Our Dancers

Diego Cruz Alvarez

Diego Cruz Alvarez received his training at the Conservatorio Municipal Profesional De Danza, Emilia Bailó, escuela de danza María de Ávila and at the San Francisco Ballet School. He joined the San Francisco Ballet in 2006 and was promoted to soloist in 2020, performing a repertoire spanning classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by the most influential choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Notable performances include featured roles in George Balanchine masterpieces Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, Rubies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck). Widely recognized for a standout portrayal of Benjamin and the Spirit of Mystery in Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella and Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein (Henry). Signature performances include Helgi Tomasson’s Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty as well as originating roles in Caprice, Harmony, and featured work in The Fifth Season, Haffner Symphony, Concerto Grosso, and Prism. Also acclaimed for originating roles in contemporary works by Juri Bubeníček (Fragile Vessels), William Forsythe (Pas/Parts), Justin Peck (Hurry Up, We're Dreaming), Liam Scarlett (Hummingbird, Die Toteninsel), Arthur Pita (Björk Ballet, Salome), and Yuri Possokhov (…two united in a single soul…). Mr. Cruz Alvarez performed works by Jerome Robbins (Glass Pieces, West Side Story Suite), Alexei Ratmansky (Shostakovich Trilogy, The Seasons), Christopher Wheeldon (Within the Golden Hour, Number Nine), and Mark Morris (Sandpaper Ballet, Beaux, Maelstrom), In 2020, he co-created World Ballet Class an online platform which became a lifeline for dancers, during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering virtual ballet classes taught by some of the most notable ballet teachers from renowned companies and schools worldwide. Participants trained from their homes, sharing their passion and dedication despite lockdowns and restrictions. World Ballet Class became a symbol of resilience, unity, and the enduring spirit of the dance community. Mr. Cruz Alvarez has taught at the San Francisco Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Smuin Ballet and ODC. This is his first season with Diablo Ballet. 

Astrid Arvelo

Astrid Arvelo, born in Venezuela, began her ballet studies at the Terpsichore Dance School, at the age of 13 with teacher Humberto Rodríguez. At the age of 15 she joined Nuevo Mundo ballet of Caracas, under the artistic direction of the Venezuelan teacher, director and prima ballerina Zhandra Rodríguez, who was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater and the Hamburg Ballet. She then joined the Teresa Carreño Ballet, dancing soloist and principal roles in Coppelia, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Flames of Paris, Spartacus, Paquita, Giselle, and The Death of the Swan. In 2018 Ms. Arvelo competed at the Miami International Ballet Competition USA where she won the silver medal in the fourth division category. In 2021 she moved to the United States to continue her career as a dancer, performing with Ballet Clásico Cubano de Miami under the artistic direction of Heriberto Jiménez. She has also performed with Peninsula Ballet Theater and Western Ballet. This is Ms. Arvelo’s first season with Diablo Ballet. 

Genevieve Boyle

Genevieve Boyle was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and began her training at Salt Lake Dance Center and then went on to Ballet West Academy. She attended high school at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts where she focused on ballet and contemporary dance. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and trained at Ballet Chicago under the guidance of Patricia Blaire and Dan Duell. After a year in Chicago, she was accepted into the Ballet Program at the University of Utah to further her training and education. While at the University, she choreographed a work titled Subjects of Ymir involving her fellow students and which was performed at the Marriott Center for Dance. At the University she performed in many works including Carmina Terra by Susan Jaffe, Sur le Fil by Penny Saunders, Carmen by Chun-Lin Tseng and Jay Kim, and Becoming by Sayoko Knode. The summer before her senior year she was chosen to perform in the Choreographic Institute at the University of Utah. During this time Ms. Boyle worked with select choreographers from around the country on premiere works including Christina Ghiardi, James Kopecky, and Jenelle Figgins. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2023, she joined Diablo Ballet as a Senior Trainee. She was promoted to Apprentice in 2024 and to Company Artist in 2026. Her repertoire with Diablo Ballet includes Reflections by Gerald Arpino; Cinderella's Wedding, The Nutcracker Suite, and The Little Mermaid by Julia Adam; Dr. Magic and Romeo & Juliet by Penny Saunders; The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos; and Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake Suite by Christopher Lam. She is a Teaching Artist for Diablo Ballet’s PEEK Outreach Program. 

Micheal Bushman

Micheal Bushman was born in Los Angeles, California. He received his training from Wilhelm Burmann, Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet, and Lisa Cuizon at Cuizon Ballet Center. He also danced Ballroom with Meagan Mendoza, competing, and winning multiple awards. Mr. Bushman moved to New York to train with Wilhelm Burmann and Manhattan Youth Ballet. While there he danced in many Balanchine ballets such as Divertimento No 15, Western Symphony, Serenade and Who Cares?. He then furthered his studies at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he danced the lead role of Beast and Prince in Bruce Wells’ Beauty and roles in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, and Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake. Mr. Bushman joined Ballet West II in 2022 where he performed in Les Noces, The Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko's Onegin, Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker, and the pas de trois in Paquita. He joined Diablo Ballet in 2023 performing roles in Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Reflections by Gerald Arpino, The Nutcracker Suite and Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake Suite, the Pas D'Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam, Elevator Operator by Amanda Farris, Forward Thinking by Michael Wells, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli and The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos.

Nicole Ciapponi

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Nicole Ciapponi trained with Goh Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and The San Francisco Ballet School. She was a top finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix in 2009 and received the silver medal and the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan award for theatricality at the Genée International Ballet Competition in 2008. Ms. Ciapponi joined the San Francisco Ballet in 2010 and the Joffrey Ballet in 2015. She has danced principal roles in Helgi Tomasson’s Giselle, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake and 7 for Eight, George Balanchine’s Coppélia, Scotch Symphony, Symphony in C, Theme and Variations, Divertimento No. 15, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Tarantella and Stravinsky Violin Concerto; Rudolf Nureyev’s Raymonda—Act III, Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, Number Nine and Ghosts and in ballets by Gerald Arpino, Nicholas Blanc, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Robert Joffrey, Jiri Kylian, Edwaard Liang, Wayne McGregor, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, and Myles Thatcher. She performed the Flames of Paris Pas de Deux at The Arts of Classical Ballet School in 2012 and the Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire with Tiit Helimets and Company on tour in Estonia. Ms. Ciapponi joined Diablo Ballet in 2022 performing roles in Confetti, Light Rain Pas de Deux and Reflections by Gerald Arpino, Stars & Stripes Pas de Deux and Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Sur le Fil and Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, The Nutcracker Suite, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli, Black Swan in Swan Lake Suite, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding staged by Sean Kelly, Gamzatti in the Pas D'Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam and The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos.

Marco Clemente

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Marco Clemente began his dance training at the Ruth Page School of Dance under the directorship of Larry Long and Dolores Lipinski-Long. After his graduation he went on to dance with Dayton Ballet, Minnesota Ballet, and Ballet Nebraska. In addition to company work, he has also performed as a guest artist with Visceral Dance Chicago, South Chicago Dance Theatre, and Chicago Repertory Ballet. Mr. Clemente joined Diablo Ballet in January 2023 performing roles in Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Confetti, Light Rain Pas de Deux and Reflections by Gerald Arpino, Sur le Fil and Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, The Nutcracker Suite, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, Elevator Operator by Amanda Farris, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, the Pas D'Action from La Bayadère and Swan Lake Suite staged by Christopher Lam and Sean Kelly, The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos and Orange by Stanton Welch.

Lizzie Devanney

Lizzie Devanney was born in Bel Air, Maryland and began her training with Dance Conservatory of Maryland and continued with University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA.) After graduating from high school in 2019, she was invited to join the professional division at Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB). She has attended summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Next Generation Ballet. In 2020, Ms. Devanney was selected for the Royal Danish Ballet – PNB Exchange Program and was one of 25 young dancers awarded a scholarship from the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet to support her continued training. Her repertoire includes Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, Ethan Steifel’s The Nutcracker, Helen Pickett’s Petal, Kingdom of the Shade’s from Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadére and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Concerto Barocco and Serenade. She joined Diablo Ballet in 2023 performing roles in Light Rain Pas de Deux and Reflections by Gerald Arpino, Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, The Nutcracker Suite by Julia Adam, Sinuosity by Sean Kelly, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding and Swan Lake Suite staged by Sean Kelly, the Pas D'Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam and The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos. Ms. Devanney is a member of Diablo Ballet School's faculty. 

Amanda Farris

Amanda Farris was born and raised in Central California, training in ballet with Central West Ballet, Valley Oak School of Dance, and during summers with Boston Ballet. Ms. Farris was a medalist in the Russian Pointe USA national ballet competition in 2004. She attended Long Beach State on a full academic scholarship where she studied both cultural anthropology and dance. There Ms. Farris trained in modern dance and ballet under world renowned faculty. After graduating summa cum laude, she joined The Georgia Ballet where she quickly rose to dancing principal roles, many of which were created on her. Some featured roles include those in Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Pas de Quatre, Janusz Mazon’s Pinnochio and The Firebird, and Alexandre Proia’s The Four Seasons. Since joining Diablo Ballet in 2014, Ms. Farris has danced in works by Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Lew Christensen, Robin Dekkers, Sonya Delwaide, Sean Kelly, Trey McIntyre, Bruno Roque, Danielle Rowe, Penny Saunders, Christopher Stowell, Sally Streets, Norbert Vesak, Stanton Welch, Michael Wells, the Pas de Deux in La Fille Mal Gardee, Black and White Swan Pas de Deux, Flames of Paris, Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, Coppélia and George Balanchine's Apollo, Who Cares?, and Donizetti Variations. Ms. Farris has designed and created Diablo Ballet's costumes including Julia Adams' Cinderella's Wedding, Swan Lake Suite, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, Pas D'Action from La Bayadère, Coppélia, Donizetti Variations and Reflections. Her choreography, Elevator Operator, was chosen as Diablo Ballet's first Dance Laboratory winner. She has enjoyed being a Teaching Artist with Diablo Ballet's PEEK Outreach Program and she is a faculty member of Diablo Ballet School.

Alina Gonzalez 

Alina Gonzalez, received her training from Contra Costa Ballet, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Diablo Ballet School and summer intensives at the San Francisco Ballet School and Post: Ballet Workshop. She performed prominent roles in Alice in Wonderland by Robin Dekkers, Sugar Plum Fairy and Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker and Russian Girl in Serenade by George Balanchine. She has also performed in La Bayadere, Paquita, Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. In 2019, Ms. Gonzalez became one of Diablo Ballet’s first Professional Trainee’s. She was promoted to Apprentice in the Fall of 2022 and to Company member in 2024. She has performed roles in Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Reflections by Gerald Arpino, Company B by Paul Taylor, The Nutcracker Suite, Cinderella’s Wedding, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Little Mermaid by Julia Adam, Paquita, Swan Lake Suite, La Bayadère, Dr. Magic and Romeo & Juliet by Penny Saunders, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding and Swan Lake by Christopher Lam, and The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos. Ms. Gonzalez is a member of Diablo Ballet School's faculty and a PEEK Teaching Artist.

Luis Gonzalez

Luis Eduardo Gonzalez was born in Bogota, Colombia and received his training from Ms. Maniya Barredo, former prima ballerina of Atlanta Ballet and current director of Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. He received the Star Student award at Regional Dance America’s SERBA, took third place at the Regional Youth American Grand Prix competition in 2008, first place pas de deux at the American Ballet Competition in 2013, and was selected to compete as the only representative of Colombia in the 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition. Mr. Gonzalez began his professional career with The Houston Ballet II, where he had the opportunity to dance works by Stanton Welch, George Balanchine, Claudio Munos, Ben Stevenson among other renowned choreographers, and toured both nationally and internationally. He then joined Orlando Ballet, where he danced for three seasons, performing and originating works by director Robert Hill. His roles included Peter and the Wolf, Ravel’s Bolero, Carmina Burana, and Swan Lake. In 2015 he joined the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago where he performed all over the world. Some of the ballets in his repertoire include Orphe and Euridice, Sylvia by John Neumeier, Mammatus by Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake by Christopher Wheeldon, Raku, Miraculous Mandarin, Anna Karenina by Yuri Possokhov, Glass Pieces by Jerome Robins, and Body of your Dreams. In 2019 he returned to Orlando Ballet and performed principal and soloist roles in works by Val Caniparoli, Victoria Morgan, Robert Hill, and Jessica Lang. In 2021 Gonzalez joined the Sarasota Ballet and danced works by Gemma Bond, Sr. Peter Wright, Sr. David Bintley, George Balanchine and Sr. Frederick Ashton. Simultaneously throughout his dance career, Mr. Gonzalez has been on faculty at the Joffrey Ballet School, Sarasota Ballet School, Orlando Ballet School, Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, and Mount Dora School of Ballet. He has a business degree with a focus in marketing and a minor in psychology. Mr. Gonzalez joined Diablo Ballet in 2023 performing Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, Prince Siegried in Swan Lake Suite by Christopher Lam, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli. Kastchei in The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos, Light Rain Pas de Deux by Gerald Arpino, Donizetti Variations by George Balanchie, Pas D'Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam, The Nutcracker Suite and the Prince in Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, Sinuosity by Sean Kelly and Forward Thinking by Michael Wells. He is a PEEK Teaching Artist and is a member of Diablo Ballet School's faculty.

Elijah Hartley

Elijah Hartley is from Montesano, Washington. He began his training in studios throughout Washington and Oregon. In 2017 he joined the Ballet West Academy. In 2021 Mr. Hartley was promoted to Ballet West II where he performed in numerous Ballet West productions, including: Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker, Michael Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, John Cranko’s Onegin, and Bronislava Nijinska’s Les Noces. Mr. Hartley joined Diablo Ballet in 2023 performing Prince Siegried in Swan Lake Suite and Solar in Pas D’Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam, Sleeping Beauty’s Wedding staged by Sean Kelly, Prince Ivan in The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos, Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Confetti and Reflections by Gerald Arpino, The Nutcracker Suite and Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli, Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, Forward Thinking by Michael Wells, and Elevator Operator by Amanda Farris..

Olivia Powell

Alison Ramoran

Alison Ramoran, from Los Angeles, CA, trained at South Bay Ballet (now known as Ballet California), under the instruction of Diane Lauridsen. In 2017 she received the Daily Breeze “Making a Difference Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Arts” by the California Legislature Assembly at the Torrance Performing Arts Consortium. Upon graduating in 2018, she was given a contract with Oklahoma City Ballet’s second company. She was then promoted to apprentice in 2020, and corps de ballet in 2021. While there, she performed works by Septime Webre, Robert Mills, Ryan Nye, Nicolo Fonte, Jerome Robbins, Jessica Lang, August Bournonville, and Michael Pink. Some of her favorite roles included Princess Florine in Ryan Nye’s Sleeping Beauty, Clara in Robert Mills’ The Nutcracker, and Nosferatu in Micheal Pink’s Dracula. Ms. Ramoran joined Smuin Contemporary Ballet in 2022, where she performed Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Requiem for a Rose, Val Caniparoli’s Swipe, Osnel Delgado’s Turntable, Rex Wheeler’s Take Five, Nicole Haskins’ Peaceful Prayer, Kate Skarpetowska’s Sextette, and Amy Seiwert’s French Kiss. In 2023, she also performed with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery working with choreographers Amy Seiwert, Trey McIntyre, Natasha Adorlee, & Helene Simoneu. Since joining Diablo Ballet in 2023, she has performed in Confetti and Reflections by Gerald Arpino, Donizetti Variations by George Balanchine, Dr. Magic by Penny Saunders, The Nutcracker Suite and Cinderella's Wedding by Julia Adam, The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos, 4 in the Morning by Val Caniparoli, Forward Thinking by Michael Wells, Elevator Operator by Amanda Farris, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding staged by Sean Kelly, Black Swan in Swan Lake Suite and the Pas D'Action from La Bayadère staged by Christopher Lam. Ms. Ramoran is also a member of Diablo Ballet School's teaching faculty.

Natalie Allenton

Apprentice

Natalie Allenton was born in Bataan, Philippines and began her ballet training at Olympia Dance Center in Olympia, Washington, before continuing her studies at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In 2021, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet's Professional Division, where she performed a diverse repertoire including George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Serenade and The Nutcracker, Peter Boal's Giselle, Crystal Pite's The Seasons' Canon, and newly created works. From 2023 to 2024, Ms. Allenton danced as a company artist with Spectrum Dance Theater under the direction of Donald Byrd, performing a wide range of contemporary works. She joined Diablo Ballet as a trainee for the 2025–26 season, performing in George Balanchine's Donizetti Variations, Gerald Arpino's Birthday Variations, Julia Adam's The Little Mermaid, and The Nutcracker Suite, and Penny Saunders' Romeo & Juliet. She was promoted to Apprentice for the 2026–27 season.

Mia Hanflig

Apprentice

Mia Hanflig was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts and began dancing at Turning Pointe Dance Studio at age four. She continued her training there with her beloved coaches, eventually joining their daytime pre-professional program and competing in ballet competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix and Connecticut Classic with prize-winning distinction. At sixteen, she moved away from her home on Cape Cod to dance on an artistic scholarship at Colorado Ballet Academy. During her time at Colorado Ballet, Ms. Hanflig was cast in company roles for The Nutcracker and Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. She was also featured in academy performances with roles such as Princess Florine and Canary Fairy in Colorado Ballet Academy’s The Sleeping Beauty and Swanhilda’s Friend and Harvest Fairy in Coppélia. Following her two years in Denver, Ms. Hanflig joined the Grand Rapids Ballet as a trainee, performing works such as Who Cares? and Serenade by George Balanchine and Devon Carney’s The Sleeping Beauty. In addition to her performances, she has danced at prestigious ballet summer intensives such as Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Cincinnati Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, The Rock School, and Chautauqua Dance Institute. Ms. Hanflig was a trainee with Diablo Ballet in 2024 and promoted to apprentice in 2025 performing roles in Dr. Magic and Romeo & Juliet by Penny Saunders, The Nutcracker Suite, Cinderella’s Wedding and Little Mermaid by Julia Adam, Alice in Wonderland by Brian Enos and Swan Lake by Christopher Lam. She is certified in American Preparatory Ballet Training and Adaptive Dance through Boston Ballet and holds a certificate in Dance Studio Management awarded through Western Michigan University. Ms. Hanflig is a faculty member at Diablo Ballet School and a Teaching Artist with the PEEK Outreach Program.

Kyla Marcus

Apprentice

Kyla Marcus was born in San Francisco and began her ballet training at Oakland Ballet School before continuing her studies at San Francisco Ballet School. During her four years at SFBS, she performed with San Francisco Ballet in Frankenstein, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. In her senior year of high school, she completed her pre-professional training at The Ballet School of San Francisco under the direction of Kristin Long, Julianne Spratlin, and Samantha Clark. Ms. Marcus joined Ballet Idaho as a trainee in 2022, where she spent two seasons performing corps de ballet roles in Divertimento No. 15, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake, as well as original works by Penny Saunders, Joseph Hernandez, Quinn Wharton, Laura O'Malley, and other contemporary choreographers. She joined Diablo Ballet as a trainee for the 2025–26 season, performing in George Balanchine's Donizetti Variations, Gerald Arpino's Birthday Variations, Julia Adam's The Little Mermaid, The Nutcracker Suite, and Penny Saunders' Romeo & Juliet. Ms. Marcus was promoted to Apprentice for Diablo Ballet's 2026–27 season. In addition to performing, she serves as a teaching artist in Diablo Ballet's PEEK Outreach Program, sharing the joy of dance with underserved youth.