Ballet Austin Company Dancers
COLIN CANAVAN
Joined Company: 2022
Colin, from Reading, MA, began his training at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and graduated from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2022 with a BS in Ballet Performance, Arts Management, and Human Resource Management. At IU, he performed roles such as the principal in Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and other Balanchine, Robbins, Wheeldon, Morris, and Bournonville works. Colin attended the 2021 Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program under Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and the 2024 National Choreographers Initiative under Molly Lynch. Joining Ballet Austin in 2022, he has performed works by Stephen Mills, Jessica Lang, and Amy Seiwert. His notable performances include “Laertes” in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, Jessica Lang’s Garden Blue, and “Imp of the Perverse” in Mills’ Poe / A Tale of Madness. Colin also teaches ballet throughout the city of Austin and is currently pursuing a MS in Human Resource Development from the University of Texas at Tyler.
ANGELINA CARBONARO
Butler Fellow: 2023–2024 | BA TWO: 2024–2025 | Joined Company: 2025
From Clearwater, Florida, Angelina began her training with Tampa Bay Ballet at age 6. In 2018, she joined Next Generation Ballet’s trainee program and studied under Philip Neal, where she performed several classical and contemporary works. Some of her most notable roles were Snow Queen, Clara, and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote, Bluebird Pas de Deux in Sleeping Beauty, in addition to other roles in George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Swan Lake, and Le Corsaire. Angelina attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Carolina Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet.
ANIKA CROUSER
BA TWO: 2023–2024 | Joined Company: 2024
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Anika received her early training from Dublin Dance Center and Columbus City Ballet. She supplemented her training with several summer intensive programs including Chautauqua Institution, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and BalletMet. She graduated from Southern Methodist University In 2023, where she received a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Creative Advertising. At SMU, her notable performance experience includes George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Duex, Silas Farley’s Meadows Serenade, Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels, and Adam Houghland’s Less.
KATHERINE DEUITCH
BA TWO: 2016–2018 | Joined Company: 2018
Katie is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She began her pre-professional training at Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Lise Houlton and went on to become an apprentice with the professional company at age 16. She attended summer intensives at the Juilliard School, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, DanceWorks Chicago, Boston Ballet, and the School of American Ballet (SAB). In 2014, she was invited to solidify her professional training as a part of SAB’s winter term. She participated in multiple NY Choreographic Institutes including choreography by Dana Genshaft and Peter Walker as well as her own. She performed Jerome Robbins’ Fanfare as well as George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments in the annual SAB Workshop performances. Upon graduation, Katie danced in Ballet Austin TWO for two years before her promotion to the company in 2018. With Ballet Austin, she has performed in works by Stephen Mills, Jennifer Hart, Michelle Thompson, Paul Vasterling, Thang Dao, and Septime Webre. Her most notable performances include soloist and principal roles in George Balanchine’s Rubies, Amy Seiwart’s Traveling Alone, as well as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Symbiotic Twin. She also enjoyed dancing Odette/Odile in Stephen Mills’ staging of Swan Lake and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. In the off-season, Katherine is a member of project-based contemporary company Performa/Dance. In conjunction with her dance career, she has completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification, teaches in the Ballet Austin Academy, and is a part-time student.
LEXI EICHER
BA TWO: 2021-2023 | Joined Company: 2023
Born in Fort Wayne, IN, Lexi began her pre-professional ballet training during the sixth grade at Project Ballet, instructed by Beth McLeish. She graduated from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2021 with a B.S. degree in Ballet Performance & Psychology. At IU, she performed in Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance), Jerome Robbins’ N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz & The Concert, Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels, and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. She joined Ballet Austin as an apprentice in 2021 and performed lead roles in excerpts from Paquita and Sleeping Beauty. Lexi appeared in George Balanchine’s Serenade as well as in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and Light with the company before her promotion in 2023. She also enjoys teaching for Ballet Austin’s Young Children’s Division and Pre-Ballet classes.
VIVIEN FARRELL
Joined Company: 2020
Born and raised in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Vivien trained for 12 years with Vermont Ballet Theatre. She furthered her training in Miami City Ballet School’s pre-professional division and spent an additional year at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. Prior to Ballet Austin, Vivien danced five seasons with Eugene Ballet in Oregon. There she performed principal roles by Toni Pimble, Suzanne Haag and Edwaard Liang. Since joining Ballet Austin, Vivien has danced works by Amy Seiwert, Jennifer Hart and George Balanchine. She has been featured as The Snow Queen and Waltz Soloist in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker as well as Madeline in Mills’ Poe/A Tale Of Madness. Her notable roles include Ophelia in Stephen Mills’ Hamlet after first performing it with Eugene Ballet in 2018, Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, and Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade.
TRISTIN FILSINGER
Joined Company: 2023
Tristin grew up primarily in Eureka, California. At age twelve, he was accepted into Boston Ballet School’s Pre Professional program with a full merit scholarship. There, he trained under Peter Stark, Igor Burlack, and Margret Tracy among others before continuing his education at Butler University under full merit scholarship. At Butler, Tristin earned a BFA in dance and performed many roles as a part of Butler Ballet including the Nutcracker Prince, Snow King, the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake, and the Peasant Pas De Deux from Giselle. He also performed in world premieres from choreographers such as Patrick de Bana and Jennifer Archibald.
GRAYSON GALLELLA
Butler Fellow: 2024 | BA TWO: 2024–2025 | Joined Company: 2025
Originally from Tehachapi, California, Grayson began training at the age of 10 at a small local studio and completed his pre-professional training with the Bakersfield City Ballet, under the direction of Erica Ueberroth. There he performed roles such as Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Basilio in Don Quixote, and Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. He furthered his training with summer programs at The Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Ballet Austin. He joined Ballet Austin TWO in 2024 where he had the opportunity to perform in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet.
COLIN HEINO
Joined Company: 2023
Originally from Plainfield, Illinois, Colin started dancing when he was eight at Times III Performing Arts Academy and later with Visceral Dance Center’s Studio Company. Colin then auditioned for the Chicago Academy for the Arts, where he received a scholarship to train under the direction of Randy Duncan and Patrick Simoniello. During his summers, he expanded his training at the Juilliard School, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the Joffrey Academy of Dance, the Royal Ballet School, and the Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program.
Colin’s intellectual curiosity and love for dance led him to pursue a BFA at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, where he graduated in 2023. At USC, he performed lead roles in Whereabouts Unknown by Jiří Kylián, In Creases and Rodeo by Justin Peck, Counterpoint by Kyle Abraham, Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin, New Sleep by William Forsythe, and more. Upon graduating from USC, Colin joined Ballet Austin as a company artist, where he has had the opportunity to perform ‘Mercutio’ in Stephen Mills’ Romeo and Juliet and featured roles in Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, Jessica Lang’s Zig Zag, and Stephen Mills’ Racing Beauty and Bubblegum.
Colin has performed as a Guest Artist with the Traverse City Dance Project for their 2023-2025 seasons and danced for Performa/Dance in their 2024 production PIVOT.
ARNALDO HERNANDEZ
BA TWO: 2020-2022 | Joined Company: 2022
Arnaldo is from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where he began training at Pasos Ballet Academy and The Conservatory of Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico. He was later accepted to The Rock School for Dance Education where he performed in Nutcracker 1776 as well as Gala and Fringe Festival showcases. He later joined Pennsylvania Ballet’s second company and danced the pas de trois from Paquita, Celtic Fire and the pas de deux from La Fille Mal Gardée. He also appeared in company productions such as George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Macmillan’s Romeo & Juliet, Angel Corella’s La Bayadere and Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces.
AMAYA JOSEPH
BA TWO: 2024-2025 | Joined Company: 2025
Amaya was born in Beaufort, SC but relocated often as the child of a parent in the military. She began her ballet training at The Ballet Studio in Murrieta, CA directed by Mark Erickson. Amaya attended Orlando Ballet School directed by Diedre Miles Burger and then The Washington School of Ballet as a trainee, directed by Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev. At TWSB, she performed with the company in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Julie Kent’s The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, and Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker. Amaya attended summer intensives at ABT, MCB, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, & PNB. With Ballet Austin TWO, she performed in Stephen Mills’ Belle / A Tale of Beauty & The Beast, The Nutcracker, and Romeo & Juliet.
MEG KATAOKA
BA TWO: 2022-2023 | Joined Company: 2023
Meg was born in New York and grew up in Japan. She started her training with Tomoka Dance Studio. In 2016, she joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School where she performed lead roles in Marius Petipa’s Paquita and David Linchine’s Graduation Ball. She spent two years with PBT before an invitation to Boston Ballet School came through their summer intensive. She performed in Miko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker and was coached in various Balanchine works. In 2020, Meg joined Kansas City Ballet’s second company where she performed in Balanchine’s Serenade, Septime Webre’s Wizard of Oz, and various other classical/contemporary works. She joined Ballet Austin as an apprentice in 2022 and performed Aspirin girls in Serenade. She also danced in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker, I am the Monument, Light and Cinderella with the main company.
MARCO LORENZO-GIGUERE
Joined Company: 2025
Marco was born in Washington, D.C. He began dancing at The Washington School of Ballet for 7 years, before attending St. Paul’s School, training under Kate Lydon. He began his professional career with BalletX, where he performed both repertoire and new works by Matthew Neenan, Amy Hall Garner, Jennifer Archibald, Nicola Wills and Natasha Adorlee. From there he joined Richmond Ballet’s Studio Company and performed in the company’s productions of Cinderella (Ben Stevenson), The Nutcracker (Stoner Winslet), and Moving Art 1 (Val Caniparoli, Ma Cong). Marco is also a student at Columbia University studying Neuroscience and Dance.
KYAWZWA JEREMY LWIN
Joined Company: 2023
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kyawzwa began dancing at the Westlake School of Performing Arts at age 5. He continued his ballet training at City Ballet San Francisco under the direction of Mr. Nikolai Kabaniaev at age 15. Since then, he has performed lead roles in The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Satanella, and more in contemporary and neoclassical pieces. In 2020, he was awarded first place at YAGP San Francisco Semi-Final. In 2022, he attended YAGP finals in Tampa, Florida and was awarded 2nd place in Contemporary Pas de Deux category. He was also invited and participated in the prestigious Helsinki International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland.
ISABELLA PHILLIPS LYNCH
BA TWO: 2018-2021 | Joined Company: 2021
Born in Fremont, California, Isabella trained at San Francisco Ballet School for 6 years before studying under José Manuel Carreño at Ballet San Jose. She continued on to be part of The New Ballet’s Studio Company in San Jose, California for a few years, as well as working as a trainee with Smuin Ballet in 2017. Since her move to Austin in 2018, Isabella was part of Ballet Austin TWO for three seasons before joining the main company in 2021. Her most notable roles since joining the company include Snow Queen and Waltz Soloist in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker, Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty. She also enjoyed dancing in Amy Seiwert’s Renaissance, Jessica Lang’s Zig Zag, and Stephen Mills’ Light / The Holocaust and Humanity Project.
ALYSSA MANGUIAT
Joined Company: 2021
Originally from Mason, Ohio, Alyssa received her training from the Cincinnati Ballet Academy under the direction of Sarah Hairston from 2007-2017. She went on to study as a trainee at Cincinnati Ballet, then joined their second company, and later joined their company as an apprentice. Ms. Manguiat has enjoyed dancing many roles with Cincinnati Ballet such as the principal girl in Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht, a cygnet in Kirk Peterson’s Swan Lake, and the corps de ballet in Adam Hougland’s Rite of Spring and Balanchine’s Serenade.
PAUL MARTIN
BA TWO: 2015–2017 | Joined Company: 2017
Paul began his ballet and dance training in West Des Moines, Iowa, under the tutelage of Hank and Beth Adams. With their guidance, Paul earned scholarships to notable summer intensive programs, including Kansas City Ballet School, Nutmeg Conservatory, San Francisco Ballet School and Ballet Austin. In 2014, Paul received a scholarship to Kansas City Ballet School where he advanced his training, culminating in a performance opportunity with Kansas City Ballet II. As a Ballet Austin TWO apprentice, Paul performed lead roles, such as The Judge in Nick Kepley’s Season of Innocence and The Prince in Nelly Van Bommel’s Snow White. Additionally, he’s performed in Jennifer Hart’s Spaces and Stephen Mills’ Touch and The Nutcracker.
SAMUEL MAYER
Joined Company: 2025
Originally from Acton, MA, Sam began dancing at the Acton School of Ballet and the Brookline Ballet School. In 2022, he graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Classical Ballet. There, he performed Cavalier in the premier of Ilya Kozadayev’s Nutcracker, Gennaro in Bournonville’s Napoli, and Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty. Upon graduating, he joined Nashville Ballet II under Nick Mullikin, dancing works by Paul Vasterling, Penny Saunders, Yury Yanowsky, Gabrielle Lamb, Travis Bradley, and Maria Konrad, among others. In 2024, Sam moved to Colorado to dance with Garrett Ammon’s Wonderbound Contemporary Ballet.
JACK MORRIS
Joined Company: 2023
Jack Morris is from Pasadena, MD where he started his dance training at Jamz Dance Studio. In 2018, he enrolled at Baltimore School for the Arts where he received ballet training under the mentorship of Anton Wilson. In 2020, he continued to the School of American Ballet where he performed principal roles in George Balanchine’s Symphony in C and La Source as well as featured roles in Jerome Robins’ Glass Pieces, Four Seasons, and Goldberg Variations. Jack has also performed with the New York City Ballet in their production of Peter Martin’s The Sleeping Beauty and George Balanchine’s Garland Dance.
GRACE MORTON
BA TWO: 2012–2013 | Joined Company: 2013
Grace is from Seattle, WA. She received her early training at Dance Fremont under the direction of Vivian Little and Mary Reardon. In 2010 she continued her study in Oregon Ballet Theater’s professional division and joined Ballet Austin TWO in 2012. After joining the company in 2013, Grace has performed lead roles in Mills’ The Nutcracker (Grand Pas, Snow Queen, and Marzipan), Hamlet (Ophelia), Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project, The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), POE / A Tale of Madness (Sissy, and Mother), Carmina Burana, One/the body’s grace, I Am The Monument, and CARBON53. She danced the pas de deux in George Balanchine’s Rubies, Serenade, and Concerto Barocco. She has also appeared in works by James Gregg, Jennifer Hart, Gabriel Lamb, Pontus Lidberg, Lar Lubovitch, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Pam Tanowitz, and Christopher Wheeldon. Grace has danced for project-based company Performa/Dance and appeared in Zilker Theatre Production’s presentation of Oklahoma! as Dream Laurie. In the summer of 2019, she was honored to perform at the Jacob’s Pillow opening Gala in Symbiotic Twin, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
ALEXANDRA OWENS
Butler Fellow: 2021-2023 | BA TWO: 2023-2024 | Joined Company: 2024
Alexandra began her dance training in Wichita, KS, under the guidance of Jill Landrith. At 16, she relocated to Tampa, FL, to join the Next Generation Ballet trainee program, directed by Philip Neal. She has also attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Austin, and Oklahoma City Ballet. In 2021, Alexandra joined Ballet Austin’s Butler Fellowship Program and in 2023, she advanced to Ballet Austin TWO. During her time with Ballet Austin, she has performed in numerous productions, including Stephen Mills’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake, as well as George Balanchine’s Serenade and original works by Alexa Capareda and Jennifer Hart. Alexandra is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Advertising at the University of Texas at Austin.
DIANETZY ROJAS
BA TWO: 2019-2021 | Joined Company: 2021
Dianetzy is originally from Puerto Rico. Her early training began in Puerto Rico at Escuela Julian E. Blanco, Conservatorio de Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, and Escuela de Danza de Siglo 21 before being accepted to the School of American Ballet in 2016. At SAB she has performed works by George Balanchine, Justin Peck, William Forsythe, and Sofia Bianchi. Other performance experience includes Don Quixote with Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico.
MORGAN STILLMAN
Joined Company: 2017
Morgan Stillman began his formal ballet training with Project Ballet in Fort Wayne, Ind., and attended Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. In 2014, he joined Nevada Ballet Theatre and performed principal and soloist roles. Morgan joined Ballet Austin in 2017 and has performed choreography by Justin Peck, Pam Tanowitz, Lar Lubovitch, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Jennifer Hart, and Amy Seiwert. Morgan has danced principal roles in many of Stephen Mills’ productions, highlights include Hamlet (Hamlet), Petruccio (The Taming of the Shrew), Poe (Poe / A Tale of Madness), and in Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project. He has also enjoyed performing the Prince role in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and The Firebird. During the summer season, Morgan performs with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance with artistic director Heather Maloy in Asheville, NC. where he has danced many dynamic roles such as The Vampire (Vampyre), Julius Caesar (Cleopatra), and the Wind God (Satto by Salvatore Aiello). He also performed with the National Choreographic Initiative in Irvine, CA. in 2017 and 2018.
.
LEIGHTON TAYLOR
Joined Company: 2021
Born in Charlotte, NC, Leighton started training at Charlotte Ballet Academy at age 8. At 15 he relocated to train at International Ballet Academy under director Christina Fannéy and with teachers Nadia Pavlenko & Maxim Ponomarenko. There Leighton performed Cavalier in The Nutcracker and Colas in La Fille Mal Gardée. In 2018, he joined Boston Ballet School as a trainee, performing in Konservatoriet with the school and with the company in Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, Balanchine’s Coppelia, and Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella. In 2020 Leighton joined Boston Ballet II and performed works by Petipa, Peter Stark, and Artist My’kal Stromile.