Company Members

Mariana Alonso was Born in Guadalajara Jal. México. She is a Professional ballet dancer and teacher, graduated in Psychology and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Mariana has performed professionally in different companies: Compañia de Danza Classical and Neoclassical de Jalisco (CDCNJ), Ballet de Jalisco (BJ), and Ardentia Compañía de Danza in México City, Ventana Ballet and Metamorphosis Dance in Austin Tx. 

She has played several ballets and galas some of her favorite roles have been: Medora from Corsair pas de deux, Sugar Plum Fairy from Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Queen of Hearts of Alice in Wonderland. Mariana has been with Ballet Texas since 2023.

Roberto is a 23-year-old professional dancer from Mexico. He began his dance studies in 2016 and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Classical Dance from Pro del Talento Veracruzano PROVER, under the direction of teacher Martha Sahagún Morales in Córdoba, Veracruz. Thanks to this solid foundation, Roberto has had the opportunity to perform in prestigious theaters and festivals across Mexico, including the National Classical Dance Competition, where he participated as part of a dance ensemble at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In the past two years, Cantú has danced with the State of Mexico Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Master Jasmany Hernández. He has worked alongside renowned figures such as Yazmín Barragán, teacher and choreographer of both the National Dance Company and the Dance Company of the State of Mexico. During this time, he has performed in works including El Despertar de las Maquetas, Romeo y Julieta, Casta Diva, and Primer Sueño, among others. He has been featured both as a soloist and as a member of the corps de ballet in several choreographic works. Roberto has been with Ballet Texas since 2024.

Emily Edwards grew up in Rockville Centre, New York where she started dancing at the age of two. In May of 2020, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance under the mentorship of Frank Augustyn. Following graduation, Emily began her professional career dancing with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet in Connecticut and then went on to De La Dance Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. While at De LA, she performed soloist roles in La Bayadere, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker Jazzed Up, and a world premiere piece Bizet. While at Adelphi, she performed works by Frank Augustyn, Christopher Fleming, Paul Taylor, Juan Rodriguez, Orion Duckstein, Rasta Thomas, Mia Michaels, and others. Emily’s other performance credentials at Adelphi include principal roles in Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Cloven Kingdom, Ballet Russe, and Play Ball! She spent her summers training at various intensives including BalletX, Orlando Ballet, Dance Italia in Lucca, Italy, American Ballet Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet School. Emily has been with Ballet Texas since 2023.

 Matthew began his ballet training in Norfolk, Virginia at Ballet Virginia International under Janina Bove and Suzanne Lownsbury Long. In 2014, he joined the Orlando Ballet School Academy under Dierdre Miles Burger, becoming a trainee the following year and joining Orlando Ballet Il in 2017 under Robert Hill. At Orlando Ballet, he performed in Hill's original works— including The Firebird, Romeo & Juliet, Piano Concerto No.2, and Swan Lake-as well as Michael Pink's Dracula, American Ballet Theatre's Don Quixote, and Val Caniparoli's A Cinderella Story.

From 2018-2020, Matthew was a company dancer with San Diego Ballet under Javier Velasco, highlighting roles such as Basilio in Don Quixote Suite, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and numerous leading/soloist roles in Velasco's original works. He then joined Columbia City Ballet (2020-2022) under William Starrett, performing soloist and corps roles including Renfield in Dracula: Ballet with a Bite and the Jester in Swan Lake. For the 2022-2023 season, he danced as a corps de ballet member with Ballet San Antonio under Sofiane Sylve, highlighting the King of Hearts in Brian Enos' Alice in Wonderland and the corps for Houston Thomas's Pauline Project.

Over his career, Matthew has worked with notable artists including Susan Jones, Val Caniparoli, Michael Pink, Lydia Roberts Coco, Lorraine Graves, Olivier Munoz, Julio Bocca, Kim Marsh, Yan Chen, Joseph Gatti, Adiarys Almeida, and Joseph Phillips.

The past three seasons, Matthew danced with Minnesota Ballet, performing featured and original roles by Artistic Director Karl Von Rabenau, including Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Albrecht in Giselle, "the Accused" and "the Priest" in Poe, Snow King and Nutcracker/Cavalier in The Nutcracker: A Duluth Tale, and "The Huntsman" in Snow White. This marks Matthew's first official season with Ballet Texas, where he has previously performed as a guest artist.

Katie Kelley began her dance training in Dallas, Texas at the age of four. She received her pre-professional training under the direction of Catherine Lewellen at Elite Classical Coaching. Katie furthered her studies during the summers with prestigious programs including the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in New York City, The Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden, Ballet West, and Oklahoma City Ballet. Katie then joined Oklahoma City Ballet School as a Trainee in 2021 and was promoted to Oklahoma City Ballet II in 2023. While at Oklahoma City Ballet, Katie enjoyed performing with the main company in productions including Rachael Nye's Swan Lake, Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye's Giselle, Balanchine's Western Symphony, and Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye's Sleeping Beauty. With the studio company, she danced lead roles in Sleeping Beauty Act Il, the Shades Pas De Deux from La Bayadere, and the Giselle Act Il Pas De Deux. Outside the studio, she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at Abilene Christian University and is a certified Pilates Mat Instructor through Power Pilates. Katie joined Ballet Texas in 2025.

Elizabeth Kokaska began her dance training at age 4, training in Chicago and Denver. Upon graduation, Elizabeth joined Ballet Melange Performance Company as a company member. As a guest artist with Maureen Breeze Dance Theater from 2020-2025, she was able to showcase her contemporary works. Elizabeth’s talent has been recognized on international stages, notably Grand Prix Kiev in 2020, TANZOLYMP in Berlin in 2023/2024, and Japan-Estonia-Ukraine International Ballet Competition in 2024. Her accolades include top awards in 2022-2024 from the Universal Ballet Competition and the ADC/IBC Ballet Competition. Elizabeth joined Ballet Texas in 2025.

Sonya Kryzhanovsky began dancing at the age of 4 at a ballet school, Imagine Ballet Theater, in Ogden, Utah. She additionally trained in Bournonville's technique during special workshops provided by IBT and has done many summer programs, The Royal Danish Ballet being her favorite, as well as performing in Ballet Concerto's Summer Dance Concert in 2024 and 2025.

As a professional dancer with Texas Ballet Theater, Sonya had the opportunity to perform in Ben Stevenson's Dracula and Cinderella, Lew Christenson's Beauty and the Beast, and Texas Ballet Theater's The Nutcracker! She loves the places ballet has taken her and the people she meets and works with. Sonya joined Ballet Texas in 2025.

Sydney began her dance training at the International Ballet Academy in Cary, NC, under the direction of Rossana Gahagan and Roberto Muñoz. Upon graduation, Sydney joined Orlando Ballet as a Trainee and was promoted to their Second Company in the following season. She then spent a season in Kansas City, as a KCBII with Kansas City Ballet. Sydney later joined Texas Ballet Theater’s STC program, where she trained and performed for two seasons. Some of her favorite performances on stage have included Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella as a Fairy and Courtier, Ben Stevenson’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tim O’Keefe’s Violin Concerto in D, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. Sydney has been with Ballet Texas since 2023.

At the age of seven, Mary started training at Metropolitan School of the Arts where she received a scholarship to study at their performing arts academy. Upon graduating, Mary joined Texas Ballet Theater's Studio Training Company where she danced for two years under Ben Stevenson. After that, she accepted a position as Trainee with Ballet de Barcelona where she toured through Spain performing roles in The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Swan Lake. Mary has been with Ballet Texas since 2024.

 Gaven began his training at age 11 at Texas Academy of Ballet, where his father first enrolled him to support his athletic development. He continued his studies as both a trainee and guest artist with Dance Center of San Antonio under Vanessa Bessler, as well as at Texas Metropolitan Ballet under Randall Marks.

At age 15, Gaven was invited to join Next Generation Ballet under the direction of Philip Neal. During his time there, he performed soloist and principal roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty.

In 2022, Gaven joined Louisville Ballet, first under the leadership of Robert Curran and later Anthony Krutzkamp. His repertoire with the company includes multiple soloist roles, such as the Two Gentlemen in Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony and the Russian variation in Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker. He also performed principal roles in Louisville Ballet’s ChorShow. 

Cheyenne is originally from Lubbock, TX and began her pre-professional training at Ballet Lubbock under Yvonne Racz-Key at the age of 9. In 2008, she was invited to attend the year around program at Bossov Ballet Theater in Pittsfield, Maine. While at BBT, she trained under Andrei Bossov and Natalya Getman and had the opportunity to perform original works at the Dance Open Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Cheyenne graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in Advertising and while there, she was a member of Texas Pom. In 2022, she joined Metamorphosis Dance and performed soloist roles in The Nutcracker and The Red Shoes. Cheyenne loves spending time with her husband and 2 children. Cheyenne has been with Ballet Texas since 2023.

 Brooke Baldwin is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and grew up dancing at Charlotte Ballet Academy and Rhonda’s School of Dance. As an Academy student, Brooke performed in several seasons of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s The Nutcracker  in roles such as Clara’s Friend, Wind, and Tiramisu. She also appeared in numerous jazz, musical theatre, and contemporary ballet works during her training. Brooke earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet and Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Utah in May of 2026.During her time there, she developed a passion for integrating exercise science with dance, creating strength and conditioning programs designed to help dancers prevent injuries and feel their strongest both in and out of class. While at the University, Brooke performed in classical and contemporary productions including La Bayadère, Coppélia, and La Vivandière, and worked with renowned choreographers such as Ching Ching Wong, Trey McIntyre, Sayoko Knode, and James Sofranko. Brooke has attended summer intensives at Charlotte Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet West, and Boca Ballet Theatre. She enjoys all styles of dance and is grateful to begin her first season with Ballet Texas.

Julianna began dancing at the age of 3 and received her pre-professional training under the direction of Hasmik Amirian in Los Angeles, CA. She regularly placed in the top three at elite competitions including YAGP, where she was recognized as a Finalist, and received the Music Center’s Spotlight Semifinalist award in both Ballet and Dance. She was fortunate to receive additional training at intensive programs including Ellison Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. 

Julianna entered the professional world at the age of 16, joining Hollywood Ballet in their inaugural season. She then danced as a Trainee with Los Angeles Ballet before joining Nevada Ballet Theater’s second company. A passionate performer, Julianna is known for sharing her strong classical technique and sparkling personality onstage, with performance highlights including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Edwaard Liang’s Cinderella, in addition to original works by renowned choreographers, including the featured Pas de Deux in Francisco Gella’s STITCHING. 

Seeking to be an inspiration to others, Julianna is devoted to dance education. An accomplished choreographer and teacher, she was awarded the YAGP Outstanding Choreographer award, and is often recognized for her unique musicality, intricate storytelling, and distinct movement quality. Julianna’s passion for dance extends beyond the stage. As an innovative costumer who designs and sews custom tutus and dancewear, she was first introduced to Ballet Texas when she produced the lead costumes for the 2024 production of Peter Pan, and is looking forward to continuing her involvement behind the scenes, designing and creating costumes for upcoming productions. Julianna is excited to join Ballet Texas as an Apprentice for the 2026-2027 season.

Francesca Napiltonia has trained with multiple world-renowned Ballet instructors such as Lauren Ader-Cumston(Ballet 5:8), Vanessa Bessler (National ballet of Panama), Nikoloz Makhateli (National Opera House and Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg Russia), Natalia Bashkatova (Bolshoi ballet). Francesca has dedicated 9 years to intensive study and training in both the Vaganova and Royal Ballet teaching methodologies. Throughout her classical ballet education, she has performed in multiple productions, including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Dracula. Francesca has also participated in numerous regional and national dance competitions, earning a variety of prestigious titles and scholarships. Francesca joined Ballet Texas in 2025.

Brielle Tripke trained with Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik at A&A Ballet in Chicago, performing in classical and neoclassical works including The Art Deco Nutcracker and Swan Lake. She also taught and helped direct the children's division, choreographing and setting original pieces. Brielle went on to become a Trainee with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where she studied company repertoire such as Rasa, while also choreographing original works on fellow Trainees. She worked with renowned choreographers including Natasha Adorlee and Gregory Dawson, and has also trained in summer intensives with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Master Ballet Academy. Brielle joined Ballet Texas in 2025.

 Graciela began her dance training at age three and trained with Intempo Dance under the direction of Rocio Bernal, Houston Ballet Academy, and Academy of City Ballet of Houston, where she completed her pre-professional training under Mary Beth Arrington and Luis Fuente.

She spent two seasons as a trainee with Cincinnati Ballet, performing in productions of The Nutcracker and The Wizard of Oz, as well as contemporary works by David Morse.