Performing Artists

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 Yazmine Akamine is a passion-driven Venezuelan/Japanese-American dance artist from northern Kentucky. She is currently in her third year at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she intends to receive a B.F.A in Contemporary Dance. Recently, a dance artist with the Rhode Island Women’s Choreographic project, she performed new works by upcoming female choreographers. She continues to supplement her training at various dance intensives with Ballet Hispanico, Gibney Dance, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. Previously a trainee with the Sacramento Ballet, she performed classical ballet and contemporary ballet repertoire under the direction of Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp. She has received year-round training from professional programs including Orlando Ballet Academy and Cary Ballet Conservatory under the direction of Marielena Ruiz. This Yazmine 1st Season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre

 Isabelle “Izzi” King was born and raised in New Jersey and began their dance journey at age two. They trained in tap, ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and musical theater at Anita Ehrler’s Dance Extensions. (AEDE). King also participated in regional and national dance competitions with AEDE for eight years. Izzi is a 2022 graduate of Wheaton College (MA) with a Cum Laude honors in Sociology and minors in Psychology and Dance. At Wheaton, Izzi experienced working with choreographers such as Andy Taylor-Blennis & Diane Arvantines. King was also a recipient of the Departmental Award of Honors in Theater and Dance Studies for the class of 2022. As well as a three-time nominee and finalist for the Eleanor Augusta Norcross Leadership in the Arts Award. Wheaton has also asked them back to set works on their Dance Company and choreograph their main stage production of RENT. Since graduation, King has joined Urbanity Dance as a member of their professional company and faculty and teaches at multiple studios in the greater Boston area. Izzi has had the pleasure of working with choreographers, Shura Baryshnikov, Rachel Linksy, & Jenny Oliver on local projects since moving to Boston. This Izzi's 2nd season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre

 Holly Stone (they/them) is an interdisciplinary alchemist creating dance and theater in the Greater Boston area. Currently teaching at Tufts University, their movement backgrounds in ballet, contemporary, and ballroom dance allow them to move seamlessly between genres and to challenge expectations of gender and partnership. Their recent gender-expansive partnering collaboration–INSIDER BALLROOM–with Michael Winward has been presented at the Boston Open and at the Providence Fringe Festival.  Holly’s original story ballet THE QUEEN OF NORI has been presented at Starlight Stage, Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, Boston Center for the Arts, & Paliku Theatre in Hawaii. Holly was also the Resident Choreographer for Wanderlust Theatre, and has created dance films for festivals internationally. Recent theater credits include CATS for Quincy Musical Theatre, A NEW BRAIN for FSU Theatre, CANDIDE for FSU Opera, and an immersive horror production with Boston Opera Collaborative. Holly believes in the power of ‘what if’ and is a master schemer, organizer, and storyteller. They have a B.S. in Bioengineering and Neuroscience from Syracuse University and an MFA in Dance from Florida State University, where their master’s thesis work focused on synthesizing modes of thinking as engineer and artist.  This Holly's first season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre

In her 2nd season dancing with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre, Dara Nicole Capley is also a choreographer, and educator based in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts. Originally from Florida, where she received early training with Gloria Gaither before moving on to Peter Stark and Ivonne Lemus at Next Generation Ballet at Patel Conservatory. Dara found freelance work for a year with Brandon Ballet and The Sarasota Opera before dancing in Nashville Ballet’s second company for two years. Dara joined Festival Ballet Providence in 2015 under the direction of Mihailo Djuric. During her time with Festival Ballet Providence, Dara performed works by Yury Yanowsky, Mary Ellen Beaudreau, Christopher Huggins, George Balanchine, José Limón, and many others. Dara has also originated soloist roles for Viktor Plotnikov, Ty Parmenter, and Katherine Bickford.  As a way of broadening her knowledge and approach to dance, Dara sought out education from teachers and choreographers such as Dominic Walsh, Gina Patterson, Banning Bouldin, Jennifer Archibald, Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, Marcus Schulkind, Jun Kuribayashi, Jennifer Nugent, and Kurt Douglas. 

In Spring 2019, Dara choreographed her first piece, Vivisection, for the Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project. Dara fell quickly in love with this form of expression and was fortunate enough to receive multiple choreographic commissions, such as, "The Noonwraith", made entirely over Zoom as Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s emerging choreographer, The Yawn commissioned by Festival Ballet Providence’s School, placed in Youth America Grand Prix’s Boston top twelve. "Into Reality" commissioned by Revolve Dance Project and accompanied by singer-songwriter Chrissy Stewart. a trio titled "what will you take with you?"  second time commissioned by Revolve Dance Project in 2022 accompanied by folk band Laden Valley, reviewed in Dance Informa by Kathryn Boland.  "f..-.r.-.o---n -.t-i..e.r.-". premiered in Atlanta, GA, in March 2022. And “Like He Gets to Love Her.”  a music video for Mel Fine’s in 2023. Dara’s choreography has been presented by The Waterfire Arts Organization, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, AS220 Virtual Gallery, The Dance Complex, Dance Canvas, and the Somerville Arts Council. 

Currently, Dara works as a freelance dancer for Abilities Dance Boston, Jessi Stegall, and other self-produced works, while continuing her choreography and teaching for Franklin School for the Performing Arts, and Midday Movement Series. Dara is fascinated by all forms of human expression and seeks to make art that explores the simultaneous majesty and mundane of being human. 

  Aileen Leon-Echeverria is a Boston based freelance contemporary dancer and arts administrator. Originally from Mexico City and raised in South Florida, she grew up training in ballet and flamenco under Isabelle Bienvenu and Damaris Ferrer. She graduated magna cum laude in 2020 from Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a BFA in contemporary dance performance. There she had the opportunity to train under Joy Davis, Kurt Doulgas, and others. At the Conservatory she also had the opportunity to perform works created by Juel D. Lane, Thang Dao, Dam Van Huynh, and others. During the summers she received a merit scholarship to attend Ballet Hispanico's ChoreoLaB. There she was able to learn the company's repertory and train under Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Mario Zambrano, Bennyroyce Royon, and others. During the summers she also participated in GagaLab and SpringboardX. Currently, Aileen is a company member with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre and Eventual Dance Company. She also freelances with local choreographers such as Audrey MacLean and is a 2023 Midday Movement Series BIPOC Professional Dancer mentee. Aileen is passionate about making the arts accessible and continuing her dance career and is excited to where those passions will take her. This Aileen's second season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre

Mikaela, native to Sicklerville NJ, attended University of the Arts in Philadelphia, receiving the “Artistry” Scholarship to study dance. Receiving her B.F.A in Dance under the direction of Donna Faye-Burchfield in 2017. During these four years she was fortunate enough to work and perform in works choreographed by Katie Swords-Thurman, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Jesse Zaritt, Sidra Bell, Milton Myers, Meredith Rainey and Kyle and Dinita Clark. Simultaneous to her schooling Mikaela was also an active company member with Philadanco! D/2 second company under the direction of Donald T. Lunsford. This then led to apprenticeship opportunities with PHILADANCO! Until transitioning into a full time company artist post graduation. Mikaela continues to stay curious and seek out knowledge and new perspectives- deepening her craft she has studied with Jacob Jonas the Company, Kyle Abraham’s A.I.M, NVA & Guests and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Mikaela also works as a movement director for various filmmakers and projects as well as performance artist for various music videos and short films. Parallel to performing, Mikaela finds joy in teaching and pouring her knowledge back into her community as a faculty member of The School of Philadelphia Ballet since 2021 as well as various schools and programs across the city and tri state area. In her 6th season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre, Mikaela continues to demand the stage with her artistry and dancing.

 Courtney Niles-Charles was born and raised in Boston, Mass where she was a dance major graduate from the Boston Arts Academy. She started her training at the age of 7 at the Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts. Epps became an Original Member of Jo-Mé Dance in 2011 when the 2nd company was first founded. In 2016 Courtney was invited to join the 1st company and become a teaching artist for the younger generation of Jo-Mé Dance Arts. Courtney developed her passion for dance and has continued her training at Dean College as a dance major in 2014 followed by the Ailey School Certificate Program in 2015 where she graduated and received their B.A. Certificate in 2018. Niles-Charles was a dance educator at Boston Arts Academy and Horton Teacher for Jo-Mé Dance Arts Academy. Courtney seeks to press forward by shearing her expression through her movement art as she takes on her 8th season with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre (1st Company) 

 Carmen Rizzo, from São Paulo, Brazil, is a freelance dancer/choreographer and a company member of Kairos Dance Theater, Abilities Dance Boston and Jo-Mé Dance. She graduated from the Boston Dance Theater trainee program and from Manhattanville College with a Summa Cum Laude and highest honors double degree in Dance and Theatre (Dance concentration) and Business Management (Psychology minor). She successfully completed the 8-year professional training program at Escola de Dança de São Paulo (EDASP), culminating in experience with Balé da Cidade de São Paulo and Ballet Stagium. At Manhattanville she had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Shannon Gillen, Shawn Bible, Mike Esperanza, Leah Ives, Michaela McGowan, Yoshito Sakuraba, Julia Ehrstrand, Max Stone among others. She also performed works by Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Itzik Galili, Yin Yue, and Ohad Naharin and was featured in performances with Shawn Bible, CKDC and Modaté (Leuven, Belgium). Carmen’s dance films have been featured on OnStage Dance Co.’s 22nd season and in festivals such as Homegrown, Shut in Dance Festival, Manhattanville’s Film Festival and the DFA College Exchange. She is also currently a dance teacher, Pure Barre instructor, Boston Dance Alliance’s Operations and Membership Associate and collaborating with other local artists on individual projects such as Rachel Linsky’s ZACHOR, Grant Jacoby’s Surrender Dorothy, Chavi Bansal’s Vimoksha, The Click and Kristin Wagner/Bodies Moving's For You, I Dream of Me. Carmen’s most recent live works have been performed at Nozama’s Autonomy, ArtBeat Festival, NACHMO Boston, and Boston WiP. Carmen is passionate about discovering and exploring dance in everything “non-artistic”, especially in science. 

Ana is native from San Juan, Puerto Rico where she spent most of her formative years studying ballet and contemporary dance. Delgado Cruz studied at one of the only contemporary academies in the city called “Andanza”. Later on, I wanted to pursue dance as a profession and knew that achieving a degree was one of the best ways to do it. She was accepted to the Boston Conservatory in 2021 with multiple scholarships towards her education and will be graduating in Spring 2025. 

      During her time at the Conservatory, I have studied with numerous dancers through summer programs such as Dance Italia, Ballet Hispanico, Co/Motion, Alonzo King Lines, and more. Ana has traveled overseas to work professionally and build connections with other dancers from England all the way to France. Although she keeps herself open to learning new styles of dance, she has been developing a craft of mixing African dance with contemporary dance. These influences come through in choreography and dance style when improvising. Delgado Cruz is excited to join Jo-Mé Dance Theatre for the 2023-24 season, where she hopes to learn new repertoire that will challenge and transform her dancing.

 Marcel Santiago Marcelino is a queer Dominican and Puerto Rican dance artist born in Boston, MA. Marcel lived part of his childhood in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico before returning to the states. In Puerto Rico under the instruction of his father Jorge Santiago Arce and cultural pioneer Modesto Cepeda Brenes, Marcel began his life-long relationship with Bomba, one of the first Afro-Indigenous music and dance forms of the Archipelago. His movement practice is heavily influenced by the language of Bomba as well as other Caribbean, contemporary and improvisational dance methods.  He is a Director’s Scholarship recipient and 2021 BFA graduate of the University of the Arts School of Dance , Dir. Donna Faye Burchfield. During his undergraduate studies, Marcel spent part of a semester studying classical and contemporary dance at the Conservatorio Superior de Danza "María de Ávila" in Madrid, Spain. While at UArts, he collaborated and performed in work by Lauren Bakst (performed in Paris and Lyon, FR) as well as by Katie Swords-Thurman, and Juel Lane. In 2021 Marcel joined Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers (Philadelphia) and danced with the company as an apprentice for one season. In 2022, he returned to Boston and joined Urbanity Dance as a company dancer and faculty member until 2023. Marcel currently dances with companies Danza Orgánica, under the direction of Mar Yael Parrilla, as well as BeHeard.World, directed by Anna Myer. He is also a collaborator with Boston based collective Detritus Dance. Recently, Marcel and fellow collaborator Anito Gavino were recipients of the MAPfund Grant to develop ‘Primx’, their multidisciplinary work that explores the historical and cultural bridges between the Philippines and Puerto Rico. This is Marcel’s second season with Jo-Mé Dance Theater.