Our purpose is to provide educational opportunities to young people in the art of ballet. More specifically, the mission of Footworks Youth Ballet is to develop and enhance every student’s love and appreciation for the art of ballet; to do so by offering all students an opportunity to perform in live ballet performances; to provide serious ballet students who aspire to a professional career in dance the opportunity to develop their artistry and refine their ballet technique while performing on stage; to encourage young aspiring choreographers by providing nurturing workshops and choreographic opportunities under the mentorship of dance professionals; to widen life’s opportunities for all students and encourage them to meet life’s challenges and opportunities with confidence and self-esteem developed through the discipline of ballet.
Kirsten Oakley is the artistic director of Footworks Youth Ballet, director of the Oakley Ballet Center and a native of Ventura. Kirsten trained at Westside Ballet in Santa Monica with Yvonne Mounsey. She started her professional career as a member of the Milwaukee Ballet. She also danced with the Chicago Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Dance Theater, and Et toi, tu dances? (Ballet Wisconsin). Kirsten opened the Oakley Ballet Center in 1998 with the mission of providing top-quality classical ballet instruction in a positive environment. Kirsten's focus on instilling her students with sound technique and a positive self-image has resulted in many successes.
Kirsten’s students have attended notable summer programs including the School of American Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet School, the Boston Ballet School and many others. Alumni of her school have continued to dance in professional companies like Ballet West and Oakland Ballet Company, advanced training programs such as Pacific Northwest Ballet School's Professional Division and university dance departments at California State University-Long Beach, Stanford University, Texas Christian University, Yale University, University of Utah and University of California-Irvine.
Laurin began her early training in both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties as well as in Philadelphia. She continued her studies in dance with the University of California Santa Barbara dance department and performed with the UCSB Ballet Company under the direction of Valerie Houston. Laurin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development from UCSB and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from California Lutheran University. After years of working with children in Ventura, Laurin is delighted to be teaching ballet with her longtime and very dear friend, Kirsten Oakley, at Oakley Ballet Center. Laurin lives in Ventura with her husband Bill and their three children.
A native of Beer-Sheva, Israel, Hai found his passion for dance through dancing with noted Israeli folk dance company Aylot Anegov, traveling around the globe presenting this rich cultural heritage at festivals for 5 years.
He then went on to study ballet at the Bat Dor Professional Dance School. During that time, Hai was awarded the American-Israel Cultural Scholarship, given only to the top dance students in the country. Upon graduation, his achievements in dance were honored by the Israeli government, which allowed him to continue his professional career while simultaneously fulfilling his mandatory 3-year national service commitment in the IDF.
Hai was a member of Kamea Contemporary Dance Company and joined Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (under the direction of Rami Be-er) in 2007. He was a member of the acclaimed Los Angeles-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC from 2010-2013. He shares his passion for dance with the next generation of dancers as a faculty member of the Idyllwild Arts Academy and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he teaches modern dance and ballet and choreographs multiple student pieces. Hai’s dance courses are unique in their combination of multiple dance techniques, giving his students a thorough foundation from which they can develop their individual voices as dancers and share their passions as fully-developed artists. In addition to teaching at Idyllwild and LACHSA, Hai is featured regularly as guest faculty choreographer at schools across America.
Mikaela Roth is a former dancer and instructor with Oakley Ballet Center. She has performed in more than 13 productions of “The Nutcracker” under the direction of Kirsten Oakley, as well as in many spring performances.
Some of her favorite roles included the Evil Queen in “Snow White,” and Arabian Coffee soloist, Nanny, and Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker.” A graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Mikaela is now employed full-time as a Social Worker. Mikaela is so excited for Footworks' return to the stage, and is grateful to be a part of it!
Bailey Basurto A freshman at Foothill Technology High School, Bailey has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 11 years and this is her 8th season performing in “The Nutcracker.” Some of Bailey’s favorite roles included Peter in “Peter and the Wolf” in the Spring of 2022, and Fritz in “The Nutcracker” in 2017 and 2018. Bailey hopes everyone enjoys the show!
April Boland April is a junior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing exclusively with Oakley Ballet Center for 14 years. Her favorite roles include Dew Drop Fairy and Arabian Coffee soloist in “The Nutcracker,” “Les Sylphides” soloist, and Czardas soloist in “Coppelia.” In addition to dance, she enjoys rock climbing and playing the drums. Her favorite quote is “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” Yvon Chouinard
Jadyn Bonewitz Jadyn attends both Moorpark College and Ventura College.
She has been dancing since age 4 and has danced with Oakley Ballet Center for 12 years. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” have included Spanish Chocolate soloist, Arabian Coffee soloist and dancing in Snow. She performed as the Cat in “Peter and the Wolf” in 2022. A quote she enjoys is “On Wednesdays, we wear pink” by Karen from “Mean Girls.”
Lillian Carroll Lillian is a sophomore at Beacon Hill Classical Academy. She has been dancing for 11 years, including 9 years with Oakley Ballet Center. Lillian’s favorite roles have included Czardas in “Coppelia” and in the Spanish Chocolate and Chinese Tea divertissements in “The Nutcracker.” When she is not dancing, Lillian enjoys reading, writing, and drawing. She is inspired by this verse: “But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
Carolyn Caulkins Carolyn is a senior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing for 12 years and for 11 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” include dancing in the Spanish Chocolate and Arabian Coffee divertissements. At Ventura High School, Carolyn is active in both ASB and the music program, where she plays the oboe. Carolyn incorporates this quote into her commitments: “When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.” Banksy
Brie Cheatham Brie is a freshman at Ventura High School. She has been dancing for 11 years, with 8 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles have included Clara in the 2019 production of “The Nutcracker,” in the Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” and in “Les Sylphides” corps. When she is not dancing, Brie spends time learning to speak French, doing abstract makeup, and is a Disney fan. This quote by Dolly Parton inspires Brie: “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Finley Colavito Finley is a freshman at Foothill Technology High School and has been training at Oakley Ballet Center for 6 years. Of the studio, she says it has truly become a second home. Her favorite roles so far have been Duck Teacher and in the Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” as well as a milkmaid in “Coppelia.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys painting and baking with her grandma. A quote that has meaning to her is “I’m still Radio Rebel” by Savannah.
Charlotte Cornes Charlotte is in 8th grade at Hillside Middle School. She has been dancing for 10 years and has danced with Oakley Ballet Center for more than 4 years. Her favorite roles include in “Les Sylphides” corps de ballet, as Peter’s friend and Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” and as a Party Girl in “The Nutcracker.” Outside of ballet, she enjoys listening to music, reading, and watching movies and TV shows. A quote that inspires Charlotte is “If it makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else.”
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Nicola Hammond Nicola is a junior at Ventura High School. This is her 12th year dancing with Oakley Ballet Center. A few of her favorite roles have been Clara in “The Nutcracker” in 2018, the Bird in “Peter and the Wolf” in 2022, and as a gnome in “Hansel and Gretel.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys baking, reading, and spending time with her friends. Nicola has participated in Spanish immersion education since kindergarten and is bilingual. A favorite quote of Nicola's is "Die with memories, not dreams.”
Emma Ippolito Emma is a senior at Foothill Technology High School. She has been dancing for 12 years, with 8 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” have included Snow and Candy Canes. Outside of dance, she enjoys art, reading, and traveling. With this being her final performance in Footworks Youth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” she hopes to continue dance as a minor in college. An inspiring quote to Emma is “It takes an athlete to dance but an artist to be a dancer.” — Shanna LaFleur
Liza Jane Manninen
Liza Jane is a senior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 14 years. Her favorite roles include dancing in Snow and in Reed Flutes in “The Nutcracker.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys hiking and creating jewelry. A quote she is inspired by is “Going through things you never thought you’d go through will only take you places you never thought you’d get to.”
Morgan Harper NicholsAva Mohror Ava is a junior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 12 years. Some of Ava’s favorite roles have included the Duck friend in “Peter and the Wolf,” Corps de ballet in “Les Sylphides” and Czardas corps in “Coppelia.” Outside of ballet, Ava is studying French and enjoys reading, journalism, attending concerts and swimming at the beach. A quote Ava would like to share is “Just be yourself, there is no one better."
Taylor Swift
Avery is a junior at El Camino High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 11 years and loves her ballet family. In “The Nutcracker,” she is most looking forward to performing as a Sugar Plum attendant season soloist (Summer), in Snow, and in the Arabian Coffee divertissement. When she is not dancing, Avery enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and experimenting with makeup. She has a large plant collection and is among the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift fans worldwide, per Spotify!
Jonah is a junior at El Camino High School. He has been dancing for 7 years with Oakley Ballet Center and considers the OBC community his second family. Jonah says, “In December 2018 and 2019, I was given the fantastic opportunity to play ‘The Nutcracker’ and I will never forget that experience. I am so happy that after two years of the pandemic I can perform on stage again. Ballet is one of my favorite things in the entire world and I wouldn't be where I am today in dance without what Oakley Ballet Center has given me.”
Avery Trask Avery is a senior at Buena High School. She has been dancing for 6 years and has been a part of Oakley Ballet Center for the past 5 years. Some of her favorite roles include Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker,” and the Adagio Soloist in “Les Sylphides.” She also loves to sew, read, and spend time with friends and family. In college, she intends to major in dance with a focus on ballet. Avery is proficient in Spanish after studying the language for the last 4 years. A quote she connects with is one by Maya Angelou: “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.”
Emerson Voshell Emerson is a sophomore at Oxnard High School. She has been dancing for 9 years. She joined the Oakley Ballet family in second grade, and ever since then, dance has been what she most looks forward to. Some of Emerson’s favorite roles have included Candy Canes, Arabian Coffee, and Rats in “The Nutcracker” and performing in “Coppelia,” “Peter and the Wolf,” and “Les Sylphides.” Outside of dance, Emerson enjoys running, reading and painting. A quote she connects with is “Life isn't about learning how to survive the storm, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.” Taylor Swift
It is Christmas Eve at the house of Herr and Frau Stahlbaum and preparations are in place for the annual holiday festivities. The guests soon enjoy dances, gifts and refreshments. The merriment is interrupted by the arrival of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather. Herr Drosselmeyer appears quite unexpectedly, bringing gifts for the Stahlbaum family along with his newest inventions: two life-sized dolls to entertain the children. Clara is enchanted and begs her mother for one of the dolls. Her mother refuses, causing Clara to cry. To quiet her, Herr Drosselmeyer brings forth a special gift: a nutcracker dressed like a Royal soldier. Clara loves it immediately, but Fritz grabs the nutcracker and breaks it. Clara is devastated, but realizes that time has stopped and a magical fairy appears.
The Sugar Plum Fairy rescues the nutcracker away from the frozen hand of Fritz, gives it to Drosselmeyer and disappears. With her departure, the normal passage of time resumes and Herr Drosselmeyer repairs the nutcracker. Everyone joins in for one last stately dance before the party draws to a close. The guests depart and the Stahlbaum household retires for the night.
Later that night, as Clara sleeps, the mice interrupt her dreams just before the clock strikes midnight. Herr Drosselmeyer mysteriously appears. He beckons to the mice, and then casts a magic spell. The mice transform into rats and the toy soldiers come to life, and all are as tall as Clara. Her Nutcracker Prince miraculously appears to lead the soldiers against the rats and their Rat King. Clara looks on as the rats and soldiers battle. Scared that the Rat King will kill the Nutcracker Prince, Clara pulls the Rat King’s tail, and as he turns to strike Clara, the Nutcracker Prince hits the Rat King with one fatal blow. The soldiers are victorious, but Clara is left alone, sad and frightened.
Suddenly, the Sugar Plum Fairy appears and tells Clara not to be afraid. They travel together through the Land of Snow on their way to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s magical kingdom the Land of Sweets.
Aware that Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy are on their way to the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Attendants come together and dance in preparation for their arrival. All of the subjects of the Sugar Plum Fairy come out to welcome her back home and to meet her distinguished guests. Clara regales the court with a colorful account of the battle between the soldiers and the mice. The Sugar Plum Fairy then invites Clara to sit on her throne so that her subjects might entertain them. The guest of honor is treated to dances by Spanish Chocolate, Cooks, Peppermint Candy, Arabian Coffee, Candy Ribbon, Gingerbread Cookies, Marzipan, Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, and finally the Flowers. As the festivities come to a close, the dancers celebrate in an energetic culminating farewell. As they begin to fade away, so does Clara’s dream.
Bailey Basurto April Boland Lillian Carroll Carolyn Caulkins Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito
Charlotte Cornes
Emma Ippolito Liza Jane Manninen Ava Mohror Avery Palmieri Emerson Voshell
Caulkins
Ippolito
Hammond
Jane Manninen
Mohror
Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito Charlotte Cornes Jonah Thomas
Bailey Basurto Makena Corcoran Mia Earley April Johnson
Trudy Ragsdale Alina Schulbach Molly Strouse Arabian Coffee . . . .
. April Boland Jadyn Bonewitz Lillian Carroll
Caulkins
Hammond
Ippolito
Jane Manninen
Palmieri
Voshell
Ava Mohror
Bailey Basurto Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito Charlotte Cornes
Ballet
Bailey Basurto (Friday Evening & Saturday Matinee) Lillian Carroll (Saturday Evening & Sunday Matinee)
Bonewitz
Caulkins
Cheatham
Colavito
Cornes
Hammond
Ippolito
Jane Manninen
Mohror
Palmieri
Voshell
Entire Cast
The cast, crew and leadership of “The Nutcracker” extend a special thank you to our board of directors, without whom this production would not be possible.
Thank you for designing, making, altering, cleaning, and organizing over 200 costumes, including many new or redesigned creations. We are proud to see your work take center stage and are delighted by how beautiful the dancers look in these stunning costumes. Great job!
Thank you for feeding us on Saturdays during production season. Thank you for your donations. Thank you to the Lunch Crew members who were present to serve lunches cheerfully each Saturday. Your delicious meals gave us the energy we all needed to do our jobs.
Sets and props, nuts and bolts, communicating, leading, problemsolving, organizing and motivating. This is the Go-to Team. Thank you for being the leaders of our extraordinarily special organization.
The word is OUT! Sold Out performances! Thank you to this team. T-shirts and sweatshirts the dancers LOVE. Banners around town. FYB on the VC marquee. Our beautiful program, postcards given to family and friends, a direct email campaign, social media marketing, stories in the local press, community advertisers to support our cause, and so much more!
Without ticket sales, there would be no performance. Thank you for your efforts and dedication to providing great customer service in a calm, friendly and organized manner. Thank you to a team of talented ushers to assist our audience to have the best theater experience possible.
Thank you for providing the environment, the food, the music and the fun! You inspire us all to support our cause.
Moving more than 750 attendees in and out of the theater on a Thursday morning in two hours now that is a BIG job! Thank you for the fantastic organizational skills and clear communication. Just think how many children’s lives you’ve helped enrich!
During production week alone, nearly 300 volunteer positions are filled by about 60 volunteers. Thank you for your participation and for providing clear direction to our parents and dancers and in a calm and safe manner.
Gifts for dancers, pre-show educational story, refreshments and treats, holiday shopping, handmade items, production mementos and apparel thank you to our lobby team for thoughtfully curating, displaying and selling these wares.
Performances like this would not be possible without the support of donors. Footworks Youth Ballet extends our thanks to the following donors for their generous contributions. Some of our donors have been giving for many years, and their totals represent that cumulative giving, as we like to recognize the impact of their continued support. Bravo!
Your contribution can make a difference in what is offered to our dancers and our community. Donate online safely via PayPal. To donate, go to www.oakleyballet.com/support.
Threads, needles and fabric play a big role at Footworks Youth Ballet. We are, of course, a ballet company. When there are dancers performing, there are costumes to be made. Throughout the production season, our volunteer costuming department is hard at work creating new costumes and repairing, altering and improving the old. We are immensely proud of our costumers and the many helping hands working to create the beautiful costumes that help bring our productions to life on stage. That is not, however, where the thread and fabric ends. The fabric of Footworks started way before Footworks was founded in 2003.
The thread began when a young Kirsten Oakley began dancing in Santa Monica with Yvonne Mounsey at Westside Ballet. Years later, when Footworks was staging its first production, it was Yvonne Mounsey who provided us with the costumes, choreography and the support that got us off the ground and on the stage. More than 15 years later, Footworks’ fabric has grown to include threads from students, parents, teachers and friends, both past and present. We are woven so tightly together that at times it’s difficult to tell who is a current student or parent and who is not. With great pride and a strong sense of responsibility, Oakley Ballet Center and Footworks Youth Ballet consciously teach and encourage mentoring and leadership skills.
This is evident as we watch the natural progression of roles being passed from one dancer to another (and often - one parent volunteer to another). The students mentor each other, teaching as they go along. When they witness the successes of others, they are proud of their mentoring accomplishments. The result is a respect toward each other, and for their art form, that transcends age, ability or level. We are so proud to see this tradition continue each year and to see our dancers, who were once the youngest, now leading and mentoring others. Without exception, everyone helps to bring this production to the stage.
“Each season when we start preparing for The Nutcracker, I feel the presence from all of the hands that have held each prop and costume since 2004,” Kirsten Oakley says. “It is humbling to reflect about each of these makers and how all of their contributions over the years make it possible for us to continue performing.”
Fingerworks is a student-run fundraising division of Footworks where our dancers, dancers’ families, and friends join together to create handmade crafts, décor, and gift items under the direction of a parent volunteer. These items are available for purchase in the lobby. Funds raised from these sales will be used toward the next production. Be sure to stop by and see the beautiful and unique creations made with love by our talented dancers and families!
Footworks Youth Ballet’s Board of Directors believes that ballet should be shared with community members of all ages and collaborates with organizations and schools in an effort to increase opportunities for enjoyment of the arts.
Footworks Youth Ballet Brings
The Nutcracker into Local Senior Communities
In an effort to bring the magic of the holiday season to some community members who cannot attend a performance, Footworks Youth Ballet partnered with both the Ventura Townehouse and Aegis Living to present portions of the ballet classic to residents in their own facilities. Several costume-clad ballet dancers performed for the senior citizens, bringing with them props and presenting a beautiful variation of The Nutcracker. They were met with appreciation from senior community residents, many of whom went on to share stories of their own histories either dancing or attending the ballet.
Imagine the joy and excitement on students’ faces when the lights dim and the music begins. It is truly a rewarding experience to introduce and share ballet with nearly 800 Ventura County students each Fall and Spring when school groups attend performances in advance of opening night. Without this Outreach Program, many local students might not have the opportunity to experience the fine art of ballet. Perhaps our performances will spark an interest where none previously existed. Even if students don’t want to be dancers, it opens their eyes to the arts and they may pursue it in some other fashion. Or they may choose to continue attending performances for enjoyment. Outreach is the favorite performance for many of our dancers because the students are so enthusiastic it makes our dancers happy to know that students enjoyed the performance.
For information about how your student’s school can have the opportunity to attend an Outreach performance, email productionmanager@oakleyballet.com and please put Outreach Information Request in the subject line.
You’ve held us in awestruck wonder all these years. You tirelessly pursued one of your gifts, and gave our family ballet. Thank you!
You dance with beautiful grace. The movement of your arms, those pointe slippers that carry you with a whisper across the stage.
All our love, Mama & Dad So beyond proud!
Papa Fermin & Granda Glenda
Thank you Kirsten and Laurin for 11 years of guiding and inspiring our Carolyn to grow into the beautiful, strong and graceful dancer she is today. We are so grateful!
Your foundation is rock solid and the sky is your limit!
We love you!
Mom & Pop
We’re so proud of you, Ava! Congratulations on your 11th (!!) Nutcracker. We love you! Party dad and real Dad �, Mom, Colton, Lexi, Caise, Buddy, Tilly, and Drago too � � ❤
Dance your heart out and have the best time ever! We love you so much!
Love, Vincent, Mommy, & Daddy Vivienne
Your presence on the stage, your evolving leadership in the studio, the thought and care that you put into everything, your ability to handle all of the pieces of life successfully all while being kind and compassionate is awe inspiring. We are beyond proud of you and support all of your hopes and dreams.
xxoo Nama, Ga, Declan, Dad, Mum, L&J
"All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them!” Walt Disney. Your courage, determination and passion will help you make your dreams come true! We believe in you!
❤ Cameron, Maverick, & Mom
