Lawrence Chen (he/him) grew up in Southern California, studying ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop from the age of thirteen under the care of Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky and their faculty. He went on to compete in the YAGP, placing in the Top 12 Pas De Deux in the New York Finals of 2014 as well as in the Top 3 soloist divisions at regional venues for several years. At Pomona College, Lawrence obtained a BA in chemistry with mathematics, took on collegiate ballroom, and performed as a principal dancer for the Inland Pacific Ballet under the watchful eye of Victoria Koenig. At OBC, he has performed as the deer in Graham Lustig’s Luna Mexicana, the titular role of The Nutcracker, and several other original works by choreographers including Caili Quan, Megan and Shannon Kurashige, and Phil Chan. In addition to dancing with the Oakland Ballet Company, Lawrence teaches ballet at Berkeley Ballet Theater, Conservatory of Classical Ballet, and Alameda Ballet Academy in addition to tutoring high school STEM subjects. Lawrence received an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance by an Individual for his work in OBC’s 22-23 season and was a contributing choreographer to OBC’s Angel Island Project. This is his sixth full season with the Oakland Ballet.

Katie Choi (she/her) raised in San Francisco, is a recent graduate of UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Prior to college, she received her training at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand. There, she had the opportunity to showcase her talents performing in renowned works such as Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker and Coppelia as well as Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance with a minor in Urban Studies. While at UC Irvine, she participated in numerous faculty and student works. Among the most notable were Giselle staged by Tong Wang, and George Balanchine’s Serenade, staged by Diane Diefenderfer and Zippora Karz. She was the recipient of the William Gillespie scholarship three years in a row. Outside of UCI, she had the opportunity to perform Tchaikovsky: The Love Letter and The White Feather alongside Tara Ghassemieh and Vitor Luiz.

Gabrielle Collins (she/her) originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, began her training at The Hartt School. In 2014 she joined Atlanta Ballet II and performed featured roles, including Marya in John McFall’s The Nutcracker, and appeared as a guest artist with The Atlanta Opera. Gabrielle joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2017, performing works by Helen Pickett, Ma Cong, and Jennifer Archibald, among others. In 2020, she danced the title role in Septime Webre’s Carmen with Dayton Ballet before joining Cincinnati Ballet that same year as a corps de ballet member. There, she performed works by notable choreographers including William Forsythe, Stephanie Martinez, Alejandro Cerrudo, and Cathy Marston. Gabrielle joined Smuin Ballet in 2023 and performed works including Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love, Justin Peck’s Partita, Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close, and many others. She most recently participated in the National Choregraphic Initiative for their final performance this past summer. Gabrielle is currently a freelance artist based in San Francisco and is excited to join Oakland Ballet for their productions of Luna Mexicana and Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker this year.

Alexander Griffith (he/him) welcomes his third season with Oakland Ballet. He began his training with the Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina before joining Rochester City Ballet in New York. There he danced the role of Quint in Salvatore Aiello’s Turn of the Screw as well as featured roles in their production of The Nutcracker. Since joining Oakland Ballet, Alex has been featured as Diego in Viva la Vida, Chocolate in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, and in the Dancing Moons Festival. He has appeared as a guest artist with San Jose Ballet, Ayako School of Ballet, and the Westlake School of Performing Arts. Alex finds teaching an enriching experience and has offered his expertise and training to adult and youth students in both private and group classes at various studios across the Bay Area.

Eden Magana (she/her) a Chicago native, began her dance training at the Chicago Multi Dance Center under the guidance of Homer Bryant. She spent two years at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, honing her craft with Randy Duncan and Patrick Samello, She continued her artistic growth by spending her final two years of high school as a Conservatory student at the Joffrey Ballet training with Karin Elis-Wentz and Raul Casasoula. There she originated the role of the Fountain in Amy Hall-Garner’s Rita Finds Home. She is a graduate of Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program and was a company member of Robert Mosses Kin’s 60th Anniversary season. She has had the privilege of collaborating with notable choreographers, including Nol Simonse, Aleks Perez, Christopher Marney and Erin Barnett. Eden has attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. This is her second season with Oakland Ballet.

Devon Martirez y McFarland (he/him) was born in San Francisco and raised in the East Bay, where he began his dance training at the age of 12. He studied at Berkeley Ballet Theatre and Idyllwild Arts Academy, developing a solid technical foundation and a broad artistic sensibility. In July 2025, Devon graduated with a BA in Modern Ballet from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. During his studies, he trained extensively in classical and contemporary techniques and worked with a range of distinguished artists. In his final year, he toured with Scottish Ballet as part of the 2024/25 production of The Nutcracker, gaining valuable professional performance experience. Devon has performed works by established choreographers including Krzysztof Pastor, Christopher Bruce, Christopher Hampson, and others. His work reflects a strong commitment to versatility and he continues to pursue opportunities that challenge him artistically and professionally. He is excited for the 2026 spring season of Oakland Ballet.

Jazmine Quezada (she/her) is from Ventura County, California where she began her ballet training at age 11 with Ventura County Ballet and was the first to receive the Ron Noblin Full Scholarship Award. Jazmine attended American Ballet Theater’s New York summer intensive in 2011 followed by the Joffrey Chicago International summer dance intensive on full scholarship. In 2016 she moved to San Francisco to continue her training on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School. There she performed with the San Francisco Ballet in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and in the leading role of Grace in Helgi Tomasson’s Meisten Mozart. Since joining the Oakland Ballet in 2018, she has performed the role of Luna in Luna Mexicana, the Sugar Plum Fairy in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, Frida Kahlo in Viva la Vida, Elaine Kudo’s Duet and Phil Chan’s Quartet from Exquisite Corpse, created roles in works by Caili Quan, and Megan and Shannon Kurashige, and appeared in the dance films Brief Encounter, In Plain Sight, and What I See. When not dancing at Oakland Ballet, you can find Jazmine at her ballet school, Tutu School Union City, twirling with her dancers.

Alyssa Viray (she/her) began her training at Westlake School for the Performing Arts where she performed the Sugar Plum Fairy, Princess Flora, and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, as well as Odile in Swan Lake. She received her BFA in Dance from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Program at Dominican University of California. During her time there she performed works by Gregory Dawson, Dexandro Montalvo, Kara Davis, Liv Schaffer, and Jay Carlon. She furthered her training at Orsolina’28 Nunes/Flock Intensive, BalletX Winter Intensive, and Modus Operandi Summer Intensive. Most recently, Alyssa danced with DawsonDanceSF, under the direction of Gregory Dawson where she performed the world premiere of The Joy Protocol in collaboration with Richard Howell and The Middle Period for the Tannery Winter Dance Festival and Black Choreographer’s Festival. Since joining the Oakland Ballet Company in 2024, she has performed in Luna Mexicana, Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, and the Dancing Moons Festival: Angel Island Project. This is her second season with Oakland Ballet.

Danielle Archuleta (she/her) is a dancer and choreographer originally from Littleton, Colorado. She received her early training at Belliston Academy of Ballet and attended summer intensives with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. She continued her pre-professional training at Miami City Ballet under Lourdes Lopez and Arantxa Ochoa, performing works such as Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Valse Fantaisie, and a principal role in Ballabile (from Napoli). After graduating, Danielle joined City Ballet of San Diego, performing Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and the role of Clara in Elizabeth Wistrich’s The Nutcracker. In 2019, she joined Ballet Austin II, dancing in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker and Joshua Manculich’s Menagerie. In 2021, she became a member of Zikr Dance Ensemble, performing soloist and principal roles in works by David Taylor and Tomm Ruud’s Mobile. In addition to her role as a dancer, she served as the company’s rehearsal assistant and ballet mistress. Now based in San Diego, Danielle is a freelance artist and founder of Dance for Climate, an initiative that merges art with environmental activism. She has performed as a guest artist with Central Oklahoma Ballet, Yellowstone Ballet, and AVID Dance Company, where she danced Gerald Arpino’s Confetti and an excerpt of Italian Suite. Danielle is currently an artist with The Rosin Box Project, under the direction of Carly Topazio, performing works by Emily Adams, Natasha Adorlee, Ching Ching Wong, Garrett Smith, Christian Denice, Jennifer Archibald, Adriana Pierce, and FLOCK.

*Genevieve Boyle (she/her) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She began her training at Salt Lake Dance Center before joining the Ballet West Academy. She attended high school at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts focusing on ballet and contemporary dance. After graduation, she moved to Chicago training at Ballet Chicago under the guidance of Patricia Blaire and Dan Duell. After a year, Genevieve was accepted into the Ballet Program at the University of Utah. There she performed Carmina Terra by Susan Jaffe, Sur le Fil by Penny Saunders, Carmen by Chun-Lin Tseng and Jay Kim, and Becoming by Sayoko Knode. She was chosen to perform in the Choreographic Institute at the University of Utah. During this time Genevieve worked with select choreographers from around the country on premiere pieces, including Christina Ghiardi, James Kopecky, and Jenelle Figgins. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2023 and joined Diablo Ballet where she has had the opportunity to perform in Coppélia, Romeo and Juliet by Penny Saunders, and Reflections by Gerald Arpino. An apprentice with Diablo Ballet since 2024, she has been promoted and will be a company member for the 2026-2027 season. This is her first Nutcracker with the Oakland Ballet.

*Appearing courtesy of Diablo Ballet

Ellis Broderick (she/her) was born in New York and raised in Bennington, Vermont. She spent her early years dancing at Berkshire Dance Theatre before attending Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program, where she had the opportunity to perform in productions of Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht and Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker with Boston Ballet’s main company. She then furthered her training at Ballet Academy East under Darla Hoover, performing in Bournonville’s Napoli and Balanchine’s Scherzo à la Russe. Ellis joined Ballet Austin’s trainee program and was later promoted to apprentice with the company, performing in classical renditions of Swan Lake, The Firebird, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While living in the Bay Area, Ellis has danced with New Ballet in San Jose and eMotion Arts. This is her third Nutcracker season with Oakland Ballet!

Vinnie Jones (she/her)is from Maine and began her training at Ballet Theater Workshop in Portsmouth, NH. She attended the University of Utah School of Dance on scholarship, earning a BFA. Professionally she has danced with San Diego Ballet, LaMov Compañia de Danza (Spain), and Ballet Tucson. Since moving to the Bay Area, she has performed with Smuin Ballet, Menlowe Ballet, Oceanica Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, and worked with choreographer Marika Brussel. Vinnie has performed soloist and principal roles in Serenade, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Carmina Burana, Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, and Firebird. While with LaMov Compañia de Danza she performed principal roles in contemporary versions of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and El Trovador as well as works by Victor Jimenez, Francisco Lorenzo, and Itzak Galili. In 2019 she co-founded em(body) dance project, where she choreographs, performs, and produces digital dance works. She creates contemporary solos and group works for elite dance competitions  Her dance films have been presented at festivals in the Bay Area, Chicago, and St. Louis. Vinnie is excited to be working with Oakland Ballet once again this year.

*Kyla Marcus (she/her) a San Francisco native, developed her love for movement and dance at an early age. After dabbling in multiple styles, she began her ballet training at Oakland Ballet School at age nine, before being invited to join San Francisco Ballet School at 13 under the leadership of Patrick Armand. During her four years there, she had the privilege of performing with the San Francisco Ballet company in Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein, Helgi Tomasson’s Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. In her senior year of high school, Kyla completed her pre-professional training at The Ballet School of San Francisco under the direction of Julianne Spratlin, Kristin Long, and Samantha Clark. Kyla joined Ballet Idaho in 2022 as a trainee and spent two seasons performing corps de ballet roles in George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Peter Anastos’ The Nutcracker, and Garrett Anderson & Anne Mueller’s Swan Lake, as well as original works by Penny Saunders, Joseph Hernandez, Quinn Wharton, Laura O’Malley, and others. Kyla joined Diablo Ballet in 2025, where she has performed in George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations, Julia Adam’s The Little Mermaid, The Nutcracker Suite, Penny Saunders’ Romeo & Juliet, and Lauren Jonas and Sean Kelly’s Coppélia. Kyla is thrilled to perform with Oakland Ballet again in their 2026 production of The Nutcracker!

*Appearing Courtesy of Diablo Ballet

Bio Coming Soon!

Connolly Strombeck (he/him) an Oakland native, trained at Academy of Ballet in SF and danced leading roles with Oakland Ballet, Company C Contemporary Ballet, and many others in the Bay and elsewhere. He currently teaches full time at the Academy as well as directing his own project-based contemporary dance company, Trivial Motion.

Brooke Wertwijn (she/her) is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer in the Bay Area. Originally from Minnesota, Brooke trained at Ashley Ballet Arts Academy. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Dance with a B.F.A. in Ballet, Ballet Studio Teaching Certificate, and Business Minor. Brooke was a member of SALT Contemporary Dance’s Pre-Professional Training Company and was a Trainee at Ballet Idaho. She performed as a Company Artist with San Jose Dance Theatre for the 2022-2024 seasons and served as the Academy Director in 2024. Brooke has performed internationally in the Czech Republic, South Korea, and Italy. She is currently dancing with Natasha Carlitz Dance Ensemble and Hao Expression Dance Company. She has previously performed with Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, eMotion Arts Dance, and Broadway South Bay. Brooke has taught at schools in Minnesota, Utah, Idaho, and California. She is an ABT Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training for levels Pre-Primary through Level 3. Her choreography has been presented at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Cathedral Dance Festival, American College Dance Association’s Northwest Conference, SHAPE Choreography Festival, University of Utah Ballet Showcase, The Ballet Alliance Festival, and Zohar Performance Series.