FACULTY
Katie Slattery
Katie Slattery
Katie Slattery began her ballet training in Gainesville, Florida. As a young dancer she attended summer programs at the Joffrey Ballet School, The Rock School, American Ballet Theatre and Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. She attended Virginia School of the Arts high school program and then became a trainee with the Joffrey Ballet School and performed with the Joffrey Ballet II Concert Dancers. Katie then danced as a member of Milwaukee Ballet II for two seasons. She returned to Florida to join Orlando Ballet under the direction of Fernando Bujones, where she was a company dancer from 2001-2008. Following that, she joined Sarasota Ballet from 2007-2009.
Ms. Slattery danced in many of the classic ballets including Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Spartacus, Coppelia, Raymonda, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, La Fille Mal Gardee, and The Nutcracker. She also danced in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, John Cranko, Kenneth MacMillan, Frederick Ashton, Dame Ninette de Valois, and Fernando Bujones.
Ms. Slattery began teaching at Orlando Ballet School in 2002, and she took a full-time position as Artistic Assistant/Faculty in 2011. Aside from her work in the pre-professional divisions, she was proud to teach and help develop the Come Dance With Us program for children with physical challenges. She has worked as a guest teacher and judge for various organizations, and she enjoys writing articles on ballet for Pointe Magazine. Ms. Slattery is a certified teacher of the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum from Pre-Primary through Level 7, and she has presented students for exams as an affiliate teacher with the ABT NTC. She is excited to be joining the faculty at The Florida Ballet!
Linda Reifsnyder Jenkins
Linda Reifsnyder Jenkins, Curriculum Coordinator
Linda Reifsnyder Jenkins’ professional career as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer spans over 40 years. She began dancing as a scholarship student with the Joffrey American Ballet Center in New York, Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance and the Ed Parish Dance Foundation in Chicago. She studied with Robert Joffery, Ruth Page, Larry Long, Ed Parish, David Howard, Ben Stevenson, and many others. As a dancer, Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Ballet, Kiel Ballet (Germany) and the National Ballet of Peru (South America) dancing a full range of classical repertoire including “Swan Lake”, “Nutcracker”, “Les Sylphides”, “La Sylphide”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Giselle” and a full list of modern and contemporary ballets.
Besides her performing career, Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins is an influential leader as a dance educator serving in many capacities. Credits include: Director of the Florence (Ala) School of Ballet, The Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre, Dance with Distinction at Jacksonville University, Pharcyde Dance Center and Principal Ballet Teacher for the School of Ballet Oklahoma. She has conducted workshops and taught Master Classes for Dance Educators of America and the Cecchetti Council of America.
In 1993, Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins settled in Jacksonville and in 1998 completed her BFA in Dance at Jacksonville University. While in Jacksonville, she has taught at Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Landon Middle School of the Arts, and Pharcyde Dance Center.
In 2011 Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins joined The Florida Ballet staff as a faculty member and Administrative Director. Following the passing of Founding Director Laurie Picinich-Byrd in 2014, she became Artistic Director until 2020 when she retired from the position. In addition to being a faculty member, Ms. Jenkins is The Florida Ballet’s Curriculum Coordinator.
Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins is an ABT® Affiliate Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® National Training Curriculum Teacher Training Intensive in PrePrimary through Level 7 & Partnering. She has successfully presented students for examinations achieving the Fellow status. In 2021, Ms. Reifsnyder Jenkins was invited to the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum’s Board of Examiners.
Jill Bahr
Jill Bahr
Winter Bosanko
Winter Bosanko
Winter Bosanko is an educator, dance artist and somatic practitioner who received her Master’s of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was a company dancer for JDT for 7 seasons before becoming Company Manager in 2022. Winter also shares her love of movement as a Professor of Dance at Florida State College of Jacksonville. Winter graduated with a BFA from Jacksonville University and made her way back to Jacksonville a few years later, where she most recently taught at LaVilla School of the Arts and was an adjunct faculty member at Florida School of the Arts. Winter, alongside Joshua Mora, created JDT’s in-school outreach program, Creative Dance In Schools (CDIS) and has taught Pilates and dance at studios and schools throughout the Jacksonville community, including at Jacksonville Episcopal School, Ponte Vedra Ballet/Fusion Performing Arts Academy, and The Florida Ballet and was Cathedral Arts Project’s Dance Teaching Artist Fellow from 2020-2022.
Chris Byrd
Chris Byrd
Christopher Byrd is a native of Jacksonville who has been studying or involved in the performing arts for most of his life. He studied ballet from a young age at The Florida Ballet Training Center with his parents and founders of the organization, Laurie Picinich-Byrd and Michael Byrd. In addition, he attended workshops at Broadway Dance Center and Joffrey Ballet School. Christopher also studied theater at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Christopher has danced with the Florida Ballet II apprentice company in the 1990s and early 2000s and performed for Theater Jacksonville. He has been a teaching assistant and then faculty for the Florida Ballet since 2002. He is an American Ballet Theater Curriculum certified teacher and is currently teaching Florida Ballet’s Outreach program at Pine Forest School of the Arts and Acting for Dancers within The Florida Ballet Conservatory. Christopher has a passion for expression through the performing arts and a love for the legacy of The Florida Ballet.
Matthew Doolin
Matthew Doolin
Matthew Doolin, a Jacksonville native, is a Manual Therapist BA. NMT. AIS. SET, Professional Ballet Dancer, and Life Coach. Founder of Unwind Freedom LLC, Matthew brings two decades of professional ballet and ten years of regenerative bodywork to The Florida Ballet. Matthew’s diverse education and experience helps dancers with his hyper specialized eyes/ears for postural imbalances, neuromuscular re-education, and injury prevention. Matthew’s sessions and programs are based in unwinding the root causes of dancer’s pain for sustainability and longevity. Matthew’s mentor, Aaron L. Mattes, was Rudolph Nureyev’s Manual Therapist for 17 years. Matthew has worked with dancers from the Boston Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, LADP, and was resident Artist and Therapist for the Tampa City Ballet 2021-23. Matthew’s first professional opportunity to dance was afforded by Laurie Byrd nearly 20 years ago. Matthew is enthusiastic to see his blessings being shared in such a full circle.
Lyndsey Givens
Lyndsey Givens
Lyndsey is a native of Jacksonville, who began her dance career at the age of 3. In 2017, she began her formal ballet training at The Florida Ballet Training Center and in 2018 became a full-time Conservatory student. During the 2019-2020 season, she danced as a Trainee at The Florida Ballet and graduated from high school. Some of her performances during that season included: Roberto Forleo’s, Creatures of Prometheus, The Florida Ballet Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Clans and Flings, and La Boutique Fantastique. During the 2020-2021 season, she danced as an Apprentice with the Florida Ballet’s Company. She performed roles such as Arabian, Columbine Doll, Demi-Soloist Flower and Snow in the Nutcracker, as well as Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.
Lyndsey competed in the Semi-Finals of Youth American Grand Prix in 2017 (Tampa), 2018 (Tampa), and 2019 (Atlanta), where she advanced to the Finals in New York City in 2019 with a contemporary duet under the direction of Diedre Miles-Burger and Susie Dodge. She previously attended summer intensives at ABT Tampa in 2018 and the Sarasota Ballet in 2019.
Lyndsey began teaching at the age of 16 where she found a love for sharing her knowledge with younger students. She has taught ages 3-18 in various dance styles throughout Northeast Florida and just completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3.
Rebekah Hostetter
Rebekah Hostetter
Rebekah is originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She began her training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. While dancing at CPYB she performed the Sugar Plum, Dew Drop, and Arabian in George Balanchine’s Nutcracker and the lead role of Cinderella.
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.
Hannah Kaemmer
Hannah Kaemmer
Hannah began taking ballet classes at the age of 4. Since then, her love for dance has only grown! As she moved around the country in adolescence and adulthood, she took classes with many teachers and in a variety of ballet styles. She is trained in Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, and Modern. Hannah has performed multiple roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and The Jungle Book.
Hannah began her teaching career in 2018 with ballet classes at the YMCA, private home lessons, and classes for homeschoolers. She began teaching in Jacksonville in 2022 and at the Florida Ballet in 2023. She has loved watching her adult students grow in their ability and love of ballet.
Alyssa LaRue
Alyssa LaRue
Alyssa is a native of Jacksonville, Florida where she began dancing at
the age of 3. Alyssa joined the Florida Ballet Training Center Program
in 2015, and soon after the Conservatory Program in 2017. Since then,
Alyssa has completed six different ABT NTC Student Examinations in
various levels. She has performed in many of Florida Ballet’s
productions including The Nutcracker, Jill Bahr’s Alice in Wonderland,
Alabama Ballet’s Cinderella, as well as Roberto Forleo’s Creatures of
Prometheus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gaite Parisienne, Carmen, and
Dracula.
Alyssa has competed in the Semi-Finals of the Youth American Grand
Prix in 2021 and 2023, and has placed in the top ten in both
contemporary and classical ballet at the Universal Ballet
Competition’s Semi-Finals in 2023. She has previously attended summer
intensives at the Florida Ballet (2015-2022), Orlando Ballet
(2017-2018), Atlanta Ballet (2021), and Richmond Ballet (2023).
Alyssa was a Trainee with the Florida Ballet for two years (2021-2023)
and is now an apprentice with the company. Alyssa 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.
Kate Fisher Levitz
Kate Fisher Levitz
Kate Fisher Levitz is a native of Jacksonville. She grew up in Riverside, studying ballet with Thelma Baggs. Over the years of her performing career, she has performed numerous roles in classical ballets with regional companies including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Grand Pas De Quatre, as well as contemporary works.
After earning Masters Degree in Dance at Florida State University, Ms. Levitz studied in New York City with Finis Jhung, at the American Ballet Theatre with Maria Swoboda and in modern dance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the Cunningham School. She was one of the original members of the Joyce Trisler Danscompany.
Ms. Levitz has taught at Jacksonville University, Huntingdon College, and Florida State University where she directed the dance department’s touring company for three years and mentored M.F.A. concerts. Kate also worked with Contemporary Dancers of Canada, teaching ballet and modern dance, and directing their Apprentice Programme and touring the Province of Manitoba.
Ms. Levitz is an accomplished choreographer, having set her works on several regional ballet companies and winning the prestigious Choreographic Fellowship from the State of Florida to produce an evening of her own works. Ms. Levitz has a long association with the Ballet Arts Center of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Ballet Theatre as dancer and choreographer. Most recently she was director of the Braided Light Dance Project.
Ms. Levitz is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Heather Olschewske
Heather Olschewske
Heather grew up in upstate New York where she began her training with Bill Hotaling. In 1995 she graduated with honors from SUNY Brockport with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. There, she studied with Timothy Draper, Randy James, Clyde Morgan, Susannah Newman, Sondra Fraleigh, among many others. While at Brockport, she performed and toured with the school’s two performing companies, DANSCORE and SANKOFA.
After graduation from Brockport, she taught dance and theater in Jacksonville, FL from 1995-1999. Heather then spent the next 5 years managing the dance program at Berwick Academy in Southern Maine and choreographed for the Portsmouth School of Ballet, Portsmouth, NH. She has continued her studies in dance at Bates Dance Festival, The Florida Dance Festival, The Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival and The FDEO conference where she has participated in Master Classes with Robert Atwood, Terry Creach, Clyde Evans Jr., Danny Buraczeski, Desmond Richardson and Jon Lehrer, among many others.
Since returning to the Jacksonville area, Heather has taught at various dance schools and programs including Douglas Anderson School of The Arts and St Johns Country Day School. As a faculty member at The Florida Ballet, she has choreographed two works that were performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. She has been a member of The New Hampshire Dance Alliance and is currently a member of The National Dance Educators Organization, and The Florida Dance Educators Organization. Heather Olschewske 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. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Arts Leadership and Cultural Management through Colorado State University.
Emily Poli
Emily Poli
A Florida native, Emily is a Jacksonville University graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in Kinesiology. Her early dance training focused on the ballet aesthetic, but has since expanded through her training in university where she was exposed to a wide variety of Modern dance techniques, commercial styles, and collaborated with MFA candidates on their choreographic thesis projects. Her collegiate experience allowed her to work directly with teaching artists who instilled a deep awareness of what dance means to human existence, the healing nature of the arts, and the role of dance as an integral element of human nature, which have become pillars to her approach to dance. Following graduation, Emily had the pleasure of accepting a contract to work with the second company of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (Cleo II). Following her experience with the CPRDE, Emily also took the opportunity to work with the Hannah Kahn Dance Company and Wonderbound, until deciding to move back to Jacksonville. Currently, Emily is working with Jacksonville Dance Theatre (JDT) and teaching at studios in the Jacksonville area, while also pursuing her own choreographic interests.
Liudmila Polonskaya
Liudmila Polonskaya
Liudmila Polonskaya was born in Ukraine in the region of Crimeia. In 1967, at the age of ten, she joined the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, graduating in 1974.
In 1977, Ms. Polonskaya was promoted to first ballerina of the Maly Opera Theater in St. Petersburg, where she interpreted the leading roles of classic repertoires such as Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Giselle, Paquita, Raymonda, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker.
In 1995, Ms. Polonskaya graduated in Ballet Pedagogy at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia with a diploma of Choreographer and Teacher of Classical Ballet, Character and Historical Dance. Ms. Polonskaya was hired by the Vaganova Ballet Academy where she taught classical ballet from 1995 – 2000. During this time, she was invited to teach at ballet schools in Australia, Japan, Korea and Brazil.
In 2006, Ms. Polonskaya was invited to teach at Tulsa Ballet. She was promoted in 2009 to the position of School Principal and Director of the Second Company. Ms. Polonskaya now works for several nationally known schools as a guest teacher.
Robersy Avila Romero
Robersy Avila Romero
Robersy started dancing at the age of 13 in Orange Park, FL. She began studying at Marta Jackson School of Dance and later, at Arts Edge School of Dance and Theatre as well as Summer Intensives at The Florida Ballet. She has trained in various styles of dance including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, and Contemporary. She has trained under such faculty as Heather Olschewske, Carlos/Ihaia Miller, Marta Jackson, Linda Jenkins, Laurie-Picinich-Byrd, Savery Morgan, Dewitt Cooper, Joe Kemper, and James Kinney.
Robersy has been a company member of the Cooper Morgan Dance Theatre as well as Paradigm Flux Dance Company. She has been part of musical theatre productions for Players by the Sea such as “In the Heights” and has also co-directed Sakoso: a local Salsa/Mambo team.
Robersy completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 over the summer of 2021.
Patrick VanBuren
Patrick VanBuren
Patrick VanBuren trained in his hometown of Merritt Island, FL, under Liz Bevilacqua at Dussich Dance Studio. He furthered his pre-professional training with Peter Stark at the Orlando Ballet School. During his pre-professional years, he was Florida Dance Masters Junior Mr. Dance and Mr. Dance title holder, as well as a Finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix.
Patrick danced with the Orlando Ballet as part of their second company, with 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.
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.
He was the instructor, for the Level 1 portion, of the Pre Primary – Level 3 ABT Curriculum Training Session, hosted by the Florida Ballet, in March 2024.
Mr. VanBuren is certified to teach Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Julie Williams
Julie Williams
Julie “Osaka Jay” Williams, 37, is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She is a graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Jacksonville Centre of the Arts. She attended New World School of the Arts where she received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree on full scholarship. She’s done work in the dance industry as a principal dancer in J. Dash’s WOP and STRUT, Freddick Bratcher Dance Company, Entertainer at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, California’s Fun Next to None, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Disney Performing Arts. She’s a former Principal Dancer of CooperMorgan Dance Company. She’s added Fitness Model to her accomplishments with 7-time Olympian, Shannon Miller’s Fitness line. She’s certified in Horton Pedagogy from The Ailey School. Julie has trained several young ladies in Jacksonville as a Talent Coach and helping them win their title. She’s now a Licensed Esthetician, CEO/Founder of JuJuSkin Beauty and performs/models professionally. She’s super excited returning to The Florida Ballet starting in the fall!
We proudly offer American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum!
ABT’s National Training Curriculum is a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles and incorporates elements of the French, Italian and Russian schools of training.
Photography by NH Photography. All rights reserved.
