The Florida Ballet 2023/2024 Company Members
Constanza Felicio
Constanza Felicio
In 2014 and 2015, Constanza was a finalist at World Ballet Competition. She was selected to the YAGP NYC finals as a soloist in 2017 and won bronze medal at Seminário Internacional de Brasilia. Currently, Constanza is an ambassador for So Danca.
Tomas Fischer
Tomas Fischer
Recently he completed the 2-year Men’s Scholarship Program at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Tomas performed as Benvolio in Alan Hineline’s premier showing of Romeo And Juliet. Tomas danced professionally last season at First State Ballet Theatre, where he performed Dracula, and Russian in Nutcracker.
Tomas is very excited for his third season with The Florida Ballet as a Company Member.
Garrett Frierson
Garrett Frierson
Garrett Frierson was born in Morristown, Tennessee where began his ballet training at Studio 180. Garrett trained at Kingsport Ballet in Tennesse, and International Ballet Academy in South Carolina. In 2019 Garrett was accepted into Kirov Academy in Washington D.C. where he performed roles such as Snow King and Tea in The Nutcracker, and Le Corsaire: Pas d’ Esclave variation. He has attended summer intensive programs at The Rock School for Dance International Ballet Academy, Nashville Ballet and Kingsport Ballet.
Garrett was accepted into the trainee program with Sarasota Ballet in 2021. In the program Garrett performed as Mouse King in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote Grand Pas de Deux, Le Corsaire: Pas d’ Esclave Pas de Deux, and the lead in various neoclassical works. Garrett also worked for Sarasota Ballet School at the Golemme Studios as a substitute teacher and front desk worker.
Garrett can’t wait for his first season as a company dancer with Florida Ballet.
Lyndsey Givens
Lyndsey Givens
She joined the Florida Ballet Company as a Trainee in 2019, became an Apprentice in 2020, and was later promoted to a Company Member. Previous roles with the FLB Company include a Demi-Soloist in Roberto Forleo’s Creatures of Prometheus, Prelude in Les Slyphide, Phrygia in Spartacus, Fairy Godmother in Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, Pas De Trois and Celestial Variation in Paquita, Flower Girl in Forleo’s Gaîté Parisienne, Peaseblossom Fairy in Forleo’s A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, and Shade Pas De Trois in La Bayadere.
Lyndsey Givens is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Rebekah Hostetter
Rebekah Hostetter
She continued her training with the San Francisco Ballet School. After spending one year in the school, she was asked to join the trainee program. While in San Francisco, Bekah performed the lead role of the Liberty Bell in Stars and Stripes, as well as, had the opportunity to perform in The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake with the Company.
After two years in San Francisco, Bekah joined Boston Ballet II. While in Boston, she performed The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Later Bekah joined Ballet Theatre of Maryland as an apprentice and was promoted to demi-soloist. During her time at BTM, she performed roles such as Spanish in the Nutcracker, The Diamond Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, as well as several other featured roles in original works.
After spending some time at BTM, Bekah joined Corpus Christi Ballet as a Principal. During her time at CCB, she performed roles such as Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, and the lead role of Giselle.
This is Rebekah’s fifth season with the Florida Ballet.
Elpidio
Magat
Elpidio Magat
Magat has competed in numerous competitions throughout his career. The Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong: Bronze Medalist – Senior Male Division, Silver Medal – Pas de Deux Division (2015); So Danca Award and Silver Medal – Pas de Deux Division (2013); and Bronze Medal – Pas de Deux Division (2012). He was also accorded the Male Featured in Classical Dance Production Award in 2012 by the Gawad Buhay Awards – an industry recognition exclusively for the performing arts given by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group Inc. (Philstage). He was awarded the Bronze Medal in the Junior Ballet Division of the National Music Competition for Young Artist (NAMCYA) in 2009 and First Place in the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Sayaw Pinoy competition in the same year. In 2018, he was promoted to Principal Dancer of Ballet Manila.
At the end of 2022 he joined Springfield Ballet as Principal Dancer. Magat’s repertoire includes Albrecht and Hilarion in Giselle, The Cavalier and Russian in The Nutcracker, Prince Siegfried, Jester, and Pas de Trois Soloist in Swan Lake, Prince Desiree and Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Snow White, The Poet in Chopiniana, Solor in La Bayadere, Ali and Lankadem in Le Corsaire, Gypsy Lead in Don Quixote, Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and Escamillo in Carmen, Esmeralda Pas de Deux, Paquita Grand Pas de Deux, and Diana et Acteon Pas de Deux.
Mauricio Mejia
Mauricio Mejia
Mauricio was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He started his professional ballet studies at the age of 15 at ProVer located in Veracruz, México where he received his certificate of 4th grade from the Cuban Nacional Ballet School.
In 2017 Mauricio participated at the YAGP México where he performed a self-choreographed contemporary variation which gifted him a full scholarship for the Orlando Ballet SI. He participated in the 2018 YAGP finals with a contemporary ensemble, placing in the top 12 and performing at the Gala Ceremony. In the summer of 2018 Mauricio received an invitation to the Orlando Ballet Trainee Program, and later was promoted to OBII. In 2020 he performed at the YAGP Tampa Semifinals receiving Top 12 in classical and 2nd place in contemporary for a self-choreographed piece, as well as, the invitation to perform at the Gala Ceremony.
In 2020, Mauricio joined The Florida Ballet Company under the direction of Roberto Forleo. Mauricio has performed principal roles including Spectre de la Rose, Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, Carmen, “La Jeune Fille et la Mort” by Christophe Garcia and “Songs” by Mauro Bigonzetti, among others. Mauricio has also presented his contemporary choreographic works with the Company, most recently presenting Varja in the 2022/2023 season.
Joan Sia
Joan Sia
Joan Sia, born and raised in the Philippines, discovered her love for ballet in her hometown – Cagayan De Oro City. With her teacher Ms Daque’s encouragement, she attended summer intensives with The Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance School, Radaic School of Classical Ballet, and Ballet Manila. She furthered her training and career with Ballet Manila in the Russian Vaganova Method under Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Osias Barroso, and Jonathan Janolo. While in Ballet Manila, she received Bronze Medals for the Women’s Senior Division (2015) and Pas de Deux Division (2012, 2013, 2015) at The Asian Grand Prix held in Hong Kong. Sia was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2018. At the end of 2022, she joined Springfield Ballet as Principal Dancer. Sia’s repertoire include Giselle in Giselle, Sugar Plum Fairy and Arabian in The Nutcracker, Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty, Snow White in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Snow White, Cinderella in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Cinderella, The Lilac Fairy in Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Violetta in La Traviata, The Muse in Chopiniana, 2nd Shade in La Bayadere, Gulanara and Odalisque in Le Corsaire, Dryad Queen in Don Quixote, Agustus Bam Damian’s MAZN, and Agnes Locsin’s Arachnida.
Janna Turner
Janna Turner
Patrick VanBuren
Patrick VanBuren
Patrick danced with the Orlando Ballet II, Columbia City Ballet and Ballet San Antonio as a soloist, and Montgomery Ballet and Fort Wayne Ballet as a principal dancer. He has also competed and performed internationally.
Mr. VanBuren is an ABT National Training Curriculum Affiliate teacher. He has served as the Assistant Director of the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, Ballet Master of Montgomery Ballet Company and School, and as an instructor in the upper school of Fort Wayne Ballet’s Auer Academy. This is Patrick’s third season dancing with The Florida Ballet.
Katarina Weissbach
Katarina Weissbach
Katarina started her training in Australia as an artistic gymnast before moving back to the States to begin her training in classical ballet under then CORPS Director Roberto Forleo at Portland Ballet in Maine. At Portland Ballet, Katarina performed the Esmeralda variation and Dulcinea from Don Quixote, Clara in the Nutcracker and various other small roles.
Katarina attended Joffrey Ballet Contemporary Summer Intensive in San Francisco where she worked with Josie Walsh. She also competed in YAGP New York Finals and subsequently accepted a scholarship offer to Boston Ballet School’s Summer Program and year-round pre-professional Training Program where she performed with the Company in the Nutcracker. She danced as a guest artist with local smaller studios performing roles such as Sugar Plum and Odalisque.
Katarina trained briefly with the Draper Academy in Rochester New York under Jamey Leverette before coming to Florida Ballet as an apprentice in 2019. She was promoted as a member of The Florida Ballet Company for the 2020-2021 season. Her roles to date this season include Chinese in Nutcracker, Princess in Firebird, and demi soloist in Les Sylphides.
Josef Wollitz
Josef Wollitz
Constanza Felicio
Tomas Fischer
Garrett Frierson
Lyndsey Givens
Rebekah Hostetter
Elpidio Mangat
Mauricio Mejia
Joan Sia
Janna Turner
Patrick VanBuren
Katarina Weissbach
Josef Wollitz
2023/2024 Company Apprentices
Samantha Barcia
Samantha Barcia
Samantha danced with Orlando Ballet’s and Florida Ballet’s Summer Intensives and received a scholarship from Milwaukee Ballet at the National High School Dance Festival in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She studied at The University of South Florida in Tampa with a dance major in ballet performance in 2020/2021. She was accepted into the Trainee program at Florida Ballet in 2021 to pursue her career with the Florida Ballet Company.
Samantha has been promoted to a Company apprentice for the 2023/24 season. Previous roles within the Florida Ballet include Columbine Doll, Spanish, Marzipan, demi-soloist Flower, Cupid in Roberto Forleo’s Paquita, Moth Fairy in Forleo’s Midsummer Nights Dream, and Friends in Forleo’s Don Quixote.
Mia Christie
Mia Christie
In 2021 Mia became a trainee with Sarasota Ballet. Mia performed roles with The School such as Clara in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote Grand pas de deux, Le Corsaire: Pas d’ Esclave pas de deux, and many neoclassical works. Mia also had the opportunity to perform alongside the Sarasota Ballet’s company in George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, and The Four Temperaments.
Mia has most recently joined Florida Ballet as an Apprentice and is very excited for the upcoming season.
Alyssa LaRue
Alyssa LaRue
Alyssa has competed in the Semi- Finals of Youth American Grand Prix in 2021 and 2023 and has placed in the top ten in both contemporary and classical ballet at Universal Ballet Competition’s Semi-Finals in 2023. She has previously attended summer intensives at Florida Ballet (2015-2022), Orlando Ballet (2017 and 2018), Atlanta Ballet (2021), and Richmond Ballet (2023).
Alyssa has been a Trainee at the Florida Ballet for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons and is looking forward to being an apprentice with the company for the 2023-2024 season!
Photography by NH Photography. All rights reserved.
