MEET THE DANCERS

CHARLOTTE BALLET

The artists of the Charlotte Ballet are known for their high energy, precision and speed, as well as their ability to perform a versatile repertoire ranging from full-length classical ballets to innovative contemporary works. Charlotte Ballet’s breathtaking beauty, boundless energy and amazing athleticism have dazzled audiences and critics the world over.

3rd Season UTAH

Isaac Aoki

Isaac Aoki made his debut at three as a frog in Thumbelina at the University of Utah. He does not remember a time he didn’t love dance…

11th Season NEW YORK

Raven Barkley

Raven, from Bronx, NY, began dancing at age 10 at Ballet Tech, the New York City Public School for Dance. She furthered her training at the Fiorello H…

4th Season PENNSYLVANIA

Luke Csordas

Luke Csordas grew up outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was drawn to dance due to its ability to tell stories and build community. He received his BFA from…

3rd Season NEW YORK

Mario Gonzalez

Mario started dancing at the Marya Kennett School of Dance in Goshen, NY. He received his pre-professional training at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and…

2nd Season NORTH CAROLINA

Karsen Gresham

Karsen is from Charlotte, NC and grew up dancing at Charlotte Ballet Academy and Havilah Dance Company. As an Academy student, Karsen performed in eight seasons of Jean Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker…

1st Season CALIFORNIA

Joseph Hetzer

Joseph Hetzer started his classical training at South Bay Ballet in Torrance, California before becoming a member of the inaugural class at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. While in school…

7th Season IDAHO

Rees Launer

Rees began his dance training with Ballet Idaho and Idaho Regional Ballet at age 12. He attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts for three years and graduated cum laude in 2016…

2nd Season CALIFORNIA

Maia Lee

Maia was born in Roseville, California, and began dancing at the age of six. She trained at various local and Bay Area studios under the instruction of many teachers, including…

4th Season TENNESSEE

Anna Mains

Anna Mains grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and began her training at age 8 with Centennial Youth Ballet. From 2016-2018, she danced as a Trainee with…

10th Season MARYLAND

Maurice Mouzon Jr.

Maurice, a Baltimore native, was first introduced to dance at age 14 and started his formal training at Baltimore School for the Arts. After graduating…

2nd Season VIRGINIA

Stephen Myers

Stephen Myers, from Chesterfield Virginia, began dance training at the age of 5, and in a few years he was competing in all genres. At 16, he decided to focus on ballet and…

4th Season NEW YORK

Oliver Oguma

Oliver Oguma was born and raised in New York City. He grew up as a hip-hop dancer and Ford model before he began dancing ballet at the age of 8. He trained at The School of…

3rd Season JAPAN

Remi Okamoto

Remi Okamoto is a professionally trained dancer who has been dancing worldwide for over 7 years. She is from Kyoto, Japan and started ballet at the age of five in Keiko Honda Ballet School…

3rd Season GEORGIA

Anna Owen

Originally from metro Atlanta, Anna first discovered her passion for dance at Perimeter Ballet. She also received coaching and mentorship from former Atlanta Ballet principal…

3rd Season INDIANA

Samantha Riester

Samantha is from Greenwood, Indiana. She started training with Indianapolis Ballet and was invited on scholarship to attend The School of American Ballet at age 15. She attended…

2nd Season MICHIGAN

David Senti

David Senti began dancing when he was six years old in his hometown of Holland, Michigan, studying at a local studio until his junior year of high school; to further his training…

2nd Season JAPAN

Fuki Takahashi

Fuki Takahashi was born in Yokohama, Japan and began her training at the age of 4. She studied at Yuzue Ballet Studio in Japan until her move to the US in 2010 where she…

2nd Season ILLINOIS

Adriana Wagenveld

Adriana is originally from Puerto Rico, and started her training at the age of 3. She studied many styles of dance before joining the Grand Rapids Ballet Company as a trainee…

10th Season NEW JERSEY

Shaina Wire

Shaina, from Sussex County, NJ, began dancing at Branchville Dance Centre. At age 13, Shaina was invited by Ethan Stiefel to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts…

Emerging Artist

1st Season NORTH CAROLINA

Clay Houston

Charlotte native Clay Houston began competing in dance at the age of four. He trained at Charlotte Ballet Academy and was offered a trainee position in the Academy’s…

CHARLOTTE BALLET II

Charlotte Ballet II is a group of young professional artists affiliated with Charlotte Ballet. These dancers offer public presentations of their own repertoire as well as appear in performances with the main company. Charlotte Ballet II dancers perform an eclectic mix of choreography including some of their own work. They also appear in lecture demonstrations and residencies at public and private schools.

2nd Season MISSOURI

Aysia Bates

Aysia Bates began her formal dance training at the Kansas City Ballet at the age of twelve where she began in the school. During this time, she attended several summer programs…

3rd Season ILLINOIS

Bridget Fox

Bridget Fox began her dance training at the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park, Illinois. At age 15 she joined A&A Ballet in Chicago where she performed in various…

1st Season GEORGIA

Andre McGregor II

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Andre McGregor II joined the middle school dance program at Esther F. Garrison School for the Art and, by age twelve, made the decision to pursue dance as a career…

1st Season UTAH

Elliott Mumm

Elliott Mumm was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he began breaking classes out of a love for dance and hip-hop music. At age 8, he started ballet training at the Ballet West Academy and…

1st Season CUBA

Roberto Nicolau

Originally from Cuba and now a U.S. resident, Robert Nicolau is a dedicated dancer currently performing with Charlotte Ballet II. He trained in Level 2 of the Professional Program at Houston…

1st Season MISSOURI

David Anthony Scheuerman-Saucedo

David Anthony Scheuerman-Saucedo began training at Midwest Regional Ballet and spent summers dancing with Tulsa Ballet, Texas Ballet, and Hubbard Street, before joining…

1st Season FLORIDA

Stella Urbano

Stella Urbano was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. She began dancing at age 4, and quickly knew she wanted to pursue a professional career. She joined the Florida Ballet where…

2nd Season ILLINOIS

Serafina Wagenveld

Serafina began dancing at age 3 near Chicago, Illinois. At age 10, she moved with her family to Michigan where she enrolled at Grand Rapids…