Kate Schneider, Executive Director/President

Bio coming soon.

Oliver Arana

Oliver Arana, was born in Lima, Peru and began his career as a principal dancer with the Ballet Municipal De Lima under the direction of Lucy Telge. He went on to work with Vicente Nebrada, at the Nacional Ballet De Caracas of Venezuela. He was invited to join the Ballet Classico De Camara, under the direction of Nina Novak where had the honor of alternating principal roles with Fernando Bujones and Carlos Acosta, and touring all of South America and parts of Europe. After coming to the United States in 1993, he joined The Bay Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer under the direction of Christopher Flemming, continued his career with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, and then in 1998 Mr Arana joined The Cincinnati Ballet under the direction of Victoria Morgan.

Oliver Arana Teacher and Director at NCYB 2006 – 2018 Awards and Achievements, YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award, YAGP Senior Grand Prix Denver, YAGP Youth Grand Prix Chicago, YAGP Many top 12 through the years, Cincinnati Overture Winners and finalists, World Ballet Competition Silver, Bronze medalist, NCYB students now dancing professionally at Norwegian National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet MamLuft&Co. Dance.

Students have received scholarships to Royal Ballet School London, Ballet West Academy, National Ballet of Canada, Indiana University, Houston Ballet II, American Ballet Theatre (JKO School), Munich Ballet Academy, University of South Carolina, Orlando Ballet School, Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance, The Kirov Academy, Chautaugua, Boston Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet New York. Students have been accepted to La Scala Ballet Academy Milan, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.

Jessica Eggleston

Jessica Eggleston has a BFA in Dance from Wright State University, where she performed with the Dance Program and the Theatre Program. She went on to continue her education in New York City, where she took classes in various styles, from many outstanding teachers. Upon returning home to Ohio, she began teaching for the MAPP program at Wright State University, was featured at the MVDTA Dance Convention, choreographed musicals for Wright State and Sinclair College, and served as adjunct dance faculty at Wright State University. Jessica’s classes focus on musicality, organic movement, and exploring different dynamics in the energy of Dance.

Darcy Franck

Darcy began dancing at Jeanette Popp School of Dance at 3 years old and continued her dance education at DDC for 15 years. She has worked with early childhood programs through the YMCA of Greater Dayton. Darcy has worked with a variety of programs at DDC including Art and Movement for All (AMFA). She went on to earn her BA in Primary Childhood Education (PK-5) and Intervention Specialist (K-12) in December 2022 from Capital University. She currently works as a Preschool Intervention Specialist.

Chloe Mann

Chloe Mann started at Jeanette Popp’s school of dance at age six. She developed a love for all the many styles and enthusiastically joined Jeanette’s artistic dance ensemble and the mini dugout dancers. At age fourteen, Chloe was asked to join Pontocorvo’s Gem City Ballet Company. She performed in a variety of ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Serenade and Cinderella. She continued her dance education at Wright State University and received a BFA in performing arts.

Kathryn McCarty

Kathryn began her dance education over thirty two years ago in her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. She has trained and performed with companies such as Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware and Ballet West. Kathryn attended the University of Utah as a ballet major before relocating to Southern California to tour both nationally & internationally with The Young Americans. Some of Kathryn’s professional credits include "One Man’s Dream II" (Tokyo Disneyland), Dance Captain & Mainstage dancer on board The Disney Magic (Disney Cruise Lines) as well as numerous regional theater productions across the country. Several of her favorite credits include: "Irving Berlin’s White Christmas", Crazy For You” and "Pippin". Kathryn was the Founder & Artistic Director of Central Nebraska Youth Ballet, as well as having directed & taught in the studio setting for over a decade. Several of her students have gone on to train and dance professionally with companies such as American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Miami City Ballet and City Ballet of San Diego as well as earning national awards & honors across the country. Diversity in dance styles and education has allowed Kathryn to not only limit herself to ballet but she also continues to train dancers in a variety of genres and has choreographed for many collegiate level dance teams as well as high school musicals. She also co-coached a high school dance team for 5 years where they earned the Nebraska state runner up title for multiple years. Recently relocated to Ohio, Kathryn is also currently on faculty with Dayton Ballet School. She loves to share her knowledge and passion of dance with this generation’s young artists and continues to guest teach and adjudicate dance events around the country.

Lacie Miller

Lacie began dancing at the age of 3 at Jeanette Popp School of Dance and continued dancing for 15 years. Following her love for movement, she completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, focusing on alignment and anatomy, in 2018. While in college, she worked at the YMCA before and after school enrichment program and the YMCA Preschool for 6 years. She received the Diana M. Hunn Award in 2019 for her commitment to science education. She graduated from Wright State University with her BS in Early Childhood Education in May 2020.

Allyia Nelloms

Allyia Nelloms is a Dayton native whose training includes the University of the Arts (where she obtained a BFA in Dance Performance), Eleone Dance Theatre, and Stivers School for the Arts. She has danced original casted and/or restaged works by Sidra Bell, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Gary Jeter, Bill T. Jones, and Bobbi Jene Smith. Aside from her role as a performer, Allyia has felt most passionate about serving her community through teaching and choreography, which both allow her to cultivate spaces not only for learning - but healing and community. She's enjoyed exploring these same passions through dialogue-based platforms as well as facilitating her own programs and workshops. Allyia's mission as a dance educator is to, first and foremost, facilitate safe spaces that allow and encourage artists to not only explore their own bodies, but new avenues of thinking, making, and doing. Her class is designed to help develop character, while nurturing artistic agency as well as physical, emotional, and intellectual growth.

Jeanette Popp

Jeanette has studied in New York with dance experts: Luigi, Joffrey Ballet School, Broadway Dance Center Faculty, studied Dance in college and authentic Hawaiian dance in Hawaii. Her students have studied dance in college, teach across the country, perform on cruise ships, join professional dance companies and compete in state and national pageants. She is an Adjunct Faculty in Tap Dance at Wright State University. Jeanette was inducted into the Huber Heights Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2016.

Robert Pulido

Robert Pulido is a dancer with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and has taught at DDC before while out here in Dayton, Ohio. You may recognize him as the Nutcracker Prince from our holiday production of the Jazz Nutcracker. He dances various styles throughout his repertoire and he teachs: jazz, tap, hip-hop/funk, and modern. He hopes his students learn a lot from his classes, they can walk away with something new (bit by bit) and collectively grow in their learning of dance while having some fun.

Gregory Robinson

Mr. Robinson began his primary dance training in 1970 at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) with Lou Wall in Graham technique and Phoebe Barr in Denishawn style. Resident guest artists in dance for that academic year included Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin, from the Jose Limon Company and Nicholas Gunn of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. In 1971, Mr. Robinson transferred to the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) where he began his classical ballet studies in the Vaganova system with Stevan Grebel and Melanie Mihalic. As a member of Ballet UAB, he had the opportunity of performing a repertory of mixed programs and many full length ballets, most notably The Nutcracker, Giselle, Coppellia, Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, Raymonda Pas de Dix, George Balanchine's Serenade, La Sonambula, and Michel Fokine's Petrushka.

Mr. Robinson continued to perform with Ballet UAB and pursue his BFA through 1980. He joined Dayton Ballet in 1980 under artistic director Stuart Sebastian and performed with the Company as a principal dancer in a repertory that spanned from the classical canon to neoclassical and contemporary works. His further studies continued in New York City with Maggie Black and Marjorie Mussman. By the late '80's, he was named Ballet Master; then in 1993 he was appointed Artistic Associate for the company by Dermot Burke and his duties expanded to include co-directorship of Dayton Ballet II. As a resident choreographer for Dayton Ballet, Mr. Robinson has created many original works for the Company as well as other performing arts organizations including; Dayton Ballet II, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, The Human Race Theatre Company, The Muse Machine, Dayton Opera, Miami University, Marygrove College, Victoria Theatre, Ohio Ballet and The Fraze Pavillion. His premiere works for Dayton Ballet through the years including Prokofiev Piano Concerto #2, Light, Paganini Variations, Mozartiana, Carmina Burana, Hot Riffs & Blue Notes, Luna, New Night, Corazon and new choreography for the full length productions of Christmas Carol, the Ballet, An American Cinderella, and America's Robin Hood have all received critical and artistic acclaim.

Mr Robinson was the first to be awarded the Virginia Sebastian Award for Choreography, in 1986. In 1996, he received the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District Bicentennial Impact Grant for his premiere work …A Time to Dance to join in the celebration of Dayton's 200 years. He was also a recipient for the Culture Works Artist Fellowship for the year 2000. He was honored with the 2002 Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography from the Choo-San Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation for his work on America's Robin Hood. In 2008 his ballet Corazon earned a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mr. Robinson has taught at BalletMet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Ohio Ballet, Wright State University, Miami University, Marygrove College and the University of Idaho. His participation in the Miami Valley Muse Machine's "in school" lecture demonstration series and his host/narration for the Dayton Ballet's annual Young Audience Programs have enlightened and entertained Miami Valley high school and elementary students for many years. He received a citation from State Senator Rhine D. McLin and was named a "Dayton Gem" by the Dayton Daily News for his work in the community as a performer and dance educator.

Stacy Spence

Stacy has over 25 years of teaching and performance experience. Stacy earned her BFA in Dance from Wright State University. She has choreographed over 50 musicals for Town Hall Theater in Centerville. She has also choreographed for Miami University, Beavercreek Community Theater, the Dayton Playhouse and high schools around the Dayton area. Some highlighted shows include Hair, Urinetown, State Fair, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Seussical, Bat Boy, The Rocky Horror Show. Anything Goes, All Shook Up, Willy Wonka, A Chorus Line and Hairspray to name a few.

In July 2019, Stacy was the first ever choreographer to be inducted into the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame.

Julie Swank, Office Manager

Julie lives in Troy and recently retired from the music department of Northmont City Schools. She lives with her husband Bruce and her daughters, who danced at DDC for 17 years each, are out of the nest. Katie is an Sonographer at U of M hospital in Ann Arbor, MI and Lauren is a wedding and event planner in Phoenix, AZ. Julie always wanted to dance, but took piano instead. Finally, in high school, she proved she could dance appearing in productions of My Fair Lady and Anything Goes. She was allowed to take lessons, make it en pointe and was featured in the Chinese dance from the Nutcracker. Currently, Julie enjoys sewing, travel, coffee and chocolate, family, painting, reading and especially playing her horn in various musical groups around Dayton, Troy, Piqua, Greenville and Springfield.

Jennifer Sydor

Jennifer Sydor is described as "dazzling" by The Boston Globe and "remarkable for her intense focus and vivid dramatic skill" by The New York Times, began her dance training at The Dayton Ballet School. She holds an MFA from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BFA from Butler University. In NYC she has enjoyed an extensive career as a freelance performer with choreographers such as Laura Peterson, David Parker, Vanessa Walters, John Carrafa, Andrew Schneider, John Heginbotham, Kim Brandstrup, Jill Sigman, Stefanie Nelson, Nia Love, Janice Lancaster, Sharon Moore, Ben Asriel, Janessa Clark, among others. She has toured internationally as a dancer with the avant-garde performance troupe and electro pop band Fischerspooner, in collaboration with The Wooster Group. She has performed in the Bessie Award winning productions Fraulein Maria, choreographed by Doug Elkins and Third Rail Project’s Then She Fell.

Jennifer is in her seventeenth season as a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera where she has worked with Tony Award winning directors such as Mary Zimmerman, Michael Grandage and Bartlett Sher. She has appeared in The Met Opera's Live in HD broadcasts worldwide, and on PBS's Great Performances in the operas Manon, Don Giovanni, Armida, The Magic Flute,Turandot and La Sonnambula.

Her choreographic work has been commissioned by Dayton Ballet, Dayton Ballet School, Dayton Dance Initiative, as well as shown at Triskelion Arts (NYC), Northern Plains Dance (ND), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Virginia Governor’s School (VA). She has taught as part-time faculty at Rutgers University, The Dayton Ballet School and Virginia Governor’s School. Jennifer is a Pilates mat instructor certified through The Kane School/Kinected Pilates under the instruction of Kelly Kane.

Kirsten Ulrich

Kirsten hails from Dayton, Ohio. After serving as interim Artistic Director in 2022, this is Kirsten’s first year as the Artistic Director for Dayton Dance Conservatory Company. Kirsten has been faculty for Dayton Dance Conservatory (DDC) for over ten years and has been involved with DDCC since its inception. In addition to teaching at DDC, Kirsten is adjunct faculty at Wright State University and Stivers Performing Arts High School. She has also taught for a multitude of studios in the Dayton and Cincinnati area as well as for the University of Dayton. She has held master classes at the American College Dance Association.

Alongside her teaching career, Kirsten has staged works for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, Dayton Dance Conservatory Company and Gem City Ballet to name a few. Her works have been showcased at International Association of Blacks in Dance, Ohio Dance Festival, Regional Dance America Northeast Region Festival and Delaware Dance Festival.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Point Park University in 2006, Kirsten went on to dance for Mutual Dance Theater, formerly known as Mamluft and Company and for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II.

Kirsten lives at home with her husband and two dogs and has truly enjoyed many years she has spent with Dayton Dance Conservatory and Dayton Dance Conservatory Company.

Belle Urben

Belle Urben is originally from Geneva, Illinois-west of Chicago. She began her training at State Street Dance in her home town and Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago. She furthered her training with Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. Belle spent two years in the second company of Milwaukee Ballet, directed by Rolando Yanes, where she was featured in original works by Tania Vergara Pérez and Garrett Glassman. She was also featured in Michael Pink’s Candide, performed in the world premiere of Michael Pink’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as in La Sylphide, set by Dinna Bjorn. Belle danced with Ballet Arkansas for four years. While dancing with Ballet Arkansas she was featured in Ma cong’s Calling and Performed Yellow Girl in Gerald Arpino's Confetti. Belle performed in the world premiere of Michael Fothergill’s Dracula. She also performed the role of Sugar plum in the Nutcracker and Kitri in Don Quixote Act 3 Suite. She danced with Canyon Concert Ballet under Michael Pappalardo for one season before joining Dayton Ballet for the 2023/24 season.

Shari Williams

Shari has a degree in Performing Arts Management and Dance from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in Schrader Youth Ballet Co. in Parkersburg, WV. She has many years of teaching and choreographing experience with a strong concentration in jazz. She most recently has spent six years with Mandalay Sports Entertainment as the VP of Entertainment and previously as the Director of Entertainment for Dayton Dragons Professional Baseball since 2001. Her performance credits include Royal Caribbean Cruises, Kings Island, Europa Park in Germany, movies Bob Roberts and Kingpin as well as shows in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area.

Aryonna Grier

Bio coming soon.

Bethaney Latessa

Bio coming soon.

Rebecca Walker

Bio coming soon.