Meet the artists behind Atlantic City Ballet, led by Founder, Artistic Director & Choreographer Phyllis Papa. The company brings together a multicultural ensemble of professional dancers from around the world, recognized for their technical excellence, expressive artistry, and dynamic stage presence.
Founded in 1982 by international ballerina Phyllis Papa, Atlantic City Ballet honors the diversity of world cultures while serving as a vital artistic resource to Atlantic City and the surrounding region. Based at Atlantic City’s Historic Boardwalk Hall, the company has brought its acclaimed performances to theaters throughout the country.
ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP
Phyllis Papa
FOUNDER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
Phyllis Papa, founding director of Atlantic City Ballet, began her ballet training at the Royal Ballet Academy under the direction of her mother, Mary Papa. At the age of thirteen, she became a charter member of the Princeton Regional Ballet Company, where she performed principal roles in The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Nelle Fisher’s Mozart, and Pas de Quatre. Throughout her career, she returned to Princeton for numerous guest performances. Her international career began when she joined the Harkness Youth Ballet in New York City as a member and principal dancer. During Harkness Ballet’s summer season in Central Park, she performed leading roles in Les Patineurs and Donald Saddler’s Tennis, Anyone? After joining American Ballet Theatre, she was invited back by Harkness Ballet to perform at the White House for President Lyndon B. Johnson at an official dinner honoring the Shah of Iran. For the occasion, Donald Saddler choreographed a ballet especially for her. Miss Papa was also invited to perform as a guest artist with the Myra Kinch Modern Dance Company and the André Eglevsky Ballet Company. As a member of American Ballet Theatre, Miss Papa toured extensively with the company. Among her favorite solo roles were those in Pillar of Fire, Giselle, Coppélia, Billy the Kid, and Swan Lake. She was later invited to audition for the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, becoming the first American accepted into the company and the only foreign dancer ever offered a lifelong contract. She became particularly renowned for her portrayal of the Bride in Flemming Flindt’s The Triumph of Death. Among her admirers was the late King Frederik IX of Denmark. Returning to the United States, Miss Papa continued her career as a principal ballerina with Stars of American Ballet in New York City, performing in Pas de Dix, Solstice, and Flower Festival in Genzano, among many other works. Her partners included Fernando Bujones, Peter Martins, Russell Chambers, and Lawrence Rhodes. In June 1998, she received the Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor for her work with Children of the World. The honor was presented to her in Philadelphia by diplomats representing Brazil, England, Italy, China, Japan, and the United States. Miss Papa has been acclaimed as “one of the finest dancers and teachers on the American scene today.” In 1982, Miss Papa founded the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre, which later became Atlantic City Ballet. She continues to serve as the company’s Artistic Director and has choreographed more than fifty ballets, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Visions from Around the World, and Visions II. She is particularly known for her production of The Nutcracker, which Atlantic City Ballet has presented to sold-out audiences for more than four decades, and for her original ballet Dracula, hailed by critics as “sumptuous, exciting, [and] impressive.” Her other celebrated original works include Carmen and Romeo and Juliet. Miss Papa has received two fellowship grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for her ballets Concerto Vivaldi and Clear Water, both of which remain in the company’s repertoire. She has also directed and choreographed three Shakespeare productions—A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and Hamlet—as multicultural, multimedia productions incorporating original music, live musicians, voice, and dance. In 1999, Miss Papa founded the ACBT Performing Arts Academy, the official school of Atlantic City Ballet. The Academy serves as a home for the professional company and encompasses the International Performing Arts Camp and the ACBT Academic Program. Today, Atlantic City Ballet continues to bring professional ballet and innovative programming to audiences throughout Southern New Jersey and beyond. Under Miss Papa’s direction, the company has performed extensively throughout New Jersey and toured to the West Coast, Georgia, upstate New York, New York City, and Long Island.
MEET THE DANCERS
ITALY
Tiziano Villani
Tiziano was born in Italy and studied at ASD Scuola di Danza Nijinsky and Scuola del Balletto di Toscana. He has performed for the English National Ballet, Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Accademia danza di Berlino and Ecole Superieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower.
ITALY
Federica Sestili
Federica started studying in Roseto Degli Abruzzi, Italy, with Dorina Di Marco at Isadora Duncan. She graduated from the National Academy of Dance in Rome and came to the US as a trainee at the Princeton Ballet School. She has appeared as Clara, Flowers, and Snow in Nutcracker. She also appeared in Don Quixote before coming to AC Ballet in 2016.
USA
Caitlin Mc Elroy
Caitlin received her early training at Lowe Dance Studio and moved to Boca Raton, Florida to train at The Harid Conservatory at the age of 16. Caitlyn spent two years in the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, having the opportunity to perform in the North American premiere of Derek Deane's Alice in Wonderland.
ITALY
Claudio Cirsone
Claudio is from Cerignola, Italy and received his early training in Bari, Puglia, at Unika, and then at the Scuola del Teatro dall’Opera in Rome. He was accepted as a trainee with the Ajkun Ballet in NY and later performed with the America Repertory Ballet in Princeton, where he appeared as the Nephew/Prince in “Nutcracker,” and Espada in “Don Quixote.”
ITALY
Jari Pignataro
Jari Pignataro studied classical dance at the Opera Theater of Rome and the National Dance Academy. In 2014 he was chosen by the Director of the Tanz Akademie in Zurich, Oliver Matz, for an internship. He has appeared in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker with Carla Fracci, Carmen with Andrea Bocelli, Don Chisciotte and Pulcinella.
USA
Promise Smith
Promise Smith did her training at The Rock School for Dance Education, American Ballet Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, and Chautauqua. She received multiple awards at the Youth America Grand Prix and was a top 20 finalist at YAGP New York.
ROMANIA
Ionut Zaharia
Ionut graduated from the Ballet Height School in Bucharest, Romania. He danced with the National Theatre from Bucharest and Oleg Danovski Theatre.
USA
Andrea Vanderwielen
Andrea began her training at age five under Phyllis Papa at the ACBT Performing Arts Academy. At 15, she joined the Atlantic City Ballet as a trainee, performing alongside the company, and later attended The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. At 17, she became an apprentice with the Atlantic City Ballet.
USA
River Jones
River Jones lives in South Jersey and has studied ballet with Phyllis Papa since the age of 8. He was awarded scholarships and attended intensives at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Rock School in Philadelphia. He has danced as a guest artist with the Atlantic City Ballet since 2023 in several productions including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Carmen, and Dracula.
JAPAN
Kodai Kimura
Kodai Kimura was born in Niigata, Japan, and began his ballet training at Nagao Ballet Studio. From 2024 to 2026, he studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School on a scholarship, where his performances included the role of the Nephew in The Nutcracker.
MEXICO
Amaury Castro
Amaury began his pre-professional training at the Doris Topete Dance Academy in Guadalajara, Mexico, before receiving a scholarship in 2022 to continue his studies at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, where he performed with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group for a year. In 2026, he completed Joffrey's professional trainee program and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from NJCU. His performance credits include starring in the musical Billy Elliot in Mexico, appearing with the Ballet de Jalisco in The Nutcracker, and performing in various galas as a guest artist. Beyond ballet, Amaury is also trained in gymnastics, tap, hip hop, jazz, and contemporary dance.
CHILE
Benjamin Soto
Benjamín began his ballet training at age eight at María Elena Scheuch’s ballet school. At age eleven, he received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Ballet School of the Municipal Theater of Santiago, where he completed his professional training and graduated.
In 2021, he received a scholarship to continue his studies at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, from which he graduated in 2025. After graduation, he joined the Grand Kyiv Ballet, with which he toured throughout the western United States.
MEET THE APPRENTICE DANCERS
USA
Sami Sinopoli
Sami began dancing at age three and began training under Phyllis Papa at eight. She competed throughout New Jersey from ages 8–18, earning numerous titles and awards in lyrical, tap, musical theater, and jazz. She has also trained at renowned intensives across the country, including the Joffrey Ballet School.
JAPAN
Mai Motooka
Mai began training at Coco Okamura Hiromi Ballet School in Osaka, Japan. She attended the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in NYC and was a Top 10 finalist at the Seoul Intl. Dance Competition. She has performed as the Spanish, Arabian, and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker with Toronto Intl. Ballet Theatre in Canada.
JAPAN
Atsuha Tanikawa
Atsuha performed with Balletto di Siena during its 2019 Japan tour before being accepted into the Novosibirsk State Choreographic School in Russia. She earned recognition in several competitions, a Top 12 placement at the World Ballet Art Competition. In 2024, she joined the ACB’s International Trainee Program (ITAP) and later became an apprentice.
AUSTRALIA
Ellody Peters
Ellody began her training at Tanya Pearson Academy. At 15, she became a ballet trainee at Joffrey Ballet School in New York before continuing her training at Princeton Ballet School, graduating in 2024. She has performed in The Nutcracker and Ethan Stiefel’s Classic Beauty with American Repertory Ballet.
JAPAN
Yuzuka Ogata
Yuzuka began dancing at 3 years old at Hitomi Takeuchi School of Ballet in Fukushima,Japan. She studied at The Rock school for dance education with scholarship under direction Mr.Spassoff for two years and danced many soloist roles such as Sugar plum, Dew drop in The Nutcracker, some productions by Justine Allen.Yuzuka received multiple awards, including top12 at YAGP Philadelphia2020, 6th place all Japan ballet competition, 6th place at Japan Grand Prix,1st place at Tokoku Ballet competition, 4th place at NBA Ballet competition.
BRAZIL
Isabela Huyer
Isabela trained at Ballet Vera Bublitz before joining the Joffrey Ballet School trainee program. She has competed in YAGP, VKIBC, and MAB NYC finals and trained at intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Opus Ballet, and Paris Marais Dance School. She has performed The Nutcracker with Connecticut Ballet and Swan Lake with Grand Kyiv Ballet.
AUSTRALIA
Natalie Hudono
Natalie Hudono began her training at the Russian Choreographic Academy, studying the Vaganova Ballet Method and graduating Level 8 with Honors. She was selected to perform at the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Top Class Dance and Top Acts in 2022, showcasing her solo work among Victoria’s highest-scoring dance students. She continued her training in Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program, where her performance highlights include the company’s production of The Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy variation at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Highmark Holiday Pops, George Balanchine’s Serenade, and the soloist role of Mazurka in Les Sylphides, staged by Marianna Tcherkassky.
ECUDAOR
Ana Yepez
Ana Paula began dancing at the age of three at EDAY in Ecuador, training in classical ballet, lyrical, and jazz while competing and earning multiple awards and scholarships. After graduating, she joined FORCAK Ballet Clinic’s trainee program, where she performed in The Nutcracker as Snow Queen, Spanish, and in Waltz of the Flowers. She also participated in intensive training programs with Flavio Salazar and Vladimir Issaev. She later joined Guayas Ballet Company (2024–2025), performing in productions such as Pasillos y Poemas and Metanoia.
SOUTH KOREA
Siyoung Ryo
Siyoung Ryu began her professional training in South Korea, performing with prestigious companies including K-ARTS, KBA Youth Ballet, Seoul Ballet Theatre, Seoul City Ballet, and Gangnam Ballet, and appearing in the YAGP New York and Tanzolymp Berlin Galas. In 2023, she moved to the U.S. to join the Joffrey Ballet School New York Trainee Program, performing in Cinderella (presented by Misty Copeland), as well as The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Catskill Mountain Foundation. Her competition accolades include 1st Place at WBAC and Tanzolymp Asia, Silver Prize at VIBE, and finalist honors at MAB, VKIBC, and the YAGP Finals (Top 12) in New York City.
MEET THE TRAINEE DANCERS
USA
Savannah Norwood
Savannah is from Southeastern Wisconsin where she received her early training at Lake Shore Dance beginning at age 3, and she attended summer intensives with Joffrey Ballet New York, Fort Wayne Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. She then joined the Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory program with the University of Saint Francis and performed alongside the company during her time there. To begin her professional career, she then joined the Montgomery Ballet in 2023, performing many featured roles such as Arabian and Spanish in the Nutcracker, Anna Pavlova’s Dragonfly, Goddess of the Moon (Diana) in Awakening of Flora, and Paquita Pas de Trois.
USA
Sophia Neal
Sophia Neal lives in South Jersey and discovered her love of ballet at age two under the instruction of Miss Marilyn (McElroy), a former ballerina for Phyllis Papa. At age six, Sophia made her stage debut as a mouse in Phyllis Papa’s The Nutcracker, and she officially began training under Papa at age eight. Over the years, she has grown through the ranks of The Nutcracker cast, performing a wide variety of roles, including Clara. In addition to The Nutcracker, she has performed with the Atlantic City Ballet in numerous productions, including Cinderella, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, and Dracula.
AUDITIONS
Thank you for your interest in the Atlantic City Ballet. We are currently accepting video auditions in January 2027 for the 2027-2028 Performance Schedule.
Email the following materials to ballerina@acballet.org:
Resume or CV
Please include:
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Performance experience
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Ballet training
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Current ballet company or studio
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Height and citizenship
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Complete contact information
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Headshot
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2–3 recent dance photos
Audition Video
Please submit one video, no longer than 15 minutes, uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. Include the dancer’s name in the video title. The video should include:
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Barre: Tendus, Adagio, Grand Battements
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Center: Adagio, Pirouettes, and Grand Allegro
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Ladies: Pointe work and Fouettés
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Men: Tours and À la Seconde Turns
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Partnering: If possible
