Nutcracker (Snow King & Arabian)

Andrés Castillo, born in Cali, Colombia, began dancing when he was just 9 years old at INCOLBALLET. He worked hard for 8 years and, at 17, started performing with the professional company internationally. He danced all over the world with the  Colombian Ballet Company (INCOLBALLET), impressing audiences in countries like Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, and many others. In 2013, he decided to try his luck in the USA to grow as an artist. Since then, he’s had a successful career, performing with companies like Ballet San Antonio from 2015 to 2018 and, most recently, with the Alabama Ballet from 2018 to 2025. He has played important roles like Basilio in Don Quixote, the Cavalier in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Albrecht in Giselle and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, earning lots of praise. Andres’s 18-year journey as a professional dancer was filled with collaborations with talented choreographers and mentors like Annabel Lopez Ochoa, Dominic Walsh, Darla Hoover, Norbe Risco and more. He even received recognition from the American Guild of Musical Artists for his exceptional talent. His story is an inspiration in the world of dance, and he continues to make his mark.

GHOSTS (Pre Show)

NUTCRACKER (Snow Queen & Arabian)

LOVE PROJECT (TBA)

GBT Alumni 2016

GHOSTS (Master of Ceremonies)

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.  

Nutcracker - Sugar Plum

Lilit Hogtanian, a Los Angeles native, started her training with Yuri Grigoriev. At the age of 15, was featured in Los Angeles Times ‘Face to Watch’ following her performances as Clara for Los Angeles Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. She was a semi-finalist in the Prix de Lausanne and won first place in the contemporary and classical category of the Youth American Grand Prix, Long Beach, Ca. Lilit graduated from Academie Princesse Grace on full scholarship and went on to work as a professional dancer at the Slovak National Theatre, Ballet Memphis, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and State Street Ballet. She has performed soloist and principal roles in various classical and contemporary productions including Nikiya in La Bayadere, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Nacho Duato’s Coming Together, Square Dance by George Balanchine, and Cupid and Kitri’s Friends in Don Quixote.

GHOSTS (Ghosts)

NUTCRACKER ( Candy Cane Lead)

LOVE PROJECT

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.

Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Cavalier)

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.

NUTCRACKER ( Aunt & Mouse King )

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

Nutcracker ( Soldier Doll, Nutcracker, & Spanish)

Andrew is originally from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and began his ballet training under Judith Koeckoven. He has participated in summer programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Rock School for Dance Education. While attending the Rock School’s summer program, Andrew was invited to join the year-round program with a full-tuition scholarship. During his time at the Rock School, Andrew received training from esteemed directors Bo and Stephanie Spassoff, as well as a diverse range of ballet masters including Telmo Moriera and Justin Allen. Andrew then furthered his training at Koltun Ballet Boston, where he had the privilege of dancing under the guidance of Alexandra Koltun and Alex Lapshin. While at Koltun Andrew got to perform excerpts from Paquita, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, and Raymonda. Afterwards Andrew joined Ballet Arkansas where he performed as Dracula in Dracula, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake, and also performed in Sir David Bintley’s Galanteries, and Gerland Arpino’s Reflections.

Nutcracker (Drosselmeyer)

Guest Actor