Stanislav Olshanskyi – Basilio

Stanislav was the winner of the 1st prize of the XII International Ballet Competition in Seoul (South Korea, 2019), Grand Prix of the 1st International Ballet Festival UA (National Opera of Ukraine, 2021). He graduated from Kyiv State Choreographic School (2011) He worked at the Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.  Solomiya Krushelnytska. He was the first soloist in 2016 and became a principal dancer at the National Opera of Ukraine in 2018 until 2022. He performed in many leading roles including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Raymonda, La Bayander, Le Corsaire, The Wedding of Figaro, Romeo and Juliet, and many more.

Stanislav has toured in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE (Dubai), South Korea, Japan, USA, Belarus, Macedonia, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom

He Joined MCB as a Principal in 2022.

Dawn Atkins – Kitri

Dawn Atkins began her dance training in Rutland, Vermont and upon moving to Virginia, continued her dance training with The School of Richmond Ballet.  She attended North Carolina School of the Arts on scholarship, under the direction of Ethan Stiefel.  Dawn joined Boston Ballet School as a trainee in 2011 and Boston Ballet II in 2012. In 2013, she was a Princess Grace Award nominee and was promoted to Artist of the Company. Dawn was promoted to Second Soloist at Boston Ballet in 2019. She joined Miami City Ballet as soloist in 2021. Atkins was promoted to the rank of principal soloist in 2022. In 2023, Dawn was promoted to Principal dancer.

Dawn’s many leading roles include Odette / Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake, Perrot/Coralli’s Giselle (Myrtha), Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Crystal Fountain Fairy), George Balanchine’s Agon, The Prodigal Son (Siren), Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2, Rubies (Tall Girl), Episodes (Principal), Coppelia (Dawn), Chaccone (Pas de Trois), Theme and Variations, Diamonds (Principal), Symphony in Three Movements, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto; William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, Pas / Parts 2018, Blake Works, Playlist (EP), and In The Middle Somewhat Elevated, Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Fancy Free, The Concert and Glass Pieces, August Bournonville’s Pas De Six; Jorma Elo’s Bach Cello Suites, Carmen, Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius, and Lost by Last; Justin Peck’s In Creases (pas de deux), Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Dewdrop, Snow Queen) and Swan Lake, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Summer Fairy), and Pas de Quatre by Leonid Yakobso, among others.

Denys Nedak- Espada

Denys born in Odessa, Ukraine. In 2005, he began to study in the Kyiv Municipal Ukraine Dance Academy, named after Serge Lyfar. While in the Academy he was invited to perform at the National Opera House in Kyiv, where he danced his first professional performances as Paris in Romeo and Juliet and Prince in The Nutcracker. After graduation, Denys joined National Opera House of Ukraine in Kyiv, working under the supervision and guidance of a People’s Artist of Ukraine, N.D Pryadchenko, to create his repertoire. In 2008, Denys became principal dancer. He has become known as a performer of lyrical-romantic repertoire at National Opera House of Ukraine. In the theatre he frequently partners with leading ballerinas, including E. Filipeva, T. Golyakova, N. Matsak, U. Lopatkina, N. Polakova, V. Part and P. Herrera. In 2011, Denys was honored with the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine. His popularity in Ukraine has led to many invitations to perform at international festivals. I am a regular guest artist at the, Rudolf Nureyev International Festival of Ballet Art in Ufa. Since 2014, Denys performed as a regular guest at the National Theater of Serbia; from 2014 to 2015, as a guest dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the Vienna State Opera; from 2016 to2017, as a guest dancer in the Finnish National Opera and Ballet; and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. He worked with teachers, such as N. Pryadchenko, V. Yaremenko, N. Makarova, I. Kolpakova, I. Muchamedov, M. Legris, J. Boocca, and O. Evreinoff. In 2017, Denys was honored with the prestigious title of People’s Artist of the Ukraine. He now travels frequently throughout Russia, France, Italy, Germany and Japan to show his skill. Denys’ repertoire includes: Solor in La Bayadere, Basil in Don Quixote (Nureyev), Prince in The Sleeping Beauty (Ratmansky), Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (Nureyev), Albert in Giselle, Jose and Escamilio in Carmen Suite, Jean de Brienne in Raymonda, Conrad in Le Corsaire, Prince in The Nutcracker, Krass in Spartacus, The Golden Slave in Scheherazade and Alexandre in Lady of Camellias, as well as roles in a Classic Pas de Deux (Balanchine), a Grand Pas de Deux (Ober), Silvia Pas de Deux (Balanchine), Red Giselle as Chekist (Eifman) and Touch of illusion (Ricardo Amarante).

Sergiy Mykhaylov – Lorenzo (Kitri’s Father)

1987– 1995: attended the Kiev State Choreographic College
1995 – 1998: National Ballet of Ukraine (soloist)
During these years, he also worked as a soloist with The Classical Ballet of Paris.
1998 – 2009: Orlando Ballet (as a principal dancer under the direction of Vasiliy Petrutiu, Fernando Bujones)

During this time, he was a principal guest artist in Boca Raton Ballet, Ocala Ballet, Terada Ballet Arts Academy (Japan), Cincinnati Orchestra, Orlando City Ballet, Russian Ballet Academy, Kansas City Ballet

2001 – 2009: Sarasota Ballet (as a principal dancer, under the direction of Robert de Warren. and Ian Webb). During this time, he was principal guest artist with Central Florida Ballet, Terada Ballet Arts Academy (Japan), Orlando City Ballet, Kingsport Ballet, Steward Ballet, Russian Ballet of Alafaya

1996: Silver Medal winner at Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kiev
2002: Semi-finalist in USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi

He has taught and choreographed at Orlando Ballet School, Terada Ballet Academy in Japan, Sarasota Ballet School, Russian Ballet School of America in Orlando, Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida (Miami), Florida Ballet Arts Academy, and more.

In 2010, Sergiy Mykhaylov with his wife Darya Fedotova proudly opened the School of Russian Ballet in Sarasota/ Bradenton. In 2022 the school changed its name to International Ballet of Florida.

Douglas Horne – Villager, Toreador, Gypsy

Douglas danced professionally after studying on full scholarships with American Ballet Theatre (New York), Miami City Ballet (Miami, FL), and Studio Maestro (New York). In June 2010 he was the Bronze Medal winner in the World Ballet Competition: and in June 2009 he was a finalist in The New York International Ballet Competition. Additionally, he was a semi-finalist in the renowned International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He won Gold in the senior classical division of the Youth American Grand Prix semifinals in Torrington, CT. In 2007 he won the Gold Medal in the senior division of the Youth Dance Festival in New Jersey. Mr. Horne has danced leading roles with the Orlando Ballet.

Roberto Vega – Toreador

Mr. Vega joined DANB in 2015. Prior to joining DANB, Mr. Vega was first soloist with the Cuban National Ballet. Mr. Vega has performed as soloist and first soloist with ballet companies all over the world, among them companies in the Dominican Republic, Canada, Nicaragua, Spain, Italy, Mexico, England, France, Australia, Puerto Rico, and the United States. He has danced leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Nutcracker, Coppelia, Theme and Variations, Napoli, La Fille Mal Gardee, Time Out of Mind, and Flames of Paris among others. Featured and principal roles at DANB include the Firebird in Gerard Ebitz’s Firebird, all principal roles in The Nutcracker, A Haunted Swan Lake, Corroboree, The Ring, Lady Bug: Action Hero, ‘Puck’ in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, L’Amour, and Don Quixote. Mr. Vega is a virtuosic and versatile dancer and has a beautiful daughter, Valeria

Carlos de Quesada– Villager, Toreador, Gypsy

Carlos began his ballet education at the International Ballet of Florida under Sergiy Mikhailov and Darya Fedotova. He continued his training at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet school and The Sarasota Ballet Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. The recipient of merit scholarships, he attended summer intensives locally as well as with Bolshoi Ballet in New York, Modas Dance in New Mexico, and Oklahoma City Ballet. Carlos was awarded a full scholarship for the year round program with Joffrey Ballet School in New York. As a student Carlos has danced Don Quixote’s Basilio, Giselle’s Albrecht, The Flames of Paris’ Marseillaise, The Sleeping Beauty’s Prince Florimund as well as contemporary works. Carlos also performed the role of the Gangster Rat in John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker and the Clown soloist in Oklahoma City Ballet’s Matthew Hart’s The Nutcracker. Carlos is currently a member of the Gulf Coast Studio Company in Sarasota where he has danced the principal role in La Vivandiere and the Pas de Deux from Paquita. This December he danced the role of The Nutcracker.

Shannon McNiven – Mercedes (Street Dancer)

Shannon began dancing recreationally at age five in Washington Township, New Jersey. Within a few years, she began her formative ballet training at the International Ballet of Florida, where she was taught by Sergiy Mykhaylov and Darya Fedotova. She performed in many ballets including Snow White, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, and The Snow Queen. At age 12 she started at Indiana Ballet Conservatory (IBC), where she was taught by Alyona Yakovleva, Sergey Sergiev and renowned former prima ballerina Tatiana Pali. During her time at IBC, she competed extensively in Youth America Grand Prix, placing Top 12 regionally from 2020-2024, 2nd for Contemporary in 2022, and first place for many ensembles over the years. She also went on to win the World Ballet Art Competition Finals in 2020 and receive Honorable Mention from the World Ballet Competition from 2022-2023. In 2023 she was invited to attend the School of the Nashville Ballet on full scholarship. After training with Anais Chalendard and Maria Konrad, working on Mazurka from Le Sylphides and graduating high school, she finished out the season at IBC before committing to be a Trainee at Orlando Ballet in August of 2024.

Marissa Van Buskirk – Gypsy Dancer, Queen of the Dryads

Marissa is a dedicated ballet dancer and teacher with extensive training in the Russian Vaganova method. She began her studies at Central Florida Ballet in Orlando in 2003. In 2011 she advanced her education at Russian Ballet Orlando under the guidance of esteemed instructors Vadim Fedotov, Irina Depler, and Katerina Fedotova.

Marissa made her professional debut at the age of 16 as “Aurora” in The Sleeping Beauty, which quickly promoted her to principal and soloist roles. Additionally, she has performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy with Ballet Fedotov and Florida Arts and Dance Theatre during their 2015–2019 Nutcracker seasons. From 2022 to 2023, Marissa was a guest artist for the local dance company Azara Ballet.

Marissa’s passion for teaching has been a parallel journey to her performance career. From 2012 – 2021, she taught for Russian Ballet Orlando, leading all beginner—intermediate levels. She also led their Adult Program and contributed to administrative and marketing efforts. In 2022, she became the ballet director at Major Productions Studio of Dance, where she now coaches and choreographs performances for the student company.

Marissa’s artistic journey has been enriched by working with internationally renowned choreographers and coaches. Her work with Vadim Fedotov, Irina Depler, Katerina Fedotova, Olivier Munoz, Heather Fryxell, Natalia Bashkatova, and Vladimir Bykov contributed to her artistic development. Her dedication to this art form positions her as a valuable asset to the Tampa Bay ballet community.

Alaina Kimsey – Dance with Castanet

Alaina began her ballet training at the age of three with Florida Ballet Arts Academy under the direction of Mary Elizabeth Mock. She later continued her studies at Revelle Academy with Evelyn Squires. In 2010, she joined the International Ballet of Florida (IBF) under the direction of Sergiy Mykhaylov and Darya Fedotova. Over the years with IBF, Alaina has performed numerous roles, starting as a Little Doll in 2010 and eventually dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker in 2018. Some of her favorite roles include the Stepsister in Cinderella (2019, 2023), Kitri in Don Quixote (2018), Clara in The Nutcracker (2013, 2014, 2019), and the title role in Giselle (2019). She has also participated in prestigious competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix in Tampa and the World Ballet Competition Finals in Orlando.

Today, Alaina owns and operates The DanceWEAR Shoppe in Sarasota, where she has been proudly serving the dance community since 2020. She continues to take class at IBF whenever possible and remains dedicated to supporting the arts.

Brooke Wasserman – Dance with Guitar

Born in Marlborough, CT. After receiving a scholarship toward her summer studies she trained at The Sarasota Ballet Academy in Sarasota, FL under the direction of Adrian Ciobanu following her initial education with founding company member Yseult Leger at the age of 12. The school’s faculty included Pavel Fomin, Isabel Dubrocq, Ludmila Lopukhova and Darya Fedotova. While studying, she was invited to perform with The Sarasota Ballet performing in Eva Peron: A Dance Portrait, Coppelia, Don Quixote and as Mary in La Boutique Fantasque. In 2008 she enrolled in the State University of New York at Purchase College where she had the opportunity to perform as a part of Dancer’s Responding to AIDS at the Joyce Theater NYC. She was also a member of the Purchase Dance Corps performing several BFA and MFA contemporary works. In 2010 she moved home to Connecticut to study with famed ballet master Alexei Tchernichov and dance with Hartford City Ballet and CONNetic Dance. 

She has taught at The Jacqueline Roach School of Dance, Dance City and The Arts, Revelle Academy, Starz Choice Dance Academy, ReFlex and International Ballet of Florida. Her classes focus on the Vaganova style of classical ballet. In 2016 and 2020 she attended weeks of the Open World Dance Foundation’s Vaganova Teacher’s Training taught by Ekaterina Shchelkanova in collaboration with Professor Mme. Ludmila Safronova of The Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Her soloist roles have included: Jasmine in Aladdin, Zulme in Giselle, Magnolia in Snow Queen, Winter Fairy in Cinderella, and Mercedes in Don Quixote. Her repertoire includes: The Nutcracker, Giselle, Aladdin, Snow Queen, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Don Quixote, Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, Vainonen’s Flames of Paris Pas De Deux, Carolyn Paine’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Roman Baca’s Homecoming, and Jonathan Riedel’s Verdant Fire.

Anna Marie Parish – Dance with Guitar

Anna Marie Parish is a Sarasota-based dancer, instructor, and certified Stott Pilates instructor, holding a BFA in Dance from Florida State University. She has participated in Next Generation Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and International Ballet of Florida’s [IBF] summer intensives. With a foundation in Vaganova technique from the International Ballet of Florida, Anna Marie specializes in classical ballet and contemporary ballet. She has performed in several of IBF’s classical ballets, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Cinderella, as well as many of their original works. Anna Marie has also taught young students at both ReFlex Arts and the International Ballet of Florida. As a former professional dancer with Azara Ballet, Anna Marie engaged in classical and contemporary repertory and contributed to outreach programs in the Sarasota community.

Michael Hamilton – Don Quixote

Michael Hamilton grew up in Southern Maine, where he trained with Maine State Ballet and performed for many years. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, dancing with companies such as Burbank Ballet, Media City Ballet, and Santa Clarita Ballet. During his time in California, he also appeared in numerous television shows and films.

Eventually, Michael returned to Maine, where he continued performing with Maine State Ballet. Among his many roles, his favorite is the Cavalier in The Nutcracker.

He now resides in Bradenton, Florida, with his wife Lauryn and their five children. In addition to raising a family, Michael works in real estate.

Stanislav Ivanov- Gamache

Stanislav Ivanov began his ballet studies in his native country, Vladikavkaz, Russia (North Osetia-Alania). He was accepted to the famous Perm Choreographic School of Russia in 1988. Having graduated in 1996, he joined The Chelyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of M.I. Glinka. In 1997, he received a contract with Grigorovich Ballet of Russia as soloist under the direction of Yuri Grigorovich. Tours with the Grigorovich Ballet of Russia took him to Lebanon, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United States. He was a principal dancer with Dance Alive National Ballet from 2002-2008. Stanislav was named the dancer who seems to “fly through the air” and his outstanding classical dancing technique combined with his remarkable acting talent allowed him to achieve the most vivid and memorable interpretations of great range of characters on stage. In 2009, he joined the Space Coast Ballet as ballet teacher and choreographer.  He later joined the Gulf Coast Ballet Theatre in 2010 as the Artistic Director where he choreographed: The Nutcracker, Cipollino and Alice in Wonderland. Stanislav has been a principal guest artist and teacher with several companies around US. His repertoire has included: Romeo and Juliet, Le Corsaire, Spartacus, Don Quixote, Giselle, Raymonda, Swan Lake, Paquita, Cipollino, Incertezza, Constellation, Aeia Bridlet, Stars and Strips, Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Le Corsaire, Golden Age Suite, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, Lady Bug, The 1001 Night, La Fille Mal Gardée, Carmina Burana, and The Nutcracker. In the fall of 2012, Mr. Stanislav was named the Artistic Director of Classical Ballet of Tampa, in residence at Mary Jo’s Performing Arts Academy in Tampa, Florida were he choreographed The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and Cinderella. 

Kathrine Michelle Tanner – Sancho Panza

Katherine Michelle Tanner is a professional actress, singer, director, playwright, choreographer, filmmaker and teaching artist.  She owns Tree Fort Productions, a full Theatre Company and Performing Arts Studio for all ages.  Her passion for performance has taken her from Broadway to Regional Theatre, from Film to Television and from Country to Country.  She trained at the Andahazy Classical School of Ballet and holds her M.F.A. acting from the Asolo Theatre Conservatory.  Catch her onstage in Nineteen at Tree Fort Productions Studio Theatre. or in the films Bridge to the Other Side and My Guardian