(Em)Power

Ashtyn Babb (She/Her, Fort Worth, TX) spent her formative years training at Epicenter for the Arts where she received the opportunity to travel with Dance Revolution National Dance Convention performing and assisting classes in styles such as Jazz, Contemporary Fusion, Dance on Camera, Hip Hop, and Tribal Funk. In 2020, she was accepted into the esteemed BFA program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) for Contemporary Dance. Through her training, she has performed repertory by Trisha Brown, José Limón, and Robert Battle, in addition to many new works by choreographers such as Juel D. Lane, Amyia Burrell, Ashley Lindsey, Kira Blazek-Ziaii, Anthony Lee Bryant, Ming-Lung Yang and more.

During this time, Ashtyn further developed a passion for movement invention, choreography, and health and wellness. In 2022, she earned her certification as a Classical Pilates Mat Instructor. Most recently, Ashtyn studied dance in Europe at Orsolina 28 with Jacob Jonas the Company and b12 Festival for Contemporary Dance and Performance Art with Tamara Gvosdenovic and Jos Baker. Her vision as an artist is to inspire and cultivate hope, creativity, and connection within communities across the globe, specifically through the art of dance. After graduating in 2024 with a BFA in Contemporary Dance and a Minor in Arts Entrepreneurship, Ashtyn joined Saint Louis Dance Theatre as a Trainee for the 2024–2025 season.

Madalyn Bailey* (She/Her, Cincinnati, OH) has cultivated a passion for creative movement and choreography. Over the last two decades, Ms. Bailey has studied classical ballet, modern and contemporary dance, as well as composition. Ms. Bailey enjoys the challenges of performing classic modern works by Merce Cunningham and José Limón, and contemporary works by Anouk Van Dijk, Shannon Gillen, and more. Ms. Bailey thrives during the process of developing a piece and collaborating with fellow artists and movers. Ms. Bailey received her degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2020, majoring in contemporary dance with a minor in composition and choreography.

Since graduating, Ms. Bailey has returned to campus to teach current students and work with fellow alumni on professional opportunities and independent projects. Ms. Bailey looks forward to further developing her skills by incorporating her passion for authenticity and challenging herself in her movement quality and creative process as a Second Year Trainee with the Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Lillian Berry (She/Her, Little Rock, AR) started her dance journey at age three. Since starting her dance journey she has grown to love dance and feels a deep connection to its artistic roots. She trained with Arkansas Festival Ballet from age 8-16 studying ballet and modern technique. Lillian took a three year break from dancing and rekindled her passion for dance in college! Lillian graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During her time there she studied multiple facets of dance, kinesiology, brain compatible dance education, and choreography. Lillian has experience in site specific choreography, dance for film, set production, and staged choreography. After college Lillian joined the dance company Rock Moves Dance based in Little Rock Arkansas. During this time she performed and assisted with choreography for the piece Love Letter To My Sister. She performed this piece in Little Rock, Arkansas, and at the 2023 Emerson Spring To Dance Festival in Saint Louis, Missouri. She also assisted in the making of the staged piece into a dance film. Since then Lillian has focused on individual projects, and strengthening her interest in kinesiology and brain compatible dance education. Lillian is excited to continue her dance journey with Saint Louis Dance Theatre making her the strongest dancer and choreographer she can be!

Mady Buerck (She/Her, Farmington, MO) is 22 years old. She has trained in multiple styles of dance throughout her life, including ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, jazz, African, and acrobatics, among others. She had her start in the art form at a young age and was able to experience many amazing opportunities, such as being a finalist on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent with acrobatics group, Innovative Force, and performing for an NFL St. Louis Rams halftime performance in 2014. She, also, has been a part of the dance and talent collective, Kinfigure, under the direction of Caleb Brauner and Carly Lawerence, where she has participated in multiple performances and concept videos, as well as trained in a variety of industry dance techniques, such as Hip-Hop, heels, and jazz-funk to name a few. She graduated in May of 2024 from the Conservatory of the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has worked closely with and performed works by a variety of professionals, including Gary Abbott, Kam Sanders, Ray Mercer, Nicole Clarke Springer, Christopher Huggins, DeAnna Hiett, and Tempe Ostergren, among others. In 2022, she also received a Bachelor's in Communications with an emphasis in Professional Communication from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has traveled throughout the state, teaching and choreographing for both creative and competitive projects. She is fueled by creativity and hopes to inspire others throughout all her current and future endeavors. Mady is eager to further her professional career by dancing with Saint Louis Dance Theatre this season!

Sidney Cowles* (She/Her, Ames, IA) began dancing at age 3 training in ballet, jazz, acrobatics, pointe, tap, and modern/ contemporary dance. Upon graduating high school, Sidney decided to attend The University of Iowa to pursue a B.F.A in Dance and graduated in spring of 2023. While attending, she had the opportunity to learn with George de la Peña, Armando Duarte, Eloy Barragán, Stephanie Miracle, Kristin Marrs, Tony Orrico, Melinda Jean Meyers, Jennifer Kayle, Todd Rhoades, Danielle Russo, along with guest artists who visited the department. Sidney performed in works by Shannon Alvis, Armando Duarte, Eloy Barragán, Christopher-Rasheem McMillian, and Todd Rhoades. She also had the privilege of performing in Hancher Illuminated (2021), University of Iowa Dance Gala (2020-2022), and the Iowa Dance Festival (2022). Sidney is thrilled to be continuing her education at Saint Louis Dance Theatre and performing in the St. Louis area!

Julia Dawson (She/Her, San Diego, CA) began her training at the California Ballet School, attending summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, and the Joffrey Academy in Chicago. In high school, she attended the Conservatory Program at the Joffrey Academy of Dance under the direction of Karin Ellis-Wentz and Kyle Seguin. Julia went on to earn her BA in Mathematics, with a Correlate in Dance Performance, from Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she was a member of the Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre, lead by John Meehan, Stephen Rooks, and Miriam Mahdaviani. With the company, she performed in original works by Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Amy Hall Garner, Mike Tyus, Yoshito Sakuraba, Leslie Partridge-Sachs, Skyla Schreter, and Souleymane Badolo. Julia is thrilled to be a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre this season.

Jolene Fisher* (She/Her, Melbourne, Australia) began her full-time dance training with Melbourne Academy of the Arts (MAARTS) under Jasmina Stefkovski when she was ten years old. At MAARTS she trained mainly in classical ballet and pointe work in both the Russian Vaganova and Royal Academy of Dance styles, but was also introduced to contemporary, modern, jazz and character dance, of which she completed her Level 4 training and exam under Alida Segal. During her time at MAARTS, Jolene performed in many large-scale ballet productions such as The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, dancing main roles in both productions and gaining essential performing experience. In 2021, when she was sixteen, Jolene moved to London to continue her training at the English National Ballet School (ENBS), where she studied for two years. While training mostly in ballet at ENBS, Jolene was also exposed to more modern and contemporary dance and trained briefly in styles such as Cunningham, Graham, and Release-based technique. Jolene received her first taste of choreography at ENBS, and was chosen along with a few other students to perform her own solo in a collaborative event with the Wallace Collection Museum in London. From London, Jolene was accepted into Saint Louis Dance Theatre’s 23/24 season Trainee Program, where she performed many works by choreographers such as Thomas Proctor, Ryadah Heiskell, Yuka-Oba Muschiana, Emmi Small, Leo Arpon, Maggi Deuker, Kirven Douthit-Boyd and Brandon Fink. She also had the opportunity to choreograph her piece “Play” on the trainees, which was showcased in Transcend, the 2024 Spring performance. Jolene is delighted to have been selected as a Second-Year Trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre and is excited to continue her professional and artistic growth with the company this season.

Ja’Don Hamilton (He/Him, Alton, IL) began his dance journey at age nine when a love for acrobatics and gymnastics led to teaching himself various skills. After performing in an elementary school talent show one of his substitute teachers, Rachel Brady, offered him two summer intensive scholarships to formally train in ballet, tap, and jazz dance. 

He joined his high school cheerleading team at the age of fifteen where his then coach and current mentor, Aaron Elliott, observed his underlying passion and offered him a chance to dance again. Ja’Don was soon introduced to Jennifer Bishop and her studio, Jennifer Bishop’s School of Dance, where he would return to training in ballet, tap, and jazz in addition to acrobatics, hip-hop, musical theater, fusion, and modern/contemporary dance styles. During his relatively short time as a competitive dancer, Ja’Don has performed multiple national award-winning pieces choreographed by Jennifer Bishop, Sophia Bishop, and Bailey McCarry.

After retiring from the competitive dance world, Ja’Don studied at the University of Missouri - Saint Louis where he obtained a B. A. in English with a minor in philosophy upon graduating in spring of 2024. One of his first post-graduation ventures was Session 3 of the Saint Louis Dance Theatre summer intensive, where his participation earned him a formal invitation to join the trainee program for 2024-25. Ja’Don is incredibly proud to be a part of the company’s new direction, looking forward to building connections and furthering his development as an artist and professional throughout the season.

Logan Guerra (He/Him, Alma, AR) recently graduated from Lindenwood University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a specialization in contemporary dance. His passion for dance extends beyond the university, as he previously trained in various styles like contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, aerial performance, and tap, both at Lindenwood and with the Alma Dance Program in his hometown of Alma, Arkansas. Logan has actively contributed to Lindenwood's dance program, showcasing his talent in the university's Fall, Winter, and Spring concerts. Notably, he had the honor of choreographing his own piece for the 2022 Fall Dance Concert, the 2023 Winter Dance Concert, and the 2024 Spring Dance Concert. In addition to his university activities, Logan was a proud member of the Lionettes dance team at Lindenwood, achieving recognition as Division II jazz national champions for the 2021-2022 academic year. Further expanding his dance experience, Logan served as a company artist at Consuming Kinetics Dance Company during the 2022-23 season in St. Louis. In this role, he performed and shared his expertise by teaching and choreographing for their student dance concert. Logan has also attended intensives such as the Waterstreet Dance Festival in Milwaukee, WI, and the Hot Crowd summer intensive in Chicago, IL. Logan is currently a company artist with Pack Dance as well as a committed trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Kyra Jacobs (She/Her, Dallas, TX) is a classically trained dancer, choreographer, and dramaturg. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and graduated summa cum laude with a minor in marketing from Ball State University (BSU). While enrolled at BSU, Kyra further enriched her education through intensives with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Create and Explore), Bruce Wood Dance Dallas (WOOD|WORKS), and Joffrey Ballet School (Musical Theater New York). Kyra has performed works by Anthony Thomas (restaged by Beverly Bautista), Jamal Story, Brandi Coleman, Albert Drake, Indya Childs, Bob Fosse (restaged by Mary Ann Lamb), Alysia Johnson, Jonathan “Jojo” Alsberry, and Juel D. Lane. Kyra is grateful to continue her artistic journey as a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre and is most excited for the opportunity to combine her passions for dance and community engagement through STLDT’s outreach initiatives.

Hayden Jensen (She/Her, Des Moines, IA) began dancing at three years old and trained at the School of Classical Ballet and Dance and with Ballet Des Moines as a pre-professional, both under the direction of Serkan Usta and Lori Grooters. Hayden attended the University of Iowa, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. As a student at the University of Iowa, Hayden has had the opportunity to work and learn with Armando Durate, George de la Peña, Stephanie Miracle, Mindy Meyers, Tony Orrico, Kieron Dwayne Sargeant, Aaron Samuel Davis, Alice Klock and Florian Lochner (FLOCK), Virginie Mécène (Martha Graham Dance Company), and many more. She enjoyed performing in the Dance Gala (2021-2023), Martha Graham's Panorama (2024), and many more. Hayden was a member of the University of Iowa Dance Company under the direction of Stephine Miracle and Alex Bush during the 2021-2022 season. She also enjoys spending her summers at the Oklahoma International Dance Festival under the direction of Austin Hartel. Hayden is excited to continue her training with Saint Louis Dance Theatre during their 2024-2025 season!

Haley Grace Kraus (She/Her, Birmingham, AL) started dancing at age three. She grew up dancing at Alabama Dance Academy under the direction of Pam Merkel. She has spent summers training at Alabama Ballet, Carolina Ballet, BalletMet, Ballet West, Lines, and BalletX. In 2022 Haley Grace moved to Las Vegas where she spent two years in Nevada Ballet Theater's Second Company. While in Nevada she got to learn from Don Bellamy, Roy Kiser, Dodie Askegard, Krista Baker, Jordan Serrano, and Skylar Schultz. She has had the opportunity to perform works by Duncan Cooper, Mariana Oliveira, Alejandro Perez, Don Bellamy, Francisco Gella, James Canfield, Septime Webre, and Ben Stevenson. Haley Grace is beyond excited for her first year at Saint Louis Dance Theatre!

Julia Lucarelli (She/Her, Westchester County, NY) began her dance training at three years old in ballet. She trained at Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining, NY for a majority of her dance education, focusing on ballet, pointe, jazz, and contemporary. Julia holds a BA in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts. She continued her classical ballet training there, as well as learning Taylor-based modern from her professor Susan McGuire at Butler. Her extensive performance experience more recently includes classical ballets such as “The Nutcracker,” “Giselle,” “Swan Lake,” and “Cinderella.” Outside of classical ballet, she has performed in works by Jennifer Archibald, Maria Konrad, and David Ingram, as well as in student choreography showcases, where she both performed and choreographed. With additional training from intensives like Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Parsons Dance, and Boston Dance Theater, Julia is eager to join STLDT’s Trainee program this season. She is excited to work on new styles of dance and contribute her skills and energy to the company’s dynamic environment, as well as the greater St. Louis community.

Baylee McAllister (She/Her, Fishers, IN) trained at Dance Creations Academy primarily with Mimi Priest, Melissa McInnis, Sarah Hammer, Beverly Worhle, Lauren Hamilton, and Stephanie Lusch. She graduated with highest distinction from Indiana University and received her B.F.A. in Contemporary Dance and Minor in Arts Management in the spring of 2024. Baylee has performed in works by DaEun Jung, Elizabeth Shea, Justin Sears-Watson, Stafford C. Berry Jr., Maya Orchin, Stefanie Nelson, and Selene B. Carter during her time at IU. She had the opportunity to work with Phoenix Rising Dance Company performing ‘Culturescape’ by Justin-Sears Watson and Margo Korn at the Waterstreet Dance Festival in 2022. Baylee studied dance in Paris, France, working with astounding dance professionals: Wanjiru Kamuyu, Sébastien Thill, Anna Chirescu, Aurélia Lefauchaux, LaMichael Leonard, Clint Lutes, Asha Thomas, Michelle Jacobi, Madison Mainwaring and Michael Foley while also receiving choreographic experience in Berlin with Heidi Weiss, Paris with Nathalie Pubellier and Amsterdam with Maurice Causey. She attended programs with Boston Ballet School, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, SALT Contemporary Dance, and Dance Kaleidoscope. She also had an internship at Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis, IN during the summer of 2023. Baylee is a proud recipient and first place winner of the Molly Parsley Festival of Creativity Award for her choreographic work, ‘Chasing Rabbits’ (2022). She recently performed a work by Elizabeth Shea in NYC at the Mark Morris Theater for the Dumbo Dance Festival hosted by White Wave Dance Company and a piece by Kathryn Robinson at Indy Dance Festival. She is currently living in St. Louis, Missouri where she is a teaching artist at various studios around the city and is a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Leia Riehl (She/Her, Knoxville, TN) began ballet at the age of three. Growing up she trained in all dance styles at Angela Floyd Schools and was a member of their competition dance team for nine years. Leia spent her summers training at dance intensives across the United States including The Rock School of Dance, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Koresh School of Dance. Leia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Troy University in May of 2024 with her BFA in Dance. During her time at Troy, Leia trained with James Boyd, Dominique Angel, Adrienne Hicks, and Jerome Stigler. She has worked with choreographers such as Michael McBride, Take Ueyama, Carlos Garland, Marisa Dolan, and Alexa Capareda.She has performed at the Drapinski Dance Festival, Alabama Dance Festival and DAP Festival in Pietrasanta, Italy where her original choreography also debuted. In addition to dance, Leia has performed in and choreographed for musical theatre working with directors such as Tommy Newman and Quinton Cockrell. She has also worked as a dance teacher at Alabama River Region Ballet in Montgomery, AL. Leia is currently an apprentice company member and teacher with Pack Dance in St. Louis and she is excited to grow as an artist this season.

Chloe Roberts (She/her, New Orleans, LA) danced from a young age with The Willow School, and began her pre-professional training at age 13 with New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA). At NOBA she was able to train with and perform repertory works by Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispánico, Dance Theater of Harlem, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Darell Grand Moultrie, KEIGWIN + Co, and Jae Man Joo. Chloe continued her training with Tulane University where she received her Bachelors of Arts in dance in 2023. During her time with Tulane, she was able to perform works by Omar Carrum and Ronit Ziv. Upon graduation, she was awarded the Jill Karp Newcomb Dance Endowment Fund/Prize for Choreography and Performance. Post-graduation Chloe has danced professionally and toured with Lightwire Theater. Chloe is super excited to train with Saint Louis Dance Theatre this season and push her artistry and technique to a new level.

Isabella Schmitt (She/Her, Little Rock, AR) earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Point Park University. While in the conservatory, Bella trained under professors such as Jae Man Joo, Jesse Factor, Jaka Pearl Porter, and Taylor Knight and Anna Thompson of “Slowdanger”. Schmitt’s artistry and dedication has allowed her to perform in works including Endless Enclosure by Yoshiaki Nakano, Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa and others by Daniel Karasik. Closing out her senior year, she had the opportunity to perform the “Jumping Girl” solo in George Balanchine’s Who Cares?. Prior to and during her time in college, Bella invested many hours performing in fundraisers in her hometown. She has helped raise funds while passionately performing for events such as CARTI Festival of Fashion and “Thriller” at the Little Rock Zoo, all in collaboration with Allison Stodola Wilson at Shuffles and Ballet II. Bella’s notable achievements have led to incredible growth and learning as both a person and an artist.

Olivia Throop (She/They, Grand Rapids, MI) began her dance training at Ada Dance Academy at the age of three. Until 12th grade she trained in ballet, contemporary, and jazz dance under notable instructors such as Laura Berman-Schweck, David Braciak, and Christen Snyder. She also attended West Michigan Youth Ballet where she was given the opportunity to perform in a range of ballet and contemporary productions. After graduation, Olivia moved to Indianapolis, IN to attend college at Butler University. As a part of Butler’s dance department, she rehearsed and performed as a soloist in contemporary works such as Susan McGuire’s Bright is the Ring of Words, Cynthia Pratt’s Queens of Thera, Derek Reid’s Swingin’, and David Ingram’s Chaméos. She also performed in a range of full-length ballets and chorographic projects led by her peers and faculty. She also practiced choreography, improvisation, and an array of dance forms. In May 2024, Olivia graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Dance – Arts Administration and a minor in Psychology. Her passion for the arts translated into a passion for administrative work in marketing, social media design, outreach, event planning, and development. Olivia is now a trainee and administrative intern with the Saint Louis Dance Theatre and is excited for her first season.

Isaiah Valentin* (He/Him, Miami, FL) began his formal dance training when he was 15 years old at Showstopper Studio Miami and continued his dance education at New World School of the Arts/University of Florida where he received his Bachelors in Fine Arts.

Isaiah developed his skills in the marching arts with the FIU Winterguard (Florida International University) where he holds a WGI World Championship Gold medal, and has had the opportunity to choreograph for them as well for multiple seasons. He has had the opportunity to professionally perform numerous times throughout his dance career with Jbalvin at the Latin awards show Premio lo Nuestro. He has also had the chance to perform works by Francesca Harper, Jennifer Archibald, Paul Taylor, Robert Battle, and Eriberto Jimenez and Norbert de la Cruz lll.

Isaiah’s most recent work includes dancing with Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami from 2022-2023, and he is excited to continue his journey with Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Madyn Waskiewicz (She/Her, Dartmouth, MA) began her dance training at the age of 3 at New Bedford Ballet. During her time there she trained extensively in ballet, pointe, and modern techniques. At NBB she had the honor of performing roles such as The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Little Swan in Swan Lake. At age 17, she was invited to dance with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago as a Trainee under the direction of Katlin Bourgeois, Oğulcan Borova, Raúl Casasola, and Karin Ellis-Wentz. In her time there she had the honor of working with and performing works of choreographers such as Martha Nichols, Katlin Bourgeois, Johana Gracia-Morales, and Anne O’Donnell Passero. She is extremely excited to continue her dance career this year as a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre!