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Your September 2026 Roster Roundup: Dancers and Directors on the Move

September 3, 2026

The past few weeks have brought another exciting round of ballet career news—check out the latest farewells, appointments, promotions, and more in your September 2026 roster roundup.

Promotions and Appointments

At Boston Ballet, Francisco Schilereff has moved up to soloist.

The following dancers have been promoted from the Paris Opéra Ballet School to the main company, as quadrilles: Sacha Alié, Ilyane Bel-Lahsen, Carina Elena Giorgiu, and Marcel Sardà Masriera.

The following dancers will move up to American Ballet Theatre’s apprentice program after the ABT Studio Company’s fall tour: Maximilian Catazaro, Ptolemy Gidney, and Geonhee Park.

Colorado Ballet’s Liam Hogan and Mackenzie Dessens Studinski have been promoted to soloist; Kenny Allen and Catherine McGregor to demi-soloist; Lily Hagan, Chloe Kinzler, Wyatt Mier, and Justin Pidgeon to the corps; and Tiffany Hopkins, Bailey Marie, Natalie Taylor, and Cobin Tonsmeire to apprentice.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens has announced the following promotions: Graeme Fuhrman and Marcel Gutierrez Morales to first soloist; Sarah Branch, Thomas Leprohon, Benjamin Poirier, and Anaïs Roy to demi-soloist; and Simon Adamson-De Luca and Ana Sofia Natera Marquez to the corps.

Four photos side-by-side of four different dancers posing in black dancwear. They jump, twist, and fall.
From left: Zuzu Metzler, Juliette Ochoa, Nicholas Sakai, and Cyrus Shaskan. Photos by Christopher Peddecord, courtesy Oregon Ballet Theatre.

Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Zuzu Metzler, Juliette Ochoa, Nicholas Sakai, and Cyrus Shaskan have moved up to soloist, and apprentice Nicholas Kosanovich-Ware has joined the main company.

The following promotions have been made at Cincinnati Ballet: Nikita Boris, Llonnis del Toro Cintra, Thomas Dilley, and Kirsten Hunsberger to soloist; Nasrullah Abdur-Rahman, Annie Fitzpatrick, Mia Schlosser, and Salomé Tregre to the corps; and Lev Cornwall, Angelina de la Nuez, Zander Magolnick, Nicholas Motley, Piper Panek, and Jenna Potvin to new dancer.

Tulsa Ballet’s Carlos De Miguel has moved up to demi-soloist, Shunsuke Nakamura to the corps, and Paolo Tarini and Audrey Williamson to apprentice.

Milwaukee Ballet has announced the promotions of Garrett Glassman to leading artist and MBII’s Acaju Samael Chavez Gastelum to the main company.

Two photos side-by-side. On the left, Garrett Glassman leans his back against a dark, paint-splattered mirror as he tilts his head, splays and curls his fingers, and makes a screaming expression. On the right, Acaju Samael Chavez Gastelum jumps with one leg tucked and the other extended, one arm forward and the other up as he touches his middle fingers and thumbs together.
From left: Garrett Glassman in Penny Saunders’ Soir Bleu; Acaju Samael Chavez Gastelum as the Golden Idol in La Bayadère. Photos by Rachel Malehorn, courtesy Milwaukee Ballet.

Miami City Ballet apprentice Rachel Collett has been promoted to the corps.

Carolina Ballet has announced several promotions: Pierson Hall to principal; Uma Deming, Saskia de Muinck Keizer, Thomas Kingsbury, Jonathan McCray, and Ling Minucci to soloist; and Josephine Bommer, Elizabeth Burnett, Keira Segars, and Gabby Tulleners to the corps.

Zoe Cartier, Caroline Haruki, and Aubri Parker have moved up to Boston Ballet’s main company as artists, and Bailey Hall has joined BBII.

BalletMet’s Mila DeCola has moved up to the main company.

Three dancers have been promoted to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s corps: Amelia McGravey, Isak Sorenson, and Michael Stadtherr.

At Nashville Ballet, Christian Arroyo has moved up from NB2 to the main company, and former company artist Michael Burfield has transitioned to a rehearsal director role.

Ballet Rhode Island’s Sarah Van Breemen and Darius Mealy have become main company dancers.

Dasha Derkach and Laurel Ho have been promoted to Ballet Arizona’s main company.

Tracy Li, wearing a dark blouse and jeans, leans back against a white stone wall with her arms crossed.
Tracy Li. Photo by Lindsey Appolis, courtesy Cape Town City Ballet

City Ballet of San Diego’s Amelia Aroneo and Gabriela Smith have moved up to company artist.

Natalie Bowman, Annie Cook, and Natalie Glassie have been promoted to St. Louis Ballet’s main company. In addition, longtime SLB dancer Lauren Christensen, who retired from the stage this spring, is taking on the position of rehearsal manager.

After more than three decades with Cape Town City Ballet, first as a dancer and later as acting executive director, Tracy Li has been appointed the company’s artistic director.

Texas Ballet Theater has named former Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Price Suddarth as principal of Texas Ballet Theater School’s Dallas location, at Preston Center.

DaYoung Jung has been appointed Oklahoma City Ballet’s first-ever resident choreographer.

Sacramento Ballet welcomes Vitor Luiz as its interim second company director.

Michele Gifford has become a répétiteur and rehearsal director for Avant Chamber Ballet.

Ballet Tucson company dancers Danielle Corte and Sarah Maxwell have been named a vice principal duo of The School of Ballet Tucson.

Farewells and New Arrivals

Stuttgart Ballet has announced the departures of principal Matteo Miccini and guest principal Mackenzie Brown.

After 27 years with Houston Ballet, Claudio Muñoz is retiring from his role as HBII ballet master. Going forward, he will serve as a guest principal instructor for the company.

The Royal Ballet’s newest company members are Millán De Benito, William Gyves, Alecsia Maria Lazarescu, Emma Lucano, Ivan Malaguti, Maia Rose Roberts, Sophie Schulten, and Fabrizzio Ulloa Cornejo.

Boston Ballet welcomes four new dancers: Rafael Quenedit as a soloist and Dayeon Yeom, Yuval Cohen, and Ara Shin as company artists.

Rafael Quenedit splits his legs in the air several feet above the ground. He reaches his arms in a high arabesque, looking forward toward stage left. He wears light gray tights with a dark blue velvet vest.
Rafael Quenedit as Albrecht in Swan Lake. Photo by Hiromi Platt courtesy Boston Ballet

Jun Masuda has joined Queensland Ballet as a principal artist. ⁠

American Ballet Theatre’s 2026–2027 season Studio Company dancers are: Mikaela Cameron, Matteo Curley Bynoe, Delfina Nelson-Todd, Younjae Park, Kiera Sun, Wendel Teles, Audrey Tovar-Dunster, and Xavier Xué.

Lazaro Corrales and Isabelle Lapierre have joined the corps at Miami City Ballet.

Vinicius Lima has moved to Grand Rapids Ballet from Ballet West.

Miami City Ballet welcomes Rachel Collett and Maximiliano Iglesias to the corps.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre bids farewell to soloists Josiah Kauffman and JoAnna Schmidt; corps artists Jonathan Breight, Erin Casale, and Christian García-Campos; and apprentice Anya Chiu. Six new artists will join the company: Jooyoung Kwon as a soloist; Ryan Cheng as a corps member; and Kiegan Kepner, Jett Lecamu, Devon Luxton, and Ayva Royster as apprentices.

At Cincinnati Ballet, Brian Gomez has joined as a soloist, Severin Brotschul and Jessica He as corps members, and Aaliyahmarie Key as a new dancer.

In front of a gray backdrop with two walls converging at a corner, April Watson lunges forward in her pointe shoes. She opens her chest wide so her hands rest on either wall, and her back pointe shoe reaches the corner where the walls meet the floor. She wears a dark red unitard and wears her long hair down.
April Watson. Photo by Rachel Neville, courtesy Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

BalletX welcomes Rui Cruz, Anderson Da Silva, Clay Murray, and April Watson to the company.

Houston Ballet welcomes new corps members Quinton Brooks, Kieryn Brophy, Yeva Hrytsak, Olivia McBain, and Edouard Wormser; as well as apprentices Nathaniel Geis, Lexi Utz, and Garrett Yut.

At Tulsa Ballet, Asher Stephenson has joined as a corps artist, and Tomomasa Furuya as an apprentice.

Emilia Perkins has moved to Colorado Ballet as a corps member.

Tamika Farrugia has joined West Australian Ballet as a young artist.

Nashville Ballet says hello to new dancers Daniel Mendonça da Silva, Benjamin Moss, and Yusuke Otake.

Deanna Stanton clasps her hands low with straight arms as she tilts and battements her right leg straight up. She wears a short-sleeved olive-colored leotard and a dark ballet skirt.
Deanna Stanton. Photo by Melissa Dooley, courtesy Ballet Arkansas.

Eleanor Prince has joined Smuin Contemporary Ballet.

Texas Ballet Theater welcomes new corps members Daniel Ayala and Jadon Branner.

The following dancers have joined Carolina Ballet’s corps: Lucas Benhart, Julian Cole, Joshua Martinez, and Edward Siudzinski.

Rhys Hudson, Hannah Powell, Emily Sapsford, and Davi Teófilo are moving to Louisville Ballet.

At Ballet Idaho, Julian Goodwin-Ferris has joined as a soloist.

Nevada Ballet Theatre says hello to new artists Graham E. Barnes and Stanley Cannon.

After 13 seasons with Ballet Arkansas, Deanna Stanton is departing the company.

Abigail Brent, Isabel Cary, and Garrett Wooten have moved to City Ballet of San Diego.

Rochester City Ballet welcomes six new dancers: Alessia Braggiato, Summer Kroll, Jordan Sides, Benjamin Strassman, Tyler Trussell, and Luke Umphlett.

Nic Bierwagen, Erin Blair, Sydney Caggiano, Michael Mengden, and Roan Zaragoza have joined Boulder Ballet.

Rachele Perla, shown from the knees up, faces front while holding an upside-down Amber Neff around her middle. Neff leans slightly so her head rests on Perla's opposite hip, wrapping her arms around Perla's waist as she bends her legs slightly. They wear long blue dresses.
Rachele Perla and Amber Neff in Miro Magliore’s Upon My Wings. Photo by Steven Pisano, courtesy New Chamber Ballet.

Ballet Tucson welcomes Chloe Ardantz, Kali Schmeltzer, Brandon Silverman, and Annie Smith.

Evalyn Sartuche, Karin Seiki, Nicole Townsend, and Kiley White have joined Avant Chamber Ballet.

New Chamber Ballet’s Rachele Perla will give her final performance with the company this month. NCB has also welcomed new dancers Edie Clarke, Arianna Hughlett, and Margaret Kingsbury.

Regan Lamb, Ella Martin, and Kevin Murdock Waters have joined Ballet Fantastique.

Ballet Hartford’s newest soloist is Caedy Sajdowitz.

The following artists have joined Ballet Frontier: Christian English, Gianna Forte, and Henry Woods as company dancers; Marissa Woo as artist in residence; and Alyssa Altadonna, Kiersten Barriss, Abigail Dudich, and Heather Ludlow as apprentices.

Awards and Recognitions

American Ballet Theatre soloist Yoon Jung Seo has been named among the 2026 Clive Barnes Awards recipients for achievement in Theatre and Dance.

For the third consecutive year, Staatsballett Berlin has received a Tanz magazine Yearbook award, with the “Highlight of the Year” recognition for 2026.

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