Stephen Gabriel

Co-Founder/Director

Mr. Gabriel trained extensively with master teachers Michael Simms of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Elizabeth Hard of the Kansas City Ballet and was awarded full scholarships from both Duke University and Stephens College where he earned his B.F.A degree in dance. His professional performing credits include seasons with the Richmond Ballet, Ballet Omaha, and as principal dancer for Orlando’s Southern Ballet Theatre and the Charleston Ballet Theatre.

Throughout his career he danced lead roles in many of the classics as well as works by Lambros Lambrou, Mauricio Wainrot, Lew Christensen and NYCB’s Christopher Fleming. Stephen has also performed for renowned modern choreographers Doug Varone, Peter Pucci, Mark Taylor and the Humphrey-Weidman Repertory Company. During his time with the Charleston Ballet Theatre he served as the company’s Ballet Master, a teacher in the CBT School, and as the Founding Director of the critically acclaimed Broadway Dance Project that has produced seven successful premieres to the Charleston community and Piccolo Spoleto audiences. Also during his tenure, he had the honor of working closely with Repetiteurs of the George Balanchine Trust in the staging and coaching of the company’s Balanchine Repertory. He has also been a guest teacher for the Tallahassee Ballet, Westport Ballet, and the Charleston County School of the Arts. 

Jonathan Tabbert

Co-Founder/Director

Mr. Tabbert began his dance training at the Dayton Ballet School and then received a scholarship to study at The Harid Conservatory, where he was awarded a number of dance honors. In 1999 Jonathan completed his training at the School of the Hartford Ballet with supplemental training from the Houston Ballet Academy and American Ballet Theatre.

Jonathan had an illustrious performance career as a principal dancer with the Charleston Ballet Theatre as well as being a guest artist for the North Carolina State Ballet and the Greenville Ballet. After twelve years of being a valued staff member of the Charleston Ballet School he became the director of the Palmetto City Youth Ballet. He also held the title of company teacher for the Charleston Ballet Theatre, with his choreography being a staple in the repertoire as well as receiving a performance grant from the Harkness Foundation for his ballet “Jubilee”. Other credits include Guest Teacher and/or Choreographer for the Gem City Ballet, Victoria Ballet Theatre, Burklyn Ballet Theatre and The Charleston County School of the Arts.  Jonathan is also currently the Artistic Director for the Palmetto City Ballet.

Jodie Davis Caplea

Jodie began her dance training in Ohio under the direction of Nan Klinger with the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. Other training includes Giacobbe Academy and the New Orleans Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Chatauqua Institute, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Jodie earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wright State University while performing with Dayton Ballet. After college, Jodie performed with Richmond Ballet and then Charleston Ballet Theatre.

After retiring from dance Jodie earned her Montessori certification and taught at a Montessori preschool for 3 years before starting her own family. Now a mother of 3, she has been teaching ballet to preschoolers for 10 years and now she is thrilled to be joining the team at Palmetto City Ballet School. 

Emily Scolaro

Emily Scolaro began her professional dance training at The Florida Ballet Training Center and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Fl. She graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the Florida State University.  During this time she performed in works by Monica Bill Barnes, Stephen Koester, Lynda Davis, Gerri Houlihan, Tim Glenn and Anthony Morgan. She was a member of the University’s Dance Repertory Theater, Ella Rosewood Dance, and Mary Love Dance Projects. Emily has performed in New York City festivals such as DUMBO Dance Festival and Dance Gallery as well as internationally in London’s Cloud Dance Festival.

​Emily has taught dance technique to students for over 15 years at training centers such as the Florida Ballet, Rollins College, and The Center for Contemporary Dance.  She is excited to share her passion for the arts, love for movement and teaching experiences with Palmetto City Ballet!

Natasha Nast

Natasha began dancing at the age of 2 in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland with her pre-professional training being at the Baltimore School for the Arts and the Russian Ballet Academy of Maryland. At 17, Natasha was accepted into the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program where she was one of the few student dancers selected to perform company roles in several classics including Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, as well as George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast, and Derek Deane’s Alice in Wonderland and Romeo and Juliet.

Alongside her company work, Natasha was featured in the Graduate Program and PBT School productions as the Dark Angel in Balanchine’s Serenade, Gamzatti in La Bayadere, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Natasha is so grateful to the Palmetto City Ballet dancers and staff for welcoming her into the company mid-season and looks forward to continuing her career here with Palmetto City Ballet. 

Crystal Wellman

Crystal Wellman is a North Carolina native. She started her dance training at the School of Gaston Dance Theatre, under the direction of Pat Wall. Wellman continued her training at the Atlanta Ballet School, the Joffrey Ballet, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and holds a BFA from East Carolina University. Professionally she has worked with the Montgomery Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Martha Connerton/Kinectic Works Dance Company, Charleston Dance Project and The Moving Poets Charlotte. Throughout her career she feels blessed to have performed a wide range of work. Ranging from principal classical roles to working with new world renowned contemporary choreographers. Wellman has choreographed her own works for Oklahoma City Ballet and the Charleston Dance Project. A RYT yoga teacher, sharing her love for yoga has become a passion of hers in the last few years.

Sarah Walborn

Sarah Walborn of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania began her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. In 2007, Ms. Walborn was invited to be an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet. She performed many roles with the company, including George Balanchine’s Diamonds and Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Giselle, and The Sleeping Beauty. After joining The Washington Ballet in 2009, Ms. Walborn originated roles including a world premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sueno de Marmol, one of the twins in Septime Webre’s Great Gatsby, and various roles in Webre’s Alice (In Wonderland). She has performed with the company in George Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, the staging of Anna-Marie Holmes’ Le Corsaire and Don Quixote, as well as Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, and the pas de deux Strangers in the Night from Nine Sinatra Songs. In 2012, Ms. Walborn joined Kansas City Ballet under the direction of William Whitener. She originated works from Jodie Gates and Devon Carney. Ms. Walborn also had the opportunity to perform the Summer Fairy in Victoria Morgan’sCinderella, as well as Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Donald McKayle’s Hey-Hay: Going to Kansas City, and Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Mercury. In 2014, Ms. Walborn began dancing with Ballet Arizona, performing in Balanchine’s Rubies, Western Symphony, Walpurgisnacht, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and La Sonambula. She has also danced in Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux, as well as the US premiere of August Bournonville’s full length Napoli. Since joining Ballet Evolution, Ms. Walborn has performed the title role in Jonathan Tabbert’s Snow Queen, as well as originating the role of Lavinia Fisher in Tabbert’s Dance Macabre. 

Victoria Bevil

Victoria Bevil, a native of Charleston, began her training at Charleston Ballet Theater and Classical Ballet Centre. She was Clara in Charlotte Ballet’s first Nutcracker at the Charleston Gaillard Center. In 2017, Victoria was accepted to Cary Ballet Conservatory’s Professional Training Program directed by YAGP Outstanding Teacher, Mariaelena Ruiz. She performed principal and soloist roles there, attended YAGP New York Finals twice, and worked with renowned choreographer Krista King Dougherty. Victoria attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre New York, Bolshoi Ballet, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, Master Ballet Academy, Orlando Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and Charlotte Ballet. She joined Charlotte Ballet as a Trainee in 2019 and studied with Patricia McBride, founding member of New York City Ballet and 2014 Kennedy Center Honoree.

Victoria joined Palmetto City Ballet in 2020, where she performed the principal role of Ingénue in French Twist and soloist roles including Albino (set to the Dying Swan score) in Carnival of the Animals, Arabian Princess in Cinderella, and Rose in Snow Queen. In addition to her work with PCB, Victoria is pursuing a BS in Public Relations from the University of Florida Online. She taught elementary ballet in Palmetto City Ballet School’s Summer Intensive in 2022 and is excited to work further with the PCBS students. 

Jordan Benton

A native of Charleston, in 2012 Jordan launched her dancing career at 14 years old with Moranz Entertainment. Jordan attended the Charleston County School of the Arts and is a graduate of the College of Charleston, double majoring in Dance and Theatre. Jordan is a company member of Annex Dance Company. She performed with Pauletta Washington and The Charleston Pops. Jordan’s work has engaged a form of video artistry that is a collaboration of storytelling and dance. Projects have included working with award-winning artists Marcus Amaker and Ranky Tanky, Wade Davis (CNN), Gino Castillo (Cha Cha Charleston). Jordan has also created visual works such as Glory Comes, Selah, and an Apple marketing campaign. Her choreography has been featured in such musicals as “Daniel and the Kings,” “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat,” and “Pleasure Never Lies.”