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Sarasota Ballet School Faculty BiosSayward Grindley, Education Director (Ballet, Modern & Children's Division)Sayward Grindley, originally from NC, received a dual BFA in Dance Performance and Dance Education from East Carolina University. She started out as a ballet dancer and then studied intensively in modern and jazz as well. She has performed throughout the East Coast from Maine to Florida, including Chicago & New York City. Sayward was the Director of Dance at Booker Middle School and is currently a company member of Fuzion Dance Arts. Click here to read more.Pavel Fomin, Ballet Master (Ballet)Pavel Fomin was born in the Ukraine and received his ballet training from 1955 to 1961 at the Odessa Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad under the guidance of A. Pushkin and S. Kaplan. From 1964 to 1990, he was a principal dancer with the State Academic Opera & Ballet House in Odessa City and danced the entire classical repertoire incuding Basilio in Don Quixote, Solar in La Bayadere, Albrecht in Giselle, and Prince Desiree in The Sleeping Beauty. Contemporary ballets in which he performend include The Moor's Pavane by Jose Limon, Carmen by Alberto Alonso, and Tcheishov's Spartacus, among others. Mr. Fomin rose quickly to the position of Principal Ballet Master and Artistic Director, was responsible for his company's tours in Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Japan, and Montreal with a cultural exchange of Canadian artists. Mr. Fomin has worked with choreographers of the stature of L. Lavrovsky, Oleg Vinograkov and E. Tchernishov, and received the title of Honored Artist of the Ukraine in 1971. Mr. Fomin graudated with honors from The Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) in 1990 with an M.A. in pedagogy of classical ballet. Mr. Fomin joined The Sarasota Ballet in 1991 as Ballet MasterYaima Franco, Assistant Ballet Mistress (Ballet)Yaima began her ballet training at age nine with the Cuban National Ballet School. She graduated in 1999 and then joined The National Ballet of Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Yaima danced soloist roles in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, The Nutcracker and Paquita. In 2000, Yaima danced in George Balanchine's Ballo Della Regina, staged by Merrill Ashley and one of the few Balanchine ballets performed in Cuba. Being a dancer with The National Ballet of Cuba has given her a vast knowledge of the classical, romantic & contemporary repertoire of the company. It also afforded her the opportunity to represent the company in many theaters through out Latin & North America, Asia & Europe.Yaima joined the Sarasota Ballet faculty in 2008. She has also performed with the Company as Love in Dame Ninette's de Valois' Checkmate and Countess Vronsky in Andre Prokovsky's Anna Karenina. Yaima currently teachers ballet, pointe and variations for the upper level in the Sarasota Ballet School, dancers in the Trainee Program and Company class. She has also choreographed ensemble and solo pieces for students. She was made Assistant Ballet Mistress in 2009. Isabel Dubrocq (Ballet)Bio coming soon....Octavio Martin, Company Dancer (Ballet, Partnering & Jazz)Octavio was born in Havana, Cuba. He received his early training at the Alejo Carpentier School and in 1994 joined the National Ballet of Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso. During his twelve years at the National Ballet of Cuba, Octavio performed in numerous galas, festivals and toured throughout Latin America, the United States, Europe and Asia. In 2004, Octavio received the 'Alejo Carpentier' medal, one of the highest artist honors in Cuba. Octavio joined the Sarasota Ballet in 2005 and was promoted to Principal in 2008.Octavio's principal roles with the National Ballet of Cuba include Basilio in Don Quixote, Albrecht in Giselle, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Franz in Coppelia, Colas in La Fille Mal Gardee, Gustav in Cinderella, Don Jose, as well as Alicia Alonso's version's of Spartacus, Spring Water, Romeo and Juliet and as both Escamillo and Zuniga in her Carmen. He has also danced the pas de deux from Antony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading. Since joining The Sarasota Ballet, Octavio has danced in a wide variety of the Company's repertoire. His leading roles include the Man in Sir Kenneth Macmillan's Las Hermanas, the Young Boy and Gypsy Lover in Sir Frederick Ashton's The Two Pigeons and the Tango in Ashton's Façade, George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco and Allegro Brillante, Hans van Manen's Grosse Fuge, the Captain in John Cranko's Pineapple Poll, the Rake in Dame Ninette de Valois' The Rake's Progress and the Second Red Knight in de Valois' Checkmate, Robert North's Troy Game, Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden and David Bintley's Scottish Dances. Octavio has also been featured in Andre Prokovsky's Anna Karenina, Sir Kenneth Macmillan's Elite Syncopations, Le Corsaire Pas de Trois and Dominic Walsh's The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Jamie Carter, Company Dancer (Ballet)Jamie was born in London, England, where he trained at the London Studio Centre under the direction of Margaret Barbieri and David Ashmole. During this time, Jamie was a member of the graduates' performance company, Images of Dance, where he had the opportunity to perform in a wide variety of ballets including John Cranko’s Pineapple Poll, Frederick Ashton’s Façade and Peter Darrell’s Othello, for which Jamie was awarded the Classical Ballet Prize for Best Performance. Jamie joined Scottish Ballet for their winter season and then joined the Israel Ballet. Jamie joined the Sarasota Ballet in 2007.Jahrel Thompson (Jazz)Jahrel Thompson started dancing ballroom in 1997 in his senior year at Riverview High School in Sarasota. Shortly after he began teaching at Wilson's Dance Sport and at Purple Tiger for Wilson Barrera and Margaret Burns. In 2002, he attended the New World School of the Arts College in Miami for training in ballet and contemporary dance. During his time there he worked with several choreographers and companies including Fredrick Bratcher and Co., Momentum Dance, Katie Marlow’s Danceation, and Sobepac. In 2006, he continued his training with Billie Fajardo and later performed for Celebrity Cruise Lines. He then returned to Sarasota and has performed with the West Coast Civic Ballet, Players Theatre, and now in his third season with FuziónPedro Batista (Jazz & Boys)Pedro Batista received a BA in dance from James Madison University and has performed with the Roanoke Ballet Theatre, Florida Dance Theatre, and worked with Artistic Director Carol Krajacic-Erkes on several occasions. Recently, Pedro has been working with the Westcoast Civic Ballet, Sarasota's Players Theatre, and Manatee Players Theatre. Pedro is a company member of Fuzion Dance Artists, and also the Director of Dance for Booker Middle School’s Visual and Performing Arts Program.Jessica Borusky (Children’s Division)Bio coming soon....Margaret Eginton (Guest Modern Instructor)Bio coming soon....Leymis Bolaños Wilmott (Pilates)Leymis Bolaños Wilmott is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Fuzión Dance Artists, a professional modern dance company in Sarasota/Bradenton Florida. She is recipient of the 2008 Arts Leadership Award for Artistic Achievement from the Sarasota Arts Council, 2006 Sarasota Artist Fellowship, was nominated in 2005 by Sarasota Magazine as best choreographer in a musical for Miss Saigon presented at the Players Theatre, and received the Dance Magazine award in 2002 for Southeast Best Choreographer.Ms. Wilmott was first in the state to receive a certificate in Dance and Healing from the University of Florida and has a Master of Fine Arts in Performance/Choreography from The Florida State University. Her deep love for education and community building continues as she advocates for dance as a Teaching Artist through the Sarasota Arts Council, Manatee Arts Council, and Van Wezel Performing Arts Center. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Booker High School, New College of Florida, and St. Petersburg College. Ms. Wilmott is a certified Pilates Instructor and believes in sharing dance and wellness with people of all ages and abilities. Sara Sardelli, Company Dancer (Pilates)Born in Utica, New York Sara received her initial training with Delia Foley, ARAD and School of American Ballet. She graduated with a B.S. in Dance from Butler University and then began her professional career at the Louisville Ballet. Last year, She spent the season with Ballet Gamonet in Florida. Throughout her ballet career, Sara has used Pilates as a vehicle for strengthening, stabilizing, increasing flexibility, injury prevention and body awareness. She was recently accepted into the Romana’s Pilates/True Pilates New York education program and has had the opportunity to study under the tutelage of master instructors Romana Kryzanowska, Sari Mejia Santo and Daria Pace. Sara is thrilled to begin her first season with Sarasota Ballet and share her passion for the connection between Pilates and dance.Jolane Rutherford (Pilates)Bio coming soon… Lisa Townsend, DNG Program Director (Stretch)Bio coming soon…Mariah Cohen (Yoga)Bio coming soon…Kate Honea, Company Dancer (Guest Instructor/Choreographer)Kate Walsh Honea was raised in Longboat Key, Florida, where she began her advanced training at the Sarasota Ballet School. Kate continued her training at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s graduate program and danced in the company’s performances of George Balanchine’s Serenade, Ben Stevenson’s Cleopatra and Dracula, and Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana. Kate joined The Sarasota Ballet in 2002 and has danced the company’s full repertoire. Kate also has taught at the Sarasota Ballet School since 2002. Other accomplishments include touring throughout major cities in Germany and Austria for Stage Entertainment’s Best of Musical Gala 2006 and performing for the 55th FIFA Congress in Marrakech, Morocco in 2005.Kate has danced a wide variety of the Company’s repertoire. Her featured roles include George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Concerto Barocco and soloist in Divertimento No. 15. She has also appeared as Blanche in John Cranko’s Pineapple Poll. She performed the Valse In Dame Alicia Markova’s production of Les Sylphides, and the Les Corsaire Pas de Trois. She originated a role in Dominic Walsh’s The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She has performed the Calliope Rag in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations. She has also performed in many of Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet’s including The Two Pigeons, Scottish, Milkmaid and Foxtrot in Façade and Blue Girl in Les Patineurs. She danced in Dame Ninette de Valois’ Checkmate and was the Dancer in The Rake’s Progress. She performend as Kitty in Andre Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina. Kate also performed in David Bintley’s Scottish Dances, Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, Matthew Bourne’s The Infernal Galop, Hans van Manen’s Grosse Fuge and Robert de Warren’s The Nutcracker, & A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Wendy Johnson (Children's Division)Bio coming soon... |
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