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LEADERSHIP
Photo by Ernesto Linnemann
Nina Yoshida-Webster
Founder and Artistic Director, Dancer
Instagram: @ninaballerina98
Nina Yoshida-Webster founded Renaissance Ballet Collective (RBC) in 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island. A professional ballet dancer with over ten years of experience in the professional ballet community, Nina trained in New York City with world-renowned principal ballerina, Gelsey Kirkland. She also trained under the instruction of master teachers Vera Solovieva, Nikolai Levitsky, Lyubov Fominih, and Martha Yoshida. Nina has performed as a principal artist with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, Ballet Rhode Island (formerly Festival Ballet Providence), and Asian American Ballet Project. She also holds a BA in dance performance from St. Mary's College of California's LEAP Program.
Nina has performed a vast repertoire in the classical and neoclassical realm, which includes Kitri in Don Quixote, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty; Maria in Cavalry Halt; Columbine in Harlequinade; Lead Bacchanal in Walpurgisnacht; Jumping Girl in George Balanchine's Who Cares?; and the Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker. She is thrilled to be bringing RBC's vision to life for the Providence and greater Rhode Island community, both as a director and a dancer!
David DuBois
Artistic Coach and Character Artist
Instagram: @ddubois23
David DuBois began his formal dance training at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts in Florida, winning first place in modern dance at the Youth America Grand Prix. After studying at the Boston Conservatory, he launched his two-decade professional career in 2003 with Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre, later returning to dance numerous principal roles alongside his wife, Kristy DuBois.
David’s extensive career includes tenures with Island Moving Company—where he originated the title role in Dracula—and the American Repertory Ballet, notably starring as Romeo in Romeo & Juliet. In 2015, he joined Festival Ballet Providence (now BalletRI), performing a vast repertoire including Balanchine’s Serenade and Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June. Following his retirement from full-time dancing in 2022, David continues his long-standing passion for teaching dance and continuing to explore new artistic opportunities.
Kristy DuBois
Artistic Coach, Production and Administrative Manager
Instagram: @kristyannedubois
Kristy DuBois (she/her) began studying ballet and other forms of dance at an early age in southern New Jersey, and upon graduating high school entered the Ailey School/Fordham University joint BFA program to expand her dance knowledge. During her 15 year career as a professional dancer, Ms. DuBois danced with the Richmond Ballet, Newport Contemporary Ballet (formerly Island Moving Company), Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, Providence Ballet Theatre, and Ballet RI (formerly Festival Ballet Providence).
Kristy has originated roles in many ballets including “Lucy” for Miki Ohlsen’s critically-acclaimed Dracula while with Island Moving Company and other original works by Colin Conner, Scott Putman, Kelly Ann Sloan, Mary Ellen Beaudreau, Colleen Cavanaugh, and Eva Marie Pacheco. She has performed Principal and Soloist roles in many classical ballets including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, and her Balanchine repertoire includes Valse Fantasie, Allegro Brilliante, Rubies, and Serenade. Ms. DuBois competed in and was named a finalist at the 2011 Sibiu International Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition in Sibiu, Romania with her husband, David DuBois. Since retiring from her professional dance career, Ms. DuBois finds fulfillment teaching the next generation of young dancers, and is currently on faculty at Project 31 in Rockland, MA; Dancing Arts Center in Holliston, MA; and is a sought-after master teacher throughout the New England area.
Photo by Exclusive Image
Photo by Ian Travis Barnard
Leticia Guerrero
Artistic Coach
Instagram: @lalechuguita2
A native of Venezuela, Leticia Guerrero received her early ballet training at the Keyla Ermecheo Ballet School in Caracas before embarking on an accomplished international performing career. She has performed with Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, Metropolitan Ballet of Caracas, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Michigan Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, José Mateo's Ballet Theatre, and Cadence Dance Project.
Throughout her career, Ms. Guerrero performed principal and featured roles in both classical and contemporary repertoire. Her repertoire includes Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, Rubies, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Tarantella, and Who Cares?, as well as leading roles in Swan Lake and Eldar Aliev's A Thousand and One Nights. She also originated roles in works by Gianni DiMarco, Viktor Plotnikov, and other distinguished choreographers. In recognition of her artistic achievements, she was honored during the 2004 Venezuela del Mundo Gala for representing Venezuela internationally with "projection, dignity, and beauty," and received a Citizens Citation from former Providence Mayor David Cicilline for her exceptional dedication to the art of dance.
Following her retirement from the stage, Ms. Guerrero devoted her career to educating and mentoring the next generation of dancers. With more than two decades of experience as a ballet educator, artistic coach, choreographer, and rehearsal director, she is recognized for her ability to cultivate strong classical technique while inspiring artistry, musicality, discipline, and confidence in her students.
Since 2011, Ms. Guerrero has worked with Wheaton College Dance Company as Choreographer, Rehearsal Director, and Artistic Coach. She also teaches ballet at Elite Academy of Dance, where she continues to mentor dancers of all ages and levels. Ms. Guerrero is honored to join the Renaissance Ballet Collective as an Artistic Coach and is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside founder and director Nina Yoshida in supporting and inspiring the next generation of artists.
Artistic Staff
Hayley Donahue
Instagram: @hayhay514
Hayley Donahue is a professional ballet dancer and trainee with Ballet RI, known for her versatility, artistry, and strong classical foundation. She has trained with prestigious institutions including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, and The Washington School of Ballet. Hayley has performed in a wide range of classical and contemporary works, including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Coppélia, Giselle, La Sylphide, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Her repertoire includes corps de ballet, soloist, and featured character roles such as Seguidilla in Don Quixote, Ballerina Doll in The Nutcracker, and the Sylph in La Sylphide. She has worked with acclaimed directors and teachers including Kathleen Breen Combes, Peter Boal, Erica Cornejo, Carlos Molina, and Yury Yanowsky.
2026 Dancers
Brian Gomez
Instagram: @briangomez_24
Born in Cuba, Brian trained under Fernando Alonso at the National Ballet School in Cuba, graduating with honors. After receiving his diploma, he began his professional career at the National Ballet of Cuba. Brian has performed as a principal dancer all over the world with companies such as the Municipal Ballet of Lima in Peru, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, and Ballet Rhode Island, and as a guest principal artist with International Ballet Company, Columbia Classical Ballet, and and LifeChance Gala of the stars.
Brian's principal repertoire includes Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Coppélia, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere, and La Fille Mal Gardée, and his Balanchine repertoire includes the principal roles in Who Cares? and Allegro Brilliante.
Emma Halter
Instagram: @emma.halter
Emma Halter began her ballet training at The Portland School of Ballet in Maine. In 2021, she was invited to attend The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, where she trained during her junior and senior years of high school. While at Nutmeg, she performed roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Sylph in La Sylphide, and the Wedding Pas de Deux in The Sleeping Beauty.
Emma joined BalletRI as a trainee in 2023 and has since performed soloist and corps roles in BalletRI’s Made on Hope, Peter and the Wolf, and Yury Yanowsky’s The Nutcracker. She is excited to be part of Renaissance Ballet Collective’s inaugural season!
Photo by Eva Nys
Anjali Hern
Instagram: @anjalihern
Anjali began her ballet training at age 3 in Los Angeles, California. She later trained at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, and attended summer programs at Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In 2021, she joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's graduate program, where she trained for two seasons and performed with the company in ballets such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.
Anjali joined Ballet RI in 2023, and is currently an apprentice with the company. Over the past three seasons, she has performed both corps and soloist roles in ballets such as Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante. Anjali is excited to be dancing in Renaissance Ballet Collective's inaugural performance.
Nia Lessard
Instagram: @niagracelessard
Nia was raised in Framingham MA and began her ballet training with Boston Ballet School at 4 years old. After graduating from Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s Profession Division in 2022, Nia has danced as an Apprentice with Grand Rapids Ballet in Grand Rapids Michigan, as well as at BalletRI in Providence, RI for the past three years. Apart from dancing professionally, Nia is also pursuing a degree in Deaf Studies through Bristol Community College, and is currently working as a summer camp counselor.
AJ Maio
Instagram: @a.m_j08
AJ Maio began his ballet training with The School of Ballet RI (Formerly Festival Ballet Providence) under the direction of Mihailo Djuric and Mary Ann Meyer. He had the privilege of performing in company productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid as a student. In 2018, AJ attended the University of Utah and graduated with a B.F.A. in Ballet and a B.A. in Russian. While there, he performed lead roles from Le Corsaire, Carmen, Raymonda, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Vivandiere, Paquita, and La Fille Mal Gardée, as well as participating in international gala performances in Estonia and South Korea.
AJ Joined Ballet RI in 2022 as an apprentice and was promoted to the main company in 2023. He has performed in Yury Yanowsky’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty as well as Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante. AJ has also trained with the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and now teaches character dance at the School of Ballet RI.
Garret McNally
Instagram: @@gsmcnally
Garret grew up in New Orleans and started taking ballet when he was 3 years old. In high school, he studied ballet at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He earned a bachelor’s in history at the University of New Orleans while dancing professionally at New Orleans Ballet Theater. Since then, Garret has danced professionally with Richmond Ballet and Ballet Rhode Island.
Garret has performed a wide variety of classical and contemporary repertoire including the Prince in Cinderella, Basilio in Don Quixote, Iago in the Moors Pavane, and Cavalier and Snow King in The Nutcracker. In addition Garret was a background dancer in the Netflix original “Tall Girl 2” as well as TNT’s “Claws."
Massiel Valderrama
Instagram: @massiel1909
Born in Venezuela, Massiel received her training at the Maria Teresa Alford School. In 2017, she joined the Ballet Teresa Carreño, and in 2018 moved to Peru to become part of the Ballet Municipal de Lima, where she stood out in soloist roles for four seasons.
In 2021, Massiel relocated to Miami to dance with Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami for two seasons. In 2023, she joined Ballet Rhode Island, performing with the company for two seasons. She is currently in her second year as an independent dancer.
Massiel's repertoire includes classical and contemporary works such as La Fille Mal Gardée, Coppélia, Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Light Rain (Gerald Arpino), Juanita y Alicia (Septime Webre), Balance (Jimmy Orrante), Adiemus (Yanis Pikieris), Cinderella (Yury Yanowsky), and The Death and the Maiden (Ken Ossola and Yury Yanowsky).
Adele Walden
Instagram: @m.adele.w
Adele Walden trained pre-professionally at International Ballet Academy in her hometown, Cary, NC. She has danced professionally with Ballet Idaho and Ballet Rhode Island. Adele has performed classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works from Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, John Lam, Yury Yanowsky, and Peter Anastos.
Adele graduated cum laude from University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BA in Liberal Studies. She is also ABT Certified for Pre-Primary through Level 3 and has choreographed for Ballet RI's Made on Hope series as well as their children's ballet series.
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