Meet Our Dancers
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
CASSIDY CAIL
Caitlin received her early ballet training in Connecticut at New Haven Ballet. In 2018, she joined Boston Ballet School’s Pre Professional Training Program and graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts in 2021. She studied at Boston Ballet’s Graduate Program for a year before joining Boston Ballet as a member of BBII for two seasons in 2022. From 2024-2025, she danced with The Sarasota Ballet as a part of their Studio Company. She joined Connecticut Ballet in 2025.
VERICA CANSECO
Verica is an Italian classical and contemporary dancer currently based in New York and Connecticut. She trained at the Balletschule Theater Basel in Switzerland and performed with Ballet de Barcelona in Spain. Her career includes international touring throughout Europe. Verica first appeared with Connecticut Ballet in the 2022-2023 season. She also teaches ballet and is a certified Mat Pilates instructor.
@verica_canseco
GABE FOLEY
Gabe is originally from Grand Island, Nebraska. At 15, he left home to pursue ballet training full-time, studying at prestigious institutions including Ballet Chicago and Miami City Ballet. He began his professional career as an Apprentice with City Ballet of San Diego before relocating to New York City, where he expanded his artistic range performing with Queer the Ballet. Gabe went on to become a soloist with Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo and is currently a soloist with Connecticut Ballet. Gabe’s work extends to film and media, with appearances in multiple documentaries, television shows, films, and national commercials. He is one of the first openly transgender men to reach the soloist level in professional ballet, contributing to greater visibility and representation within the art form.
@thegabeagenda
PAULO GUTIERREZ
Paulo Is an Ecuadorian dancer. He moved to New York City in 2015 to train at the Joffrey Ballet School. Since then, he has worked with various companies throughout NYC such as Ballet Hispanico, Ballet Nepantla, Pony Box Dance Theater, among others. Throughout his career, Paulo has worked and collaborated with choreographers such as Anabel Lopez Ochoa, Andrea Miller, Nacho Duato, Rena Butler and Norbert De La Cruz lll. He joined Connecticut Ballet as a soloist in 2021 and is one of a handful of dancers who have choreographed works in our repertoire (Fatale, co-choreographed with Lindsay Jorgensen/2026).
@pauloguty
CARLA HERNANDEZ
Originally from Venezuela, Carla began her ballet training at age seven at the Escuela de Ballet María Teresa Alford. She later joined the Teresa Carreño Ballet Company in 2017, where she performed soloist and principal roles including Giselle and Myrtha in Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote Pas de Deux, Diana in Diana & Acteon, Medora in Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. She debuted with Connecticut Ballet in Fall 2020 and has since appeared in the company’s. Digital Dance Series, Ballet Under the Stars, Be My Valentine, and The Nutcracker. Following her promotion to Soloist in Spring 2023, she debuted as Swanhilda in Coppélia. Her repertoire with the company also includes Snow Queen, Dew Drop, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Gamzatti in Pas d’Action, and the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
@carlahc
CLARISSA JACKSON
Clarissa Jackson is a freelance dancer working across France and the United States. She trained at the National Conservatory of Paris (CNSMDP) with Paris Opera teachers and performed with companies across France, including the Avignon Opera, while completing her Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts. She joined Connecticut Ballet in 2023 and also performs with the company, Renversons, in New York City.
@clar.jackson
ALEXANDER MARMOLEJOS
Alexander was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. At age 18, he moved to New York to attend Joffrey Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Ballet Program and graduated in 2023. Since joining Connecticut Ballet in January 2024, he has been a guest artist with several U.S. ballet companies and internationally. A self-described ‘Proud Latino,’ his favorite thing about ballet is ‘partnering work.’
@Alexander MarDun
CARRINGTON MARTIN
Carrington began her ballet training at the School of Richmond Ballet at the age of 10. She received her BFA in Classical Ballet from UNC School of the Arts and after graduation, returned to Richmond Ballet as a Trainee. She danced professionally with Fort Wayne Ballet for three years and most recently danced as Waltz Girl in George Balanchine's Serenade.
Her other performance highlights include dancing a lead in Eddie Stierle's Concerto Con Brio which was filmed for PBS, Demi-Soloist Flower and Marzipan in The Nutcracker and Big Swan in Swan Lake. She moved to New York City in August 2025 and is excited to be joining Connecticut Ballet for the 2025-26 season.
@oh.hey.its.carrington.rae
SAMAEL MAURICE
Samaël was born in Montréal, Quebec, and trained at Ellison Ballet in New York. He was a finalist at the Ballet Grand Prix Vienna and the 49th Prix de Lausanne. In 2022, he joined Queensland Ballet’s Jette Parker Young Artist program. He has since danced in productions with several companies across Canada and Europe, and in 2025, he was invited to perform at the Own The Stage Japan Gala. This is his first season with Connecticut Ballet. @samael_maurice_balletdancer
COLLEEN MCKENZIE
Colleen started dancing at three years old in Heidelberg, Germany. She trained at Carroll County Dance Center and Honolulu Classical Ballet before graduating from Kansas City Ballet School's Daytime Program. After graduation, she joined Kansas City Ballet's Second Company and In 2021, Colleen joined Charlotte Ballet, working closely with Patricia McBride, Laszlo Berdo and Kati Hanlon Mayo, and performed in Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's The Nutcracker, Union Jack, Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Faust), and Raymonda Variations by George Balanchine, and Matthew Hart's The Sleeping Beauty. Colleen joined Connecticut Ballet in 2023 and has since performed works by Brett Raphael, Eve Chan, Carlyn Hudson, Lila York and others. She works with choreographer Juliette Rafael in NYC and teaches Yoga and Sculpt.
@colleen.mckenziee
CAMILA PINO
Camila trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC, and began her professional career with Universal Ballet Company in Seoul. She has since built an international freelance career alongside her work with Connecticut Ballet, performing across Europe, Asia, and America with Ajkun Ballet Theatre, National Ballet of Catalonia, World Ballet Company, and Grand Kyiv Ballet. In her native Costa Rica, she has been a soloist in productions such as Coppélia, The Nutcracker, and Giselle, performing alongside principals of the National Dance Company of Mexico. She is a 2nd Place winner and Jury’s Special Prize recipient at the Seoul International Dance Competition.
@campinces
AVA PRENTICE
Ava was born in New Jersey and began dancing at the age of three. She later
trained at the New Jersey School of Ballet and privately with Elena Kunikova. After
having performed alongside the company as a Junior Company member, she joined
New Jersey Ballet in 2019. Ava then joined Connecticut Ballet in 2022 as a member of
the Corps de Ballet where she performed in The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Be My Valentine, and Ballet Under the Stars. In 2024, she was promoted to Soloist and subsequently debuted in the role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Her repertoire also includes Odette in White Swan Pas de Deux, Arabian in The Nutcracker, The Sylph in La Sylphide Pas de Deux, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux.
@avalaurel7
IGNACIO RIVERA
Ignacio is a Costa Rican ballet dancer with international performance experience across United States and Europe. He has appeared as a soloist and principal performer with renowned companies such as Columbia Classical Ballet, BalletNEXT, Balletto Nazionale Italiano, and first appeared with Connecticut Ballet during the 2024-2025 season. Trained in both classical and contemporary repertoire, he is recognized for his strong artistry, versatility, and disciplined approach to performance.
@nachoriverarivera
JOSE ROJAS
José is a professional dancer and teacher of traditional Argentine folklore. Originally from Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina, he ventured into folk dance at six years old and participated in many contests and folkloric festivals as he matured. In 2015, José received a full scholarship for the summer course of contemporary jazz at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Subsequently, he was awarded a full scholarship to study at that institution. As a professional dancer, he has worked with Ballet Hispanico, Arim Dance Company, Amalia Basanta Hernandez, American Swiss Ballet Company, D'Zul Dance Company, Axelrod Contemporary Dance Company, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Neplantla Dance Company and has been with Connecticut Ballet for eight seasons.
@josecitor 24
CAMERON SMITH
Originally from New Jersey, Cameron began dancing at the age of three and quickly discovered a passion for ballet. She attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre in New York and The Royal Danish Ballet before moving to New York City to study at Ballet Academy East. She later attended Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, earning her Bachelor of Science in Ballet with an Outside Field in Kinesiology. Following graduation, Cameron spent two seasons with The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, performing works by Sir Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine. She returned to New York City in April 2025 and joined Connecticut Ballet. Last summer, she was featured in the Pas d’Action from La Bayadere as part of Ballet Under the Stars.
LAMAREE WILSON
Lamaree Wilson-Robinson is an emerging artist & teacher from Hartford. He has a skill set of acro-tumbling, graphics, and dance in multiple styles. He has been dancing professionally for nine years with Studio 860, where he teaches youth contemporary and street jazz classes. Lamaree trains and performs in hip-hop, contemporary, and jazz, under the direction of Jolet Creary & Peter Reynolds at Studio 860. Lamaree’s passion is dance and giving back to his community. He has performed as a guest artist with Connecticut Ballet since 2021.
@lamareewilson
