica graduated in 2016 with an A.A. in Dance from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She attended the Compass Coaching Project with Dominic Walsh in 2018. Jessica serves on faculty and is one of the program managers in the Academy. Since joining Charlottesville Ballet in 2013, she has performed numerous roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Snow White, The Firebird, and other original works. Jessica is in her twelfth season with Charlottesville Ballet!
Eden Heille
Eden started dancing at the age of eight in Minneapolis, MN and later trained at Ashley Ballet Arts Academy in Golden Valley, MN. Eden spent her summers training at Boston Ballet, Ballet West, San Francisco Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet. In 2021, Eden attended University of Utah’s inaugural Choreographic Institute performing new works by Christina Ghiardi, Jamal White, Jenelle Figgins, and James Kopecky. She has performed lead roles in The Nutcracker, La Fille mal gardée, Le Corsaire, Dracula, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, Paquita, Giselle, and Raymonda. Eden joined Tulsa Ballet as a Trainee in 2019, and Twin Cities Ballet as an Apprentice from 2021-23. She joined Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee in the 2023-24 season, was promoted to the company in February 2024, and is excited to begin her first full season as a Company Artist. Eden also serves on faculty at Charlottesville Ballet Academy and loves to share the joy that dance brings to students of all ages.
Yui Kaito
Yui is originally from Tokyo, Japan. Yui began her training at Tateda Ballet Studio before moving to Calgary to complete her education at the Alberta Ballet School. While at Alberta Ballet School, Yui passed the Cecchetti advanced examination and was invited to join the Alberta Ballet Trainee Program, which led to her dancing with Alberta Ballet. After graduating from school, she joined Kentucky Ballet Theatre in Lexington, KY where she performed leading roles. In 2022, she joined Charlottesville Ballet as a Company Artist and teacher at Charlottesville Ballet Academy.
Michael (Mikey) Knight
Michael began his training in Green Bay, WI. Upon graduation, he relocated to Chicago, IL for an apprenticeship at Elements Contemporary Ballet. He later moved to Madison, WI to join Kanopy Dance Company. While there, he studied the Martha Graham technique under the guidance of Co-Directors Lisa Thurrell and Robert Cleary and was named a Principal Dancer. He danced title roles in a variety of premieres and restagings, including Pascal Rioult’s Views of the Fleeting World, Lone Larson’s Song of Tears, Stanley Love’s Adam and Steve, and Lisa Thurrell’s The Maw. During the pandemic, Michael appeared in projects by former Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo originator Brian Norris. After moving to Virginia, Michael joined Charlottesville Ballet and danced the roles of Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Prince Charming in Pedro Szalay’s Cinderella, and as a soloist in Sara Clayborne’s The Silence We Made. He is excited to continue furthering his artistry, and is grateful to perform throughout Virginia!
Mikey’s 2024-25 season performances are sponsored by Lewis & Bobbi Dunn.
Edgardo Lacaba
Edgardo started his dance training in ballet, contemporary, and folk dance with Teatro Baile de Cavite and Dance Theatre Arts Philippines under Brezhnev Larlar and Pamela Ortiz-Bondoc. He has placed in numerous ballet competitions across the Philippines, receiving a gold medal in the 2015 Association of Ballet Academies Philippines senior division and placing as a finalist in the 2018 Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition’s senior division. In 2017, Edgardo joined Ballet Philippines, the country’s leading dance institution. He has performed in many classical and modern full-length productions by leading choreographers. Edgardo came to the United States in 2023 to dance with Springfield Ballet Company as a soloist under Adam Sage’s direction. He is excited to start his first season as a Company Artist with Charlottesville Ballet.
Isaac Lee
Isaac started dancing at age five in Urbana IL, then finishing his ballet and teacher training with Champaign Ballet Academy under Deanna Doty. After graduating, he became a Trainee at Nashville Ballet for two seasons before being promoted to Second Company. While there he was coached by Anaïs Chalendard, worked with esteemed contemporary choreographers Charlotte Boye-Christensen and Maria Konrad, and performed in Paul Vasterling’s The Firebird, Peter Pan, and Cinderella. Isaac went on to join Grand Rapids Ballet as an Apprentice, dancing soloist roles in Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker and choreographing for their Jumpstart Program. He is excited to begin his professional career with Charlottesville Ballet for the 2024-25 season as well as become an instructor with Charlottesville Ballet Academy!
Lucy Lucas
Lucy was born in Sterling, VA and began her classical ballet education at age four. Her initial training was in the Vaganova method where she acquired a solid ballet foundation. At thirteen, Lucy continued her classical ballet and dance training under the guidance and mentorship of Mr. Troy Brown. During that time her summers were dedicated to continued training at various intensives including American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and The Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 2021, Lucy joined Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee and was promoted the following year to Company Artist. As a professional dancer, she has performed various roles including Clara in The Nutcracker, the Spring Fairy in Cinderella and the Evil Queen in Snow White in addition to summer appearances with the Charlottesville Opera. This will be Lucy’s second year as a Company Artist and her third season with Charlottesville Ballet.
Daniel Miller
Daniel began performing in community musical theatre productions as a young teen, but didn’t begin training in ballet until the age of fifteen. He then studied around the Southeast with companies such as the Professional Training Program of Terminus Modern Ballet in Atlanta, GA, and in Richmond, VA as a Trainee with Richmond Ballet. When he is not onstage, Daniel is often in the lighting booth or working backstage in a theater. Daniel has created lighting designs for shows across the US, winning awards at regional and international competitions. He joined the Charlottesville Ballet as a Company Artist in 2023, and has also served as lighting designer for Charlottesville Ballet Academy performances. Daniel would like to thank his mother for passing on her love for dance to him and inspiring him every day to keep pushing and never give up.
Daniel’s 2024-25 season performances are sponsored by Penny & Dutch Dorschel.
Rachel Nash
Rachel, born in Pittsburgh, PA, began her dance training in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. Summer studies included Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Academy East in NYC, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and the Chautauqua Institution. In 2020, Rachel joined Oregon Ballet Theatre 2, where she performed in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker, and Ben Stevenson’s Dracula. In 2022, Rachel was invited to perform a world premiere by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, created for the 90th anniversary of Jacob’s Pillow. Rachel joined Richmond Ballet in the fall of 2022, and recently joined the Charlottesville Ballet. Rachel also works nationally and internationally as a choreographer for both dance and opera. In the summer of 2024, Rachel was invited to be the resident choreographer for the Berlin Opera Academy’s annual OpernFest, where she choreographed their productions of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel.
Hope Roberts
Hope, originally from Pittsburgh, PA began her dance training at the age of five at Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh, studying various styles of dance. Hope attended Dance Theatre Of Harlem’s Professional Training Program under the direction of Robert Garland in 2016. She continued her training under Marcia Dale Weary in 2017 with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for three years. Hope had the opportunity to train at Richmond Ballet and began her professional career with Conflux Dance Theater in Richmond, VA as a founding company member in 2023. She joined the Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee last year and was promoted to Company Artist for the 2024-25 season.
Kathryn Tokar Conley
Kathryn began training with Melanie Szucs at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, OH. She spent summers at Cincinnati Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, and ABT, and graduated from Mercyhurst University summa cum laude with a B.A. in Dance Performance and a minor in Biology. Under the direction of Tauna Hunter at MU, Kathryn performed at the YAGP Finals and the NYCDA Destiny Rising Gala. She began her professional career as a founding member of Cleveland Ballet and went on to dance for Lake Erie Ballet, then directed by her mentor Lesley Bories-Scalise. Kathryn joined Charlottesville Ballet in 2017 as a Trainee and will be performing in her eighth season with CB as a Company Artist. She also performs with Deos Contemporary Ballet in Michigan over the summers. Her favorite roles include Snow Queen, Arabian (The Nutcracker), and an Ugly Stepsister (Cinderella), as well as various contemporary works and original choreography that she has been honored to create with live music collaborators. Kathryn also helps lead the Movement For Parkinson’s program at Charlottesville Ballet and recently completed a master’s degree in Arts in Medicine through the University of Florida.
Kathryn‘s 2024-25 season performances are sponsored by Penny & Dutch Dorschel.
Trainee Artists
Isabella Becchi
Isabella, originally from New Jersey, received her training at New Jersey Ballet, The Kirov Academy, and Ballet Central New Jersey. She also attended numerous world renowned summer programs such as The Royal Danish Ballet, The John Cranko Schule of the Stuttgart Ballet, and The Russian Masters Ballet of the Vaganova Ballet. In addition to dancing as a Trainee with Charlottesville Ballet, she is a third-year student at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce. Isabella is excited to be returning to Charlottesville Ballet!
Gabriella Fedewa
Gabriella began her training at the age of three at the River Raisin School of the Arts under the guidance of Gail Choate-Petit, Melissa Moore, and Karen Keith. She studied the Cecchetti method and completed her grade 6 ballet exam. She also performed lead roles in ballets including The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Coppélia among others. She also attended several summer intensives such as Orlando Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, and Tampa City Ballet. Gabriella received a BFA in Dance with a Concentration in Ballet at the University of South Florida and was awarded a General Business Certificate. During Gabriella’s time at USF, she was instructed by Paula Nunez, Andrew Carroll, Bliss Kohlmyer, Andee Scott, Sadie Lehmker, John Parks, and Jeanne Travers. This is Gabriella’s second year as a Trainee at Charlottesville Ballet.
Taylor Friesen
Taylor began dancing at the age of three. She began dancing at the School of the Sacramento Ballet at age six. She trained in various genres including classical ballet, Graham, jazz, contemporary, and tap. In 2018 she joined the Sacramento Ballet Youth Ensemble and attended The Ballet Alliance in 2019. In 2021 she became a Trainee in the Sacramento Ballet Second Company on scholarship. Taylor performed in many ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Paul Vasterling’s Cinderella. With Sacramento Ballet she performed works by Ron Cunningham, Amy Seiwert, Ben Needham-Wood, Thang Dao, R. Colby Damon, Ilana Goldman, and Anthony Krutzkamp. She is looking forward to her first season as a Trainee with Charlottesville Ballet.
Gillian Grossman
Gillian began her ballet training at the age of seven in Williamsburg, VA and attended summer intensives at Kirov Academy of Ballet and The Dallas Conservatory. After graduating from her home studio, S. I. Dance in Williamsburg, she started training professionally at the Richmond Ballet where she performed in many ballets including Balanchine’s Serenade and Stoner Winslett’s The Nutcracker. This is Gillian’s second year at Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee and she is so excited to continue her training.
Emiley Harig
Emiley is from Staunton, VA and has been dancing since the age of seven. She grew up dancing at Valley Dance Theatre, and joined their performance company at the age of ten. After graduating, she joined their faculty, where she has been teaching for three years. Emiley is so excited to join Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee this season.
Ayana Leblans
Ayana began her ballet training in her hometown of California, MD at Ballet Caliente Classical School of Dance. After high school she continued her training at Goucher College as a Dance major with a concentration in Arts Administration and a minor in Business Management, graduating summa cum laude and winning the Friends of Goucher Dance Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Major. While in college, she performed with Ballet Ashani and Charm City Ballet, as well as in works choreographed by students, faculty, and guest artists with the Goucher Repertory Dance Ensemble. Ayana spent summers training with the Royal Danish Ballet School, the American Ballet Theatre, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Washington School of Ballet, CityDance Conservatory, Goucher College, and Dance Base U.K., attending several of these programs on scholarship. This is Ayana’s first season as a Trainee with Charlottesville Ballet.
Ryland Mettee
Originally from Asheville, NC, Ryland has been dancing since the age of three. She began her training at The Ballet Conservatory of Asheville and has attended summer programs with companies including Carolina Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego. She graduated from Point Park University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a Concentration in Ballet. She previously danced with Virginia National Ballet in Manassas, VA as a Trainee. She is very excited to join Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee this season!
Adelyn Nicholson
Adelyn (Addy) began her dance education at the age of six in Ft. Lauderdale, FL where she trained in numerous styles including ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, tap, jazz, and acrobatics. She trained at Ballet Elite, DeCruz Ballet, and most recently with Michelle Chaviano of SoFlo Movement Center in Miami, FL. She attended summer intensives at Boston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, DeCruz Ballet, and Hollywood Ballet Academy. Addy is looking forward to joining Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee for the 2024-25 season.
Nekya Perry
Nekya was born in Hampton, VA and has been dancing for ten years. She trained for six years in Columbia, SC with Southeastern School of Ballet. In her earlier years she danced with Joan Kathy Dance Center (Leesville, LA) and Performing Arts Connection (Hampton, VA). She attended summer intensives with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Southeastern School of Ballet. She started her professional career as an Apprentice with contemporary company YUHAS and Dancers for their 2019-2020 season. This is Nekya’s second season as a Trainee with Charlottesville Ballet.
Alyssa Robey
Alyssa grew up in Virginia Beach, VA and began her dance training at her preschool at three years old. She later joined Music In Motion Dance Studio in 2011 where she danced for thirteen years. From late 2021-2023, Alyssa danced at Todd Rosenlieb Dance in Norfolk, VA. For three seasons she performed in their pre-professional ensembles, Virginia Ballet Theatre (ballet), and TRDance (modern/contemporary). In 2023, Alyssa started taking classes through the Artistic Movements Initiative and danced for two seasons with the AMI Dance Studio Company. Alyssa is thrilled to start her first season as a Trainee with Charlottesville Ballet!
Sophie Satoh
Sophie was born in Tsukuba, Japan then moved to Massachusetts where her passion for dance continued to grow. She is a recent graduate from Mercyhurst University as a double major in Dance and Public Health. At Mercyhurst, she trained with Matthew Christensen, Danielle Kaiser, Jennifer McNamara, Noelle Partusch, Mark Santilliano, Soveig Santilliano and Lesley Boris-Scalise. During her time at Mercyhurst University she joined SoMar Dance Works, where she was a company member for the past three years. Sophie is excited to continue her dance journey as a Trainee at Charlottesville Ballet, gaining more experience and exploring her growth as a dancer as well as an individual.
Exodis Ward
Exodis is from El Paso, TX and took her first ballet class at the age of eleven. Since then she’s attended summer intensives at The Jillana School and Dance Theatre of Harlem, and was one of the first recipients of the Lauren Anderson Scholarship at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Exodis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso (Summa cum laude, 2022) and upon her graduation, joined the Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee. She danced the role of Clara in the Charlottesville Ballet’s 2023 production of The Nutcracker, as well as various roles in other ballets and concert pieces with the company. Exodis is elated to enter her second full season as a Trainee.