Artists
2024-2025 Season
Sara Falstad, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, began her ballet training with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, where she studied for 10 years before relocating to New Orleans in 2009. In New Orleans, Sara furthered her training at the Schramel Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Greg and Marjorie Hardwick Schramel before accepting a traineeship with the Charlotte Ballet Academy in 2012, and then a traineeship with the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2013. During this time, she also enjoyed returning to New Orleans to dance in New Orleans Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker and Summer Solstice. In 2015, Sara’s pursuits took her to the Sarasota Ballet, where she performed in ballets by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Matthew Hart, George Balanchine, Dame Ninette de Valois, Anthony Tudor, and Sir Frederick Ashton. After a year and a half with the company, she had the opportunity to dance internationally with Tokyo Disney Resort in their flagship live show One Man’s Dream II: The Magic Lives On, a Disney medley featuring many of Disney’s iconic characters. She worked in Japan for three years dancing in both title and ensemble roles until the show’s closing in December 2019. Upon her return to New Orleans, Sara rejoined New Orleans Ballet Theatre as a company artist.
Nikolas Gaifullin Originally born in Sarasota, Florida and received his training from both of his parents, Stephanie Murrish and Daniil Gaifullin. Nikolas has had the opportunity to work with well renowned choreographers such as Johan Kobborg, Anna Marie Holmes, Yuri Possokhov, Jade Hale Christofi, Joshua Bergasse, Omar Nieves, Anthony Krutzkamp, Devon Carney, Anthony Johnson, Ryan Nye, Robert Mills, Ma Cong, Dwight Rhoden, Norbert De La Cruz III, Tara Lee, Kiyon Ross, Ross Freddie McCray, Viktor Plotnikov, Bruce Wells, and John McFall. Nikolas has performed with companies and troupes such as Kansas City Ballet II, Atlanta Ballet, Polunin Ink, Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, and Broadway production of Sugar Hill: Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker. His repertoire includes Johan Kobborg’s Romeo and Juliet, Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote and Nutcracker, Septime Webre’s Alice in Wonderland, Dwight Rhoden’s Sunrise Divine, Robert Mills Nutcracker, John McFall’s Nutcracker, Kiyon Ross’s Sum Stravinsky, Jiri Kylian’s Return to a Strange Land, Tara Lee’s Blink, Ma Cong’s Tchaikovsky, Ross Freddie McCray’s Fraudulent Smile, Viktor Plotnikov’s Vesna, Anthony Krutzkamp’s Carmina Burana, Anthony Johnson’s Rings of the Rose, Ryan Nye’s Tone it Bach, Norbert De La Cruz’s The Fourth Wall, Bruce Well’s Midsummer Nights Dream, Devon Carney’s Nutcracker. Nikolas has performed principal roles in the classical ballet repertoire such as Basilio in Don Quixote, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Drosselmier in Yuri Possokhov’s Nutcracker, Cavalier in Robert Mills and John McFall’s Nutcracker, and Tybalt in Johan Kobborg’s Romeo and Juliet which was the world premiere in Arena di Verona of 2019 and once again performed and reprised his role of Tybalt at Royal Albert Hall in London of 2021. He has attended The Carreno Festival in 2012, ABT Summer Intensive and National Ballet School of Canada in 2015 and Jacob’s Pillow in 2016. Nikolas has competed in two world renowned ballet competitions, YAGP and World Ballet Competition. In 2007 he performed Gala of the Stars at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. Recently Nikolas has performed the roles of Volga Vouty and the Hooligan King in Sugar Hill Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker which premiered in the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, choreographed by Jade Hale Christofi whom choreographed the famous variation Take Me to Church and Joshua Bergasse from Broadway New York whom choreographed numerous Broadway productions. Nikolas’s career showcases his dedication, talent, and versatility as a dancer. His achievements and performances have earned him recognition and respect in the ballet community.
With NOBT, Nikolas has performed Gregory and Marjorie Schramel’s Carmina Burana, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Diogo de Lima’s Esplanade, and Van Helsing in Oliver Halkowhich’s Dracula. This is his first season with the company.
Katherine Hanson grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she began studying with Ballet Repertory Theatre of New Mexico at the age of three. She attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, the Walnut Hill School, and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. Katherine first joined Ballet Repertory Theatre of New Mexico’s company as an apprentice in 2007 and danced with the company until 2016. Katherine danced featured and principal roles in numerous BRT productions, including Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), Alex Ossadnik’s Beauty & the Beast (Beauty), The Nutcracker (Dew Drop Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy), and Diana & Acteon (Diana). She also returned in 2019 to guest as Titania in Celia Dale’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Katherine graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2014 with bachelor degrees in Biology and English. In 2016, she moved to Washington, DC to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where she received her J.D. in 2019. Between 2016 and 2020, Katherine danced with several choreographers and groups in the DC metro area, including Moveius Contemporary Ballet. She also danced with The Tallahassee Ballet for a season before joining NOBT in 2021. Since joining NOBT, Katherine has performed featured and lead roles, including the Dying Swan variation, Snow Queen, Sugarplum Fairy, and Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Dark Angel in Balanchine’s Serenade, and Lucy in Oliver Halkowich’s Dracula. Additionally, Katherine received her M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans in May 2024. Katherine is looking forward to her fourth season with NOBT.
Laura Knipp began her dance training in her hometown of Houston at Ballet Center of Houston and Vitacca School for Dance where she trained under teachers Barbara LeGault and Philip Broomhead. In 2020, Laura moved to New York to complete her training at Forrest Academy of Ballet. She joined New Orleans Ballet Theatre in 2022 where she has danced the past two seasons as a trainee and has performed in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, Concerto Barocco, and Serenade. She is currently pursuing a BA from Tulane University where she will graduate in the spring. This is Laura’s first season as a company member.
Lily Mangiaruga began her dance training at Delaware Valley Dance Academy in her hometown, Montgomeryville Pennsylvania, at the age of six under the directorship of Lisa Wasserman. She continued to study under Lisa Wasserman, performing roles such as the Dewdrop fairy and Swanhilda in “Coppelia” until 2018 when she went on to become a trainee at Pennsylvania Ballet. There she performed in many ballets including George Balanchine's “The Nutcracker'', Angel Corella's "Giselle”, “Don Quixote” and "La Bayadere”, and as the Lilac fairy in the School of Pennsylvania Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty”. Lily has attended summer intensives at The School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The School of Pennsylvania Ballet on Scholarship, and has supplemented her training with Magaly Suarez at Florida Classical Ballet, where she was given the opportunity to perform the lead in Esmeralda pas de six. She also received multiple full merit scholarships from such ballet schools as Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and Colorado Ballet School. In 2017 Lily competed in the Youth America Grand Prix and received second place in senior classical women, as well as top 12 in contemporary, in the New York Semi-finals.
Starting in 2020 Lily joined BalletMet in Columbus Ohio as a company dancer and performed with the company for two years dancing in multiple world premiers created and choreographed by Edwaard Liang and Karen Wing. In 2023 Lily worked closely with one of her mentors, dancer and choreagrapher Jennifer Yackel, to create and film an original neo-classical work, and most recently Lily has taken part in outreach programs in Philadelphia and performed as a guest artist with The International Ballet Exchange, which aims to bring dance to schools in the greater Philadelphia area. She also enjoys teaching ballet to all ages and has shared her knowledge in her home town in Pennsyvania as well as studios in Columbus Ohio. Lily is excited to be promoted to company member this 2024/2025 season!
Ramsay Miller grew up in Cincinnati, OH where she began her dance training at Cincinnati’s, The School of Creative and Performing Arts. Here she trained with Cincinnati Ballet Alumni, Pat Rozow and Daryl Bjoza.
Ramsay spent summers training at The School of American Ballet, BalletMet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and Philadelphia Ballet. In 2019, Miller furthered her training with Boston Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program under the direction of Margaret Tracy, Miranda Weese, Kathleen Mitchell, and Peter Stark. The Covid-19 pandemic redirected Ramsay home to Cincinnati where she obtained a position in Cincinnati Ballet’s Trainee Program.
After two seasons with CB’s Trainee Program she was promoted to Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company. In her two years with Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company Ramsay danced in company works by Victoria Morgan, George Balanchine, Septime Webre, Gerald Arpino, Amy Seiwart, David Morse, and Anna-Marie Holmes.
Ramsay Miller looks forward to developing her physical and emotional artistry in her first season with New Orleans Ballet Theater.
Telmen Munkherdene began his training in his native Mongolia at the Mongolian State Conservatory, graduating in 2017. During his final year, he performed with the Mongolian State Opera and Ballet Theatre. Awarded a full scholarship to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., Telmen joined the junior company and performed with the Cuban National Ballet at the Kennedy Center. He trained under ballet legends Bat Udval and Marina Bogdanova.
Telmen has received numerous accolades throughout his career. He won the silver medal for classical ballet and the Grand Prix for contemporary dance at the 32nd World Association of Arts Exchange Festival in South Korea. Additionally, he earned the bronze medal at the Mongolian National Ballet Competition. In 2019, he received the Gold Medal at the World Ballet Grand Prix in New York and a full scholarship to attend the Joffrey Ballet School. He also won the silver medal and Best Technique Award at the Jewels Festival in New York and received a diploma at the YAGP 2019 finals.
Notably, Telmen is the youngest recipient of the Medal for Leading Cultural Artist in Mongolia, awarded by the Ministry of Culture. He has danced as a guest artist for several international productions, including in China, with Ajkun Ballet Theatre in the United States, and with Komaki Ballet Japan. His repertory includes leading roles in classical ballets such as Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, Walpurgis Night, Diana and Acteon, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Giselle.
Telmen is thrilled to join New Orleans Ballet Theatre for his first season in 2024!
Drew Lenore Pearson: Originally from Chicago, Drew received her pre-professional training at Ballet Chicago under the direction of Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair. While with Ballet Chicago Studio Company, she performed several pieces in the Balanchine repertoire, including Serenade, Who Cares, Rubies, and Tarantella, as well as world premiere ballets by Daniel Duell and resident choreographer Ted Seymour. Since joining NOBT in 2021, Drew has performed both classical and contemporary works, such as Surrender, Evanesce, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Under the Olive Tree, and Romeo and Juliet. A multidisciplinary artist, Drew has experience with stage acting, musical theatre, and immersive theatre. She has a BA and BS from Tulane University (2019) and a Master's of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University (2022). While at Tulane, she continued her dance training with Diogo de Lima, Jeffrey Gunshol, Nikki Hefko, and Donald Williams. Drew is thrilled to be joining NOBT for her fourth season.
Hannah Wang Powell is originally from Austin, Texas where she started dancing at Ballet Austin at age three. She began her pre-professional training at Austin Metamorphosis Dance Academy. She studied there under Melanie Kregel and Melissa Glouchkova for seven years while performing with Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble. She had the opportunity to participate in Bailando Dance Festival and also perform as a guest artist for Corpus Christi Concert Ballet. Hannah spent summers studying at American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. In 2017, she joined the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory Program under the direction of Sharon Story where she had the opportunity to perform in the world premiere of Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide, and Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast. Subsequently in 2019, Hannah was offered a scholarship to Richmond Ballet’s trainee program under the direction of Judy Jacob and Stoner Winslett. She toured and performed with Richmond Ballet for two years, including in their productions of Paquita and The Nutcracker. Hannah joined New Orleans Ballet Theatre in 2021 and this will be her fourth season with the company.
Josh Reynolds began his dance training at the age of 12 at Georgia Academy of Dance. He later went on to train at The Rock School in Philadelphia and School of American Ballet in New York. In 2003 he began his career at Atlanta Ballet performing leading roles in Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, Sinfonietta Giocosa, The Great Gatsby, and Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room. In 2010 Josh joined Milwaukee Ballet where he became the youngest artist to ever portray the title role in Michael Pink’s Dracula. He danced various repertoire including new works by Mauro de Candia and Darrell Grand Moultrie.
In the summer of 2011 Josh was asked to perform Ashton’s Cinderella pas de deux with Julianne Kepley in Talliin, Estonia as a founding member of Tiit Helimets & Company. Later that same summer, he was selected to perform with Dance GrandMoultrie at Summerstage in NY. In 2012 Josh joined Smuin Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco. While there, he performed leading roles in Michael Smuin’s Eternal Idol, Stabat Minor, Jiri Kylian’s Return to a Strange Land, Helen Picket’s Petal and Adam Hougland’s Cold Virtues. As well, he originated in many leading roles and world premieres by choreographer in residence, Amy Seiwert.
Josh joined Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet as a Second Soloist in 2015 and was promoted to First Soloist at the end of his first season. Since then, he has appeared in many leading roles including The Nutcracker Prince (Nutcracker), Matthew (Moulin Rouge® –The Ballet), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Bob (Val Caniparoli’s A Cinderella Story), and Rothbart (Swan Lake). Further, he originated roles of World Premieres by James Kudelka and Peter Quanz. Josh has been a member of New Orleans Ballet Theatre for over a decade and has originated roles in works by Diogo De Lima, Greg and Marjorie Schramel and Douglas Gawriljuk. Josh joined the company full time in 2019 with his wife Jo-Ann Sundermeier.
Isabella Schramel is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Lusher High school. She started her dance training with her parents at Schramel Conservatory of Dance and spent summers dancing in New York at American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive. She has been a trainee for the past 2 years with NOBT and has performed with the company in Swan Lake, Romeo + Juliet as well as Dracula. She was thrilled to perform Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Serenade with the company for its 2023/2024 season. Most recently, Isabella trained with ART of in Madrid, Spain with an emphasis on the William Forsythe choreography. This is Isabella’s first season as a company member.
Jo-Ann Sundermeier Originally from Pompano Beach, Florida, Jo-Ann Sundermeier began ballet lessons with Liana Navarro in Miami, Florida before joining Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s Professional Division. She became an Apprentice with the RWB Company in 2003, and in 2012 she was promoted to Principal Dancer. In 2013, Jo-Ann left the RWB to join Smuin Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco, California, and then returned to RWB in 2015 to fulfill her principal title. In the course of her career, she has performed various repertoire by choreographers such as Helen Pickett, Twyla Tharp, Val Caniparoli, George Balanchine and Jiri Kylian. Some lead roles include Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Princess Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty), Giselle (Giselle), Myrta (Giselle), Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) Tinkerbell (Peter Pan) and Russian Girl (Balanchine’s Serenade). Jo-Ann has originated in works by choreographers James Kudelka, Peter Quanz, Diogo De Lima, Joshua Beamish, and most recently in the lead role of Oliver Halkowich’s Romeo + Juliet. Jo-Ann’s image was the face of the 80th anniversary of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Summer Festival and she appeared on a $20 minted Canadian coin to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She is a Gemini Award winner for the made-for-tv film The Tale of The Magic Flute for 'Best Performance in a Performing Arts Series’. In 2002, Jo-Ann performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II, as part of the Golden Jubilee commemorating 50 years as monarch, and she also performed as part of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Cultural Olympiad.
Jo-Ann has performed with New Orleans Ballet Theatre since 2014. In the summer of 2019, she and her husband Josh made a permanent move to New Orleans to join NOBT as Principal Dancers and Ballet Masters. Jo-Ann loves teaching and is very excited to pass on her knowledge to the next generation of dancers.
Aaron Wiggins was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up, he trained in Vaganova ballet technique, tap, jazz, and musical theatre from the age of 4. He went on to attend summer programs from American Ballet Theatre, the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, and Houston Ballet. Aaron then graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a B.F.A. in dance. While in college, Aaron broadened his training with Horton and Graham techniques, and performed works by Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, and Loni Landon.
This is Aaron’s third season with NOBT.
Sterling Waterfield began his dance training with Robin Pontier at the New Orleans School of Ballet and at Live Oak Dance in New Orleans, Louisiana under the directorship of Jarina Carvahlo. At the age of 15, Sterling received a full scholarship to train at American Ballet Theatre’s William J. Gillespie School in Costa Mesa, California. There he trained with Alaine Haubert, Kenneth Easter, Roberto Almaguer among others. After 5 years of training, Sterling joined the Joffrey Ballet Academy’s Conservatory program directed by Karin Ellis Wentz and after 1 year, Sterling was promoted to Trainee under the direction of Olgucan Borova. During his time at the Joffrey Ballet Academy, Sterling was selected to dance in Joffrey company productions including Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker and Yuri Possokov’s Anna Karenina, along with Academy productions. In 2022, Sterling became a Fellow in Ballet with the Luminarts Cultural Foundation where he received a grant for his accomplishments in ballet. Sterling then danced as an Apprentice with the Grand Rapids Ballet under the directorship of James Sofranko where he has performed in Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker and Devon Carney’s Sleeping Beauty. Sterling is excited to return to his home town and join New Orleans Ballet Theatre!
Kaylin Wilson is from Mobile, Alabama. At the tender age of two, Kaylin began her training with the Marguerite Benson Hall School of Dance. She then studied seven years at Mobile Ballet, and three years in Kinetics Dance Company at W.P. Davidson High School. Ms. Wilson is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. There she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance: Performance and Choreography. Ms. Wilson has also studied at the Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. There she was a professional division scholarship student, having received the Oprah Winfrey Foundation scholarship. Currently, she enjoys teaching at the Louisiana Academy of Performing Arts, Studio G, and Schramel Conservatory of Dance.
Trainees
Ella Almer
Olivia Gobbell
Mary Wyatt Johnson
Zoe Russo
Incoming Trainees 24-25
Danielle Belohlavy
Eliza Fogdall
Sydney Stutzman
James Shaw Photography