Company Dancers

ALBINA GHAZARYAN trained at the Armenian National Ballet School and joined the Armenian National Ballet as a soloist in 2004. In 2011, she joined the Israel Ballet company as a principal dancer. Albina is a laureate of the Grigorovich International Ballet competition in 2010. She has extensive classical ballet repertoire including Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Nutcracker, Carmen, and Spartacus, to name a few. She joined NJB in 2015.

ESNEL RAMOS HERNANDEZ trained at National Ballet School of Havana and joined the National Ballet Company of Havana under the direction of Alicia Alonso. He danced solo and principal roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, and Carmen. Mr. Hernandez was a principal dancer with Jalisco Ballet in Mexico where his repertoire included Romeo & Juliet, La Fille Mal Gardee and Nutcracker.

SE HYUN JIN began her training at Daejeon Art High School, South Korea. She continued her training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, in Washington, DC. Se Hyun danced solo and principal roles with Milwaukee Ballet, Charleston City Ballet and Columbia Classical Ballet. Her repertoire includes such ballets as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet and Don Quixote.

ILSE KAPTEYN began her training at the East Street Ballet, Massachusetts. She continued training with Irina Vakhromeeva while a student at Deerfield Academy. Ilse attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet, the Chautauqua Institution, and American Ballet Theatre NY. Ilse traveled to Moscow in the summer of 2011 and was accepted at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Ilse joined NJB in 2012.

EMMANUEL MARTIROSYAN graduated from the Armenian National School of Ballet and attended the Joffrey School of Ballet in NYC on full scholarship. In 2014 he placed second in the Ballet Competition in Russia. An apprentice at the National Ballet Theater in Armenia, he appeared as a soloist in several productions in Yerevan, Armenia and as an actor in numerous television series on Armenian Television. Emmanuel was a top 10 finalist at the 2018 World Ballet Competition.

NAREK MARTIROSYAN trained at the Armenian National Ballet School. Upon graduation, he joined the Armenian National Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer. Mr. Martirosyan was awarded the Moves Khorenatsi Medal by the President of Armenia for his significant contributions to the development of culture and his outstanding staging of the ballet Spartacus. In 2011 he became a principal with the Israel Ballet. Repertoire includes Don Quixote, Carmen, Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker as a principal dancer. He joined NJB in 2015.

RISA MOCHIZUKI was born in Tokyo and trained at the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and Kishibi and Kawasaki Ballet Schools in Japan. Winning medals in several international competitions, she danced solo and principal roles with the Teatrul Balet Sibiu, Romania, the Constanta National Opera Ballet and the Timisoara National Opera Ballet. Principal roles include Don Quixote, Paquita, Nutcracker, Chopiniana and La Vivandiere. She joined NJB in 2014.

GABRIELLA NOA began her training locally and entered New Jersey School of Ballet at the age of 8. At 11, she performed the coveted role of Clara in New Jersey Ballet’s Nutcracker at Paper Mill—one of the youngest ever to dance the role. Ms. Noa was a scholarship student at the Pennsylvania Ballet, and returned to New Jersey and NJB in 1999. Her repertory includes Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and roles in Allegro Brilliante, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Tango, For Ella, Saturday Night and the Cowgirl in deMille’s Rodeo.

EUNICE SUBA enrolled at New Jersey School of Ballet at the age of 11 and at 13 joined the intensive program. A Junior Company member for 3 years, she was chosen to dance the coveted role of Clara in NJ Ballet’s Nutcracker. Ms. Suba received scholarships to summer intensive programs at Miami City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York and French Academie. She won a Gold Medal at the 2018 Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition NYC.

CATHERINE WHITING trained at the NJ School of Ballet and also attended programs at School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. She was part of the NJ School of Ballet ensemble that took first place twice in the Youth Dance Festival of New Jersey. She also won first place in pas de deux in that competition. Her repertory includes Fairy Doll, Le Corsaire and Don Quixote. She joined NJB in 2011.

YUUKI YAMAMOTO trained at the Hakucho Ballet Academy in his native Japan. He was a finalist in the Japan Grand Prix and won a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey School in New York. He has appeared in Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, Sleeping Beauty, Gopak, Nutcracker and many others. Yuuki joined NJB in 2010.

RACHEL CARINA is a New Jersey native, born and raised in Morris County. She began her ballet studies under Michael Shannon and Sara Knight. She studied at New Jersey School of Ballet for three years, two of them as a member of the Junior Company. She won a full scholarship to The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton and upon graduation was accepted into Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program. Rachel has performed professionally with the Gainesville Ballet, Victoria Ballet and various Argentine Tango performances.

KAITLYN DAL BON trained at New Jersey School of Ballet in the Intensive Program. A member of the Junior Company for 3 years, she performed the demanding role of Clara in NJ Ballet’s Nutcracker. Ms. Dal Bon earned a Silver Medal at the Youth American Grand Prix and First Place at the National Society of Arts & Letters state competition and went on to become a national finalist. During the summer she studied on scholarship at the Bolshoi Academy, Russia and American Ballet Theatre, New York. She is currently studying at Columbia University.

JACKSON FERREIRA began training in his native Brazil under Adriana Asaf. He continued his training with the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of the Joffrey Ballet. In 2015 he joined the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company. In 2018 Mr. Ferreira was named Capezio Brazil Dancer and has spent the year representing Capezio throughout Brazil.

SOFIA GONZALEZ GARCIA began her training at the Academy of Ballet Danz-Atre in Zapopan, Mexico. She continued her training at Doris Topete Dance Academy in Guadalajara, Mexico. Before coming to the USA, she performed with the Ballet de Jalisco dancing numerous principal and soloist roles. Her repertory includes Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Nutcracker and Carmen.

ARTUR GEVORGYAN trained at the Yerevan State Choreographic School, graduating in 2011. He was invited to join the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia, where he became a soloist in 2012. In 2013 he performed Armen in Gayane at the prestigious White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater. Mr. Gevorgyan spent three years as a soloist with the Musical theater of the Republic of Karelia and two years with the Musical Theater of Natalia Stas in Moscow.

NAHOKO NAKAMOTO was born in Japan where she trained at the Yuasa Ballet Academy. She has also trained in Vancouver, Canada and at Alvin Ailey School. Her repertory includes roles in Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote.

EKATERINA RYBCHINA was born in Saratov, Russia and trained at the Saratov Choreographic College graduating with honors in 2009. She immediately joined Saratov Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre as a soloist. From 2011 to 2013 she worked with the Moscow Ballet La Classique, under the directorship of Elik Melikov. Ms. Rybchina went on to dance as a soloist with the Musical Theater of the Republic of Karelia and then the Musical Theater of Natalia Sats in Moscow.

MARY ANN MASSA began her training at Dance Stop Dance Education Center, under the direction of Gina Forcella. She attended The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College where she earned a BFA in Dance with a concentration in ballet. During her time at Purchase, she had the opportunity to perform works by George Balanchine, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Betty Jane Sills. Mary Ann went to Taiwan and performed a duet choreographed by Norbert De La Cruz III, in the Kuan Du Arts Festival. This is her first season with NJB.

AVA PRENTICE began her training at the Ballet Barre School of Performing Arts before joining New Jersey School of Ballet’s Intensive Program. As a member of New Jersey Ballet’s Junior Company, Ava had the opportunity to perform in the company’s productions of Nutcracker, Giselle, and Esmeralda among many others. In addition to her training at the New Jersey School of Ballet, Ava has attended summer intensives at Ballet West and the French Academie of Ballet. Ava graduated Cum Laude from Blair Academy and currently attends Drew University as a French major.