DANCERS
The Florida Ballet 2022/2023 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.
Kendra Frank
Kendra Frank
In 2016 Ms. Frank was offered a traineeship with Bay Pointe Ballet in San Francisco. The following year she trained with Festival Ballet Providence as a Post-Graduate. From 2018-2020, Kendra danced as a company member with City Ballet Boston.
This is her third season with the Florida Ballet Company. Previous roles with the FLB Company include; Waltz Girl in Les Sylphide, Columbine Doll, Snow Crystal, Spanish, Marzipan, Demi-Flower in FLB Nutcracker, the Women’s Duet in Forleo’s Entangled, Spring Fairy in Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, Corps in Linda MacArthur Miele’s Souvenir, Pas de Trois and Allegro Variation in Paquita, Flames of Pairs Pas de Deux, Mustardseed Fairy in Forleo’s A Midsummer’s Nights Dream, and Swan Lake Pas de Trois. She has choreographed Amo Voce and Mayah in FLB Company’s A Choreographer’s Choice ’21 and ‘22.
Kendra Frank 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.
Lyndsey Givens
Lyndsey Givens
Givens competed in the semi-finals of Youth American Grand Prix in Tampa 2017, Tampa 2018, and Atlanta 2019. In 2019 she advanced to the Finals in New York City with a contemporary duet under the direction of Diedre Miles-Burger and Susie Dodge. She previously attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Tampa in 2018 and the Sarasota Ballet in 2019.
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.
Mikell Graf
Mikell Graf
In August of 2020, Mikell began dancing as a company dancer at the Florida Ballet, where she has been fortunate enough to perform various principal roles, including “The Girl” in Le Spectre de la Rose, Firebird and Princess Katerina in Firebird by Telmo Moreira, Nikiya in Act One Pas de Duex from La Bayadere, Cinderella and Stepmother in Cinderella by Roger Van Fleteren, Paquita in Paquita Suite, Flower Girl in Le Gaite Parisienne by Roberto Forleo, Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker by Roberto Forleo, and Kitri in Don Quioxte.
When Mikell is not dancing, she is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration as a junior at the University of Florida. Go Gators!
Mikell is very excited to be dancing her third season with The Florida Ballet!
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.
Morgan Sanborn
Morgan Sanborn
Previous roles performed with TFB include; Nikiya in La Bayadere, Mercedes in Don Quixote, Hermia in Roberto Forleo’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Soloist in Linda MacArthur Miele’s Souvenir, Fairy Godmother in Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, Dew Drop, Sugarplum, and Spanish in FLB’s Nutcracker. Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose, Dying Swan, and Prelude in Les Sylphide. Soloist in Joseph Morrissey’s Suite for Strings. Her recent choreography was featured in TFB’s A Choreographer’s Choice ’21 and ’22.
Sanborn is an ABT® Affiliate teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique and Pilates Academy International Mat work.
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
Josef began studying dance at the age of 8. At the age of 12, he began training with the Florida Ballet in Jacksonville Florida. During his freshman year of high school, Josef attended the Douglas Anderson school of the Arts to pursue a dance career, as well as The Florida Ballet Conservatory where he trained with Christopher Alloways-Ramsey.
In 2019, he competed in The Youth American Grand Prix coached by Deidre Miles Burger and Susie Dodge placing 3rd with his classical variation. He was invited to the finals in New York City to present his contemporary duet. In the summer of 2019, he went to Houston Ballet and trained under Claudio Munez and concluded the year at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with instructors Simon Ball, Darla Hoover, and Renato Penteado.
Josef is proud to be a member of The Florida Ballet Company under the direction of Roberto Forleo.
2022/2023 Company Apprentices
Ylian Gascard
Ylian Gascard
He’s had the privilege of working with masters of classical and modern dances from around the world such as Cynthia Harvey, Monique Loudières, Hervé Dirman, Kevin MacKenzie, Fabrice Herrault, Roman Zhurbin, Michel Gascard, Azari Plissetski, Robert La Fosse, Jonathan Stafford, Bruce Taylor, among others.
He was chosen to dance in the international group of the Prix de Lausanne competition “choreographic project”, choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti. He has performed in more than 30 international shows and galas in Switzerland, China, Brazil, Thailand and Italy.
He obtains his first professional contract with the Orlando Ballet II.
This is Ylian’s first season with the Florida Ballet.
Alessandra Martinez
Alessandra Martinez
While training with St Lucie Ballet, Alessandra competed in various competitions and was invited as a finalist for competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix, Universal Ballet Competition and American Dance Competition. She was coached by Lydia Corrales, Rogelio Corrales, Idael German, and Olivier Pardina. Alessandra was invited and competed as a finalist in 2021 for YAGP and 2022 for ADC. She was awarded third place pas de deux that year at YAGP, and fifth place pas de deux at ADC. Alessandra has also competed at the Universal Ballet Competition, winning first place in the senior category her senior year. Alessandra has worked and studied with choreographers known as Mimmo Miccolis from the Washington Ballet, Garret Smith, Duncan Cooper, and Desmond Richardson from Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
This is Alessandra’s first season dancing with TFB Company. She was offered an apprenticeship position at the Universal Ballet Competition finals in May, 2022 by The Florida Ballet’s artistic director, Roberto Forleo.
Stella Urbano
Stella Urbano
Stella is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of The Florida Ballet Company.
Photography by NH Photography. All rights reserved.
