THE PROFESSIONAL COMPANY
ABBY CALLAHAN
Abby Callahan began dancing at the age of five in her home town of Huntsville, AL. Throughout her youth, she won many awards at various dance competitions. At age fourteen, Abby decided to focus solely on ballet and trained at Huntsville Ballet School for the next three years. While attending a summer intensive at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Abby was selected to join their Professional Division program on full scholarship and trained for two years with noted faculty such as Peter Boal, Marjorie Thompson, and Abbie Siegel. While there, she was fortunate to dance many company roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Jewels, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ballet Imperial, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote. She also performed leading roles in PNB’s school productions, such as Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sylvia, and Le Corsaire. After completing the Professional Division Program, Abby joined Los Angeles Ballet Company where she danced for four seasons. She performed roles in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, The Four Temperaments, Western Symphony, Divertimento No. 15, Who Cares, The Prodigal Son, and Serenade. She also danced a leading role in Aszure Barton’s contemporary piece, Untouched. During summers, Abby trained both nationally and internationally at renowned programs including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet West, The Rock School, American Ballet Theatre, Estonian National Ballet Summer Nights International Gala, and the SHARE intensive in Paris France. Abby is excited to be joining Huntsville Ballet Company for her eighth season.
NATHANIEL OTTO
Nathaniel Otto was born in Seattle, Washington, and has been dancing with Huntsville Ballet since 2008. A graduate of Huntsville Ballet School, Nathaniel joined Huntsville Ballet Company in 2017. He has received scholarships to study at prestigious programs across the country, including Pacific Northwest Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, and The Rock School for Dance Education.
During a recent summer intensive at The Rock School in Philadelphia, Nathaniel was invited by School Directors Bojan and Stephanie Spassoff to choreograph and perform in the summer-end workshop. Since joining Huntsville Ballet Company, Nathaniel has been sought out by choreographers for his versatility and ability to perform classical, contemporary, tap, and strong character roles.
His repertoire with Huntsville Ballet includes Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Sullivan Ballou in The Letter, the Phantom in Phantom of the Ballet, the Bugle Boy in Stage Door Canteen, and featured roles in Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, among many others. He has had the opportunity to perform choreography under the direction of distinguished professionals including Keith Cross, Bojan and Stephanie Spassoff, Justin Allen, Peter Boal, and others.
Nathaniel is grateful for the opportunity to continue growing as an artist and looks forward to another thrilling season with Huntsville Ballet
KAYLA BOUDREAU
Kayla Boudreau began dancing at age three with Temecula Dance Company before continuing her training at BalletMet’s Academy. She advanced into BalletMet’s Trainee Program, performing with the company as part of the Swan Corps in Edwaard Liang’s Swan Lake and as the Snowflake and Flower Corps in Gerard Charles’ The Nutcracker. She also performed in trainee showcases featuring George Balanchine works, including Western Symphony, Walpurgisnacht, and Concerto Barocco. Kayla then joined Nevada Ballet Theatre’s Second Company, performing with the company as part of the Snow and Marzipan Corps in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She also performed featured roles including Ben Stevenson's Swan Lake Pas de Trois, the Vestalka variation in Paquita, and as a corps member in Serenade. Kayla is excited to join Huntsville Ballet and looks forward to the upcoming season!
RIVER BYRD
River Byrd is from Franklin, North Carolina where he began dancing at age nine. River trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet on scholarship for three years, where he studied under Marcia Dale Weary, Darla Hoover, and Nick Ade. While at CPYB, he was privileged to perform in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Serenade. River has attended summer courses at Charlotte Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and CPYB, as well as multiple guest artist appearances with the Nittany Ballet in State College, PA. River danced with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland from 2020 to 2023 performing soloist and character roles in both classical and contemporary pieces. River is excited to be returning to Huntsville Ballet for another season.
JOANNA CLIFFORD
Joanna Clifford was born into a musical family in West Palm Beach, Florida. She transitioned from classical music training to ballet training at age 12. In her younger years of dance education, Joanna’s primary teachers included Eileen Hebron, Douglas Gawriljuk, Marife Giminez, Deborah Marquez, and Galina Alvarez. She completed summer training with Next Generation Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Butler Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Grand Rapids Ballet.
Joanna completed her undergraduate degree at Mercyhurst University, earning her BFA in Dance under the tutelage of Jennifer McNamara, Noelle Partusch, Matthew Christensen, and Lesley Scalise. She has performed in productions of La Bayadere, The Nutcracker (Dew Drop and Snow Queen), Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy), Swan Lake (Czardas), and Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cobweb). Her BFA in dance was accompanied with a minor in Religion and Society. While performing was her main pursuit, Joanna found inspiration in other outlets of dance by taking courses in Pedagogy and Choreography.
Transitioning from college to career, she joined Ballet North Texas as a trainee for the 24-26 season, performing in The Nutcracker, Changeling by Sam Jones, Don Quixote, Paquita, and Midsummer Nights Dream.
Joanna is excited to join as a member of Huntsville Ballet for the 26/27 season.
DANIELLE DANIEL
Danielle Daniel began her dance training at the age of six at Troy School of Dance and the Arts in Troy, AL.Throughout her childhood she danced with multiple dance studios across southeast Alabama. She continued her training at Troy University where she graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in Dance, under the guidance and direction of Dominique Angel, James L. Boyd III, Adreinne Hicks, and Thang Dao. While at Troy she truly fell in love with the art form of ballet. She went overseas and danced at the Danza in Arte A Pietrasanta, affectionately called the DAP Festival, in Pietrasanta, Italy with world renowned dancers and choreographers in 2019 and 2023. She later went on to dance with A&A Ballet in Chicago, IL under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, and was a trainee with Ballet Theatre of Maryland in Annapolis, MD with Artistic Director Nicole Kelsh. Danielle looks forward to her first season with Huntsville Ballet!
ELEANOR FAUL
Eleanor Faul started dancing at age 3 in her hometown of Seattle, Washington. At age 12 she started training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School with noted faculty such as Marjorie Thompson, Dana Hanson, and Abbie Siegel until graduating in 2024. Eleanor then danced as a trainee at Saint Louis Ballet for two years, performing roles in Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Who Cares? staged by Nilas Martins, as well as Gen Horiuchi’s The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Balanchivadze. Eleanor is excited to join Huntsville Ballet Company for her first season.
ELIZABETH FREEZE
Elizabeth Freeze grew up in Svay Rieng, Cambodia, where she trained with various international teachers. When visiting the U.S., she danced at Peoria Ballet in IL. In 2022 Elizabeth trained at Oklahoma City Ballet in the Post Graduate Program. The following season, she was a trainee in the Sacramento Ballet’s Second Company. She has also attended summer intensives at Charlotte Ballet, Sacramento Ballet and Ballet 5:8. Elizabeth has had the privilege of training under Jill Krutzkamp, Rhodes and Elise Elliott, Colby Damon, Racheal Nye, Bruce Steivel, Ian Thatcher, Molly Daly, Amanda Miller and Jorge Laico. Elizabeth has performed in various showcases and recitals as well as Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Coppelia, and Swan Lake. Elizabeth is excited for her third season with the Huntsville Ballet Company.
BROOKE GARNER
Brooke Garner grew up dancing in Louisville, Kentucky under Kristen Wenrick. Upon moving to Ohio, she continued her training at the School of Cleveland Ballet. In 2019, she was invited to join Cleveland Ballet’s trainee program and was promoted to a company artist the following year. While in the company, Brooke performed various corps and soloist roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Margo Sappington’s Alice. Now in her fourth season with Huntsville Ballet, Brooke has loved performing and teaching here in Huntsville and is excited for the year ahead!
VICTORIA HUAROTO
Victoria Huaroto grew up in Naples, Florida. She fell in love with the Balanchine technique while performing in Miami City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker for six years. Victoria trained at Gulfshore Ballet under Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero, long time Miami City Ballet principles prior to being accepted into the Pre-Professional program at the Miami City Ballet School, an elite program where she continued her training for three years. Victoria has participated in summer programs at The Goh in Vancouver, Miami City Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, and Nashville Ballet School. She has performed in several Balanchine ballets including Western Symphony, Raymonda Variations, and Stars and Stripes. Victoria also has been choreographed on by Maribel Modrono and Gerard Ebitz. Victoria danced professionally for two seasons with Montgomery Ballet before coming to Huntsville Ballet Company. A career highlight for Victoria was performing the iconic role of Odette/Odile in Phillip Otto’s Swan Lake. Victoria is looking forward to starting her ninth season with the company, as well as teaching at Huntsville Ballet School.
SAMUEL HUBERTY
Samuel Augustine began his training in Elkhorn WI, studying under his mother. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Fort Wayne after receiving a scholarship to study at AUER Academy of Fort Wayne Ballet, and danced for Fort Wayne Ballet for two years post-graduation. During this time, he performed roles including Franz in Coppelia, The Lead Boy in Lacrymosa, and Snow Cavalier in Nutcracker. Samuel then went on to study under the tutelage of Martin Sheonburg in Cape Town, South Africa. Following his return to the United States, Samuel joined South Carolina Ballet, performing roles of Johnathan Harker in Dracula, Snow Cavalier and Dew Drop Cavalier in Nutcracker. Samuel then joined Jerusalem Ballet in Israel, and performed soloist roles in their production of Memento, until returning to the United States in October of 2023. After returning to the United Sates again Samuel began free lancing as well as touring and producing his own productions through Wisconsin Dance Theatre. He has done free-lance work with Ballet Arkansas, Black Label Movement, and American Repertory Ballet. Samuel is very excited and grateful to be joining Huntsville Ballet for their 2026-2027 season productions.
ANNA LINDSEY
Anna Lindsey is a native of Madison, Alabama, where she began dancing at the age of three. During her childhood, she trained in multiple dance styles and performed annually in her studio's version of The Nutcracker, which began her love for ballet. Anna recently graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama with a B.S. in Dance and Mathematics. While there, Anna was a member of her school’s repertory company and performed in multiple works set by dance faculty and established guest artists. Notably, she performed as the soloist in a work set by Eldar Aliev, the Artistic Director of a Mariinsky Theatre Stage. She also performed as a guest soloist in editions of The Nutcracker with Druid City Ballet. Additionally, Anna danced with Yonder Contemporary Dance Company, touring regionally and internationally to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Anna enjoys teaching and choreographing and cares deeply about sharing her love of dance with her community. She is very excited for this upcoming year and honored to be returning for her second season at Huntsville Ballet!
REESE LONGHINI
Reese Longhini was born in Madison, Wisconsin, where she began dancing at the age of three. She formally trained at Monona Academy of Dance and at age 13, joined their pre-professional company, Dance Wisconsin. During her time with Dance Wisconsin, Reese performed a variety of featured roles, including the Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and the Snow Queen and Rose in The Nutcracker. After graduating, Reese joined Saint Louis Ballet as a trainee for two years, where she had the opportunity to work with company artistic staff and perform in a variety of repertoire. Her performances included roles in George Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Who Cares?, both set by Nilas Martins, as well as Gen Horiuchi’s The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Balanchivadze. Reese looks forward to her first season with Huntsville Ballet Company.
PATTY MYERS
Patty Myers began dancing at age three in Pennsylvania. She trained at Dance Revelation, Pennsylvania Ballet Academy, Redding City Ballet and most recently with the Children’s Ballet Theater. During her time at the Children’s Ballet Theatre she got to perform many leading roles such as Cinderella in Cinderella and Sugar plum in The Nutcracker. She has attended summer intensives at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet 5:8, Nashville Ballet, and Alabama Ballet. Patty has competed at competitions including Universal Ballet Competition, Youth American Grand Prix, New York City Dance Alliance, and Ballet Championships of America. Patty is grateful for another season at Huntsville Ballet!
HALLE SHERMAN
Halle Sherman began her training at the Rock School for Dance Education at the age of three. She continued her studies at the Sandonato School of Ballet under the personal guidance and mentorship of Barbara Sandonato. Additionally, Halle trained at the School of Philadelphia Ballet under the direction of Arantxa Ochoa. In 2016, she was asked to join The Philadelphia Ballet II Company. Highlights of her time with Philadelphia Ballet include works by George Balanchine, Angel Corella, Christopher Wheeldon, and Liam Scarlett.
She went on to become a member of Sarasota Ballet as an apprentice. While there, she was chosen by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner to perform in the company premiere of The Leaves Are Fading and was selected by Sir Anthony Dowell and Christopher Carr to perform in the company premiere of The Dream.
Since joining Huntsville Ballet, Halle is honored to dance principal roles including Sarah in the world premiere of The Letter, the Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker, a featured role in Affectionately Yours, and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. Halle looks forward to another thrilling season with Huntsville Ballet.
Anna Slade
Anna Slade began her dance training in her hometown of Warner Robins, Georgia, studying at International City School of Ballet and Dance Arts studios. During her training, she earned numerous awards and scholarship opportunities through the Youth America Grand Prix Finals and the Universal Ballet Competition. Anna received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography, with a concentration in Dance Science, from the University of South Carolina. While at USC, she performed classical repertoire including Paquita, La Bayadère, and Les Sylphides, as well as works by renowned choreographers such as Antony Tudor's Fandango, Gerald Arpino's Viva Vivaldi, and Jerome Robbins' Antique Epigraphs.After graduating magna cum laude in 2025, Anna joined Saint Louis Ballet as a Trainee. There, she performed in Gen Horiuchi's The Nutcracker and Cinderella, George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, and Peter Martins' The Chairman Dances. Anna is thrilled to begin her first season with Huntsville Ballet.
JOHN SZWAST
John Szwast began his ballet training at the age of 15. At 18, he moved to Chicago to join the Conservatory Program at Ballet 5:8, where his dedication and talent led him to become a member of the company.
During his time with Ballet 5:8, John performed in a variety of contemporary works and danced numerous leading male roles in The Nutcracker. His versatility, artistry, and commitment to his craft have shaped his development as a professional dancer.
John is thrilled to join Huntsville Ballet for the 2026–2027 season and looks forward to sharing his artistry with Huntsville audiences.
JUNE WEATHERINGTON
June Weatherington grew up in Oak Park, IL, where she began dancing at 4 at The Academy of Movement and Music. June had many performance opportunities, like dancing corps de ballet roles such as Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere, Willis from Giselle, and Snow from The Nutcracker. She also danced soloist roles: Snow Queen from The Nutcracker and Flora in The Awakening of Flora. While at the Academy, she was invited to join their professional company, MOMENTA, as well as to visit Havana, Cuba, to dance with ProDanza and perform excerpts from Doris Humphrey’s Water Study, Ruth St. Dennis and Ted Shawn’s Under the Leaves, and Gina Sigisimondi’s Two Duets in the Spring Program. After high school, June moved to Pittsburgh for 3 years to study with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program, where she had the opportunity to perform Waltz of the Flowers in Terrence Orr’s The Nutcracker, as well as Les Sylphide and George Balanchine’s Serenade. She continued her training in Dallas with Texas Ballet Theatre’s Professional Training Division, where she performed excerpts from Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker, dancing Spanish, Mirlitons, Snow, and Rats. She attended summer intensives at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. June is thrilled to begin her professional career for her first season with Huntsville Ballet!
SAMANTHA WOODROW
Samantha Woodrow, originally from Huntsville Alabama, began her formal training with Huntsville Ballet School at the age of 5. In addition to continuing her education through the years at Huntsville Ballet, she has been privileged to attend summer programs with Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Sacramento Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Some of her favorite performances have included various roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Samantha is honored to begin her fifth season with Huntsville Ballet!
Pre-Professional Company
Mae Cooper, Savannah Getter, Grayson Gaffney, Mary Frances Grelier, Sarah Grace Rowe, Micah Scott
Apprentice
Caitlin Beevers, Christian Brazil, Chelsea Brouer, Olivia Lee, Sophie Paden, Caroline Powel, Skyler Raziano, Alice Rowe, Anna-Victoria Sanders, Bea Tillery
Junior Company
Alina Allison, Corinne Canerday, Atkins Connelly, Colette Cook, Molly Duggan, Emma Ekis, Blade Poux, Lydia Reed