Anastasia Babayeva is a graduate of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. She has danced professionally with the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, Chicago Ballet, Richmond Ballet, International Ballet Classique in PA. Mrs. Babayeva has performed principal roles in great classical ballets, such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty; as well as Balanchine ballets and contemporary works of world-renowned choreographers such as K. Peterson, J. Butler, M. Burn, V. Nebrada, C. Connor and many others. Ms. Babayeva also performed as a guest artist in many galas and productions throughout the USA. In 2001 she co-founded the Academy of International Ballet and Performing Arts, and in 2003 the International Ballet Classique. Under her direction, IBC has presented acclaimed performances of major full-length ballets such as Coppelia, Nutcracker, Giselle, Walpurgis Night, Swan Lake Act II, Paquita and numerous mixed repertory performances. Mrs. Babayeva received the Outstanding Teacher Award from American Ballet Competition, UBC, WBAC and YAGP in 2005, 2007, 2014, 2017, and 2020, respectively. Her students have qualified and won medals in prestigious international ballet competitions and have gone on to dance in professional companies. In 2006 Ms. Babayeva joined the dance faculty at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she served as “Master Lecturer” for 10 years. Ms. Babayeva creates professional ballet costumes, including tunics, tutus, and tiaras. Her one-of-a-kind costumes are worn by numerous dancers at competitions and ballet productions. Mrs. Babayeva was featured in Dancer magazine 2005. In 2015 Mrs. Babayeva was honored by Pennsylvania State Representative Jamie Santora with an official citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for "sharing the art of classical ballet,” "outstanding leadership, vision, and talent," and “exemplary record of cultural contribution within her community”.

Zachary Kapeluck hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his early training at Southwest Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. He trained at The Juilliard School and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Summer Intensives, and in the summer of 2011, he worked as a guest artist with Mary Miller Dance in Pittsburgh in a project titled Confluence. He graduated with a BFA in Dance from Point Park University in 2013 and subsequently joined BalletX in Philadelphia that summer. He spent 9 years there, partaking in over 60 world premiere creations by choreographers including Matthew Neenan, Cayetano Soto, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Nicolo Fonte, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and many more. Zachary left BalletX in 2022 to pursue a new chapter in choreography and teaching. Since then, he has had the pleasure to create works for companies including First State Ballet Theatre, Flight Path Dance Project, Hudson Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Dance Theater, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and others. In 2024, he was awarded Outstanding Choreographer at YAGP - San Francisco. That same year, he co-produced with two peers the inaugural performances of Sonder Space, a new performing arts project in Philadelphia. He has also spent time restaging works for fellow choreographers as well as assisting in new creation processes.

Jody started her serious ballet training at age 14 at North Carolina School of the Arts and continued at the American Ballet Theatre School in New York City on a full scholarship. As a principal dancer with the Kansas City Ballet for 16 years, Jody had the honor of performing principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Alvin Ailey, Agnes DeMille, Todd Bolender, Ann Reinking and many other noted choreographers. Most notably, she was hand picked by Alvin Ailey to perform as a guest artist with his company and to recreate his ballet FLOWERS to much critical acclaim. Jody has been on the faculty with The Kansas City Ballet School, Berks Ballet Theatre (Ballet Mistress), Delaware Dance Company and The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan (Director of Dance). Jody toured with several musical theater productions (OLIVER, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, WILL ROGERS FOLLIES) and was the Associate Choreographer for Starlight Theatre in Kansas City and served as the Artistic Directed for the Candlelight Theatre in Delaware. At The Rock School she choreographed WEST SIDE STORY SUITE that was performed at the Mann Center with The Curtis Institute, and CATTO AT BAT and FLIGHT for the Philadelphia Freedom Festival. Jody has been on the faculty since 2004 and a Ballet Master since 2015.

Bio coming soon.

Denis Gronostayskiy is a graduate of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. He danced professionally with the Moscow Renaissance Ballet in Russia, Philadelphia Ballet Theatre, PA, Richmond Ballet, VA, International Ballet Classique, PA. He has performed leading roles in great classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and others as well as Balanchine ballets and contemporary works of world renowned choreographers as K. Peterson, J. Butler, M. Burn, V. Nebrada, C. Connor and many others. Mr. Gronostayskiy also performed as a guest artist in galas and productions throughout USA. In 2001 he co-founded the Academy of International Ballet and Performing Arts and in 2003 International Ballet Classique. Under his direction, IBC has presented acclaimed performances of major full-length ballets including Coppelia, Nutcracker, Giselle, Walpurgis Night, Swan Lake Act II, Paquita and numerous mixed repertory performances. His students have qualified and won medals in prestigious ballet competitions throughout USA. In 2006 Mr. Gronostayskiy joined faculty of Neumann College, Aston, PA. Mr. Gronostayskiy also a part time photographer. His works being publish in magazines and news papers. So if you need a photographer look no further.

Alejandra Ramirez-Ortiz started her formal ballet training at the age of eight in Durango, Mexico, under the supervision of Raúl Santillán, former dancer of the Mexican National Ballet. From 1986 to 1991, she periodically received training from the National School of Dance in Mexico City. In 1991, Alejandra moved to Monterrey, Mexico and started a major in engineering while continuing her ballet training at the Performing Arts School of Nuevo Leon University. In 1994, she joined the Classic Dance Ensemble of Nuevo Leon University, led by professor Fernando Alonso, co-founder of the National Ballet of Cuba. Noticing her passion for ballet, Fernando Alonso and his team gave Alejandra principal roles in the performances of the ensemble and selected her as the school representative in the Alicia Alonso's International Competition in La Havana, Cuba in 1997, where Alejandra made it to the final round. Alejandra moved to France the same year, where she attended Rosella Hightower’s school of dance in Cannes. In 2003, she moved to the US and has since trained and collaborated with: Andrei Ustinov and Elena Martinson, former star dancers of the Kirov ballet; with Donna Muzio, artistic director and founder of the Brandywine Ballet and the Dance Center in West Chester, PA; at International Ballet Theater Academy in Frazer, PA; and at Dance Elite in Horsham, PA. Alejandra enjoys sharing her love for ballet with students of all ages. Over the past seven years, she has received intensive training in different teaching modalities for children with Autism, which she has applied in working with her own autistic daughter.

Emily Gilligan lives in Media, Pennsylvania, and has studied dance for over 17 years. Her professional training includes jazz, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, and tap. In addition to working toward her early-grades education degree, Emily is pursuing a dance minor at West Chester University, with formal studies in choreography and composition techniques, dance pedagogy and teaching techniques, improvisation, modern and jazz dance. As a dancer, Emily attended some of the most prestigious conventions, including NYCDA and ASH, earning numerous scholarships and awards. Her performances as a soloist and in group numbers at top dance competitions earned her several national titles and honors, including Starpower Talent’s Dancer of the Year. Emily is currently the captain of the West Chester University Dance Team (WCUDT), where she coaches and performs at an elite collegiate level. She achieved a Universal Dance Association (UDA) Hip-Hop National Championship with WCUDT in 2022. She is also a dancer and choreographer for the West Chester University Dance Company, where she regularly performs in several dance genres, including jazz, lyrical, and contemporary. Emily works as a professional dance teacher and choreographer for studios, professional training programs, and dance teams throughout the region. She also works for the Star Dance Alliance Power Pak Dance Intensive.

Mayara Pineiro graduated from the prestigious Cuban National Ballet School under the direction of Ramona de Sáa. She has participated in international dance festivals across the globe, including South Africa, Peru, and Canada. At age 16, Mayara won a silver medal in the International Ballet Competition held in Havana, Cuba. That same year, she received a gold medal in the Danza & Mare Competition in Calabria, Italy and a second gold medal in 2011 at the Youth American Grand Prix in Tampa, Florida. She was featured in Dance Magazine in 2015 and graced the cover of Pointe Magazine in 2016. Mayara’s courageous journey from Cuba to the U.S. was featured in the 2014 documentary Secundaria by filmmaker Mary Jane Doherty. She was a dance model in Gap’s Fit Fall 2016 Campaign. Mayara began her professional career as a soloist with the National Opera of Bucharest, where she danced a variety of featured roles. In 2012, she was invited to be a guest artist with Balletto del Sud in Italy under the direction of Fredy Franzutti and toured throughout Italy. In 2012 to 2014 she danced with the Milwaukee Ballet. Mayara joined Philadelphia Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in our 2014/2015 Season. She was promoted to soloist in 2015 and quickly became a principal dancer in 2016. Mayara’s repertoire with the company includes roles in Angel Corella’s Le Corsaire (Medora and Gulnara), in The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), Giselle (Giselle), La Bayadère, (Nikiya and Gamzatti) and Don Quixote (Kitri). Her performances include Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella (Cinderella), and Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet (Juliet). She has the distinguished honor to have danced Odile/Odette in both Christopher Wheeldon’s and Angel Corella’s’ Swan Lake. Mayara has also danced in featured roles in Matthew Neenan’s Shift to Minor and Jerome Robbins’ The Concert. Included in her vast repertoire are principal roles in many ballets by George Balanchine including, The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum and Dew Drop), Western Symphony, Allegro Brillante, Square Dance, Tarantella, Serenade, Apollo, Rubies and Emeralds in Jewels, The Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Stravinsky Violin Concerto. She has been featured in prestigious ballet such as Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, David Dawson’s The Third Light and Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort.

Barry Kerollis is an award-winning choreographer, dance educator, and media personality based out of New York City. He enjoyed a 13 year performing career dancing leading roles with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, and as a Principal Guest Artist for companies around the country. His current work includes acting as Artistic Director of Movement Headquarters Ballet Company, teaching on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, writing for Dance Media publications, and hosting the Pas de Chát: Talking Dance podcast on the Premier Dance Network. Choreographic accomplishments include the National Choreographers Initiative, selection as a finalist for the McCallum Theatre Choreography Festival, and an Outstanding Choreographer award from Youth America Grand Prix.

Danielle Bower is currently Dance Faculty at Grier School. Danielle graduated from Koresh School of Dance and is currently based in Birmingham, United States. Danielle was formerly a part of Millennium Dance Complex and Synthesis Dance Project. She has been a Choreographer, teacher, at The Rock School for Dance - West since 2001.