HILARY NICOLAI began her training at age 8 and was dancing professionally with the Indianapolis Ballet Theater by age 14. She spent her summers training at The School of American Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet School, The Rock School of The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Washington School of Ballet, and The Chautauqua School of Dance before joining the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York City.

As a student at SAB, Hilary appeared in Christopher Wheeldon’s Le Voyage and participated in the New York City Ballet Education Department’s Lecture Demonstration program, performing Peter Martin’s Eight Easy Pieces, Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Cortege Hongrois and Puss n’ Boots for local area school children under the direction of Suki Schorer.

Hilary danced principal roles in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, under the tutelage of New York City Ballet principal dancers Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, and performed in Petipa’s Giselle and Balanchine’s Serenade, Western Symphony, La Source and Four Temperaments.
Hilary is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 7 & Partnering of the ABT® National

Training Curriculum. She is an accomplished instructor and is recognized for her uncompromising attention to detail and challenging her students to challenge themselves.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing from Columbia University where she graduated cum laude and is currently pursuing her MA in Dance Education with a
concentration in ABT Pedagogy at New York University.

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Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, ZACK GRUBBS began his dance training at Tuzer Ballet to supplement his education as a competitive gymnast. He continued his ballet training at the University of Utah under Attila Ficzere and trained with companies across the country including Boston Ballet, where he was a company dancer for four years. Mr. Grubbs came to Cincinnati Ballet in 2002, was promoted to Soloist in 2005 and Senior Soloist in 2008. He has also performed with opera companies across the U.S., including the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Cincinnati Opera. Throughout his performance career, Mr. Grubbs has worked with world renowned choreographers including Trey McIntyre, Rudy van Dantzig, Mauricio Wainrot, Christopher Wheeldon and Stanton Welch.

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Mr. Grubbs has also worked as a repetiteur for Cincinnati Ballet and its Second Company, as well as a faculty member at the Otto M. Budig Academy. In September of 2016, he retired from Cincinnati Ballet’s professional company to assume the leadership position of Academy Principal at the Otto M. Budig Academy until 2022.

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Jaynellen Walsh began competing in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of nine. She
became a four-time state all around champion, a two-time regional all around champion, and she
was named to the United States national team. Jaynellen studied ballet at the Boston School of
Ballet, and she received a formal education in dance from Butler University in Indianapolis,
Indiana where she graduated high honors in dance, Cum Laude.
Jaynellen danced professionally for over fifteen years. She danced with Indianapolis
Ballet Theatre, Saint Louis Ballet and Ballet Memphis. She also performed as a guest artist,
dancing Nutcracker ballet after her retirement from full time dancing.
Jaynellen had a diverse background from her studies, and she danced principal roles in
contemporary neoclassical and classical dance pieces. To name a few, she danced the lead role in
Scheherazade staged by Oleg Briansky, Andante pas de Duex and the lead couple in Moments
Passing by Dennis Wayne, Refuge pas de Duex and the lead dancer in Italian Concerto by Diane
Coburn Burning. The lead Paquita, Graduation Ball, Pas de Quatre, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Isis
in the Goddess of the Nile, and Arabian, Snow Queen, Dew Drop and the Sugar Plum Fairy in
the Nutcracker.
Jaynellen moved to New Jersey when she retired from dancing. She met Carolyn Clark, and
she has worked as a teacher at New Jersey Ballet School (NJB) for many years. She has
taught every level at NJB from ages four through adult and professional. Jayne has mentored
many students to become better dancers, and to become more confident young people.
Jayne loves to choreograph, and she calls upon her diverse background and experience to
create multiple dance pieces each year fro New Jersey Ballet School’s workshop productions.

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PETER DIBONAVENTURA credits include several years as principal dancer with Cleveland Ballet where he danced principal roles in numerous ballets including Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet,  Coppelia, Balanchine’s Apollo, Midsummer Night’s Dream and the standard classical pas de deux. He also guested numerous times in   Caracas with ballerina Zhanda Rodriguez. Choreographer Fleming Flindt invited him to Denmark to film his Lucifer’s Daughter, a ballet to celebrate the Queen of Denmark’s 25th Anniversary. He was a principal dancer with New Jersey Ballet and with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. 

DAVID TAMAKI began his formal training at New Jersey School of Ballet at age 7 and became a member of the NJB Junior Company in 1998. A year later he joined the company and during his career danced principal roles, which included the Champion Roper in Rodeo, the Prince and Trepak in Nutcracker, Romeo in Romeo & Juliet and Le Corsair pas de deux to name a few.

Mr. Tamaki is Executive Director for New Jersey Ballet. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Mary’s College of California where he graduated summa cum laude and holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University. Mr. Tamaki also leads NJ Ballet’s Dancing for Parkinson’s program, which provides free weekly dance classes to individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and is a Stanley J. Wertheimer Fellow.

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RISA MOCHIZUKI trained at the Royal Ballet of Flanders and at ballet academies in Japan. She danced solo and principal roles with the Teatrul Ballet Sibu, Romania, the Constanta National Opera Ballet and the Timisoara National Opera Ballet. Her principal roles include Don Quixote, Pacquita, Nutcracker, Chopiniana and La Vivandiere. She has won medals in several international competitions. Most recently, she took the bronze medal in the Kozlova Competition in New York and a Gold Medal at the World Ballet Competition in Florida. 

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 the New Jersey Ballet in the fall of 2012.

DENISE PARUNGAO danced with Ballet Philippines for 11 years where her repertoire included lead roles in The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella to name a few. She has won awards from CCP National Ballet Competition, Aliw Awards Best Classical Dancer, and Philstage Gawad Buhay Best Female Dancer for Swan Lake. She trained at the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and Brezhnev Larlar. Ms. Parungao holds a bachelor’s degree in Dance at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and received her certification as a Ballet Conservatoire teacher. She joined New Jersey Ballet in the spring of 2022.

JEFFREY GOMEZ received his training at Broadway Dance Center, New York City and performed professionally with the Inspirational Dance Company.  He has also appeared on television, in numerous music videos and performed in London, South Korea and Las Vegas.

AMANDA PAPA is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator with more than 25 years of experience. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from Montclair State University and is also certified through Dance Educators of America. She has been on faculty at over a dozen dance studios in the NY/NJ area teaching all genres of dance. Amanda was an Adjunct Professor at Mercer County College and Guest Teacher at Montclair State University, Kean University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Amanda Co-founded & was the Artistic Director of Solo Danza Dance Company. Currently she has been added to the Faculty Roster for Man in Motion. Amanda is the founding & resident choreographer of the Brook Arts Community Players and is an official Board Member of The Historical Brook Arts Center. Amanda Received back to back NJACT Perry Nominations for Best Choreography. Amanda won the Best Choreography Award for her creative work on the Musical Be More Chill from Broadway World NJ. Amanda is entering her 7th season on tour as a Dance Judge and Master Teacher. She is currently on Faculty with Groove/Reverb, DECA-Dance, Platinum, Dance Xplosion and Starstruck Dance Competitions. 

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MATT MANCUSO is a Professional Ballroom dancer who has performed, instructed and competed nationally in the American Rhythm style of ballroom dance. Throughout his professional dance career, Matt has been a finalist in many competitions. He has danced in numerous live shows, and has trained with well-known choreographers: Anna Trebunskaya, Carolina Orlovsky, Corky Ballas and Jonathan Roberts. Choreography by Matt has been featured at institutions such as You Can Dance Studio in Hermosa Beach, California, and he has been guest artists at many other institutions and studios including the prestigious Orange County School of the Arts in Irvine, California. As a Musical Theatre choreographer, he has been an assistant on  productions of Evita and Rent, has provided his own staging to musicals like Songs for A New World and is a two time NJAct Perry Award nominee for Guys & Dolls and Reefer Madnesswith his choreography/business partner Amanda Papa. Matt is also an accomplished actor and musical theatre performer. He has performed at such regional houses like Walnut Street Theatre, Music Theatre of Connecticut, and has been a member of premiere casts on both east and west coasts. 

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FRANK DOLCE is a versatile and accomplished actor with a rich background in film, television, Broadway, and theater. In the world of film and television, Mr. Dolce has showcased his talent in various roles, including Jack in the short film A Life For a Life directed by Chandra Kilaru, Brad in the recurring role on ABC's One Life to Live and as Gary in the series regular role on FOX's Sons of Tucson. His captivating performances extend to the big screen with roles like Ralph in the film Doubt, directed by John Patrick Shanley and appearances on ABC's special program What Would You Do? as a Teen diner.

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With an impressive Broadway presence, Mr. Dolce made a mark as Michael in the original Broadway cast of Billy Elliot, The Musical at the Imperial Theater, under the direction of Stephen Daldry. His theatrical journey continued with notable performances in diverse productions such as That’s How the Story Goes: The Hall-Mills Murders, a virtual performance and podcast by Thinkery & Verse Productions, and Macábaret at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, portraying the character Dead Pete. Mr. Dolce has demonstrated his dedication to the craft through extensive training, earning a BFA in Acting from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. His commitment to the art form is evident in his range of skills, from combat training with Johnathon Waller to studying at Shakespeare’s Globe in London under Simon Dormandy and Phillip Bird. Beyond acting, Mr. Dolce is a multi-talented individual with proficiency in various dance forms, including tap, hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and Western European historical dance.

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BARBARA HOON is a co-founder of Pilates Artists United™ and the founder and owner of Six Degrees Pilates a thriving, full-service Pilates studio in the New Jersey-New York City area.

Barbara brings to Pilates Artists United™ 25 years of dance, performance, teaching and entrepreneurial spirit.

 Barbara first discovered Pilates as a dancer at the Juilliard School where she earned her BFA in dance. Upon her graduation, Barbara joined the legendary modern dance company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her performing career includes Broadway credits in the original casts of Singin’ in the Rain and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, national tours of West Side Storyand Carousel (The Kennedy Center) and Off-Broadway Sally, The Music Man (New York City Opera), and South Pacific (Long Beach Civic Light Opera). Barbara’s film credits include Amadeus, Zelig, and Bugsy and she has appeared on television and in numerous commercials.

Barbara has also partnered with Dance for PD®, an empowering revolutionary research-based dance program. Her experience as a dancer and teacher has enable her success in supporting individuals with Parkinson’s disease through this organization.

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ROSEMARY SABOVICK-BLEICH joined New Jersey Ballet in 1981 and performed as soloist and principal until 2004. A strong classical dancer, she excelled in roles that demand the elegance of the Sylvia pas de deux, the bravura virtuosity of the Stars & Stripes pas de deux and the feistiness of the Cowgirl in Agnes deMille’s Rodeo. Ms.Sabovick-Bleich toured with the Pavlova Celebration Ballet, Kozlov and Friends and International Ballet Stars. Her teaching experience includes ballet and pointe classes at all levels.

KOTOE KOJIMA-NOA was born in Japan and studied with School of American Ballet, Ballet Academy East, Kozlov Ballet Academy with former Bolshoi and New York City Ballet principals Valentina Kozlova and Leonid Kozlov, and Scarsdale Ballet Studio with former New York City Ballet Dancer Diana White. In 2000, she was the finalist in Youth America Grand Prix. Ms. Kojima-Noa joined New Jersey Ballet during the 2001-2002 season where she has danced Jerome Robbins' Interplay, George Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante and Concerto Barroco; many soloist and principal roles in Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Paquita, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle; contemporary works by Pedro Ruiz, Ray Mercer, Alexandre Proia, Margo Sappington, Robert North, Johan Renvall. She is a Repertory coach for New Jersey Ballet Company and is on the ballet faculty of New Jersey School of Ballet. In 2018, she joined New Jersey Ballet as a Marketing Director and is now the Artistic Coordinator for the company.

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