Meet the Dancers 

Amelia Ackles

Amelia has been passionate about Ballet since she started dancing at the age of two. She is a classically trained ballerina from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Amelia received her primary ballet training from Milwaukee Ballet. She was a trainee with Milwaukee Ballet (2019-2021), Nashville Ballet (2021-2022), and Charlotte Ballet (2022-2024). She has had brilliant training under Patricia McBride, Laszlo Berdo, Chris Stuart, Anais Chalendard, Rolando Yanes, Monica Isla, Jayne Pink, Tatiana Malinkine, Mirelle Favarel, and Karl Von Rabanau. She has had the pleasure of learning many different styles of ballet as she has trained under Cuban, French, Russian, English, and Ukrainian instructors. Amelia has performed roles such as; a swan in Ib Anderson’s Swan Lake, Jean Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker as a snowflake and flower, a lily in Chris Stuart’s Peter Pan, George Balanchine’s Faust, Union Jack, Tchaikovsky Pas, and Minkus. She recently performed the third shade variation in La Bayadère, and first and second odalisque variations from Le Corsaire. She has most recently performed in a contemporary pas choreographed by Tang Dao. She has honed her skills over the summers by attending Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Charlotte Ballet. Amelia has a passion for teaching and enjoys sharing her knowledge of dance with younger generations.

Angelina Bartolozzi

Angelina Bartolozzi is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and educator based in Charleston,
South Carolina. Originally from Vineland, New Jersey, she trained at Maxine’s Dance Studio
LLC and the Vineland Regional Dance Company before spending summers with Alonzo King
LINES Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Burklyn Ballet Theatre.
Angelina graduated summa cum laude from Purchase College, SUNY, earning a BFA in Dance
Performance and a BA in Arts Management. During her time at Purchase, she performed works
by Jenelle Figgins and Doug Varone, appeared in the Purchase College Opera’s production of
Dido and Aeneas, and performed an excerpt of William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat
Elevated, staged by Jodie Gates.
Angelina is thrilled to be entering her fifth season with Palmetto City Ballet. During her time with
the company, she has performed featured roles including Ursula in The Little Mermaid, the
Florist in The Nutcracker, the Spring Soloist in Four Seasons, and a soloist in Why Our Walls. In
addition to her work with the company, she performs with Unbound Ballet Project, a
contemporary ballet company based in Charleston.
Alongside her performing career, Angelina serves on the faculty at Charleston Dance Works,
where she teaches a variety of dance styles to students of all ages. As a choreographer and
coach for the studio’s Competition Team, she is passionate about fostering both artistic
excellence and personal growth in the next generation of dancers.
Beyond the studio and stage, Angelina is passionate about advancing dance education through
evidence-based training practices that integrate anatomy, kinesiology, mental wellness, and
artistic excellence. She has served as Resident Choreographer for the Vineland Regional
Dance Company and has created award-winning choreography for nonprofit organizations and
competitive dance programs throughout the East Coast. She is also an American Council on
Exercise Certified Personal Trainer and a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified
Nutrition Coach.

Victoria Bevil

Victoria Bevil, a native of Charleston, began her training at Charleston Ballet Theater and Classical Ballet Centre. In 2015, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux selected her as the first Clara in Charlotte Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Gaillard Center. In 2017, she was accepted to Cary Ballet Conservatory’s Professional Training Program, directed by Mariaelena Ruiz. Victoria performed Snow Queen and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, Second Shade in La Bayadere, and Big Swans in Swan Lake. Working with renowned choreographer Krista King Dougherty, she participated twice in YAGP Finals and ADC/IBC.

Victoria attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre New York, Bolshoi Ballet, Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, Galina Panova, Master Ballet Academy, Orlando Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and Charlotte Ballet. After attending Charlotte Ballet’s Summer Intensive on a scholarship, Victoria was invited to join Charlotte Ballet as a Trainee in 2019. There, she trained with Patricia McBride, founding member of New York City Ballet and Kennedy Center Honoree. She performed in Bonnefoux’s The Nutcracker and Matthew Hart’s The Sleeping Beauty. She trained privately with Bo Busby and Julia Moiseeva.

In 2020, Victoria began her professional career at Palmetto City Ballet. Her repertoire includes the Ingénue in French Twist, Albino (Dying Swan) in Carnival of the Animals, Arabian Princess in Cinderella, Moth and Fairy of Light in Thumbelina, Rose in Snow Queen, and the company’s feature film Why Our Walls. She originated the roles of the Winter soloist in Four Seasons, Hatter (Marzipan) in The Nutcracker, and danced as a soloist with the company in Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s “Let’s Dance!” at the Gaillard Center. Victoria was invited to perform as a guest artist with Savannah Ballet Theatre in 2023, where she danced the principal role of Titania in Sir Fredrick Ashton’s The Dream. She attends University of Florida Online as a Public Relations major. In addition, she is an Ambassador for Chameleon Activewear by April Giangeruso, based in New York City. She looks forward to performing again with Palmetto City Ballet in the upcoming season.

Anna Brandner

Anna Brandner is from Centennial, Colorado where she trained at Littleton Ballet Academy with Alison and Bobbie Jaramillo. She continued her studies at Butler University, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Dance Arts Administration with High Distinction. As a member of Butler Ballet, she performed in full-length ballets with live accompaniment including The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Swan Lake, as well as original works from choreographers Marek Cholewa, David Ingram, and Derek Reid.

She began her professional career as a trainee with Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas, Texas, where she performed in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht, Paul Mejia’s The Nutcracker, the Swan Lake Pas de Trois, and world premieres by Katie Puder. Throughout her training she attended summer programs with Avant Chamber Ballet, Butler Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Austin, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. 

As a company dancer with Palmetto City Ballet, Anna has performed in Jonathan Tabbert’s world premieres of Dracula, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Little Mermaid. She has also appeared as Clara in Charleston’s Nutcracker. In addition to performing, Anna is passionate about increasing access to the arts and currently serves as Special Events and Fundraising Coordinator for PCB.

Laura Hart

Originally from Mississippi, Laura Hart began her dance training at Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet under
the direction of Jennifer Beasley. With their performing company, she danced feature roles in The
Nutcracker, Kristy Nilsson’s Frozen Heart, and works by choreographers Andrew Brader and Sara
Sanford at annual Southeastern Regional Dance America Ballet Festivals. A family move took her to
Ballet Arts Academy in Spokane, Washington, and while there, she received Youth America Grand Prix’s
Senior Top 12 Classical Award in Seattle and was the MusicFest Northwest Ballet Young Artist Gold
Medalist. She then trained and performed with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in their school’s Graduate
program, performing in Terrence Orr’s The Nutcracker and Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast. She
has attended summer intensive programs including San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet
West, Next Generation Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Virginia, Ballet Arizona, and Ballet Academy East in
NYC.
Laura’s professional career began with Ballet Arizona’s Studio Company, where her performances
included Ib Anderson’s The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and George Balanchine’s Bourrée Fantasque.
She continued her professional career at Georgia Dance Theatre where performed the title role in
Cinderella as well as featured roles in The Nutcracker, An American in Paris, and Masterworks.
In addition to dance, Laura also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington State
University.

Jillian Kerr

Jillian Kerr, a talented ballet dancer from Harrington, Delaware, has been passionate about dance since the age of three. She began her training at the First State Dance Academy and later went on to train at the Tatiana Akinfieva Dance Academy until her junior year of high school. For her senior year, Jillian attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she had the opportunity to train in ballet under the guidance of Eva Draw and Jennet Zerbe.
Over the years, Jillian has had the privilege of working with many renowned choreographers, including Zippora Karz, Dani Rowe, Maria Konrad, Dwight Rhoden, and Desmond Richardson. She has showcased her talents as a soloist and principal dancer, portraying characters such as Dorothy in PCB’s Wizard of Oz, Clara in PCB’s Charleston Nutcracker, Nikiya from La Bayadere, Kitri from Don Quixote, Paquita, and more.
Apart from dancing, Jillian enjoys performing as a singer and guitarist at local open mics downtown. She is also the owner of PrimaCrochetbyJK! With her impressive dance background and diverse talents, Jillian is all set to embark on her fourth season with Palmetto City Ballet and continue to inspire audiences with her artistry and dedication. 

Anne-Marie Mahaffey

Zoie Mathews

Zoie Mathews began her formal training at Western Arkansas Ballet, later joining their pre-Professional Company, and has performed in a wide range of classical and contemporary works since. Zoie has spent her summers training at Burklyn Ballet Theatre, studying under master teachers including Arthur Leeth, Sarah Tallman, Joanne Whitehill, Jonathan Tabbert, Nichole Greene-Cramer, Thom Clower, and Ashley Calligan.

Over the years, Zoie has performed in a wide range of works including Rhapsody, Midnight Blue, and Jose Limon’s Missa Brevis, as well as classical repertory such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita, The Awakening of Flora, and The Nutcracker. Throughout her training, she has worked closely under the direction of Jared and Brianna Mesa. Most recently, Zoie spent the past four years at Southeast Missouri State University, where she earned a BFA in Dance and a BS in Mass Communications. While at SEMO, she performed extensively in faculty and guest artist works, collaborating with choreographers such as Alyssa Alger, Hilary Peterson, and Phillip Edgecombe.

Natasha Nast

Natasha Nast, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, began her dance education at the age of two and went on to receive her pre-professional training in ballet and modern at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera, the Russian Ballet Academy of Maryland under Svetlana Kravtsova, and privately with Singur Ballet Directors, Evgenia Singur and Bat Udval. Upon graduation, Natasha joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program on scholarship under the direction of Terrence Orr where she was selected to perform company roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, as well as other notable works such 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 work with the company, Natasha performed as the Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Gamzatti in La Bayadere, the Lilac Fairy in the Sleeping Beauty, the title role in Raymonda, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker in graduate program productions.

Natasha spent four years dancing in Pittsburgh prior to moving to Charleston, South Carolina in 2017 to join Palmetto City Ballet. Her repertoire with the company includes roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Lucy in Dracula, the Ringmaster in Carnival of the Animals, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, as well as principal roles in neo-classical works such as Why Our Walls, American Quartet, and Danse Macabre. In addition to her work with PCB, Natasha has worked with Moranz Entertainment, Unbound Ballet Project, and HBO and is a member of the faculty at Palmetto City Ballet School. Natasha looks forward to dancing in her ninth season with Palmetto City Ballet.

Riley Nelson

Amanda Ovitt

Amanda Ovitt grew up in Boca Raton, FL, where she began her ballet training at her local dance studio. In addition to training at her studio, she attended Bak Middle School of the Arts and A.W Dreyfoos School of the Arts where she was exposed to a variety of styles including classical ballet, Horton technique, and musical theatre. 

For her senior year of high school, she chose to move away from home to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon graduation, Amanda continued at UNCSA and pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ballet. Through UNCSA’s rigorous conservatory ballet program, she furthered her training in classical ballet and contemporary techniques including Limón and Countertechnique. Working with esteemed faculty Jennet Zerbe, Jared Redick, Ilya Kozadayev, Angelina Sansone, Laura Martin, Misha Tchoupakov and prominent choreographers, she has performed various repertory. Some of her favorites included the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ilya Kozadayev’s The Nutcracker, “Russian Girls” in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Swanhilda in Coppelia, and Napoli. In 2023, Amanda appeared in a UNCSA film that aired on PBS and featured her performance in Shostakovich Suite by Dean Endalyn T. Outlaw. 

After graduation, Amanda began her professional career with the Richmond Ballet studio company where she had the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker and Giselle. She is now looking forward to beginning her first season with Palmetto City Ballet as a company artist!

Ashlyn Peterson

Ashlyn Peterson is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and grew up dancing at Carolina Dance Center from the age of three until she graduated high school in 2023. In her time there she had the pleasure of working with Debra Austin, Marcelo Martinez, Jan Burkhard, Kenneth Easter, and many more. Lindsay Collins Shaw, Jennifer Culler Moore, and Melissa Blackburn, owners of Carolina dance center, have supported her dance journey and are some of her biggest inspirations. She participated in the studio’s non-profit company, as well as their competition team for over 10 years. She developed a strong passion for choreography and teaching and has been doing so for the past six years. She has choreographed for the Regional Dance Association, Burklyn Ballet Theater’s choreographic program, and for herself. Since then, she’s studied at East Carolina University with a focus on ballet technique, Training under Jessica Teague, Tommi Galaska, John Dixon and Jayme host. Over the summer of 2024 she attended an intensive at Ballet Chicago further refining her technique in the Balanchine style. 

Sophia Pistone

Sophia grew up in North Carolina and began her dance training at 10 years old at a local ballet studio. She attended multiple summer intensives such as Houston Ballet, Ellison, Ballet West and Charlotte Ballet. This past year she danced in Charlotte Ballet’s pre-professional program under Laszlo Berdo, Kati Mayo, and Patrica Mcbride. She was able to perform in Jean-Pierre Bonnefous Nutcracker, Giselle, as well as Odalisque third variation under Patrica Mcbride’s training. As well as her ballet training, she has also completed her degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Brooke Turner

Brooke Turner was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she started ballet at The
Lake Erie Ballet School. She continued dancing when she moved to South Carolina,
where she joined Lowcountry Youth Dance Academy and took classes at various
studios to further her technique and versatility as a dancer. In high school, Brooke
attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, where she
performed roles including Lead Sylph in Les Sylphides, Princess Aspicia in Pharaoh’s
Daughter, and works by choreographers such as Carolyn Bolton, Jenifer Archibald,
Josée Garant, and Jaqueline Calle-Hernandez. She has previously danced with
Palmetto City Ballet, Dance Conservatory of Charleston, Classical Ballet Center, and
performed with Charlotte Ballet in The Nutcracker, The Little Mermaid, and The
Sleeping Beauty. Brooke also studied for two years at the University of Hartford’s Hartt
School for Dance. During her time there, she performed in a multitude of contemporary
ballet works and classical works such as Swan Lake, Le Corsaire’s Pas de Trois, and as
Conchita in Anthony Tudor’s ballet Fandango. She has enjoyed learning many styles of
ballet, having been taught in Vaganova, Cuban, and Cecchetti techniques, as well as
studying modern techniques such as Duncan, Graham, and Limón. Brooke has
attended summer intensives at SCGSAH, Nashville Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, and BalletX.
She has additionally had the privilege of working with and training under teachers,
including Caroline Rocher Barnes, Christian Denice, Christina Johnson, Jermaine
Spivey, Spenser Theberge, Siriu Liu, Jonathan Spigner, and many others.

Sarah Walborn

Sarah Walborn of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania began her training at the Central Pennsylvania
Youth Ballet (CPYB) 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 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 Summer Fairy in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, 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.
This is Ms. Walborn’s 5th season with Palmetto City Ballet. Since joining the company, she 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, the title role in Cinderella, and the solo Split
Second. Ms. Walborn has also been featured in a film documentary as a principal dancer in Why
Our Walls.

Jayden Zayas

Marcelo Martinez (Guest Artist)

Marcelo Martinez was born in Paraguay where he began his training at the former Academia de danza Bettina Ramos. He then continued his training in Brazil at the Centro de Dança Rio under the instruction of Maria Angelica Fiorani. At age 17 he was accepted into the Companhia Jovem do Teatro Municipal do Rio De Janerio where he danced under the directions of Dalal Aschar and Mariza Estrella. Mr. Martinez accepted a position with The Washington Ballet where he danced lead roles including Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Stravinsky Violin Concerto by Balanchine, and The Rite of Spring by Trey MacIntyre. In 2007, he joined Carolina Ballet and rose through the ranks. With Carolina Ballet he’s danced many principal roles. Mr. Martinez has also appeared as a guest artist with Greensboro Ballet, Susan Farrell Ballet, Arka Ballet and The Raleigh Dance Theater.

Darby Moody (Guest Artist)

Growing up in Charleston, Darby Moody started his dance training at The Palmetto City Ballet. Further refining his training, Darby attended the boarding program at South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and graduated with a major in dance. Currently, Darby is pursuing a BFA in dance with a focus in classical ballet at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Thanks to the BFA program at UNCSA, Darby has obtained skills in composition and pedagogy along with an understanding of music fundamentals. While under the training of Ilya Kozadayev and Misha Tchoupakov, Darby has performed principal, soloist, and corps roles in various rep. This year, he performed as the Snow King in UNCSA’s The Nutcracker. While his focus is in classical ballet, Darby has also been able to explore contemporary work through class and performance. In the spring of 2025, Darby performed in Ilya Kozadayev’s Echoes. Recently, Darby joined Dance Theater of Harlem for their tour of Paris to perform John Taras’s production of The Firebird. Throughout his studies, Darby has grown a greater appreciation of contemporary work. Outside of dance, Darby likes to spend his time exercising and cooking.

Denys Simon (Guest Artist)

Denys was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on January 31, 1990. He attended the prestigious Kiev Municipal Academy of Dance (KMAD) named after Serj Lifar and graduated in 2010 with a degree in choreography and dance. During his training with the KMAD he was chosen twice to participate in the international exchange program between KMAD and the International Ballet Academy, located in South Carolina. He received a Bachelor’s Degree as a Ballet Master Assistant in 2012 from the European University in Kiev. He furthered his education by obtaining his Master’s Degree in Choreography Art from the European University in Kiev in 2015. He was invited to join the Dnipro State Opera and Ballet Theater in 2010.

After a 2012 tour of China as a guest dancer with the Imperial Russian Ballet Company of Moscow, Denys was invited to join the company as a soloist. Over the next 8 years he delighted audiences in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Serbia, China and other countries. From 2020 joined the St. Petersburg Classical Ballet for a tour of Great Britain and United States. At this time working as guest dancer with International Ballet Greenville, SC

Oliver Greene-Cramer (Guest Artist)