NCBT Artists

Sarah Alfino is a professional dancer from Southern California. Sarah attended California School of the Arts- San Gabriel Valley, summer intensives at Bolshoi NYC, The Rock School, Master Ballet Academy, and State Street Ballet. Her professional career began at age 16 she accepted a trainee position with Los Angeles Ballet before joining Hollywood Ballet in 2023 as a Corps de Ballet member. Sarah has since had her choreography debut with her first project being debuted in May of 2025 titled Hurwitz pas de deux. This piece had also been selected to premiere in the 2025 Socal Ballet Scene annual ballet festival. She has continued to focus on choreography for a music video set to premiere before the end of the year to the song "Just for Fun" by artist Camille Nichol. 2026 brings her new opportunity with NCBT as she starts her second production with the company.

Clara Bond is from Valley Center, CA. She started dancing at age six at Georgia’s School of Dance in Escondido, CA; she later moved to North County Academy of Dance (NCAD) in Bonsall, CA under the instruction of Pablo and Cassandra Infante. Her training focused on ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz. At NCAD, she performed key roles in productions, including but not limited to “Clara” (2021) and “Dewdrop” (2023) in The Nutcracker, and “Pas de Trois” in Swan Lake (2024). She was involved in Valley Center High School’s choreography program, staging works for various performances. At age twelve, Clara became a Teacher’s Assistant at NCAD, and began her teaching career at seventeen. Clara currently teaches at DanceLova Dance Academy, and has taught as a substitute teacher at several dance studios across San Diego, Orange, and LA counties. She began performing professionally in 2026, including NCBT’s inaugural performance of The Secret of the Old Clock, as well as Gilgamesh: The Opera by the Assyrian Arts Institute. Clara currently attends UC Irvine, pursuing a dual BFA in Dance Performance and Dance Choreography. Clara plans to pursue a professional performing career, alongside continuing to teach and choreograph, and later will either open a dance studio or direct a public school dance program.

Lulu Chen is a dancer and student at UCLA pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and minors in Gerontology and Global Studies. She graduated summa cum laude from the Dance Department at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), where she trained extensively in ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, and ballroom. Her training also includes summer intensives and programs at NYU Tisch, Complexions Ballet, Ellison Ballet, Master Ballet Academy, Colorado Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Lulu has performed with Anaheim Ballet in the Nutcracker, as well as in numerous LACHSA productions and performances throughout Los Angeles. She has received full scholarships to the NYU Tisch and CSSSA summer programs, along with scholarships to Ballet West and Tulsa Ballet summer intensives. Beyond performing, Lulu continues to explore choreography and shares her passion for dance through teaching. At UCLA, she is involved in neuroscience research and volunteers in both hospital and community settings, allowing her to explore her interests beyond the performing arts. Outside of dance and academics, Lulu enjoys figure skating and remains involved in the skating community through volunteering and serving as an official.

Teresa Dietrich began studying ballet with Lois Ellyn at the age of five before continuing her training with Charles Maple at Maple Conservatory of Dance, where she performed with Maple Youth Ballet. She later continued with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, where she had the opportunity to perform works by Terrence S. Orr. Now based in Southern California, Teresa works as a freelance artist, appearing in productions such as Dracula with West Coast Ballet and as a guest artist with SoCal Ballet Scene, most notably performing the role of Swanhilda. She is currently a company member with Nouveau Chamber Ballet Theatre, where she has performed numerous principal roles, and with KWDP, where she has danced featured soloist roles, including Gerald Arpino's Birthday Variations. Teresa is excited to begin this new chapter as a company member with New Classics Ballet Theatre. In addition to performing, Teresa is a ballet teacher, teaching throughout Orange County and sharing her passion for classical ballet with the next generation of dancers.

Mikayla Fleming is based in Orange County, CA, and is an award-winning dancer and choreographer. As an alum of Laguna Dance Theatre and Orange County School of the Arts, Mikayla has also trained with Lauren Richter, and Jennifer and Dmitri Kulev. From there, her training continued at Ballet West Academy's Professional Training Division and Tulsa Ballet's Trainee program, working under directors Evelyn Cisneros and Beatrice Sebelin. Mikayla has been an instructor at numerous dance studios across the country, where she's taught ballet, contemporary, jazz, and Pilates.

Maggie Gulitashvili, originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, began her ballet training at the Vakhtang Chabukiani Choreographic School, where she studied the Vaganova method under the guidance of Larisa Chkhikvishvili with artistic direction by Nina Ananiashvili. During her time at the academy, she had the opportunity to train internationally, including a month of intensive training in Tokyo, Japan. She also competed in an international ballet competition in Italy, placing in the top ten, and won first place in a group performance of the traditional Georgian dance Gandagana performed en pointe. After graduating, Maggie joined the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre, where she performed in full-length classical ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and Don Quixote, as well as contemporary works. After moving to Los Angeles, Maggie continued her professional career dancing with Hollywood Ballet Company and working as a freelance dancer in various performances and productions.

Isabella Granqvist is an LA-based professional dancer from San Jose, California. She began her ballet training at New Ballet (previously Ballet San Jose) and went on to join their Studio Company. Following her training in San Jose, Isabella studied at UC Irvine, earning her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and B.A. in English. At UC Irvine, she performed both classical and contemporary repertory, working closely with professors Vitor Luiz, Tong Wang, and Molly Lynch, among many others. Since graduating, Isabella has performed with several dance companies and organizations including Hollywood Ballet, SoCal Ballet Scene, ChoCoLA, Grand Kyiv Ballet, and Little Women Ballet, where she is a company artist. She is also a performer at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Brittney Hattrup grew up in Santa Maria, California on the Central Coast, where she began her classical ballet training with Allan Hancock College and Santa Maria Civic Ballet. She continued her training with Ballet West in Utah under the direction of Deborah Dobson and Jonas Kage. Throughout her formative years, Brittney attended numerous prestigious summer intensives, including State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, Boston Ballet, the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC, and Pacific Coast Academy. She has performed with Ballet West in Utah, Moscow Ballet, and at the Crystal Cathedral in Glory of Christmas and Glory of Easter. Brittney danced as a company member with Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo and is currently a company member with Anaheim Ballet. She performed with SoCal Ballet Scene during their 2024, 2025, and 2026 seasons. Brittney has trained under esteemed ballet educators including Alla Sizova, Karen Morell, Lawrence Rosenberg, and Kristin Hakala. Brittney is so excited to share her passion for ballet dancing with New Classics Ballet Theatre!

Colby Hanning is a professional dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher based in Southern California. They received a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Child and Adolescent Development from CSU Fullerton. For the last 3 years, Colby has choreographed numerous ballet and jazz works for the Merced Civic Ballet, while also performing with the company. Colby danced with Leiphia Dance Company, performing at SYNTHESIS VIII and DUMBO Dance Festival. They have attended intensives with W'him Whim Contemporary Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers Company, and The Rockettes. Colby also has a love for musical theater. They recently choreographed for In The Heights (Merced College Performing Arts). Their most recent on stage roles include the Stepmother in Into The Woods (Playhouse Merced) and Thea in Spring Awakening (Homecoming Troupe). When not working and performing, Colby loves to spend their time reading, crafting, traveling, and jumping in the ocean. Colby is thrilled to be joining NCBT for their newest production!

Jadyn Kerr is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area where she began her dance training at 3-years-old. She is trained in various styles, including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and musical theater. Later, she continued her dance training in the teen training program with Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, CA. She has attended summer intensives with the Joffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Jadyn graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2024 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and a minor in Digital Art. While at UC Irvine, she was a recipient of the Beth & Walter, Beth L Koehler Dance Scholarship; and had the privilege of studying under notable professors including Lar Lubovitch, Kate Skarpetowska, Molly Lynch, Diane Diefenderfer, and more. Recently, Jadyn has performed with various artists at World of Dance, Downtown Disneyland, and was featured in a music video for “Hamilton” star, Jasmine-Cephas Jones.

Jennifer Kamholz is a Southern-California based dancer, performer, and educator. She began her dance training at the age of 4 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California at the Peninsula School of Performing Arts under the artistic direction of Tita Boulger and Vera Ninkovic. She continued her studies through intensive programs with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and the Joffrey Ballet Academy before attending the University of California Riverside as a neuroscience major and a dance minor. Her repertoire includes notable roles such as Snow Queen and Clara from the Nutcracker, Coulante from Sleeping Beauty, and Pas de Trois from Paquita. Most recently she performed as Cinderella in Cinderella as well as her own original works as a part of Spring Forward: Stories Awakened. Jennifer is excited to be apart of New Classics Ballet Theater for this production!

Bergundi Loyd is a classically trained freelance Ballet Dancer who began her artistic journey in acrobatics with a focus on music training. Her passion for the arts, expressed through music and movement, will carry her through a lifetime. She is grateful for the opportunity to join New Classics Ballet Theatre for their production of “The Toymaker’s Magic”.

Madelyn Mallen is a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Southern California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Loyola Marymount University, where she trained extensively in ballet, modern, jazz, and choreography. Madelyn has over 20 years of ballet training and extensive experience in pointe, contemporary, jazz, and tap. Her performance experience includes appearances in the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show, performances with Compass Dance Company, South Coast Conservatory, and Loyola Marymount University, as well as numerous classical and contemporary productions. She has participated in prestigious summer intensives including Hubbard Street Dance, Complexions Ballet Academy, Ballet Austin, Ballet West, and American Ballet Theatre. Madelyn is also passionate about choreography and education. She has created original contemporary works for YAGP, Compass Dance Company, LMU, and other showcases. As an educator, she has served as a ballet program director and tap teacher, developing curriculum and level structures for ballet and pre-pointe, while also teaching ballet, lyrical, and jazz. In addition to New Classics Ballet Theatre, she is currently a company member of Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre.

Katie O’Gara is a Southern California–born ballet artist and co-founder of New Classics Ballet Theatre. With nearly two decades of training and performance experience, she has developed a strong technical foundation and a deep passion for narrative ballet and collaborative art forms. She trained at Pasadena Civic Ballet and attended the California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley as a ballet and contemporary dance conservatory member. She also trained at summer intensives with The Rock School for Dance Education, American Ballet Theatre, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and was a Top 24 finalist in the Senior Women’s Classical Division at Youth America Grand Prix Los Angeles. Katie earned a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Neurobiology from the University of California, Irvine, where her repertoire included Myrtha in Giselle, Russian Girl in Serenade, a soloist role in Paquita, and original works by Molly Lynch, Tong Wang, and Vitor Luiz de Souza Santos. Her choreographic experience began at CSArts and continued at UC Irvine, where she developed a passion for creating original works. A classically trained flutist, Katie enjoys bringing different art forms together and creating new works through collaboration. Katie also teaches ballet and tap at Pasadena Civic Ballet and works as a veterinary assistant, combining her love for animals, science, and service.

Adrian Pekurovsky is a professional dancer and multidisciplinary movement artist based in Los Angeles. Trained in ballet, contemporary, ballroom and Latin dance, jazz funk, voguing, and circus arts, he brings over a decade of international performance and competitive experience to his work. Between 2021–2024, he represented the Israeli National Team in ballroom and Latin dance, becoming a finalist at multiple international competitions and ranking among the world’s top 50 ballroom couples. In 2025, he was a finalist at the Dance World Cup in the contemporary category with his original choreography and worked as both a contemporary and classical dancer with the Israeli Opera. Since relocating to the United States in 2025, Adrian has collaborated with the Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble, New Classics Ballet Theatre, Grand Ballet LA, and recording artist RealXman. In 2026, he choreographed and performed in the official music video for Safe and Sound by Shinedown, blending ballet with rock music. His work spans concert dance, live entertainment, music videos, and original choreography. With ballet as his main focus, Adrian continues to explore new ways of combining technical precision, athleticism, and storytelling through different genres of movement.

Gabriella Padilla is a professional ballet dancer and choreographer based in Southern California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in the Spring of 2025 with B.F.A. degrees in Dance Performance and Choreography. She recently restaged her own contemporary ballet work for Los Angeles BalletFest, and has performed in various pieces for ChoCoLA. She was recently hired as a Live-Action Performance Artist for Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters. Gabriella is currently a company member with Little Women Ballet Company. She is also a Resident Choreographer and Marketing Coordinator at NCBT. She most recently choreographed the company's original ballet, The Secret of the Old Clock, and is in the process of developing the next original work for the company.

Trinity Ruelas-Miyoshi is a professional ballet dancer based in Orange County. Originally from San Dimas, CA, she started dancing when she was 6 before beginning her formal ballet training with Inland Pacific Ballet at 11. She attended summer intensives with Colorado Ballet and trained in college with Charles Maple of the Maple Conservatory. Her college dance studies expanded her training to include Limón, Graham, and Horton techniques. Trinity graduated from California State University Fullerton, with B.A. degrees in Dance and Communications (Public Relations). While at CSUF, she performed in various pieces ranging from classical ballet, contemporary, and modern. She also competed for her university’s Cross Country and Track teams, earning multiple Conference and Regional honors. Since 2025, Trinity has worked as a freelance artist throughout Southern California, guesting with SoCal Ballet Scene, Anaheim Ballet, and New Classics Ballet Theatre. Her recent performance highlights include Swanhilda and Friends from Coppelia with SoCal Ballet Scene, English in Anaheim Ballet’s The Nutcracker, and NCBT’s debut ballet The Secret of the Old Clock. Outside of dance, she also works as a copywriter. Trinity hopes to continue collaborating with Southern California choreographers, contributing to meaningful classical and contemporary works that inspire both artists and audiences.

Lauren Steele is a Southern California–based dancer, educator, and arts leader, and the Co-Founder of New Classics Ballet Theatre, which she established alongside fellow dancer Katie O’Gara to honor classical ballet traditions while supporting emerging and contemporary voices. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of California, Irvine, where she performed in faculty, undergraduate, and MFA concerts, including Dance Visions, appearing in George Balanchine’s Serenade, works by Vitor Luiz (Bitter Suite and Luna E’motions), and Molly Lynch’s Moonlight. Lauren also performed in MFA works by Ashley Cook (My Felicity and Fabric of Life) and repertory by Taylor Grandy, Theodora Oldfield, and Milena Raeber, and in 2025 appeared as a Friend in Coppélia at the SoCal Ballet Scene Festival. Her early training includes full-length ballets with the Academy of Ballet Arts, participation in the Youth America Grand Prix, and performance at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive (La Bayadère). As an educator, Lauren teaches ballet throughout Southern California and is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. She is a two-time recipient of the William J. Gillespie Foundation Scholarship.

Katie Thomas was raised in Mountain View, California where she trained at Western Ballet until 2019 when she was accepted to train at City Ballet - San Francisco. At City Ballet, she trained in the Vaganova technique and performed multiple soloist roles. After graduating from City Ballet in 2022, Katie moved to Santa Barbara, California for State Street Ballet's trainee program where she performed alongside the company. In 2024, Katie moved to Los Angeles where she joined Hollywood Ballet and works as a freelance artist.

Sterling Tu is a professional dancer and emerging arts leader based in Southern California. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from the University of California, Irvine in 2025. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she trained in classical ballet at Alameda Ballet Academy under Abra Rudisill and continued her studies through intensive programs with City Ballet School San Francisco, American Ballet Theatre, and Bolshoi Ballet Academy. At the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Sterling’s training expanded to jazz, modern and hip hop, diversifying her technical repertoire. Notable UCI performances include George Balanchine’s Serenade, staged by Zippora Karz; Molly Lynch’s Moonlight; and Archaea, a collaboration by S. Ama Wray and Cyrian Reed. She received the William J. Gillespie Scholarship and was a two-time recipient of the Sylvia Reines Dance Scholarship.  Sterling is a founding member of New Classics Ballet Theatre’s leadership team. In addition to administering with NCBT, Sterling is freelancing with local organizations and choreographers . This summer, she recently joined Little Women Ballet as a company artist. As she continues to pursue professional opportunities, Sterling hopes to explore her versatility and develop her artistic identity.

Ileana Vasquez began dancing at age three, sparking a lifelong love of movement and performance. Her training spans ballet and pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, ballet folklórico, hip-hop, and percussion. She received her primary dance training at Academy En L’Air / En L’Air Dance Nexus, where she performed as a principal dancer and choreographer. Ileana currently performs with DrumatiX, a professional tap and percussion company, and Pacífico Dance Company, a professional ballet folklórico company. Her performance experience also includes Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Berry Farm, the Demand to Be Heard Residency’s The Sunflower Project, A Trip to the 80’s Tour!, and a variety of stage and on-camera projects. Outside the studio, she is a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit registered nurse and nursing professor.  She has been a registered nurse for over six years. Ileana is grateful to pursue two careers centered around connection, creativity, and caring for others.

Kassandra Vogel is a freelance dancer originally from San Diego, California, and currently based in Anaheim. She began her training at California Ballet before earning BFAs in Dance Performance and Dance Choreography and a BA in Psychological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Since graduating, Kassandra has performed throughout Southern California with New Classics Ballet Theatre, Anaheim Ballet, Ballet OC, ChoCoLA, and Little Women Ballet, where she is currently a company dancer. Her recent work includes dancing Aurora as a guest artist with On Pointe Dance Studio, performing as a Snow Princess in Anaheim Ballet’s The Nutcracker, and portraying a variety of roles with Little Women Ballet, including Anne of Green Gables, Amy March, and Sallie Gardiner. Alongside her performance career, Kassandra continues to pursue choreography, most recently creating new works for LWB’s Her Turn and ChoCoLA’s 2026 showcase. She previously performed as one of the Hoover Sisters in New Classics Ballet Theatre’s inaugural production of The Secret of the Old Clock and is thrilled to return as the Snow Queen in the company’s brand-new full-length ballet!