Artists

Joined Sacramento Ballet as Apprentice:

2019

Promoted to Company Artist

2021

Originally from Sunnyvale, California, Mesa Burdick began her training at Ballet San Jose, under the direction of Lise la Cour. At age sixteen, she danced in the company’s production of Alicia Alonso’s Giselle, and Karen Gabay’s The Nutcracker in the Corps de Ballet.

A year later, Mesa joined The New Ballet School as a Studio Company member, where she danced in various lead roles under the direction of Dalia Rawson. In the fall of 2017, Mesa was invited to a joint trainee program with Smuin Ballet and The New Ballet, where she had the opportunity to learn their Christmas repertoire.

The following year, Mesa joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Second Company under the direction of Lisa Sundstrom. During her year with OBT2, she toured numerous cities around Oregon, performing new works by Matthew Pawlicki-Sinclair, Peter Franc, and Phillip Carman. She also danced in several OBT company productions including Napoli, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, and Cinderella.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2010

Previous Affiliations:

Texture Contemporary Ballet, Oakland Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Capital Dance Project

Ava was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, and received her early training at the Flint School of Performing Arts. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Ballet and Legal Studies from Indiana University. She also trained at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and performed with the company while there. Since joining the Sacramento Ballet, some of Ava’s favorite roles have been Choleric in The Four Temperaments (George Balanchine), Tall Girl soloist in Rubies (Balanchine), soloist in Wild Sweet Love (Trey McIntyre), Myrtha in Giselle (Ron Cunningham), and Gertrude in Hamlet (Stephen Mills). She has also been featured in works by Val Caniparoli, Ma Cong, Jodie Gates, Adam Hougland, Gabrielle Lamb, Edwaard Liang, Darrell Moultrie, Amy Seiwert and Septime Webre.  Ava is a founding member and dancer with Capital Dance Project, and is on the faculty of the School of Sacramento Ballet. She also enjoys embroidery and sewing and has her own business creating handmade goods (Picky Stitches).

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet as Apprentice:

2019

Promoted to Company Artist

2021

Born and raised in San Francisco, Matisse D’Aloisio began her dance training at the City Ballet School of San Francisco under Galina Alexandrova. She advanced quickly and performed almost every role in the school’s production of The Nutcracker as well as the title roles in Paquita and Raymonda, Odette in Swan Lake, and others including Sinfonia by Amy Seiwert.

She trained throughout her years of secondary education, graduating from City Ballet School and Lowell High School in 2017. After high school, Matisse was invited to join the Atlanta Ballet ll under Genadi Nedvigin, where she danced in many of the company’s productions. In Matisse’s free time, she can most likely be found hanging out, dancing with, or talking about her three sisters.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Year Joined The Sacramento Ballet:

2011

Born in Davis, California, Julia Feldman was trained under the direction of Pamela Hayes at Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet.  During her time with the Sacramento Ballet, she has danced principal and featured roles in works choreographed by George Balanchine, Ma Cong, Ron Cunningham, Jodie Gates, Adam Hougland, Gabrielle Lamb, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Penny Saunders, Amy Seiwert, and Septime Webre, among others. Highlights have included performing the central couple in Jodie Gates’ Keep Me Wishing in the Dark, ‘1st pas’ in Ma Cong’s Bloodrush, the Pas de Deux from George Balanchine’s Agon, Adam Hougland’s Cigarettes, and the role of Ophelia in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet.

Since joining the company, Julia has developed a passion for choreographing through the Sacramento Ballet’s annual Beer and Ballet. She has created works for the program annually since 2012, as well as for the School of Sacramento Ballet. As a founding member of Capital Dance Project, she has loved creating premieres for the summer-based company since its inaugural performance in 2015.  Her works have included collaborations with composer and violinist Andy Tan, rap artist Paul Willis, and visual artists Brandon Manning and Franceska Gamez. Julia has also been fortunate to spend the summers of 2015-17 collaborating with emerging and established choreographers at the National Choreographer’s Initiative in Irvine, California, under the artistic direction of Molly Lynch.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Previous Affiliations:

Colorado Ballet, Saint Louis Ballet

Kaori began dancing when she was 3 at the Kitamura Ballet Studio in Shiga, Japan. When she was 18 she attended Japan Grand Prix 2004 where she won the bronze prize and also received a scholarship prize to attend The Royal Ballet School in England. While at The Royal Ballet School she had an opportunity to perform Raymonda Act III, Kirk Peterson’s The Eyes That Gently Touch and Robert Hill’s Piano Concerto No.2 under Ms. Jacquelin Barrett. After she graduated from The Royal Ballet School, she joined Colorado Ballet Studio Company for two years before joining The Saint Louis Ballet. Some of her favorite performances while working with The Saint Louis Ballet include The Nutcracker (Snow Queen/ Dew Drop), Christopher d’ Amboise’s Tribute (principal role) and George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie (principal role). Kaori joined Sacramento Ballet in 2012 and some of her favorite works are Ron Cunningham’s Carmina Burana, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Blackbriar, George Balanchine’s Who cares?, Rubies, Serenade, Agon pas de deux, and contemporary works by Darrell Grand Moultrie, Gabrielle Lamb, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Edwaard Liang. Kaori is a founding member of Capital Dance Project and has supported it as a dancer, choreographer, and costumer. She loves designing and creating costumes and leotards, and has worked with Ron Cunningham, Rex Wheeler, David Fernandez, Texture Contemporary Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and Richmond Ballet.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2022

Previous Affiliations:

Birmingham Royal Ballet, Arles Youth Ballet Company

Coming from the middle of the desert, Ugo Frediani began learning several dance styles part-time in the small town of Alice Springs in Australia at the age of 9. At the age of 16 he decided to pursue a ballet career and started full-time ballet training at the Alegria Ballet School in Sydney. The following year in 2018, Ugo was accepted straight into the second year of the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School which is associated with the Birmingham Royal Ballet company in Birmingham, UK. In the two years spent at Elmhurst, he had the opportunity to work with many important people such as Odette Hughes (associate director of Studio Wayne McGregor) and Chi Chao (former principal dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet as well as star of the movie ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’) along with being invited to perform in the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ as one of the four ‘Winds’ in 2020. After his graduation from the Elmhurst ballet school in 2021, Ugo joined the Arles Youth Ballet Company in France under the direction of Norton Fantinel (former guest artist with numerous galas and ballet companies in the US, as well as former principal dancer with the Washington Ballet and Tulsa Ballet). In this time, he had performed works with famous choreographers such as ‘Convergence of Pathways’ with Craig Davidson, Norton Fantinel’s ‘Le Casse-Noisette de Manon’, and Julien Guerin’s ‘Miniature’. In 2022, Ugo Frediani was one of the fourteen Arles Youth Ballet Company dancers chosen to represent France in the ‘International Ballet Festival of Miami’.

 

Previous Affiliations:

Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, Ballet Arizona

Michelle Katcher was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. At the age of seven, she began classes at Anchorage Classical Ballet Academy, where she studied for nine years under Farah and Michelangelo Canale. Michelle then moved to Washington D.C. to train at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. Upon graduating, she was invited to study under the legendary American ballerina, Gelsey Kirkland in New York City. Michelle was a founding member of the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet. With GKB, Michelle danced many principal and soloist roles including Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Marie in The Nutcracker, and Columbine in Harlequinade. Michelle then joined Ballet Arizona for one season, where she danced in ballets such as Ib Anderson’s Coppelia and The Sleeping Beauty, and George Balanchine’s Symphony in Three MovementsRubies, and Walpurgisnacht. Since joining the Sacramento Ballet in 2016, Michelle has had the opportunity to work with many choreographers including Amy Seiwert, Ron Cunningham, Penny Saunders, and Darrell Grand Moultrie. Her favorite roles include Marie in Amy Seiwert’s The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Tarantella, and the “jumping girl” in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2013

Dylan Keane started his dance training in South Carolina at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. Upon graduation he had the opportunity to dance with many ballet companies before joining Sacramento Ballet including Carolina Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and Richmond Ballet. Throughout his career he has performed lead roles in La Bayedere, Petrushka, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and Paquita. He has been fortunate enough to work with many wonderful choreographers including Alonzo King, Val Caniparoli, Ma Cong, Gina Patterson, Gabrielle Lamb, Septime Webre, Phillip Neal, and many more. Mr. Keane has had the honor to travel the world on tours and as a guest artist to countries including Argentina, Uruguay, Japan, and Oman.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet as Apprentice:

2021

Daniel was born and raised in Switzerland. He started his professional ballet training at the Theater Basel in Switzerland. After one year, in 2015, he moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to train at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. At CPYB, in addition to Weary, he trained with Simon Ball, Nicholas Ade, and Darla Hoover, amongst others. His training also included summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and Alonzo King Lines Ballet.

In 2018, Daniel joined the Cincinnati Ballet as a second company member. Then, starting in 2019 he was a company trainee with Texas Ballet Theater before joining Sacramento Ballet as an apprentice in 2021.

Some of his favorite ballets he has performed in include George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Gregory Dawson’s Strange Love, and Soar by Jennifer Archibald.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2022

Previous Affiliations:

Victor Maguad started dancing in Manila Dance Center at the age of 7 under the tutelage of Luther Perez, Tony Fabella, and Eddie Elejar. He continued his dance training at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance School in 2004 with Noordin Jumalon. He was promoted as an Apprentice of Ballet Philippines in 2011, as Junior Company Member in 2012, Senior Company in 2013, Soloist in 2014, and a Principal Dancer in 2015. He performed most of the classical full length ballets and other contemporary works from local and international guest choreographers. He was also a member of Les Ballet Eloelle/Grandiva, an international all male ballet touring company under the direction of Victor Trevino. He joined Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance Workshop in 2020, a special project from the National Artist for Dance of the Philippines Alice Reyes. He joined Sacramento Ballet for the 21-22 season under the direction of Anthony Krutzkamp. He was featured in Chrysalis, Catalyst, and Beer & Ballet for the season-ending productions of the company.

 

Born in Portland, OR, Wyatt McConville-McCoy began his ballet training at Oregon Ballet Theatre. In 2017 he joined Boston Ballet II, under the tutelage of Peter Stark, where he performed Harlequinade in Boston Ballet’s At Home Series and alongside the main company in Jerome Robbin’s West Side Story. Two years later he joined Atlanta Ballet II where he had the privilege of performing in ballets such as La Bayadere and in featured roles of The Nutcracker while on tour to the Kennedy Center. Wyatt joined Sacramento Ballet in 2021 where he has graced the stage in roles such Gnome in The Nutcracker, the Men’s Trio in Val Caniparoli’s Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino, and the featured pas de deux in Isaac Bates-Vineza’s Rumor as well as in Jennifer Archibald’s Soar.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2022

Previous Affiliations:

Ballet Philippines, Les Ballet Grandiva/Ballet Eloelle

Eugene began his  dance training at the age of 11 in Teatro Baile de Cavite under strict tutelage of Brezhnev Larlar and he also trained by Toni Lopez Gonzales-Garcia former Principal Dancer of Ballet Philippines and The Washington Ballet in the Philippines.

He is a Former Soloist of Ballet Philippines 2011-2021. And he essayed significant roles in Carlo AC Pacis “A Midsummer Nights Dream” as Lysander, Demetrius and Theseus, Swanlake as Prince Siegfried and Von Rothbart, Sleeping Beauty one of the Gems in Jewels Pas de Quatre, Gener Caringals’ Ang Sultan as Sultan, Cinderella as Griselda, Romeo and Juliet as Tybalt. He also took part in a all male touring Ballet Company based in New York called the “Les Ballet Grandiva/Ballet Eloelle” under the Artistic Director Mr. Victor Trevino and participated in Japan, China, Australia and South Africa Tour.

He Joined Sacramento Ballet this January 2022 and recently performed Nicole Haskins’ Groundless Shift , Val Caniparoli’s Tutto Eccetto Il Lavandino , Jennifer Archibald’s Soar, Julia Feldman’s Hearts and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. And he was given a chance to choreograph a Pas de deux for the company called “Nocturne”.

 

Joined Sacramento Ballet as Apprentice:

2019

Promoted to Company Artist

2021

Originally born in Dongguan, China, Wen Na Robertson moved to Redmond, Washington in 2003. She began her training at the age of seven at Pacific Northwest Ballet. At twelve, she moved on to the private studio of Deborah Hadley, and studied there for the next five years before being accepted into Atlanta Ballet’s Conservatory program, where she trained under the direction of John McFall and Sharon Story. She continued her training with the University of Arizona School of Dance on scholarship and graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance and minors in Marketing and Chinese.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Year Joined The Sacramento Ballet:

2008

Birthplace:

Sydney, Australia

Previous Affiliations:

Urban Ballet Theatre, Australian Ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet

Born and raised in Australia, Richard began his training at La Vive Classique Academy of Dance. He went on to finish his training and studies at The Australian Ballet School. Richard then moved to New York, where he danced with multiple companies before joining the Sacramento Ballet. Richard has been featured in an array of roles in ballets by noted choreographers: George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Septime Weber, Trey McIntyre, Ron Cunningham, Ma Cong, Twyla Tharp, Jodie Gates, Stephen Mills, and Darrell Moultrie to name a few. Some of Richard’s favorite roles include El Capitan in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, Albrecht in Giselle, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Promoted to Company Artist:

2016

Previous Affiliations:

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Graduate Program, The Washington Ballet trainee

A native of Orange County, Isabella started her dance training at the Maple Conservatory under the direction of Charles Maple in Irvine, CA, and then continued as a trainee dancer with The Washington Ballet in DC. She completed her dance studies at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program before joining Sacramento Ballet in 2014. Audience members will recall her leaping into the spotlight in many featured roles including: Kitri in Don Quixote, Act 1; Marie in Amy Seiwert’s The Nutcracker, Peasant Pas de Quatre in Giselle, lead in George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations and Tarantella, and Ophelia in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet. She’s also greatly enjoyed working with choreographers Ma Cong, Septime Webre, Adam Hougland, Ron Cunningham, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Val Caniparoli, and Jodie Gates.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2023

Previous Affiliations:

Sarah Joan Smith, originally from Columbia, South Carolina, began her dance training in Kiev,
Ukraine at age nine. She furthered her education at University of North Carolina School of the
Arts under the directorship of Ethan Stiefel. Upon her graduation in 2012, Sarah Joan joined
Boston Ballet as a trainee. Following that her career has allowed her to work for many ballet
companies including Richmond Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.  In
addition to these companies, Sarah Joan has spent summers performing with the Kansas City
Dance Festival and the National Choreographer’s Initiative. She has performed through the United States,

Mexico and Canada as well as touring to China in 2015.

Some of Sarah Joan’s most enjoyable ballets to perform have been Val Caniparoli’s “The
Lottery”, William Forsythe’s “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” and Greg Horsmann’s “La
Bayadere. She has also originated roles in ballets by Andrea Schermoly, Matthew
Neenan, Yury Yanowsky, Ma Cong and many others.

Joined Sacramento Ballet as apprentice:

2017

Promoted to Company:

2019

Previous Affiliations:

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, BalletMet

Born in San Francisco, California, Dominique Wendt began dancing at the Contra Costa Ballet Centre under the direction of Zola Dishong and Richard Cammack. At the age of thirteen, she continued her training at the San Francisco Ballet School, where she performed ballets such as Tarantella, Helgi Tomasson’s Ballet D’Isoline, and George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, and with the main company in their production of The Nutcracker. Dominique spent one year as a trainee with BalletMet, where she performed lead roles in Paquita and Etudes as well as with the professional company in productions of The Nutcracker, The Great Gatsby, and Cinderella. Additionally, she spent two years in Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program, in which she performed in La Sylphide, Etudes, and George Balanchine’s Serenade (Waltz Girl), as well as with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in their productions of The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Alice in Wonderland, and Romeo and Juliet. Since joining Sacramento Ballet, Dominique has performed in Amy Seiwert’s The Nutcracker; Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker, Carmina Burana, Bolero, and Giselle, and George Balanchine’s Serenade, Donizetti Variations, and Theme and Variations.

Photo by Tony Nguyen

Joined Sacramento Ballet:

2023

Previous Affiliations:

Enrico Hipolito was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He began his training through
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s outreach program “Dance Chance” in the third grade. He continued his
dance education at PNB on full scholarship until graduation. He then continued his training at
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, performing principal roles in many ballets including
George Balanchine’s “Emeralds”, “Serenade” and “Western Symphony”.

Enrico joined Ballet West 2 in 2015 where he spent two seasons performing alongside the
company. Enrico joined Kansas City Ballet in 2017 and enjoyed performing many internationally
renowned works including soloist roles in William Forshythe’s “In the Middle, Somewhat
Elevated” and Val Caniparoli’s “Lady of the Camelias”. Enrico has had works
created on him by Anabelle Ochoa Lopez, Ma Cong, Val Caniparoli, Norbert de la Cruz, and
Kate Skarpetowska at KCB and Richmond Ballet where he continued his career prior to joining
Sacramento Ballet in 2023.

Coming from the south of France, Maxence Devaux began learning dance in the National Ballet Conservatory of Avignon at the age of 8. After a few years of ballet training he got his first short contract at the age of 18 years old with the Ballet of Metz in France along with other ballet tours around Europe. At the age of 20 years old he decided to join the Arles Youth Ballet Company directed by Norton Fantinel and Karina Moreira for following 3 years in which he became part of important works by famous choreographers such as Craig Davidson, Julien Guerin, Kin Sun Chan, Yoel Carreno, Patrick Delcroix and many others.In 2023 Maxence got hired and joined the Sacramento Ballet.

Apprentices

Maia was born in Roseville, California, and began dancing at six years old. She trained throughout Sacramento and the Bay Area with teachers including Pat Colgate and Tina DeVine. She has attended summer programs with The New Ballet School in San Jose, Bolshoi Ballet Academy in NYC, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Milwaukee Ballet.

At sixteen, Maia started as a Sacramento Ballet Trainee where she danced soloist roles in classical works, Paquita, La Bayadère, Napoli, and Le Corsaire. She performed with the company in their production of Nutcracker. She was promoted to Sacramento Ballet Second Company in 2022 in its inaugural year, performing featured roles in repertoire including Swan Lake and new works choreographed by Colby Damon and Julia Feldman. She is thrilled to join SacBallet as an apprentice for its 23/24 season.

Born and raised in Houston, Tx, Julia Payne began her ballet training at Payne Academy of Ballet. After graduating high school, Julia attended the University of Oklahoma where she continued her training in the School of Dance under the direction of Michael Bearden. In 2019, she joined Texas Ballet Theater’s Studio Training Company where she performed in many works including Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.

Julia joined Sacramento Ballet as a trainee in 2021 and was promoted to SBII the following season. During those two years, she performed many classical and contemporary works by Anthony Krutzkamp, Jill Krutzkamp, Colby Damon, and Julia Feldman. In 2023, Julia joined the main company as an Apprentice.