Meet the Faculty
JULIA MITCHELL (Guest Artist, Ballet) started in the second company of Nashville Ballet in 2011 and quickly became a company dancer. During her time with the company she performed as Dew Drop fairy, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum in Paul Vasterling's Nashville's Nutcracker, Lucy in Vasterling's Dracula, a principal role in Christopher Wheeldon's Ghosts, and many other productions, and started teaching at Nashville ballet in 2016. Ms. Mitchell started her training at Boston Ballet at age 7, and became a trainee with the company. She spent time working with Kathleen Mitchell, Margret Tracey, Franco Devita, Celia Marino, Helen Pickett and Jorma Elo. Above all Julia believes ballet should be fun and accessible to everyone.
TONY MONTALVO (Guest Artist, Ballet) Born and raised in Chicago, USA, Tony began dancing professionally at 10 years old. In 2003 he performed and toured with the Joffrey Ballet as a part of the world premiere of “I/DNA” the final creation by Gerald Arpino, founder and artistic director of The Joffrey. After this tour, Tony danced in multiple performances with the Chicago Opera Theatre including “Nixon in China”, "A Death in Venice" and “La Resurrezione”. While working with these companies, he continued his ballet training at Faubourg School of Ballet under the direction of Watmora Casey as well as Salt Creek Ballet under the direction of Sasha Kozadayev. After winning awards at numerous dance competitions across the United States, Tony continued his education at Interlochen Arts Academy. There he performed lead roles in ballets including “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Les Patineures,” and “Gaite Parisienne.” After graduating in 2011, Tony moved to Nashville, Tennessee and danced with the Nashville Ballet for three years. In 2014 he left the ballet company to be a founding member of the contemporary company New Dialect under the direction of Banning Bouldin. While at New Dialect, Tony worked with international choreographers including: Idan Sharabi, Alex Ketley, Brian Arias, and Peter Chu. In the fall of 2017, Tony traveled to China to dance and choreograph with his sister Elisa Montalvo. In Shanghai they collaborated to create the "We Are The Night" choreography for Bacardi's Halloween events. This took Tony to Beijing to set and perform the choreography. The brother sister duo continued their collaboration and performed in the inaugural showcase for the opening of the first Millennium Dance Complex in China. While in Shanghai Tony became a collaborator and dancer with the collective SLATE where they created film and gallery performances. Tony was also invited to Lanzhou as a master teacher to share his passion for contemporary dance at the 2017 Pioneer Dance Camp. Upon returning to the states in the winter of 2018, Tony premiered as a soloist dancer with the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of “Cendrillon”. Tony then traveled to Washington, D.C. to have his Kennedy Center premiere with the Washington National Opera and their production of “Eugene Onegin” and most recently "Samson and Delilah".
AARON ALLEN, JR. (Contemporary, House) is a Contemporary Dance artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee whose research and choreographic practices are driven by African Diasporic forms and personal experiences centered around identity and safety. Aaron holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Dance Performance from Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Colorado Boulder. Creating safe spaces for movers to be themselves has been a constant guide in his technique classes and choreographic works. Aaron has performed in numerous cities, Shanghai, China, Chicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Oberlin, Ohio, and Tallahassee, Florida. Most recently Aaron performed at Super Bowl 55 with the artist the weeknd in Tampa, Florida. Aaron is currently a full-time professor of Dance at Middle Tennessee State University.
KARI GREGG (Progressing Ballet Technique) has studied dance her entire life and the art of moving is something she constantly craves. She began her passion of dance at the age of 4 at a studio in central Indiana. Soon, she was accepted at an early age into Butler University’s early admittance program in Indianapolis to focus more on her classical ballet training. Kari continued with Butler University and received her Bachelor of Science in dance and arts administration. She also spent a summer studying with four distinguished teachers at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kari launched her professional dance career both domestically and abroad. For the past 15 years, she has performed in cities all across the United States including 10 years with the Radio City Rockettes. Kari recognized early on the benefits of practicing Pilates as a way of cross training for her professional dance career and took it with her throughout her travels. She was immediately drawn to the disciplined traditional method of Pilates, and thus became certified by the New York Pilates Studio® Teacher Certification Program. Her continuing education includes but is not limited to an additional certificate through the Pilates Youth Organization, ABT National Training Curriculum Certified Teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 3 and Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology for Dance Education through Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York City.
THEA JONES (Dunham) is a native of Nashville TN. She is a professionally trained concert dancer, educator and international cultural curator. She earned a BFA in Dance from Howard University in 2005 and while there, she was granted opportunities to study with acclaimed professional dance artists such as Hope Boykin who is currently a seasoned member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Louis Johnson, choreographer of the Wiz, and Debbie Blunden-Diggs, artistic director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Kevin Iega Jeff, Artistic Director of Deep Rooted in Chicago. She enjoyed a successful contemporary dance career in New York City from 2005- 2014 dancing with Rod Rodgers Dance Company where she was recognized by the New York Times, Mirashayama Traditional Lindy Hop/ Aerial Swing Company, Def Dance Jam Workshop with whom she had the privilege of working with a Master Whirling Dervish of Turkey and performing a tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron, Kayoko Sakoh Dance Company in Kagashima, Japan, and Nommo Contemporary Dance Company in partnership with the American Dance Guild’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. In 2019, she established Skylark Creative Alliance, a collaborative artist association with the goal of creating an international alliance of creatives who inspire, connect, empower and influence positive community change through meaningful multi- disciplinary collaborations. She initiated, executed and completed her first international project titled: Intimate. See: An Interdisciplinary Women’s Project. This 4- part women’s empowerment program utilizes concert dance and multi- disciplinary collaborations to effect positive social change. Intimate.See’s first project location was Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Most recently, she has had the privilege of performing with the Shades of Black Theatre Festival, Sankofa Drum and Dance Company, Windship Boyd's Papalagui Exposed at Oz Arts Nashville, an orchestral rendition of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha with Emmy Award Nominee Dave Ragland, Shackled Feet, Inversion Vocal Ensemble and the Diaspora Orchestra at the Nashville Opera, and the World Premiere of Dave Ragland and Shabaz Ujima’s Steal Away. Currently, she is working with TN Playwrights Studio preparing for their upcoming June 2022 production of THAT WOMAN.
MAGGIE PELTON (Modern/Contemporary) grew up in the New Jersey Ballet Company. Her studies expanded to other disciplines while attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Martha Graham and Jose Limon schools in New York City. After receiving her BFA in dance from the Juilliard School and a scholarship from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, she was asked to join Ailey II which performed across the United States and the Caribbean. Ms. Pelton had the great honor of being the last female chosen by Alvin Ailey himself to join his first company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater which tours internationally. While living in southern California and now Nashville, Maggie has danced in television commercials, music videos and has gone on to teach, choreograph, and act as a consultant for dance and fitness in various projects. Currently she is an adjunct professor at Belmont University, David Lipscomb University and is a founding faculty member of Cookeville Leisure Services School of Dance. She continues to serve as a guest artist choreographing, teaching master classes and dance workshops. Maggie is certified in many group fitness disciplines and is kept very busy with her three children Jonah, Levi, and Mikyah.
PHYLICIA ROYBAL, (Gyrokinesis®) a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, began her passion for movement at age 10. She went on to receive a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts at the University of Arizona in 2011. Upon graduating, Phylicia also received the Gurtrude Shurr Memorial Award in Modern dance. In her professional career she has had the privilege of working with, New Dialect Dance company (Nashville), under the direction of Banning Bouldin, Ronn Stewart and Cocodāco Dance Project (Chicago), Kibbutz contemporary dance company (Israel), Catherine Cabeen - Hyphen (Seattle) and Moving People Dance (Santa Fe). Throughout her dance career she has had the opportunity to also work with artists such as Roy Assaf, Rami Be’er, Donald Mckayle, Robert Moses, Gail Gilbert, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Bobby Mc Ferrin. Phylicia has taught at renowned programs such as The Nashville Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet Academy Chicago, The Youth American Grand Prix, Northwestern University, The Hispanic Family Foundation Baila program, Foster Dance Studios, Ensworth High School, Stage Right Performing arts, American Academy of Dance and Metro parks dance division. While residing in Nashville, she performed a solo work at the Animata Arts Festival in 2019 and more recently her second solo work as part of Pollen’s artist platform in 2020. She currently teaches Gyrokinesis®️ in the Nashville area and enjoys connecting to people through movement. She continues to find inspiration through experimental and somatic based movement and improvisation.
TANTSOVA GRUPA (Folk Dance) (Bulgarian for "dance group") is a Nashville-based musical ensemble created in 2009 to accompany the Nashville International Folk Dancers (www.nifddance.com). The band's repertoire includes village dances from Armenia, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Current musicians are Mary Lou Durham, fiddle;Tim Murphy, fiddle, guitar, accordion; Amberly Rosen, fiddle and dance teaching; Alexa Voytek, fiddle and hurdy-gurdy; Janet Epstein, recorders and dance teaching; Michael Lewandowski, mandolin; Laura Bouffard, clarinet; Holly Tashian, upright bass; and William Wiggins, percussion.
TONY MONTALVO (Guest Artist, Ballet) Born and raised in Chicago, USA, Tony began dancing professionally at 10 years old. In 2003 he performed and toured with the Joffrey Ballet as a part of the world premiere of “I/DNA” the final creation by Gerald Arpino, founder and artistic director of The Joffrey. After this tour, Tony danced in multiple performances with the Chicago Opera Theatre including “Nixon in China”, "A Death in Venice" and “La Resurrezione”. While working with these companies, he continued his ballet training at Faubourg School of Ballet under the direction of Watmora Casey as well as Salt Creek Ballet under the direction of Sasha Kozadayev. After winning awards at numerous dance competitions across the United States, Tony continued his education at Interlochen Arts Academy. There he performed lead roles in ballets including “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Les Patineures,” and “Gaite Parisienne.” After graduating in 2011, Tony moved to Nashville, Tennessee and danced with the Nashville Ballet for three years. In 2014 he left the ballet company to be a founding member of the contemporary company New Dialect under the direction of Banning Bouldin. While at New Dialect, Tony worked with international choreographers including: Idan Sharabi, Alex Ketley, Brian Arias, and Peter Chu. In the fall of 2017, Tony traveled to China to dance and choreograph with his sister Elisa Montalvo. In Shanghai they collaborated to create the "We Are The Night" choreography for Bacardi's Halloween events. This took Tony to Beijing to set and perform the choreography. The brother sister duo continued their collaboration and performed in the inaugural showcase for the opening of the first Millennium Dance Complex in China. While in Shanghai Tony became a collaborator and dancer with the collective SLATE where they created film and gallery performances. Tony was also invited to Lanzhou as a master teacher to share his passion for contemporary dance at the 2017 Pioneer Dance Camp. Upon returning to the states in the winter of 2018, Tony premiered as a soloist dancer with the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of “Cendrillon”. Tony then traveled to Washington, D.C. to have his Kennedy Center premiere with the Washington National Opera and their production of “Eugene Onegin” and most recently "Samson and Delilah".
AARON ALLEN, JR. (Contemporary, House) is a Contemporary Dance artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee whose research and choreographic practices are driven by African Diasporic forms and personal experiences centered around identity and safety. Aaron holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Dance Performance from Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Colorado Boulder. Creating safe spaces for movers to be themselves has been a constant guide in his technique classes and choreographic works. Aaron has performed in numerous cities, Shanghai, China, Chicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Oberlin, Ohio, and Tallahassee, Florida. Most recently Aaron performed at Super Bowl 55 with the artist the weeknd in Tampa, Florida. Aaron is currently a full-time professor of Dance at Middle Tennessee State University.
KARI GREGG (Progressing Ballet Technique) has studied dance her entire life and the art of moving is something she constantly craves. She began her passion of dance at the age of 4 at a studio in central Indiana. Soon, she was accepted at an early age into Butler University’s early admittance program in Indianapolis to focus more on her classical ballet training. Kari continued with Butler University and received her Bachelor of Science in dance and arts administration. She also spent a summer studying with four distinguished teachers at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kari launched her professional dance career both domestically and abroad. For the past 15 years, she has performed in cities all across the United States including 10 years with the Radio City Rockettes. Kari recognized early on the benefits of practicing Pilates as a way of cross training for her professional dance career and took it with her throughout her travels. She was immediately drawn to the disciplined traditional method of Pilates, and thus became certified by the New York Pilates Studio® Teacher Certification Program. Her continuing education includes but is not limited to an additional certificate through the Pilates Youth Organization, ABT National Training Curriculum Certified Teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 3 and Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology for Dance Education through Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York City.
THEA JONES (Dunham) is a native of Nashville TN. She is a professionally trained concert dancer, educator and international cultural curator. She earned a BFA in Dance from Howard University in 2005 and while there, she was granted opportunities to study with acclaimed professional dance artists such as Hope Boykin who is currently a seasoned member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Louis Johnson, choreographer of the Wiz, and Debbie Blunden-Diggs, artistic director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Kevin Iega Jeff, Artistic Director of Deep Rooted in Chicago. She enjoyed a successful contemporary dance career in New York City from 2005- 2014 dancing with Rod Rodgers Dance Company where she was recognized by the New York Times, Mirashayama Traditional Lindy Hop/ Aerial Swing Company, Def Dance Jam Workshop with whom she had the privilege of working with a Master Whirling Dervish of Turkey and performing a tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron, Kayoko Sakoh Dance Company in Kagashima, Japan, and Nommo Contemporary Dance Company in partnership with the American Dance Guild’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. In 2019, she established Skylark Creative Alliance, a collaborative artist association with the goal of creating an international alliance of creatives who inspire, connect, empower and influence positive community change through meaningful multi- disciplinary collaborations. She initiated, executed and completed her first international project titled: Intimate. See: An Interdisciplinary Women’s Project. This 4- part women’s empowerment program utilizes concert dance and multi- disciplinary collaborations to effect positive social change. Intimate.See’s first project location was Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Most recently, she has had the privilege of performing with the Shades of Black Theatre Festival, Sankofa Drum and Dance Company, Windship Boyd's Papalagui Exposed at Oz Arts Nashville, an orchestral rendition of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha with Emmy Award Nominee Dave Ragland, Shackled Feet, Inversion Vocal Ensemble and the Diaspora Orchestra at the Nashville Opera, and the World Premiere of Dave Ragland and Shabaz Ujima’s Steal Away. Currently, she is working with TN Playwrights Studio preparing for their upcoming June 2022 production of THAT WOMAN.
MAGGIE PELTON (Modern/Contemporary) grew up in the New Jersey Ballet Company. Her studies expanded to other disciplines while attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Martha Graham and Jose Limon schools in New York City. After receiving her BFA in dance from the Juilliard School and a scholarship from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, she was asked to join Ailey II which performed across the United States and the Caribbean. Ms. Pelton had the great honor of being the last female chosen by Alvin Ailey himself to join his first company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater which tours internationally. While living in southern California and now Nashville, Maggie has danced in television commercials, music videos and has gone on to teach, choreograph, and act as a consultant for dance and fitness in various projects. Currently she is an adjunct professor at Belmont University, David Lipscomb University and is a founding faculty member of Cookeville Leisure Services School of Dance. She continues to serve as a guest artist choreographing, teaching master classes and dance workshops. Maggie is certified in many group fitness disciplines and is kept very busy with her three children Jonah, Levi, and Mikyah.
PHYLICIA ROYBAL, (Gyrokinesis®) a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, began her passion for movement at age 10. She went on to receive a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts at the University of Arizona in 2011. Upon graduating, Phylicia also received the Gurtrude Shurr Memorial Award in Modern dance. In her professional career she has had the privilege of working with, New Dialect Dance company (Nashville), under the direction of Banning Bouldin, Ronn Stewart and Cocodāco Dance Project (Chicago), Kibbutz contemporary dance company (Israel), Catherine Cabeen - Hyphen (Seattle) and Moving People Dance (Santa Fe). Throughout her dance career she has had the opportunity to also work with artists such as Roy Assaf, Rami Be’er, Donald Mckayle, Robert Moses, Gail Gilbert, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Bobby Mc Ferrin. Phylicia has taught at renowned programs such as The Nashville Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet Academy Chicago, The Youth American Grand Prix, Northwestern University, The Hispanic Family Foundation Baila program, Foster Dance Studios, Ensworth High School, Stage Right Performing arts, American Academy of Dance and Metro parks dance division. While residing in Nashville, she performed a solo work at the Animata Arts Festival in 2019 and more recently her second solo work as part of Pollen’s artist platform in 2020. She currently teaches Gyrokinesis®️ in the Nashville area and enjoys connecting to people through movement. She continues to find inspiration through experimental and somatic based movement and improvisation.
TANTSOVA GRUPA (Folk Dance) (Bulgarian for "dance group") is a Nashville-based musical ensemble created in 2009 to accompany the Nashville International Folk Dancers (www.nifddance.com). The band's repertoire includes village dances from Armenia, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Israel, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Current musicians are Mary Lou Durham, fiddle;Tim Murphy, fiddle, guitar, accordion; Amberly Rosen, fiddle and dance teaching; Alexa Voytek, fiddle and hurdy-gurdy; Janet Epstein, recorders and dance teaching; Michael Lewandowski, mandolin; Laura Bouffard, clarinet; Holly Tashian, upright bass; and William Wiggins, percussion.