Company Dancers

2024 – 2025 Season

Luna Mexicana

Click on an image to view each dancer’s bio.

Lawrence	Bio:
	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 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. In addition to dancing with the Oakland Ballet Company, Lawrence teaches ballet and tutors high school STEM subjects. At OBC, he has performed the deer dance in Graham Lustig’s Luna Mexicana and in the title role of The Nutcracker as well as featured roles in new works by choreographers Seyong Kim, Shiori Kamijo, Grayson McGuire, Caili Quan, Megan and Shannon Kurashige, and Phil Chan, a co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface. Lawrence received an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance by an individual for his work in OBC’s 22-23 season and is a contributing choreographer to OBC’s Angel Island Project. This is his third full season with the Oakland Ballet.

Lawrence

Bio:

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 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. In addition to dancing with the Oakland Ballet Company, Lawrence teaches ballet and tutors high school STEM subjects. At OBC, he has performed the deer dance in Graham Lustig’s Luna Mexicana and in the title role of The Nutcracker as well as featured roles in new works by choreographers Seyong Kim, Shiori Kamijo, Grayson McGuire, Caili Quan, Megan and Shannon Kurashige, and Phil Chan, a co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface. Lawrence received an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance by an individual for his work in OBC’s 22-23 season and is a contributing choreographer to OBC’s Angel Island Project. This is his third full season with the Oakland Ballet.

Lawrence Chen

Karina	Bio:
	Karina Eimon (she/her) is from the Bay Area and trained with Ayako School of Ballet. Under the tutelage of Ayako Takahashi, she placed in the top three of YAGP SF for five consecutive years. In 2014 during her senior year of high school, she was invited to compete in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was offered a trainee contract with Ballet Memphis. From there, she joined Milwaukee Ballet II then danced with Colorado Ballet. Karina joined Oakland Ballet in 2019 and has performed the Princess in Phil Chan’s Ballet des Porcelaines, featured roles in Jangala, Luna Mexicana, and The Nutcracker, as well as works by Benjamin Briones, Seyong Kim, Alyah Baker, Sean Dorsey, and Bobby Briscoe. Passionate about sharing her love of dance and movement, Karina is a ballet teacher and certified GYROTONIC® instructor.

Karina

Bio:

Karina Eimon (she/her) is from the Bay Area and trained with Ayako School of Ballet. Under the tutelage of Ayako Takahashi, she placed in the top three of YAGP SF for five consecutive years. In 2014 during her senior year of high school, she was invited to compete in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was offered a trainee contract with Ballet Memphis. From there, she joined Milwaukee Ballet II then danced with Colorado Ballet. Karina joined Oakland Ballet in 2019 and has performed the Princess in Phil Chan’s Ballet des Porcelaines, featured roles in Jangala, Luna Mexicana, and The Nutcracker, as well as works by Benjamin Briones, Seyong Kim, Alyah Baker, Sean Dorsey, and Bobby Briscoe. Passionate about sharing her love of dance and movement, Karina is a ballet teacher and certified GYROTONIC® instructor.

Karina Eimon

Alexander	Bio:
	Alexander Griffith (he/him) comes to Oakland Ballet from Rochester City Ballet, with over a decade of training from Charlotte Ballet. He also attended Northwest School of the Arts where he received several nominations and honors. Some of his early roles include Fritz and the Nutcracker Prince in Charlotte Ballet’s annual production of the Nutcracker, as well as Jean Pierre Bonnefoux’s Gopak in Act II. Other favorite pieces from his time in Charlotte include the Blue Bird variation from Sleeping Beauty and Albrect’s variation from Giselle. As a professional, Alexander performed as Quint in Salvatore Aiello’s Turn of the Screw at the Rochester Fringe Festival. With Rochester City Ballet, he danced Cavalier, Russian, Rat King and Dr Stahlbaum in the Nutcracker as well as Francois in Mark Diamond’s Moulon d’Paris, and Jared Allen’s Into the Blue. Now, he is tremendously excited for the opportunity to dance with Oakland Ballet where he hopes to continue his artistic growth and provide a positive contribution to the company.

Alexander

Bio:

Alexander Griffith (he/him) comes to Oakland Ballet from Rochester City Ballet, with over a decade of training from Charlotte Ballet. He also attended Northwest School of the Arts where he received several nominations and honors. Some of his early roles include Fritz and the Nutcracker Prince in Charlotte Ballet’s annual production of the Nutcracker, as well as Jean Pierre Bonnefoux’s Gopak in Act II. Other favorite pieces from his time in Charlotte include the Blue Bird variation from Sleeping Beauty and Albrect’s variation from Giselle. As a professional, Alexander performed as Quint in Salvatore Aiello’s Turn of the Screw at the Rochester Fringe Festival. With Rochester City Ballet, he danced Cavalier, Russian, Rat King and Dr Stahlbaum in the Nutcracker as well as Francois in Mark Diamond’s Moulon d’Paris, and Jared Allen’s Into the Blue. Now, he is tremendously excited for the opportunity to dance with Oakland Ballet where he hopes to continue his artistic growth and provide a positive contribution to the company.

Alexander Griffith

Vinnie	Bio:
	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 Menlowe Ballet, Oceanica Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, Trivial Motion, and worked with choreographer Marika Brussel. Vinnie has performed soloist and principal roles in Serenade, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Carmina Burana, The Nutcracker, 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 Jimenea, Francisco Lorenzo, and Itak Galili. In 2019 she co-founded em(body) dance project, where she choreographs, performs, and produces digital dance works. Her choreography has been presented in Utah, Arizona, California, Chicago, St. Louis, Mexico, and Spain, as well as in the Bay Area. She creates contemporary solos and group works for elite dance competitions including Youth America Grand Prix and the California Dance Classics. Her dance films have been presented at festivals in the Bay Area, Chicago, and St. Louis.

Vinnie

Bio:

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 Menlowe Ballet, Oceanica Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, Trivial Motion, and worked with choreographer Marika Brussel. Vinnie has performed soloist and principal roles in Serenade, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Carmina Burana, The Nutcracker, 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 Jimenea, Francisco Lorenzo, and Itak Galili. In 2019 she co-founded em(body) dance project, where she choreographs, performs, and produces digital dance works. Her choreography has been presented in Utah, Arizona, California, Chicago, St. Louis, Mexico, and Spain, as well as in the Bay Area. She creates contemporary solos and group works for elite dance competitions including Youth America Grand Prix and the California Dance Classics. Her dance films have been presented at festivals in the Bay Area, Chicago, and St. Louis.

Vinnie Jones

Logan	Bio:
	Logan Martin (they/them), is a trans non-binary individual from Silverdale, WA. Logan trained at Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy and has danced professionally with Pennsylvania Ballet and Ballet West. In 2017 they stepped away from performing to honor themself and to focus on their mental health. They returned to dance in January 2022, performing as a guest artist with various companies and schools in the Salt Lake City area. Logan joined Oakland Ballet Company with excitement in Fall of 2022 and has performed the Cavalier in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, the Sorcerer in Phil Chan’s Ballet des Porcelaines, Duet from Exquisite Corpse by Phil Chan, Guardians by Graham Lustig, Boots by Grayson McGuire and Shiori Kamijo, and Club LC by Bobby Briscoe.

Logan

Bio:

Logan Martin (they/them), is a trans non-binary individual from Silverdale, WA. Logan trained at Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy and has danced professionally with Pennsylvania Ballet and Ballet West. In 2017 they stepped away from performing to honor themself and to focus on their mental health. They returned to dance in January 2022, performing as a guest artist with various companies and schools in the Salt Lake City area. Logan joined Oakland Ballet Company with excitement in Fall of 2022 and has performed the Cavalier in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, the Sorcerer in Phil Chan’s Ballet des Porcelaines, Duet from Exquisite Corpse by Phil Chan, Guardians by Graham Lustig, Boots by Grayson McGuire and Shiori Kamijo, and Club LC by Bobby Briscoe.

Logan Martin

Micah	Bio:
	Micah’s bio coming soon!

Micah Moch

Jazmine	Bio:
	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.

Jazmine

Bio:

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.

Jazmine Quezada

Ashley	Bio:
	Ashley Thopiah (they/she/he) holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University. Their dance training began at the Christine Rich Dance Academy and was further honed through summer programs at State Street Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. At Butler, Ashley took on various roles including corps, soloist, and principal in productions such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadere, Cinderella, and George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments. As a choreographer, Ashley has created two significant works for Butler University’s dance department: Jyoti and Ekta. These pieces intertwine modern dance with Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, reflecting the dual aspects of their identity. In the summer of 2018, Ekta was performed at the National Opera House in Warsaw, Poland, and traveled to Prague, Krakow, Poznan, and Bratislava. Since joining Oakland Ballet in 2019, Ashley has made notable contributions, including creating the role of Coffee in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker and performing in works such as Caili Quan’s Layer Upon Layer, Alyah Baker’s 4 Parts Jazz, Graham Lustig’s Dialogues, and Seyong Kim’s Duet from Exquisite Corpse. They are also a contributing choreographer for OBC’s Angel Island Project, collaborating with distinguished artists Natasha Adore, Ye Feng, Elaine Kudo, Phil Chan, and Lawrence Chen.

Ashley

Bio:

Ashley Thopiah (they/she/he) holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University. Their dance training began at the Christine Rich Dance Academy and was further honed through summer programs at State Street Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. At Butler, Ashley took on various roles including corps, soloist, and principal in productions such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadere, Cinderella, and George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments. As a choreographer, Ashley has created two significant works for Butler University’s dance department: Jyoti and Ekta. These pieces intertwine modern dance with Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, reflecting the dual aspects of their identity. In the summer of 2018, Ekta was performed at the National Opera House in Warsaw, Poland, and traveled to Prague, Krakow, Poznan, and Bratislava. Since joining Oakland Ballet in 2019, Ashley has made notable contributions, including creating the role of Coffee in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker and performing in works such as Caili Quan’s Layer Upon Layer, Alyah Baker’s 4 Parts Jazz, Graham Lustig’s Dialogues, and Seyong Kim’s Duet from Exquisite Corpse. They are also a contributing choreographer for OBC’s Angel Island Project, collaborating with distinguished artists Natasha Adore, Ye Feng, Elaine Kudo, Phil Chan, and Lawrence Chen.

Ashley Thopiah

Nicole	Bio:
	Nicole Townsend (she/her) was born in San Jose, California. She began dancing at age 2 and began formal ballet training at Ballet San Jose at age 7. Her training continued at City Ballet School in San Francisco. After a Summer Intensive on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nicole was accepted into their Professional Division Program. While there, she had the opportunity to perform with the company in The Nutcracker. She joined the Second Company of Kansas City Ballet where she performed Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker, Michael Pink’s Dracula and Septime Webre’s Wizard of Oz. She was awarded a full scholarship to Paris Opera Ballet Summer Intensive, was a recipient of the American Friends of Paris Opera Ballet Scholarship, and studied at the Dutch National Summer Program in Amsterdam. Since joining Oakland Ballet,, Nicole has performed the principal role of Marie in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, Phil Chan’s Duet from Exquisite Corpse, Mixtecas by Benjamin Briones, Luna Mexicana and Uncertain Steps, by Graham Lustig, and Natasha Adorlee’s Last Chinaman on theTitanic for the Angel Island Project. In 2024, Nicole received an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance for her work in OBC’s Rainbow Dances. She is happy to return to Oakland Ballet for her third season.

Nicole

Bio:

Nicole Townsend (she/her) was born in San Jose, California. She began dancing at age 2 and began formal ballet training at Ballet San Jose at age 7. Her training continued at City Ballet School in San Francisco. After a Summer Intensive on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nicole was accepted into their Professional Division Program. While there, she had the opportunity to perform with the company in The Nutcracker. She joined the Second Company of Kansas City Ballet where she performed Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker, Michael Pink’s Dracula and Septime Webre’s Wizard of Oz. She was awarded a full scholarship to Paris Opera Ballet Summer Intensive, was a recipient of the American Friends of Paris Opera Ballet Scholarship, and studied at the Dutch National Summer Program in Amsterdam. Since joining Oakland Ballet,, Nicole has performed the principal role of Marie in Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker, Phil Chan’s Duet from Exquisite Corpse, Mixtecas by Benjamin Briones, Luna Mexicana and Uncertain Steps, by Graham Lustig, and Natasha Adorlee’s Last Chinaman on theTitanic for the Angel Island Project. In 2024, Nicole received an Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Performance for her work in OBC’s Rainbow Dances. She is happy to return to Oakland Ballet for her third season.

Nicole Townsend

Alyssa	Bio:
	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. This is her first season with Oakland Ballet.

Alyssa

Bio:

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. This is her first season with Oakland Ballet.

Alyssa Viray

Company PT

Charissa	Bio:
	Charissa Chaban, DPT, OCS, ATC, NCPT is a Physical Therapist at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine in Walnut Creek and a former dancer with Oakland Ballet Company. She has worked the majority of her 20 year PT career in orthopedics and sports injury settings, with a love of working with dancers of all ages and experience. Having trained in and performed ballet as a child through professional level, and with her training in Pilates, she brings a focus on movement quality, control, precision, and stability into injury rehabilitation. She looks at each patient as an individual, and tailors their treatment to their own body abilities, functional needs, and goals. In 2012 she became PT board certified as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. She received her Pilates Rehabilitation Certification from Polestar Pilates in 2010. And prior, in 2004, she attained her Athletic Training Certification through working with the athletes and dancers at UC Irvine. Charissa received her BA in Dance and BS in Biological Sciences with a Physiology specialization from UC Irvine, her Masters in Physical Therapy from CSU Fresno, and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Western University of Health Sciences. Click here to go to her website.

Charissa

Bio:

Charissa Chaban, DPT, OCS, ATC, NCPT is a Physical Therapist at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine in Walnut Creek and a former dancer with Oakland Ballet Company. She has worked the majority of her 20 year PT career in orthopedics and sports injury settings, with a love of working with dancers of all ages and experience. Having trained in and performed ballet as a child through professional level, and with her training in Pilates, she brings a focus on movement quality, control, precision, and stability into injury rehabilitation. She looks at each patient as an individual, and tailors their treatment to their own body abilities, functional needs, and goals. In 2012 she became PT board certified as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. She received her Pilates Rehabilitation Certification from Polestar Pilates in 2010. And prior, in 2004, she attained her Athletic Training Certification through working with the athletes and dancers at UC Irvine. Charissa received her BA in Dance and BS in Biological Sciences with a Physiology specialization from UC Irvine, her Masters in Physical Therapy from CSU Fresno, and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Western University of Health Sciences.

Click here to go to her website.

Charissa Chaban, DPT, OCS, ATC, NCPT

Company Dancers

2024 – 2025 Season

Luna Mexicana

Click on an image to view each dancer’s bio.

Company PT

About

More

Sign Up For Our Mailing List
Use the form below to sign up for the OBC mailing list to keep track of performances and other events.
Email Address

First Name

Last Name