“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

Haissan began his formal dance training at the Boston Arts Academy in classical ballet, modern, jazz, and West African dance. After graduation, he has performed with many groups specializing in ballet and Hip Hop. He has toured widely from Boston to Mexico, from venues that include the Apollo Theater, the Wang in Boston and the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City.

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

Camilo began dancing at the age of ten Colombia, South America at the Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet. He obtained a dance degree from Ballet-Centered, secondary and higher-level institutions where he was educated by ballet masters Gloria Castro, Helena Cala, and Maria Helena llorente as well as the teacher from the National Ballet of Cuba. Upon graduation, he joined the Conservatorio de Valencia in Spain where he studied for two years. Camilo also received a full scholarship in 2012 with Miami City Ballet and in 2011 he participated in the International Festival of Valencia, Spain. Camilo has performed professionally with the National Ballet of Colombia, Atlantic City Ballet, Montgomery Ballet and the Hinsdale Ballet Theatre in Chicago. He was a principal dancer with Columbia City Ballet for 5 years, Pensacola Ballet, Carolina Ballet Theatre, he has now returned to South Carolina Ballet as principal dancer.

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

Grant Howard grew up in the small town of Cartersville, GA, where he explored his versatile love for dance at a young age in local talent shows, as well as a studio located 25 miles south of his hometown. Now twenty-four, he has graduated from Marymount Manhattan College, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Under the direction of dance department chair, now Chair of Fine Arts, Katie Langan, Grant has worked with numerous teachers, such as, Pedro Ruiz, Elena Commendador, Linda Celeste Sims, Kim Craven, and Flavio Salazar and performed works by Kyle Abraham, Chase Brock, Michael Mao, Jenn Freeman, and more. His most recent works include working with Rachel Truitt in her production, Catalyst by Admix Project of Atlanta and dancing the role of Snow King for Sugarloaf Performing Arts / Gwinnett Ballet Theater’s annual rendition of The Nutcracker.  

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

GBT Alumni 2016

“Armed Man - Mass for Peace”

GBT Alumni 2023

Mariona’s ballet journey began in 2009 at Studio D School of Dance, where she trained under the guidance of Ashley Barnes. Starting at the age of 4, her love for dance flourished as she honed her skills at the studio. In 2014, Mariona took the next step in her dance career by entering her apprentice year as a company member for Griffin Ballet Theater (GBT), where she trained with Ashley Barnes, Artistic Director, and Mitch, the Founder of the company.

Mariona’s passion for teaching blossomed in 2020 when she became a teaching assistant at Studio D School of Dance, working closely with Ashley Barnes. This experience sparked her desire to pursue a career in early childhood education. She graduated as an honors student from Griffin High School in 2022 and is now a sophomore at Georgia Southern University, where she is studying early childhood education. Mariona is currently balancing her online coursework while working, furthering both her education and her commitment to the dance community.

GBT Alumni 2021

Ema plays a dual role at Studio D School of Dance, serving as the studio's photographer and a substitute teacher. With a keen eye for capturing the beauty and grace of dance, she ensures that every performance and class is documented with stunning photography. Her versatility and dedication make her an invaluable substitute teacher, ready to step in and support the students whenever needed.

As the studio photographer, Ema specializes in capturing the essence of each dancer's journey from practice to performance. Her photos not only document the progress of our students but also highlight the vibrant and dynamic environment of Studio D. As a substitute teacher, Ema brings her passion for dance and extensive knowledge to each class, ensuring that the studio's high standards are always maintained.

Ema is currently enrolled at the University of West Georgia in the Speech-Language Pathology Program

Bryn Warren Davis began dancing at Alabama Dance Academy under the direction of Pamela Merkel. She attended several summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet on scholarship. At seventeen she accepted a full scholarship to train at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. The following year she accepted a contract with the Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) Professional Division under the direction of Peter Boal in Seattle. During her two years with PNB, she performed repertoire with the company including Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance), Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, George Balanchine’s Coppelia, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Bryn also originated roles in pieces by Steven Loch and Kyle Davis as a part of PNB’s Next Step choreographic program in addition to performing Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie with the PNB School. Since joining Alabama Ballet, some of Bryn’s favorite roles have included Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Arabian Coffee in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, and Green Girl in Balanchine’s Western Symphony. Bryn has had the pleasure of performing as Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and the title role in Cinderella as a Guest Artist with Griffin Ballet Theatre. Bryn graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience and Management and is married to fellow dancer Journy Wilkes Davis.

Born in Fort Hood, TX, Journy Wilkes Davis began his training at age fourteen under Shannon Greenberg and Dagoberto Nieves in Savannah, GA. During this time, he attended the Boston Ballet summer dance program on full scholarship. Afterwards, he joined the Signature dance ensemble in Rocky Mount, NC and continued his training under Cindy Mancini and Joseph Carow. In 2008, Journy joined the Columbia Classical Ballet under the direction of Radenko Pavlovich. In 2010, Journy moved to the Columbia City Ballet under the direction of William Starrett where he was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2012. Journy has been a guest artist with Anne Brodie’s Carolina Ballet, Hilton Head Dance Theatre, Coastal Ballet USA, Charleston City Ballet, Greensboro Ballet, USC Dance Company, and Montgomery Ballet and Griffin Ballet Theatre. Journy was a competitor in the first Boston International Ballet Competition in 2011 and attended the 2014 Jackson USA IBC as a non-competing partner. In 2016, Journy co-directed, choreographed, and danced in the H.E.R.O. Dance Benefit which partnered with Columbia Music Festival Association to bring professional dancers together for an evening of dance to support and honor our nation’s military. In 2016, Journy was awarded the South Carolina Art’s Commission Fellowship for Dance Performance. He was invited to dance with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet for their 2016 Season at the John F. Kennedy Center where the company performed Balanchine’s rarely seen Gounod Symphony. In 2017, he joined the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey, where he performed in Kirk Peterson’s Carmen, Tears of the Moon, Gerald Arpino’s Sea Shadow, Paul Taylor’s Airs, Septime Webre’s Fluctuating Hemlines, and Douglas Martin’s Rite of Spring.

Martin Justo, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, began dancing in 1999. He trained at the Quinte Ballet School in Canada and the School of Carolina Ballet Theatre (now known as DanceArts Greenville), where he built a strong foundation in classical ballet. Martin’s career has taken him around the world. He toured Uruguay with Carolina Ballet Theatre and performed as a guest artist in Fujinomiya, Japan, where he danced the pas de deux from famous ballets like Giselle, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake. Some of his standout roles include the Nutcracker Prince in Hernan Justo’s The Nutcracker, the Mad Scientist in Madeline Jazz’s Super Heroes, and the male soloist in A Tango for Angelina. He has also performed contemporary works like Dwight Rhoden’s Beatle Juice and Alonzo King’s Map. From 2015 to 2017, Martin was with Boulder Ballet, where he took on various roles in The Nutcracker and contemporary pieces like Stepping Out by Lance Hardin and Ana Claire. During a Mother’s Day show, he also performed in Peter Davidson’s American in Paris. Martin has played significant roles in Carolina Ballet Theatre’s productions over multiple seasons. In the 2021-2022 season, Martin played Zuniga in Carmen and participated in Hernan Justo’s Tangofusion. In the 2022-2023 season, he again performed as the Master of Ceremonies in Ghosts and the Mountaineer in Snow Princess. In the 2023-2024 season, he was the Master of Ceremonies in Ghosts, the Cavalier and Nutcracker Prince in The Nutcracker,  and the Principal Pirate in Pirate and the Princess.  Martin’s career reflects his dedication, versatility, and passion for dance as a performer and teacher.

James La Russa received his early years of training from Atlanta Ballet. He earned full scholarships to the training programs at the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education and the Australian Ballet School, as well as, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Orlando Ballet Summer Intensives. James earned his Bachelor of Arts in Dance & Movement Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Pre-Veterinary Medicine concentration at Emory University. While attending Emory, James guest performed with Atlanta Ballet, performed with the Emory Dance Company, and captained the Hip-Hop dance crew TrickaNomeTry (TNT). He was also hired into Atlanta’s staibdance as a company dancer and staged staibdance works for 8 years. James was selected as the RDA/Southeast Emerging Choreographer Scholarship Recipient in 2023 to attend the National Choreography Intensive for his original work, “Ascent”. At the 2024 RDA/National Festival, his work “Reverie” was selected as the only Emerging Piece to represent all of the RDA/Southeast Region.

GBT Alumni 2018

Elise began her theatrical training at thirteen in her hometown of Griffin, Georgia, studying dance and musical theatre at Studio D School of Dance. She was an active member of the local arts community, dancing with the Griffin Ballet Theatre, producing outreach shows and school productions, teaching dance and theatrical classes, and performing, choreographing, and stage managing for the Main Street Players. She graduated from Spalding High School with honors and the GADoE Fine Arts Diploma Seal in 2018.

Elise graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, where she was involved in almost all of the college's theatrical productions and received multiple awards for her work. She currently teaches middle school drama in Butts County.

Guest Actor

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