Distinguished Alumni

JUSTIN ABEL

Originally from League City, Texas, Justin Abel began dancing when he was 9 years old at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. During his five years there, he trained and performed alongside the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theater.

From 2014–2021, Abel performed with Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theater, Feijóo Ballet School, and Next Generation Ballet. During this time, he performed various roles in The Nutcracker, including the Snow King and Sugar Plum Cavalier, as well as Siegfried in Swan Lake. He also participated in YAGP Houston and Tampa Regionals, where he placed in the top 3 in the Pas De Deux category and was a finalist at ADC IBC 2021.

That same year, Abel moved to Nashville to join NB2, Nashville Ballet’s official second company. During this time, he performed several works by Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling, including Peter Pan, Cinderella, Billy the Kid, Firebird, and Appalachian Springs. He has also danced in several world premieres by Artistic Director and CEO Nick Mullikin, Alia Kache, Company Dancer Julia Eisen, Charlotte BoyeChristensen, Justin Peck, and Jiří Kylián. He cites Mullikin’s He Loved Big Brother as his favorite, as he felt like it pushed him out of his comfort zone to explore new types of movement and technique.

Abel was promoted to company apprentice in November of 2022 then promoted to Company Artist in 2024. When he’s not rehearsing, he enjoys teaching the next generation of dancers at School of Nashville Ballet, as well as spending time with loved ones and enjoying the beautiful city of Nashville.

ALEXANDER ÁLVAREZ

Alexander Álvarez Silvestre was born in Hiqüey (Dominican Republic) in 2003, but grew up in San Juan (Puerto Rico). He started dancing at the age of 16 at the Centro Danza in San Juan. He then moved to Texas (United States) where he studied for a year at the Feijóo Ballet School and was a member of Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre. During this same year, he participated in the Youth America Grand Prix. There, he received a scholarship to complete his ballet training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam, where he graduated in 2023. During his studies in Amsterdam, Alexander has already had the opportunity to dance in The Sleeping Beauty by Dutch National Ballet. As of season 2023/2024, he joined the Junior Company.

KENNEDY BALLARD

Kennedy made his stage debut at age 4 as a party boy in The Nutcracker with the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre. Kennedy grew up at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with Ms. Lynette Mason Gregg where he trained exclusively until the summer of 2015, when he studied at the prestigious School of American Ballet. In 2016, he trained at Feijóo Ballet School under the direction of Lorna Feijóo and Nelson Madrigal. Kennedy was a Principal Dancer with the Huntsville Ballet Company for three years. He is currently in his second season as a Company Artist with Ballet Memphis.

Throughout his career, Kennedy has performed many roles. Some of his favorites are Albrecht (Giselle), Seigfried (Swan Lake), Basilio (Don Quixote), Lead Man (Durante Verzola’s Many a New Day), Lysander (Mark Godden’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Principal Man (George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations), and Sugarplum Cavalier (The Nutcracker). Kennedy would like to thank Lorna Feijóo, Lorena Feijóo, Nelson Madrigal, Natalie Zundel, his parents, and Lynette Mason Gregg for everything he has become.

KEVIN CAHOON

Broadway : Shucked ( Tony, Drama Desk Nominations ),The Who’s Tommy, The Lion King, The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Wedding Singer. Off-Broadway: Hedwig and The Angry Inch ( also Boston, San Fransisco, Edinburgh), The Foreigner ( Lortel Nomination ),The Wild Party, How I Learned To Drive, The Shaggs. TV: Monarch, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, GLOW, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, Six Degrees, The Good Wife, Elementary, among others. Film: So Cold The River, Mars Needs Moms, I Am Michael, The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, among others. Regional : The Guthrie, Williamstown, The Old Globe, Bard Summerscape, The Ahmanson. NYU -Tisch. As a director, concerts, events, developmental productions at Ars Nova, 8 consecutive NYTW Galas, plays and musicals at George Street and many others.

CAITLIN CANNON

Caitlin began her career at 18 years old, kicking eye high as a Radio City Rockette. Select performing credits: White Christmas, Annie w/ Sadie Sink, Spamalot, A Chorus Line, Show Boat (HGO.) Choreo credits include Figaro 90210 (Associate Choreographer, Off-Bway,) Thoroughly Modern Millie, Grease, Annie, Fiddler. Caitlin conceived, directed, and choreographed the dance webseries Who Could Ask For Anything More. She has taught at STEPS & BDC in NYC & is currently on faculty at HSPVA and Amy Blake’s Academy of Dance. Proud RAFA & BAHBT alum! For Makenzie.

@CaitlinCannonChoreo & @CaitlinCannonPhotography (IG.)

LAUREN FRERE

Lauren born and trained in Houston, Texas at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. During her time there her principal teachers were Miroslav Bart and Milena Leben under the direction of Lynette Mason Gregg. Her professional credits include Sarasota Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, and First State Ballet Theater. She has performed many of the principal classical ballet repertoire during her career as well as contemporary works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, and Viktor Plotnikov. Ms. Frere left Sarasota Ballet to pursue other classical artistic opportunities. She became Principal dancer of Columbia Classical Ballet under the direction of Radenko Pavlovich where she forged a memorable partnership with her partner Ivan Popov. In 2011, their partnership was put on display as the season opened with a significant premiere – Swan Lake was Lauren’s first opportunity to dance the principal role traditionally as both Odette/Odile. The State, South Carolina's largest newspaper, recognized her performance as one of the "2011 Moments in Art", proclaiming “It was Lauren Frere, who danced the roles of Princess Odette and Odile, who made the performance spectacular. Her dancing was precise, lyrical and a joy to watch.” Ms. Frere joined First State Ballet Theater in 2014 as a Principal dancer under the direction of Pasha Kambalov until her retirement in 2017. Lauren is honored to return to BAHBT and to continue the legacy of the organization she once called her home.

VANESSA GARNER

is the daughter of BAHBT founder, Lynette Mason Gregg. Vanessa is originally from Houston, TX and currently resides in Nashville, TN with her husband Grey and their two children, Will and Hattie Grey. Vanessa is the founder and Artistic Director of Nashville Theatre School, a children's musical theatre school in West Nashville.

Vanessa began her career in musical theatre at the age of 7 in New York City in the off-broadway production of “Really Rosie”, where she played the role of Kathy and recorded the cast album. Upon returning to Houston, she performed with both Theatre Under the Stars and Houston Grand Opera, while attending the High School for Performing Arts. After graduating from Houston’s High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Vanessa appeared in the national tour of “Bye, Bye, Birdie” with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking.

Vanessa graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelors in Business Administration / Music Business in Nashville, while performing at Opryland in “And the Winner Is”. Vanessa also performed with Opryland Productions in The Opryland Hotel’s “A Country Christmas” as well as at The Alabama Theatre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a season.

In 2000, Vanessa wrote and recorded a solo album, “A Letter Home to You”. Her record received national radio airplay, as well as a “Just Plain Folks” award in 2001. Her song “Not the One” was featured on the hit TV show “Dawson’s Creek”.

Vanessa soon returned to her musical theatre roots and began teaching musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (RAFA), in Houston, TX. Producing over 25 musicals for children and overseeing RAFA’s Broadway Studio Workshop program. In addition to working with RAFA students, she also produced 6 main stage professional productions for Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre (BAHBT), alongside director Kevin Cahoon. Vanessa served as the Artistic / Executive Director for RAFA & the interim Artistic Director for BAHBT between 2014-2015. In 2016, Vanessa began teaching musical theatre classes to preschool and elementary school aged children in Nashville. Within a year, the program grew into Nashville Theatre School providing professional musical theatre training for over 200 students with mainstage musicals, Summer Intensive programs and a full, year round program of classes in music, theatre and dance.

Vanessa has lived in Nashville for the last 25 years and is married to Grey Garner; they have two children, 20 year old Will who attends Ole Miss and 18 year old Hattie Grey who attends The Ensworth School.

AMANDA GLADU

is a New York City based costume designer working in theater, dance, opera, and film. She's designed and associate designed at esteemed companies such as Lincoln Center Theatre, Joe's Pub, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Spoleto Festival, The Wilma Theater, Arena Stage, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, and Second Stage. Select recent projects include Lunch Dances (Monica Bill Barnes & Co, NYC), Scales on the Wings of a Butterfly (BalletX, Philadelphia), Ghosts of Versailles (Shepherd School of Music, Houston), Silent Light (National Sawdust, NYC), Threshold (ParaMar Dance Theatre, Chicago), and Peerless (59 E 59, NYC). Upcoming: Amadeus (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago), La Passion de Simone (Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia). Amanda received the 2017 Michael Merritt Academic Award for Collaborative Design for Northwestern University. She holds an M.F.A. in Stage Design from Northwestern University, and dual B.A. degrees in Dance and Art History from the University of Texas at Austin. Amanda has held faculty positions in costume design at Northwestern University, Ithaca College and Boston University, and will be Special Visiting Faculty in Costume Design at Carnegie Mellon University in the upcoming academic year. She sends unending love and gratitude to her family for never for a moment questioning her artistic path, and to BAHBT for being the artistic home of her youth.

AYMAN HARPER

Ayman is an interdisciplinary artist and educator committed to the performing and visual arts community. A 25-year veteran, he has performed in over 25 countries and has taught across five continents.

A former dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, Frankfurt Ballet and The Forsythe Company, he has collaborated with and performed works by some of his field’s most influential artists.

In 2009 he was extended a personal invitation from Mikhail Baryshnikov to perform alongside of him at the Baryshnikov Arts Center Gala. Harper has staged William Forsythe repertoire on companies across the globe including Paris Opera, La Scala, Nederlands Dans Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, English National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Dutch Nationale Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance and Sydney Dance company.

Harper has been an avid practitioner and teacher of improvisation for over 25 years and as Choreographer has created for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, The Forsythe company, as well as various international companies and universities including Bar Area Houston Ballet and Theater.

As an interdisciplinary artist, he collaborated with Arto Lindsay and Rirkrit Tiravanijaa on a parade for Paris’ Nuit Blanche Festival. In the field of music his tap dancing has been featured on track “You” from the album The Marriage of True Minds by electronic musicians Matmos.

Harper has always been driven to pursue his love of pedagogy alongside his performance and choreographic career. Through this he has developed an approach to instruction that encourages nonviolent communication and promotes the exploration of artistic sensibilities, while emphasizing accessibility and inclusion to all that wish to experience it.

Born in Houston, Texas, Harper received his education at High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, The Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theater.

ALLISON HENNING-LUTTER

Allison began dancing at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts at age 4. She became a member of the BAHBT Company when she was 13 and went on to dance principal roles in BAHBT productions. Upon graduation from high school, Allison moved to New York to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. As an AADA Company member, she appeared in plays such as Ring Round the Moon, Some Girls and Dangerous Liaisons. Upon completion of her studies at AADA, Allison was cast in the First National Tour of Mel Brooks’ production, Young Frankenstein. After touring, Allison appeared in several Indy films, TV shows and commercials. Allison, and her sister, Laura, were the last recipients of the JETE Society award, chosen by Lynette Mason Gregg. Currently, Allison is an interior designer with Beacon Street Restoration, a company she founded with her husband. She is most passionate about being a mom to her two young children. She will always value her years spent with BAHBT and Lynette as her some of most valuable and formative!

LAURA HENNING

is a Royal Academy of Fine Arts and BAHBT alumna. She studied under Lynette Mason Gregg, Milena Leben, Amber Thornton, Soili Arvola, Leo Ahonen, and Misha Bart, as well as many wonderful guest teachers and choreographers. After graduating from Clear Lake High School, she moved to New York to attend university and dance. At 19 she joined the Radio City Rockettes, and went on to dance with them for six seasons at the Grand Ole Opry. She has played Cassandra in multiple productions of CATS, including the National Tour. Laura has also performed in 14 shows at the Theatre Under the Stars in Houston. She has performed in musicals all over the country from Salem, MA to Seattle, WA. Laura earned her degree in philosophy from NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences while pursuing her performance career. Laura has come back to BAHBT multiple times throughout her career. She was the choreographer of Thoroughly Modern Millie, directed by Kevin Cahoon, and An American in Paris, directed by Laney Carlin. In 2024 Laura directed and choreographed BAHBT’s Beauty and the Beast. It’s like the mafia… you have to die to get out.

KIRSTEN HUNTSBURGER

Kirsten was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV where she started her dance training at an early age. She attended Houston Ballet's summer intensive, and at age 16 she was accepted into their year round program on a full scholarship where she trained with their academy. She was invited to join Houston Ballet II where she had the opportunity to perform principal roles in various academy productions. In spring 2018 she was promoted to the company where she danced with the Corps de Ballet until 2022. At Houston Ballet she performed in productions such as Stanton Welch's The Nutcracker and Swan Lake as well as Ben Stevenson's Sleeping Beauty and other modern pieces such as Disha Zhang's “Elapse.” Kirsten then joined BAHBT as a guest artist where she was grateful to have received many performance opportunities to further her career. She joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2024 where she has had the opportunity to perform principal and soloist roles both in classical and contemporary genres.

REGAN HUTSELL

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Regan Hutsell began studying ballet in the Royal Academy of Dance method. She later continued her training with teachers John Magnus, Phillip Broomhead, and Kelly Ann Vitacca. Throughout her formative years Ms. Hutsell spent her summers studying at Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, School of American Ballet, and with the Bournonville masters in Paris.

Ms. Hutsell completed her pre-professional training at Feijóo Ballet School under the direction of Lorna Feijóo, Lorena Feijóo and Nelson Madrigal. During her time at Feijóo Ballet School Ms. Hutsell was fortunate to be a Soloist with Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre. In 2019 after attending the invitational week of the Rockettes Summer Intensive on a full scholarship, Ms. Hutsell was subsequently hired at the age of eighteen to be a Radio City Rockette. While a Rockette, she was featured in The New York Post, Dance Spirit Magazine, and on NBC Nightly News. Following her time as a Rockette Ms. Hutsell was fortunate to briefly dance with Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Bay Area Houston Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Rhode Island, before joining Birmingham Royal Ballet as an Artist in 2021. Throughout her career at Birmingham Royal Ballet she had the opportunity to dance exciting roles such as ‘Carabosse’ in Sleeping Beauty, ‘Harlot’ in Romeo and Juliet, ‘Spanish’ in Swan Lake, ‘Snow Attendant’ in the Nutcracker, Ben Van Cauwenbergh’s ‘Je Ne Regrette Rein’, William Tucket’s ‘Nisi Domini’, Carlos Acosta’s ‘Dying Swans’, Jorge García‘s ‘Majisimo’, and in Black Sabbath the Ballet she originated the solo ‘In Ozzy’s Head’.

MAX ISAACSON

Max started his dance training at the age of 7 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts under Lynette Mason Gregg and has proudly performed with BAHBT throughout his development as a dancer as well as coming back for multiple guest opportunities. At 16 he attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American ballet theater. He has performed with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Orlando Ballet, and Carolina Ballet as a Soloist. Max is currently living in Los Angeles where he is an Actor and Stand Up Comedian that performs in venues across the country!

SOPHIA JONES

Sophia began her early ballet training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Webster, Texas. Since 2016, she has trained with Feijóo Ballet School under the direction of Lorna and Lorena Feijóo and Nelson Madrigal. She has attended summer dance programs with Feijóo Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, and Boston Ballet School. Her repertoire includes Nelson Madrigal’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Cinderella, La Sylphide, and Majísimo, Lídice Núñez’s Esperaré, The Wedding, and Bang Bang, and Yury Yanowsky’s Red Pen, among many other productions with BAHBT. Jones competed in the 2024 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and was the Grand Prix winner of the Houston semi-finals. She placed in the top 12 for classical ballet and third place in pas de deux at the YAGP Finals in New York City. This resulted in the unique opportunity to be invited to the job fair hosted by YAGP in Nashville, TN. This experience opened up a contract offer that she accepted with Boston Ballet II. She joined BBII for the 2024-25 season, where she performed at the Citizen’s Opera House in repertoire of Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements. Jones danced with the Boston Ballet’s 2025 summer tour to Los Angeles, CA, performing Swan Lake. She is excited about signing another contract with Boston Ballet II for the 2025-26 season!

DONTEE KIEHN

Dontee presently serves as the Global Associate Director of the TONY award winning MJ the Musical in which she supervises and maintains 5 productions in 4 countries, including the Broadway, US National Tour, London West End, German, and Australian productions. She is also currently the Associate Director on a production of 10 Things I Hate About You which is in development for an upcoming Broadway season. Previous credits include Diana the Musical (Broadway; Associate Director); An American in Paris (Broadway, London, Paris, Japan; Associate Director/ Choreographer); The Addams Family (Broadway, US National Tour, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico City; Associate Director/ Choreographer); Next to Normal (Broadway, Japan, Kennedy Center; Associate Choreographer); Brigadoon, Oklahoma!, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Pittsburgh CLO; Director); Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (St. Louis MUNY, Directing Consultant). Broadway performance credits include the original companies of 42nd Street, Gypsy (starring Bernadette Peters), and The Addams Family. Dontee holds a BPA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University and is a proud member of SDC and Actors Equity.

MIRAL KOTB

Miral was born in Cairo, Egypt and moved to America as a child. At a very young age, she discovered a love for dance, music, and technology. At 9, she taught herself to code, creating her own video games. Miral attended Columbia University in New York City, where she studied Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Motion Capture. She secured a highly coveted Bloomberg Financial as a Senior Software Engineer, writing High-Frequency Trading Software for Wall Street. Simultaneously, Miral pursued her background in choreography and music, ultimately combining her life passions to create the light suit sensation, iLuminate. With the artistic sensibilities of a dancer and musician and the integral tech knowledge of a programmer, Miral sought to compose a symphony of lights on the human body, invigorating live performance for years to come. Her Patented Wireless Control System is used in productions, collaborations, and industrial events worldwide. As an artist of code, Miral merges storytelling and technology to elevate the voices of our collective humanity. Miral Kotb was born in Cairo, Egypt, and moved to America as a child. At a very young age, she discovered a love for dance, music, and technology. At 9, she taught herself to code, creating her own video games. Miral attended Columbia University in New York City, where she studied Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Motion Capture. She secured a highly coveted position at Bloomberg Financial as a Senior Software Engineer, writing High-Frequency Trading Software for Wall Street. Simultaneously, Miral pursued her background in choreography and music, ultimately combining her life passions to create the light suit sensation, iLuminate. With the artistic sensibilities of a dancer and musician and the integral tech knowledge of a programmer, Miral sought to compose a symphony of lights on the human body, invigorating live performance for years to come. Her Patented Wireless Control System is used in productions, collaborations, and industrial events worldwide.

Combining her experience as the Founder and CEO of iLuminate, a tech startup, with her role as Creative Director of award-winning live productions, Miral deftly builds and produces unique, awe-inspiring entertainment from the ground up. iLuminate’s electrifying performances landed the company a finalist position on America's Got Talent where their unique blend of dance and technology captivated millions and was dubbed “The Best New Act in America” Her directorial vision has led to renowned productions with lasting impact, including national and international tours, multiple shows in the heart of Broadway, and her current Las Vegas Residency at The Strat, which was voted Best New Production in Las Vegas 2022 and extended through 2027.
A close collaborator of Chris Brown’s for over ten years, Miral programmed performances for four of his national tours, several international shows, and numerous television appearances such as Dancing With The Stars, the BET Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards. Her distinctive artistry led to collaborations with The Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin, Christina Aguilera, and Death Cab For Cutie for both television and live events such as The Voice and the MTV VMAs. Miral directed several productions for Six Flags over Texas, Busch Gardens, and Dollywood. Internationally she has worked with Crystal Cruises, Robin Des Bois in Paris, Holiday on Ice across Europe and Amstel Live in Rotterdam.

Miral encourages all audiences and creators to harness the computational power of technology to elevate the human creative voice, not silence it.

TARA McCALLY

Tara is currently a company member of Ballet Rhode Island Providence, Rhode Island under the direction Kathleen Breen Combs. Born in Houston, TX, Tara began dancing at the age of 3 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and continued training at the Feijóo Ballet School. Tara has performed in various BAHBT productions, including Dracula, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, many mixed repertoires, and 15 seasons of The Nutcracker with the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre.

Tara has performed roles ranging from The Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen (The Nutcracker), Kitri (Don Quixote), Effie (La Sylphide), Anastasia (Cinderella), to The Canary Fairy (The Sleeping Beauty). In 2015, Tara was honored to be the recipient of the coveted Lynette Mason Gregg scholarship. She has had the privilege to receive training from schools, such as Ellison Ballet in NYC, the School of American Ballet in NYC, Tulsa Ballet, The Harid Conservatory and Feijóo Ballet School.

She has competed in the Youth American Grand Prix and placed first in Classical and 2nd in Contemporary, as well as placing 1st with a Pas de Deux. Tara has also received the Grand Prix Award in the Dance open America competition for classical variations and works by Yury Yanowsky and Alexis Zanety. Tara is honored to have trained under Lorna Feijóo, Nelson Madrigal, Lorena Feijóo, Natalie Zundel, Laura Massague, Ayman Harper, Dominic Walsh, Rolando Sarabia, Yusha Sorzano, Yury Yanowsky, Luis Fuente, Alexis Zanety, Heather Steele and Caitlin Cannon Fagan.

Her professional work at Ballet Rhode Island include Dewdrop, Spanish, Snow (The Nutcracker), Stepsister (Cinderella), Tall Swan and Spanish (Swan Lake), Mercedes (Don Quixote), Erin (Blue Until June by Trey Macintyre), Jackie (a ballet by Yury Yanowsky), as well as being in pieces by Ken Ossola, Annabelle Ochoa, and Concerto (a George Balanchine ballet).

She is grateful for the endless support of her loving family and teachers. Tara will forever be inspired by Ms. Lynette.

PIPER McCOURT

Piper was born in Houston and raised in League City, Texas. She trained in the pre-professional division at Feijóo Ballet School under the esteemed guidance of Lorna Feijóo, Nelson Madrigal, and Lorena Feijóo. Piper proudly performed with BAHBT for 13 seasons, 6 as a Company member, and concluded her time at home as a Principal dancer under the direction of Nelson Madrigal. Her repertoire with BAHBT included cherished roles such as Clara, Rose, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Gamzatti in La Bayadère, and Myrtha in Giselle. She continued her training at BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, under the direction of Remi Wortmeyer, performing in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, and George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15. Piper is currently a dancer with Nashville Ballet’s second company, NB2, directed by Nick Mullikin and Maria Konrad. Nashville Ballet is celebrating their 40th season, and Piper is honored to be part of its Ruby Season. She extends heartfelt thanks to the BAHBT Artistic Staff for their support and training throughout the years, and is honored to be recognized as a BAHBT alumni.

ESTHEYSIS MENENDEZ

Born in Havana, Cuba, Estheysis began her ballet training at eight years old in the Vocational Art School in Camagüey (1999) and continued it in the Academy "Vicentina de la Torre" in the same city.
In 2007 she joined the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana, under the guidance of Ramona de Saá and Fernando Alonso. During her school stage she became worthy of important distinctions in competitive events, among them: First Place category Variations (2005) and First Place category Pas de Deux (2008) in the International Ballet Competitions that took place in Havana.

In 2008 she was awarded the Special Prize of the jury in the Premio Roma competition and the prize of Best Couple in the Competition of Reggio Calabria in Italy. The same year she joined the National Ballet of Cuba under Alicia Alonso's Artistic-Technical Direction, in which she performed a repertoire of classical and contemporary works. In 2012 she was promoted to Soloist and In 2015 she got promoted to the category of First Soloist.

With the National Ballet of Cuba, she performed the principal roles in traditional collections such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, and performed throughout Latin America, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and Asıa.

In 2017, she signed a contract with Houston Ballet where she is currently dancing as a demi-soloist under the Artistic Direction of Stanton Welch and Julie Kent. Some of more featured roles with this company include George Balanchine’s Rubies (Kick Girl), Christopher Bruce’s Hush (Mother), James Kudelka’s Passion, Disha Zhang’s World Premier Elapse, Stanton Welch’s Marie (Maria Theresa), Divergence, Brigade, Edward Liang’s Murmuration.

She has been invited to be a Guest Artist to International Ballet Festivals in Miami, Florida; Quito, Ecuador; and Havana, Cuba. In addition to her professional dance experience, Estheysis is PBT Certified.

ISABELLA MIRELES VIK

is an interdisciplinary artist based in Houston, Texas with a focus on contemporary dance, body arts and physical theater. Vik uses these elements to find the intersections in movement and experimental performance to create thematic work questioning the human condition and societal struggles through abstract narratives. They have also developed a unique method to perform through their improvisation method known as "Body Transgressions." Vik’s preprofessional training was under Luis Fuentes and Mischa Bart at her home studio (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in Houston under artistic director Lynette Mason Greg, dominantly in Vaganova ballet. During her time at RAFA, Vik was the recipient of the Helen Mason Scholarship and performed in the Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theater. Their professional training has continued with a strong focus on involving floor work, acrobatics, improvisation and physical theater. Over a span of 5 years, Vik has self-produced and performed in over 11 projects for both stage, film and galleries. They have presented work through Dance Source Houston, Lawndale, The Orange Show, Throughline Gallery, Snow Gallery, Atlas Dance Festival, The Blaffer and Diverseworks. Their research has been greatly influenced by their international and national training with artists such as Laja Field, Anton Lachkey, Sadé Alleyne, Sita Ostheimer, Victor Rottier, Lewis Wilkins, Satoshi Kudo, Jozef Fruček, Horacio Macuacua, Edivaldo Ernesto, Peter Jasko, Cree Barnett Williams, Lisard Tarnis and Sidra Bell. Vik has been a recipient of the LCH grant and is currently on the Artist Advisory Committee at Diverseworks. In 2023 Vik formed their performance ensemble, Aufheben to expand Vik's research on contemporary dance and performance for group projects and became fiscally sponsored in 2024. Aufheben performed their first full length production "Cuidado No God," in 2024 for three evenings at Arts & Culture Lab and later presented "Human Resource" at the 2024 Texas Biennial. Residing in Houston, Vik continues to work with their ensemble while teaching their open company class at Hunter Dance Studio.

AUDREY ODELL

Audrey Odell, a Houston native, began her training at age four with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and was a founding student at Feijóo Ballet School under the direction of Lorna Feijóo, Nelson Madrigal, and Lorena Feijóo. Audrey performed various principal and soloist roles in BAHBT productions including 12 seasons of The Nutcracker (Rose, Snow Queen, Clara), Swan Lake (Four Little Swans, Pas de trois), Dracula (Friends
Pas de Six), The Sleeping Beauty (Playful Fairy), and several mixed repertories. Her professional career included two seasons with Oklahoma City Ballet as a Trainee.

During her time with OKCB she performed in Robert Mills’ The Nutcracker (Flowers, Mother Ginger), as well as trainee productions such as The Firebird (Maiden) and Bournonville’s Napoli (Pas de Six).

Audrey graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Texas Tech University. She now works as a water/wastewater
engineer in The Woodlands, TX. The discipline, artistry, and dedication cultivated through her years in ballet continue to inspire her work ethic and passion in her engineering career.

LAUREN PHILSON

Lauren is a dancer with Collage Dance Collective in Memphis spent her summers prior studying at Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theater in NYC, School of American Ballet, Colorado Ballet and Houston Ballet. She appeared in BAHBT productions The Nutcracker, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and Hairspray. At age 13, Lauren was invited to join the Houston Ballet Academy’s full time year-round professional division program, additionally training at Colorado Ballet Academy and appearing as Myrtha in Giselle. At 18, Lauren began her professional ballet career in Memphis with Collage Dance Collective. Lauren’s repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux, Prodigal Son and Valse-Fantaisie, Durante Verzola’s Luminescent, Kevin Thomas’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Christopher L. Huggins’s Enemy Behind the Gates, Amy Hall Garner’s Saint Glory, Ulysses Dove’s Vespers, Geoffrey Holder’s Dougla, and Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. She has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including the The Kennedy Center where she debuted the role Firebird in Kevin Thomas’s Firebird and the Wortham Theater in various roles in Ben Stevenson’s and Staton Welch’s debut of The Nutcracker with Houston Ballet. When not dancing, Lauren teaches dancers all over the world. She is an instructor of an adult ballet class (Memphis), has guest taught at both Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy (Denver) and Academia Andrea Wolff Ballet (Colombia) and also active in ballet outreach programs in Mississippi.

GRACE SAULS

Grace Sauls was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she received her foundational training under Lynette Mason-Gregg at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She furthered her studies through summer intensives with Boston Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Feijóo Ballet, and Olga Kostritzky’s intensive through the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

From 2016 to 2019, Grace was a Soloist with Juxtapose Arts Collective, where she also debuted as an emerging choreographer. During this time, she performed one of her favorite roles to date, Myrtha in Giselle. She shared the stage with renowned ballerina Misty Copeland in Open World Dance Foundation’s Cinderella at the Houston Hobby Center and performed in New York with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

In 2019, Grace completed her Vaganova training under Misha Bart, a graduate of the Vaganova Academy, through The National Theatre of Belgrade in Europe. From 2020 to 2022, she danced with Fort Wayne Ballet in the Corps de Ballet, performing Solo Girl in Light Rain, The Duke in David Ingram’s Romeo & Juliet, and roles in The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Dracula.

In 2022, Grace joined Roanoke Ballet Theatre as a Soloist, where she danced for three seasons in featured roles such as Dewdrop and Arabian Lead in The Nutcracker, Moyna in Giselle, the Vampire Bride in Dracula, as well as soloist roles in Paquita and Alice in Wonderland.

In July 2025, Grace returned home to Texas to begin her first season with Ballet Frontier in Fort Worth. She looks forward to bringing her passion, artistry, and diverse stage experience with audiences across Texas, while continuing to grow and evolve as an artist.

MADISON TAYLOR

began dancing at the age of three and spent her early years traveling the country as a competitive dancer before focusing on classical ballet. She studied and performed with Feijóo Ballet School and BAHBT, where she was honored to dance leading roles such as Swanhilda in Coppélia and the title role in Giselle. Madison was awarded a scholarship to Cincinnati Ballet, where she spent two years as a trainee and Second Company member. During her time there, she was able to learn and perform in major productions including Balanchine’s Jewels, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, The Little Mermaid, Giselle, The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Delmira, among other mixed repertoires. She also had the opportunity to work closely with acclaimed choreographers such as Yosihisa Arai, David Morse, Shane Urton, Brice Asnar, and Chiaki Horita. Now embarking on a new chapter, Madison is attending Texas A&M University, where she is studying Communication and Business. She hopes to bring the same discipline and passion that shaped her dance career into her studies and future pursuits.

Distinguished Alumni

2025-2026 Season Partner