| Senior Artists Grace Austin Ms. Austin is a founding member of Missouri Ballet Theatre and hails from Dallas, Texas. For Missouri Ballet Theatre she has danced the leading roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as one of the Ugly Stepsisters in the World Premier of Cinderella and Hoop Pas de Deux. Grace has also performed in Symphony No. 1, Spring to Summer, Porteno Fantastico, Masquerade, Baroque Fantasy, Opus18, St. Louis Swing and LAPse Dance. She received her early training at Dallas Metropolitan Ballet with Anne Etgen and Bill Atkinson and graduated from Virginia School of the Arts. Grace was chosen to perform at the 2006 International Ballet Competition in Jackson Mississippi and was a finalist at the American Ballet Competition in Miami Florida in 2008. Dexter Bishop Mr. Bishop joined Missouri Ballet Theatre in 2010 after graduating from Oklahoma City University with a B.A. in Dance. For MBT he has danced the leading roles of the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Lysander in the world premier of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvia Pas de Deux and as the Dancing Master in the World Premier of Cinderella. He has performed in Bird Cage, Spring to Summer, Upstaging, Masquerade, Opus 18, St. Louis Swing and LAPse Dance. Dexter hails from Clinton, Mississippi where he received his early training under Jennifer Beasley, Artistic Director of Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet. As a former member of the award winning show choir Attachehe is in demand as a choreographer and has set pieces on the Clinton High School show choir as well as the Brandon Elementary and Middle Schools show choirs in Mississippi. Jason Gomez Jason hails from San Antonio, Texas and joins Missouri Ballet Theatre this season after dancing with Ballet Quad Cities since 2006. For Ballet Quad Cities he performed the roles of Renfield in Dracula, Escamillo in Carmen, Rasputin in I, Vampire, Russian and Arabian in The Nutcracker, Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank and the Black Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake.He has been a guest artist for Fort Wayne Ballet, Tallahassee Ballet, Ballet San Antonio, Pas de Vie Ballet and Ballet Arts Ensemble.Mr. Gomez trained with the San Antonio Ballet Academy, Southern Academy of Ballet Arts and at Florida State University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. Caitlin Helton Missouri Ballet Theatre founding member For MBT Caitlin Helton has performed the leading roles of Snow Queen and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, Hermia in the world premier of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Fire Opal Fairy in the World Premier of Cinderella. She has performed in Symphony No. 1, LAPse Dance, Little Black Dress, Baroque Fantasy, Masquerade, St. Louis Swing, Porteno Fantastico, Opus 18 and Rays of the Sun. A native of Springfield, Illinois, began her training at the Springfield Ballet Company and competed in the finals of the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix in New York City. After graduating high school, Caitlin went on to study under scholarship at Nashville Ballet and performed in The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. She also studied under scholarship at Butler University and participated in a study abroad program touring throughout Poland and performing with some of the most prestigious companies in the country. Rachel Klisavage Rachel hails from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and joined Missouri Ballet Theatre in 2011. For MBT she has performed the title role of Cinderella in the World Premier of Cinderella, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and in Symphony No. 1, Little Black Dress and LAPse Dance. Ms. Klisavage was member of Nashville Ballet II and during her tenure she performed in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Giselle, and Carmina Burana. She was also featured in the children’s ballets The Singing Tortoise, Ferdinand the Bull, Jump Frog Jump and Carnival of the Animals.She studied with the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet and the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh. She has also trained with North Carolina Dance Theatre and the School of American Ballet. Lydia Phillips Ms. Phillips joined MBT as a founding member after dancing with Richmond Ballet. For MBT she has performed the leading roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Cinderella in the World Premier of Cinderella, Titania in the World Premier of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sylvia Pas de Deux. She has danced in Masquerade, Symphony No. 1, Opus18, Baroque Fantasy, St. Louis Swing, LAPse Dance and Porteno Fantastico. She received her early training at the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center in Lynchburg, Virginia and is a graduate of Virginia School of the Arts where she received the Dame Margot Fonteyn Award and the Jan Petrus Bosman Award. While with the Richmond ballet she performed in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella and La Bayadere. ARTISTS Caitlin Birt Caitlin is a native of Orlando Florida and joined Missouri Ballet Theatre in 2011 after dancing with the Next Generation Ballet. For MBT she has performed the role of the Fairy Godmother in the World Premier of Cinderella as well Turkish Delight in The Nutcracker and in Symphoiny No. 1, Spring to Summer and LAPse Dance. She received her formal training with the Orlando Ballet School and was a member of Orlando Ballet II. Caitlin has performed the role of Dew Drop in Next Generation Ballet’s The Nutcracker and as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While with Orlando Ballet II she danced in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Don Quixote. Ms. Birt has been a finalist at the American Ballet Competition and was awarded the Silver Medal at the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition in 2007. Kara DelGrosso Ms. DelGrosso joins Missouri Ballet Theatre this season after dancing with Dance Prism in Concord Massachusetts for the past four years. She has danced for Enigmatic Contemporary Dance Company and also served as an intern at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts.While with Dance Prism, Kara performed in The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop, the title role of Giselle in Giselle, Scheherazade in Aladdin, Mermaid Queen in Peter Pan and the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. She also performed the role of Odette in Swan Lake, Sugar Plum Fairy and Arabian in The Nutcracker at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts.Kara received her training at the Boston Ballet School and Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. Rachel Doub – Bio coming soon Ashley Hamann Ms. Hamann is in her third year with Missouri Ballet Theatre after dancing with Ballet Quad Cities. For MBT she has performed the role of Clara in The Nutcracker, the Garnet Fairy in the World Premier of Cinderella, the Fairy Moss in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as in Opus 18, St. Louis Swing, Symphony No. 1, Spring to Summer and Little Black Dress. Ashley received her formal training with the Orlando Ballet School and has performed with the Orlando Ballet in Swan Lake, Don Quixote and La Fille Mal Gard�e as well as in The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby and George Balanchine’s Serenade while with the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Abigail Henninger Ms. Henninger joins Missouri Ballet Theatre this season after dancing with Sarasota Ballet since 2006. She has been a guest artist with Neglia Ballet and Hosanna Sacred Arts Dance Company.While with Sarasota Ballet she performed in Giselle, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Andre Prokovsky�s AnnaKarenina, George Balanchine�s Concerto Barocco, Diamonds and Divertimento No. 15, Sir Fredrick Ashton�s Les Patineurs, The Two Pigeons and Le Rendezvous, Dame Ninette de Valois�s Checkmate andThe Rake�s Progress, and John Cranko�s Pineapple Poll.Abigail received her training with Lake Erie Ballet and has taught for Sarasota Ballet, Lake Erie Ballet, Erie Dance Conservatory, Studio of Dance & Music and A Better Place. Jordyn Raybon – Bio coming soon Tiffany Smith Tiffany hails from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and joins Missouri Ballet Theatre this season after dancing with Ballet Quad Cities, Milwaukee Ballet II and Nashville Ballet II. She performed in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Legend of Lizzie Borden and George Balanchine�s Serenade while with Nashville Ballet II and The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadere with Milwaukee Ballet II. She has also performed the lead role in Tango Apasionado, George Balanchine�s Stars and Stripes and the leading role in Fairy Doll.Ms. Smith was selected to perform the duet Triptych by Luc Vanier in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum for the grand opening of the Act/React exhibit. She most recently traveled to Mexico and performed in the Gala de Danza in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Emily Woods Ms. Woods joins Missouri Ballet Theatre after dancing with Sarasota Ballet and the Louisville Ballet. She has performed for Sarasota Ballet in George Balanchine�s Serenade, Donizetti Variations, and Who Care�s, Sir Fredrick Ashton�s Fa�ade and The Two Pigeons, Rodeo, Shostakovitch Suite, Spielinde Kinder, Tchaikovsky Ballet Fantasy and Dame Ninette de Valois�s The Rake�s Progress.While Emily was with the Louisville Ballet she performed in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Vivace, Celts and Andre Prokovsky�s The Great Gatsby. She received her training with The Louisville Ballet School and the Ellison Ballet-Professional Training Program. NEW ARTISTS Hannah Forck – Bio coming soon Olivia Lebamoff – Bio coming soon APPRENTICES Julia Martin – Bio coming soon |