FACULTY & STAFF
Meet Our Directors
PATRICIA FOSTER-GRADO
Founding Director & Instructor
Learn more about Founding Director & school HERE!
OLIVIA DUFFY
School Director & Instructor
Olivia Duffy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Biology from Marymount Manhattan College. As a native New Yorker, she began her ballet training at The Staten Island Ballet and went on to study at The Rock School, Joffrey Ballet School, Alto Jonio Dance in Italy and with Gelsey Kirkland.
In addition to working with children as both a ballet teacher and academic tutor, Olivia has the joy of performing with various dance companies in the New York City area including Staten Island Ballet, Victoria Ballet Theater, and Yuka Kawazu’s Danse en L’air.
Olivia is absolutely thrilled to be on the Bay Ridge Ballet team!
Meet Our Instructors
Bay Ridge Ballet's world-class, skilled instructors are highly qualified with extensive training and experience. Coming from diverse backgrounds, our faculty gives a well-rounded dance education that inspires students to achieve their maximum performance level and reach their goals.
Click on the links below to learn more about our amazing faculty!
CHRISTY AHN
Distinguished by her energetic and creative approach, Christy Ahn imparts with her students the energy and inspiration to achieve their best potentials. Her dedication to dance and teaching dance has been a powerful tool for her achievements.
Ms. Ahn holds an Master of Arts in dance from York University and is a graduate from Canada's National Ballet School Teacher Training Program, both in Toronto, Canada. She is accredited by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD RTS) and the Imperial Society of Dance (AISTD) in national dance. She has successfully achieved high levels in RAD (Advanced II) which gives her Associate Status (ARAD), Cecchetti (Advanced I) and National Dance. (Advanced II). Ms. Ahn received her early dance training with Vaganova method in Seoul, Korea. Having a knowledge of the various ballet teaching methods(Vaganova, RAD and Cecchetti) enables her to create a solid technique class for her students. She obtained her Pilates Mat-Work Certification from Power Pliates in NYC and continues developing her skills as a teacher. In 2009 she attended the American Ballet Theatre National Teachers Training Curriculum Program and got Certified in Primary through level 3.
Ms. Ahn is highly qualified and well rounded experienced teacher. Specialized in teaching ballet technique, pointe work, variations, repertoire and Conditioning/Pilates/Stretching to both male and female students of all ages and levels. She has been teaching in various dance schools in Korea, Canada, and USA since 1993 and is passionate about her career. She continues to pass on her knowledge, to choreograph for dance competitions and to prepare students for dance exams.
VALERIE E. BALOGA
Valerie E. Baloga is a tap dancer based in Brooklyn, NY. She comes from Pennsylvania where she was a tap dance student and performer under the direction of Nicole Hockenberry.
For more than a decade Valerie has been studying tap dance in New York City and has had the great pleasure of working and performing with tap dancers from around the world, most notably with Germaine Salsberg’s Les Femmes.
In addition being on faculty at BRB, Valerie is an instructor at The School at Mark Morris Dance Center. Other teaching credits include Spoke the Hub in Park Slope and various community outreach residencies in Brooklyn public schools.
GIANNA BIONDO
Gianna Biondo, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY holds a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance from Indiana University’s Jacob’s School of Music. Gianna trained pre-professionally with Horizons Dance Center, Covenant Ballet Theater, Manhattan Youth Ballet and received her High School Diploma from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music, Art, and Performing Arts. Upon graduation, Gianna studied with Boston Conservatory for a semester to further strengthen her Ballet, Contemporary and Modern technique. The following year she transferred to IU Jacob’s school of music where she had the honor of dancing world renown ballets such as George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel and many more.
Post graduation, Gianna moved to Dallas,Texas where she danced four professional seasons with Avant Chamber Ballet and Ballet North Texas. Some of her favorite professional roles include Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen from the Nutcracker, and the Principle role in George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie.
During her four years in Texas, she has also acquired a passion for teaching and choreographing. Gianna has taught at Dallas Ballet Center, Hathaway Academy of Ballet, and Rockwall Dance Academy. Given her versatile upbringing, Gianna teaches many styles including Ballet/Pointe, Contemporary, Jazz and Modern. Gianna loves sharing her passion with her students and is eager to see them shine and grow in both their technique and artistry. Gianna is excited to be joining the Faculty of Bay Ridge Ballet!
AUDREY GAVITT
Audrey Gavitt is a dance artist and educator from Dallas TX where she trained in Ballet, Tap, Modern, and Contemporary styles at Booker T Washington High School for the performing and visual arts and Dallas Ballet Center as well as Ballet Chicago and American Dance Festival.
In December 2023 she received a BA in Dance and Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College, where she trained in Modern, Post-modern, Ballet, and Improvisational techniques. She has performed collaborative work with Barbie Diewald, Balinda Craig-Quijada, and Jungeun Kim and has also served as a dramaturg for several processes.
Audrey has a passion for choreography and presents work around the city that combines dance performance and improvisational comedy with her collaborator Erica Lee Schwartz!
She has served as an instructor at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, and throughout studios in Dallas TX, and is thrilled to be joining Bay Ridge Ballet faculty.
LILIT HOGTANIAN
Lilit Hogtanian, a Los Angeles native, started her training with Yuri Grigoriev. At the age of 15, was featured in Los Angeles Times ‘Face to Watch’ following her performances as Clara for Los Angeles Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
She was a semi-finalist in the Prix de Lausanne and won first place in the contemporary and classical category of the Youth American Grand Prix, Long Beach, Ca. Lilit graduated from Academie Princesse Grace on full scholarship and went on to work as a professional dancer at the Slovak National Theatre, Ballet Memphis, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and State Street Ballet.
She has performed soloist and principal roles in various classical and contemporary productions including Nikiya in La Bayadere, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Nacho Duato’s Coming Together, Square Dance by George Balanchine, and Cupid and Kitri’s Friends in Don Quixote.
Lilit is excited to share her love of dance with BRB students!
.jpg)
LORENA JARAMILLO
Lorena Jaramillo is a Brooklyn based dance and teaching artist. Born in Mexico City, she began her classical ballet studies under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She later moved to the United States to earn her undergraduate degree in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College under the direction of Katie Langan, where she graduated with a gold key in Dance Studies.
She is currently in her third season with dance-theater collective Sydnie L Mosely Dances, Queens-based contemporary dance company Nicole Kadar and Dancers, and is in constant collaboration with Harlem based artist Reza Farkhondeh, dancing in his pieces "Obscure and Back" and "Dancing on Paper". She has performed at the Clark Theater in Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Children's Museum and the Queensboro Dance Festival and performed works by Jenn Freeman, Nancy Lushington, Anthony Ferro and Annie Doss. In addition to Bay Ridge Ballet, Lorena is Teaching Artist with Amanda Selwyn’s Notes in Motion.
Lorena is an advocate for arts accessibility and education which has led her to teach and perform with various activist organizations in the US and Latin America. She sees dance as an embodied practice of joy!
JESSICA LEE
Jessica Lee is a dance artist, educator, facilitator, and arts administrator based in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. She grew up studying ballet at Connecticut Dance School in Fairfield, Connecticut and holds a BA in Dance and Environmental Studies from Middlebury College.
Jessica has been teaching Pre-Ballet for 3-5 year olds since 2009. Over the years she has taught dance and creative movement classes for toddlers, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors, in various schools, arts programs, community centers, and parks.
Her work in NYC has included: Creative Partner and Rehearsal Director with dance-theatre collective Sydnie L. Mosley Dances (SLMDances); Leading Organizer with PURPOSE Productions; Project Manager and Performer with Angela's Pulse | Paloma McGregor; Teaching Artist at BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange (including a teaching partnership with The League School).
Jessica is also the Director of Operations of Sable Arts Projects, Inc. (AKA The Sable Project), an off-grid Artist Residency and performing arts venue in Stockbridge, Vermont.
Her artistic work and teaching practice are grounded in rigorous play, fueled by the joy of movement, and dedicated to inclusive community building.
MAXINE MONTILUS
Maxine Montilus is a native of Brooklyn, New York and a first-generation Haitian-American. Maxine has a B.F.A. in Modern Dance Performance from The University of the Arts, an M.A. in Arts Management from City University London, and an M.A. in Dance Education from Hunter College via the Lincoln Center Scholars program. She has also had the opportunity to study Cuban folkloric dance, music and culture through the annual “Dog Aguas” program founded by Danys “La Mora” Perez from 2010-2012, which took her to Havana, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba; and has studied Haitian folkloric dance with various master teachers, such as Nadia Dieudonné, Adia Whitaker, Peniel Guerrier and Julio Jean. In 2018, she received the Travel and Study Grant from The Jerome Foundation, which allowed her to participate in Vinn Pran Baget, a Haitian folkloric dance and music program directed by Dieufel Lamisere.
Maxine is a 2014 EMERGENYC artist with New York University ’s Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics. As a dancer, Maxine has performed with Ase Dance Theatre Collective, Balasole Dance Company, KaNu Dance Theater and Tamara LaDonna Moving Spirits. Maxine performed with SpeakDance Collective in the Festival of Art and Folklore in Santiago de Cuba in April 2016. She was featured in the theatrical production “La Sirene: Rutas de Azucar” produced by Lukumi Arts in December 2016 at JACK Art Space, and in February 2017 at HERE Arts Center. She also performed in Jean Claude Eugene’s production “Zatrap: HaitiTrauma” at The Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland in October 2017 and Queens Museum Theatre in May 2018.
As a choreographer, Maxine has presented work at the "Being Bushified!" culture and community series hosted by Urban Bush Women, "The Makings of You" (at Dance New Amsterdam) and "Epic Narratives" (at The Actors Fund Arts Center) with Tamara LaDonna Moving Spirits, "Shadow of a Pearl" and "Malgre Tout" with KaNu Dance Theater at Jamaica Performing Arts Center, The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, Harlem School for the Arts with Haiti Cultural Exchange for their annual Selebrasyon Festival, and the inaugural Rex Nettleford Arts Conference in Kingston, Jamaica. Maxine is also a member of Dance Caribbean COLLECTIVE, through which she has presented choreography in their annual New Traditions Showcase from 2015-2017. In 2014, she choreographed BallyBeg Production's third play and Equity-approved showcase, "The Taste Of It", and was a 2015 nominee for Outstanding Choreography/Movement in The New York Innovative Theater Awards for her work in the production. In 2017, Maxine served as the Afro Cuban/Haitian Folklore consultant for choreographer Camille A. Brown in her work for the Tony-Award winning musical “Once On This Island”.
HANNA OLDSMAN
Hanna Oldsman trained in the Vaganova method at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and with Natalya Stavro in New York City. She has performed with several companies in New York, including the Staten Island Ballet, Julia Bengtsson Dance, Victoria Ballet Theater, Mooney Cooley Dance, and Danse En L'air, dancing both contemporary repertory and classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Flames of Paris, and Le Corsaire.
Hanna also holds a BA summa cum laude from Barnard College in English literature and has received the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Teacher Certificate.
Teaching children across the NYC area, Hanna loves to inspire young dancers to move.
LATOYA ROBERSON
LaToya began her ballet training in her hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. LaToya has been a student at many prestigious dance schools including Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Dance Theater of Harlem and The Ailey School, where she received the the Judith Jamison Fellowship. Studying at these schools has given LaToya the privilege of studying under and dancing for dance greats such as Melissa Hayden, Gelsey Kirkland, Arthur Mitchell, Ronald K. Brown and Judith Jamison. Since finishing her training, LaToya has gone on to perform on stage as well as on television. She has been a featured dancer on Live! With Regis and Kelly and the MTV Video Music Awards. She has danced with Contemporary Ballet Theater and Genesis Dance Company. She has also had the opportunity to dance as a guest artist in roles for ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Firebird, Gaite Parisienne, The Nutcracker, Giselle and more.
LaToya has been on staff and guest teacher at numerous dance schools including Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, Theater School of Dance and Santa Clarita Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet Academy and the Dance Teacher Web Live teachers’ conference every year in Las Vegas. She is currently a staff member of D’Valda and Sirico Dance and Music Centre in Fairfield, CT under the direction of Angela D’Valda Sirico and Steve Sirico (founders of Dance Teacher Web) and is the Ballet Department director at Dance Impressions in Union, NJ. She holds a certification in Ballet Teaching and Registered Teaching status with the Royal Academy of Dance (London, England).
EMILY SANCHEZ
Emily J. Sanchez was born and raised in Texas. She received her formal training at the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas. In 2019, Emily was awarded a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA).
Since 2019, Emily has been a resident of New York City and currently lives in the Queens area. In addition to her performance career, she is also a professional art educator, teaching dance and creative movement to students across New York City. Emily performs as a freelance entertainer and holds residencies as an artist with two New York-based dance companies.
Recently, Emily was promoted to the position of Assistant Director for Starbound National Talent Competition. She continues to grow as a dancer and educator, sharing her passion for the art form in an environment that encourages authenticity.
SARAH STAFFORD
Sarah Stafford was Born in Charlotte, NC. Being part of a family of dancers, she began taking ballet classes at the age of three at Charlotte Ballet, and Latin American dance at her family’s dance academy El Alma de la Luna. At the age of 17 she moved to New York City where she began training at The Joffrey Ballet School under the direction of Era Jouravlev.
In 2022 Sarah graduated with her BFA in music, dance, and theatre from New Jersey City University. Sarah began teaching dance at the age of 14 for her family’s academy. She has been a dance teacher in New York City since graduating and is going into her third season as a company dancer with New York Theatre Ballet.
TARA LYNNE STEELE
Tara Lynn Steele or Ms. TL, hailing from Marietta, GA is a passionate mover of all styles. Dance is her chosen language—and she is always eager to share wiggles with the next generation.
A proud graduate of The University of Alabama (double major in Musical Theatre & Dance) - Ms. TL says roll tide! After school she traveled the world on a cruise ship and then moved to the big Apple. She has danced on stages far and wide—across the states and as far as Shanghai, China!
Collaboration and Creativity are driving forces in all that she does, and she is excited to share the joyous art of dance with BRB!
MEGGI SWEENEY SMITH
Meggi Sweeney Smith, from Carrollton, MO, has premiered as a solo artist on a national and international level for companies such as the New York Baroque Dance Company, Cohen/Suzeau, and CorbinDances. In addition to performing with the Sokolow Dance/Theater Ensemble, and Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater, she has also performed works by Wally Cardona, Douglas Dunn, Doris Humphrey, Eleanor King, José Limón, Kate Skarpetowska, Ernestine Stodelle, and more.
Her interest in modern dance and historic work began during her BFA in dance and minor in music, which she received from the University of Kansas with highest honors. She completed her MA in Dance Education from NYU Steinhardt developing her thesis Teaching Artistry Through Historic Modern Forms of Dance: Humphrey, Limón, and Sokolow.
Meggi currently teaches as an adjunct professor at NYU and with the Limón4Kids program in the public schools around NYC. As a guest teacher/performer she has worked at the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA), Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center and the NYC Philharmonic.
Meggi also works as a consultant/choreographer in the field of historic Baroque dance with groups such as NYU Tish, Amazing Grace the musical and Yale Repertory Theater. Her research has been presented at the National Dance Education Organization and as a contributor on Dancetime Publications’ Dance Culture Editorial.
SAM TURNER
Sam Turner began training in music and dance at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts, the Academy of Ballet Florida and Boston Ballet; performing in works by Marie Hale, Gerri Houlihan, Gina Buntz, Jeff Satinoff and Kathryn Posin. After high school, he was accepted into the Ballet program at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington Indiana. There he was coached and mentored by Violette Verdy, Guillaume Graffin, John Clifford, Julie Kent, Jacque Cesbron, Iris Rosa, George Pinney, and performed principal roles within the classical, contemporary and African diaspora repertoire. Graduating with a Bachelors of Science double focusing in Ballet and Fitness: Kinesiology, Sam moved back to the east coast where he has had the pleasure of working with leading choreographers including Mark Morris, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Archibald, and Karen Gayle. Company credits include Chicago Dance Theatre-Chicago IL, Roxey Ballet-Lambertville NJ, American Repertory Ballet-Princeton NJ and Elisa Monte Dance Company-NYC. While with these companies, Sam has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, France and Greece performing in works choreographed by Graham Lustig, Twyla Tharp, Lisa de Ribere, Elisa Monte and Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Stage and industry credits include The Radio City Christmas Spectacular by Linda Haberman, Cirque du Soleil at Radio City by Benoit Lusignan, Iphigénie en Tauride at Lyric Opera of Chicago by Robert Carsen and Philippe Giraudeau, and Orfeo ed Euridice at The Metropolitan Opera by Mark Morris. During this time, Sam was invited to perform original works with xodus dance collective created by artistic director and professor Karen Gayle at the Inside/Out Festival at Jacob’s Pillow, DUMBO Dance Festival, and at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, CA for The International Association of Blacks in Dance Festival.
Sam’s passion for dance paved the way toward dance education at both academy-based and competitive dance institutions; teaching virtually and directly at dance schools including The Joffrey Ballet School-NYC, American Youth Dance Theater-NYC, Joffrey SPECTRUM-NYC, STEPS on Broadway Youth-NYC, The Harlem School of the Arts-NYC DOE, Ballet Tech-NYC DOE, TAG Young Scholars-NYC DOE, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Ballet Theater IUBT, Princeton Ballet School-NJ, Kicks Dance Studio-NJ, Diva Dance-NYC and Art of Dance-NJ.
Sam is an ABT® NTC Fellow & Affiliate Teacher certified in Pre-Primary through Level V of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and has successfully presented students for examination. Under his mentorship, several students have been coached and accepted into prestigious arts institutions such as the Professional Performing Arts School, Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Performing Arts, ABT® Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and various Ivy League Universities nationally and abroad.
KAT WILDISH
Kat Wildish is a New York City master ballet and pointe technique teacher for students of all ages & levels. She currently teaches at Pace University, Peridance Capezio Center, Gibney Dance and Harlem School of The Arts.
She performed with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and numerous international companies including Zurich Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and The Eglevsky Ballet (under artistic director Edward Villella).
Learn more about master teacher Kat Wildish at katwildish.com!
INNA YURENEVA
Inna Yureneva graduated the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. During her time as student in Moscow, Inna performed in numerous productions of the Bolshoi Theater. In the summer of 2002 she immigrated to New York with her family. Since then she performed with many national ballet companies including the Metropolitan Opera.
In 2015 Yureneva received a degree in classical ballet pedagogy from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. In 2018 she completed a certification program in Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg as well as teacher certification from the American Ballet Theater (ABT) National Training Curriculum. In 2019 Inna participated in IDA competition in Florence, Italy as a ballet juror.
Ms.Yureneva has extensive teaching experience, working with students of all ages and skill levels, both in the United States and abroad. From 2012-2021 Inna acted as an Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of annual summer intensive program in Connecticut and Teacher Certification program in New York.