Company
Sergio Amarante
Sergio Amarante began his ballet training in Buenos Aires and subsequently joined Ballet Theatre Argentino, performing solo roles in such ballets as Nutcracker, Raymonda and Don Quixote. He was also a member of Ballet Argentino de Julio Bocca, performing and touring in Argentina and internationally. Sergio has been a member of New Jersey Ballet since 2002 performing solo and principal roles.
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Kerry Mara Cox
Kerry is a scholarship graduate of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She became an apprentice with that company, under the direction of Patricia Wilde, and later performed for 10 years with St. Louis Ballet, where she rose to the rank of principal. Her repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle, and featured roles in Dennis Nahat's Brahms Quintet. She joined New Jersey Ballet in 2008.
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Albert Davydov
Albert Davydov was born in Russia and began his ballet training at the age of eleven at the Kazan Choreographic School of Ballet. Upon graduation, he joined the Tatar State Theater of Opera and Ballet where he danced solo and principal roles and toured with the company in Europe and the United States. He has won numerous prizes in international competition. His repertoire includes Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet. He joined New Jersey Ballet in 2004.
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Leonid Flegmatov
Leonid Flegmatov graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography in 2001 and joined the Russian Academy of Theatrical Arts GITIS as a soloist. His repertoire includes principal roles in such ballets as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and Futile Precaution. Leonid was awarded a prize in the First International Chabukiani-Balanchine Ballet Competition in 2001. He has toured in Europe, Asia and the United States. He has danced with Miami City Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, International Ballet Theater, and Grand Rapids Ballet Company. A member of NJ Ballet in 2007-2008, he rejoins the company for the 2011-2012 season.
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Raeman Kilfoil
Raeman comes to NJB this season from Festival Ballet of Providence, Rhode Island, where he was a principal dancer. Prior to that, he performed with North Carolina Dance Theatre and with St. Louis Ballet. A native of New York, he received his training from the School of American Ballet and attended Indiana University where he studied under Violette Verdy. He has performed Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, the Cavalier in Nutcracker, and Swan Lake, among many others.
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Ana Luiza Luizi
Ana Luiza Luizi was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where she began her training at age 8. She joined the Sesiminas Dance Company And toured throughout Brazil and Latin America performing in The Nutckracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, La Fille Mal Gardee, Coppela, Don Q and Raymonda. She toured China with the Europe Ballet Conservatory of St. pollen, Austria before coming to the U.S. and joining NJB in 2007.
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Kotoe Kojima-Noa
Kotoe was born in Japan and studied with New York City Ballet principals Valentina Kozlova and Leonid Kozlov. Ms. Kojima-Noa joined NJB during the 2001-2002 season and has appeared in Nutcracker, Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Graduation Ball, Esmeralda, Giselle, Flames of Paris pas de deux and in featured roles in Johan Renvall's Tango and Robert North's Let's Go South.
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Andrew Notarile
Andrew Notarile began studying ballet, tap and jazz at the age of eight at New Jersey School of Ballet. He also studied at School of American Ballet and is a graduate of Professional Performing Arts School. He made his debut as Fritz in NJ Ballet’s Nutcracker and later appeared as the Jester in New York City Ballet’s production of Swan Lake. Andrew has danced with American Repertory Ballet and BalletMet in Columbus. His virtuosity has distinguished his dancing in such varied roles as the Cavalier and Nutcracker Prince in Nutcracker, the title role in Petruchka, and featured roles in Danzantes, Octet and I (Heart) Kenji.
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Gabriella Noa-Pierson
Gabby began her training locally and entered New Jersey School of Ballet at the age of 8. At 11, she performed the coveted role of Clara in New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker at Paper Mill—one of the youngest ever to dance the role. Ms. Noa-Pierson was a scholarship student at the Pennsylvania Ballet, and returned to New Jersey and NJB in 1999. Her repertory includes Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and roles in Allegro Brilliante, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Tango, For Ella, Saturday Night and the Cowgirl in deMille’s Rodeo.
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Vladimir Roje
Vladimir Roje was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. He began his ballet training at the National Conservatory for Dance in Bulgaria and earned a B.A. and Masters of Ballet Direction/Ballet Art from the State Music Academy in Sofia. He began his career as a soloist at the Bulgarian National Theater for Opera and Ballet, and later became a principal dancer at the opera in Graz, Austria. He has traveled extensively as a guest artist in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. His awards include a bronze medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, and third place in the international competition in Luxemburg.
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Ekaterina Smurova
Born and trained in Russia, Katya graduated with honors from the Kazan Choreographic School of Ballet. In her final year, she was selected to dance the lead in a new ballet, The Snow Queen, by Honored Artist of Russia Aleksandr Polubentsev. She went on to join the Staislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow State Theater, where she quickly rose to the rank of soloist, appearing in Don Quixote, Nutcracker, Cinderella and Swan Lake. She joined NJB in 2009.
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Mari Sugawa
Mari was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Japan where she received her training. She joined the Matsuyama Ballet Company in 1994 and performed as a soloist in such classics as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella, and Giselle. She also performed Ballet Ballet Ballet, a contemporary work by Matsuyama Company choreographer Tetsutaro Shimizu. Ms. Sugawa has performed with Ballet Austin, New York Theatre Ballet and Eglevsky Ballet. Her Juliet, Princess Aurora and Black Swan have met with high critical praise.
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David Tamaki
David Tamaki began his formal training at New Jersey School of ballet at age 7. He also studied at the Joffrey Workshop in Texas and with Miami City Ballet. In 1998, he became a member of the NJB Junior Company and joined the Company in 1999. His repertory includes Allegro Brillante, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, For Ella, Saturday Night, Trepak and the Prince in Nutcracker. He has guested with the Eglevsky Ballet and International Ballet and Metropolitan Ballet of Minneapolis, where he reprised his NJB success as the tap dancing Champion Roper in Agnes deMille’s Rodeo.
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Andre Luis Teixeira
Andre Luis Teixeira began studying ballet in his native Brazil at the age of 8. Six years later, he joined Sesiminas Companhia, where he rose through the ranks from corps de ballet to principal dancer. His repertoire includes leading roles in such classical ballets as Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, Swan Lake and Nutcracker. André has won numerous gold and silver medals in international competitions. He joined New Jersey Ballet in 2008.
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Humberto Teixeira
Humberto Teixeira was born in Brazil where he began studying martial arts at the age of 7. He rapidly excelled at karate, king fu, taekwondo, jiu jitsu and capoeira. As a teenager, to improve his martial arts technique, he began a serious study of ballet. Humberto has performed solo and principal roles with Dance Company Sesi Minas, Brazilian Dance Company, El Paso Dance Company, Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina, and Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Germany. In addition, he is an award-winning choreographer whose ballet, Tamoia, was premiered by NJB in May 2011.
Junio Teixeira
Junio Teixeira began his dance training in his native Brazil, where he studied with renowned ballet master Pablo Moret. In 1998 Teixeira joined Sesiminas Companhia and was promoted to soloist in 2000. He has been a laureate and participant in numerous dance competitions including Festival Internacional De danca de Joinville, Brasilia International Dance Seminar and NY IBC . He danced with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina in lead roles in La Fille Mal Garde, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Paquita, Nutcracker, Carmina Burana and Cinderella. Junio joined New Jersey Ballet in 2008.
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Christina Theryoung-Neira
Christina Theryoung-Neira started her training at New Jersey School of Ballet and later studied at the School of American Ballet and the Royal Ballet, London. Upon returning to the U.S., she joined the Los Angeles Ballet, directed by John Clifford, and also performed with the Fort Worth Ballet. Christina appeared in New Jersey Ballet's 25th Anniversary Nutcracker in 1995 and joined the company for the 1996 season. In 1997, she entered the New York International Competition and was chosen to perform the Stars and Stripes solo at the Gala performance.
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Elisa Toro Franky
Elisa was born in Bogota, Colombia, where she began her training at the School of Ballet Myriam Guerrero. At the age of 19, she came to the U.S. and at Miami City Ballet. Elisa danced with the Washington Ballet and later joined Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she toured nationally to celebrate the 40th anniversary of DTH, before joining NJB in October 2010. She attended the University de los Andes in Bogota.
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Yuuki Yamamoto
Yuuki Yamamoto trained at the Hakucho Ballet Academy in his native Japan. He was a finalist in the Japan Grand Prix and won a scholarship to the Ailey School in New York. He has appeared in Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, Sleeping Beauty, Gopak, Nutcracker and many others. Yuuki joined NJB in 2010
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Vitaly Verterich
Vitaly Verterich trained at the Kiev Ballet School and the Moscow Academy of Art. After graduating, he danced solo roles in classical and contemporary works with the Russian Chamber Ballet Theatre, and often appeared as a guest with the Bolshoi and Kirov. In 1998, Vitaly was a principal with Moscow Folk Ballet when Michael Flatley invited him to join Riverdance. Vitaly toured Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S. with Riverdance, and performed in it on Broadway.
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Apprentices
Carmen Gonzalez
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Nahoko Nakamoto
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Francesca Nieves
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Kit Nemecek
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Catherine Whiting
