Atlanta Ballet 2 Dancers

Meet the Atlanta Ballet 2 Dancers

YSABEL BERNARDO is from Manila, Philippines. She started ballet training at the age of three at the Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet. At the age of 14, she was accepted as an apprentice of Ballet Philippines. The following year, she was promoted to company member, and, later, a demi-soloist. Bernardo performed in Swan Lake, Paquita, Cinderella, and Coppélia, among others, with her most notable role as the female lead in the Arabian Pas De Deux in The Nutcracker. She also joined ballet competitions, and her most noteworthy achievement was being awarded the gold medal in the junior category of the Asian Grand Prix Regional Competition in November 2021. In 2023, Bernardo moved to New York City, USA to train at Ellison Ballet. In the summer of 2024, she joined the professional summer intensive of the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and was later invited to its year-long program as a scholar. In her two years with the Centre, she has been privileged to dance in the corps de ballet for company productions such as The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Giselle, and Frida.

PIERCE BEVANS, a Georgia native, began his ballet training at age five at Atlanta Academy of Ballet and Dance under Susan Beebe and Carly Hammond Meister. In 2024, he joined Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education’s Academy 6 program and recently became a member of Atlanta Ballet 2. Bevans has performed with Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Ballet 2 in The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Giselle, The Swan Princess, and Snow White. He has attended prestigious summer intensives on full scholarship, including programs with Boston Ballet, Ellison Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Austin Ballet, and Next Generation Ballet, training with renowned faculty and further developing his classical and contemporary technique. Bevans has competed at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Universal Ballet Competition (UBC), and American Dance Competition International Ballet Competition (ADCIBC), including the YAGP Finals in 2022 and ADCIBC Finals in 2022 and 2023. He was also invited to the UBC Finals and has earned top placements and scholarships at multiple competitions.

CAROLINE GILTNER trained primarily in the Chicago area at Salt Creek Ballet, West Suburban Ballet, and Hinsdale Dance Academy. Most recently, she trained at the San Francisco Ballet School (SFBS). While at SFBS, she rehearsed with the company for performances of Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker and Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon. Giltner competed at Youth America Grand Prix, where she was awarded top three in both Classical and Contemporary categories and competed as a finalist in 2022 and 2024 in Tampa and New York City. She has attended various summer intensives, including American Ballet Theatre in New York, San Francisco Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, and in 2025 at both Tulsa Ballet and Philadelphia Ballet School as the Mary Ann Scholler Scholarship recipient.

RIKU FUKUMA began his ballet training in Nagano, Japan. From 2024 to 2026, he studied at Canada’s National Ballet School under the guidance of Alexander Gorbatsevich, Raymond Smith, and other faculty members. During his time at the school, Fukuma was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts’ Peter Dwyer Scholarship, the Lawrence Haskett Scholarship, and the Musicianship Award. He is excited to join Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2026–27 season.

CLAIRE GOTZMAN began her classical ballet training in Maryland at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre & Academy. During her time there, she had the opportunity to perform in full-length ballets, dancing lead roles including Aurora, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Swanhilda. Gotzman competed at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), where she was awarded first place in her classical solo and second place in her contemporary solo. She was also invited to the World Ballet Competition Finals, where she received First Prize. In 2024, Gotzman moved to Houston to train at Houston Ballet Academy in the Professional Division. During her time there, she was given multiple performance opportunities, including performing Snow Corps with the company in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. She is excited for her first season with Atlanta Ballet 2.

FUYU HSU is from Taiwan and began his ballet training at the age of 11. He later studied in the Department of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts. At 17, he moved to New York to train at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, where he spent a year and a half developing her technique and artistry. During his training, Hsu had the opportunity to perform in ABT’s Upper Three, the ABT Kids Performance hosted by Misty Copeland, and the Lander–Etudes–ABT Summer Intensive Showcase. He has also participated in international competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), and was selected for the 2024 Prix de Lausanne Asia-Pacific Preselection. Hsu is excited to join Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2026–27 season.

HIROTO IIDA is a Japanese ballet dancer and began his ballet training at the age of five at the Swan International Ballet School in Kanazawa, Japan. From 2020 to 2021, he continued his studies at the Munich Ballet Academy in Germany, followed by the European School of Ballet in the Netherlands in 2022. He subsequently trained at the Nacho Duato Academy, where he remained until 2025. Iida has received recognition in several prestigious ballet competitions. In 2020, he was awarded first place at both the Japan Ballet Competition and the Brilliant Stars Ballet Competition. He also received second-place awards at the Japan Ballet Competition in 2016 and 2018. His classical repertoire includes the Albrecht Variation from Giselle, the Siegfried Variation from Swan Lake, and the Prince Désiré Variation from The Sleeping Beauty. His repertoire also includes pas de deux from Les Sylphides, Raymonda, and The Nutcracker, among others.

BOGYEONG KIM was born in Busan, South Korea, and began her professional ballet training at the age of eight at Leewonju Ballet Academy. She was a finalist at the 2023 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in Tampa, received the Junior Gold Prize at TANZOLYMP ASIA in 2024, and was awarded 8th Prize at the Prix de Lausanne in 2025. Kim joined Boston Ballet II for the 2025–2026 season. Her repertoire includes Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker. During her time with Boston Ballet II, she also performed in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Marius Petipa’s La Esmeralda pas de deux, and Dana Genshaft’s Deux Danses Sacrées. Kim joins Atlanta Ballet II for the 2026–27 season.

SANTIAGO LARRONDA began his ballet training at the age of 13. He completed two years of study at the Sofía Sajac Dance Conservatory and subsequently spent six years training at the Sodre, where he attended the National School of Artistic Formation and later joined the Sodre Youth Classical Ballet as a soloist. Larronda has performed notable roles in Carmen, including Torero and Don José, as well as the lead role in Tres Hologramas, choreographed by Martín Ithamusu, and the principal role in Tango Andrógino, created by María Inés Camu. At the Open Art competition, he was recognized as an Outstanding Participant and received the award for Best Contemporary Choreography, further elevating his artistic profile. This is his first season with Atlanta Ballet 2.

ENZO MORENO is a Brazilian dancer from São Paulo, Brazil. He began his ballet training in Brazil before continuing his studies at Cary Ballet Conservatory in North Carolina under the direction of Mariaelena Ruiz. During his time at Cary Ballet Conservatory, Moreno performed roles including Peter Pan in Peter Pan and the Nutcracker in The Nutcracker. His training has also included participation in various competitions and intensives, providing opportunities to develop both as a dancer and as an artist. In 2026, Moreno received First Place at the YAGP World Series Semifinals, was a finalist at the YAGP Finals, and placed third at the ADC IBC Finals. Moreno is thrilled to join Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2026–2027 season.

ISABELA OKU, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, began her dance training at Studio de Danças Márcia Pee and, at age 12, was accepted into the Dance School of the Theatro Municipal of São Paulo (EDASP). She participated in several national and international competitions, including Premio Internazionale Danza (PID) in Rieti, Italy; Youth Grand Prix Brasil; and Valentina Kozlova International Competition. She attended American Ballet Theatre’s virtual summer intensive in 2021 during the pandemic and the Kaatsbaan summer intensive in 2022. In 2023, she was accepted into the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Academy program and moved to Atlanta. Last season, she had the privilege of performing the role of Young Marie in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, and over the past two seasons performed Snowflakes and Flowers in the same production. Oku also performed in Coppélia by George Balanchine. Oku has been promoted to Atlanta Ballet 2 from the Centre for Dance Education Academy 6.

YANIS RESTIERI is an Italian ballet dancer from Belgium. From 2019 to 2025, he trained at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany, where he performed the lead role in John Cranko’s Jeux de Cartes. In 2024, he also attended the Prague Summer Intensive, further developing his classical ballet training. During the 2025–26 season, Restieri continued his training in San Francisco as a trainee. He now joins Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2026–27 season.

AUDREY SHORE was born in Los Angeles, California, and began her training at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet. After relocating to Mountain View, California, she trained at Bayer Ballet Academy where she was awarded at several competitions including third place as a soloist at YAGP San Francisco. In 2023, Shore attended Ballet West Academy’s Choreographic Workshop and was invited to join the Professional Training Division. There, she received the William Christensen Scholarship and danced lead roles such as Odette in Swan Lake and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty. She also performed with BalletWest in William Christensen's The Nutcracker and Pamela Robinson's Beauty and the Beast. Shore joined Boston Ballet’s Donna Egan Graduate Program in 2025, dancing alongside Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet in corps roles in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barroco, Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Jodie Gates' A Delicate Balance. She has attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre in New York, Kansas City Ballet School, The School of Philadelphia Ballet, Boston Ballet School and The Royal Danish Ballet School in Denmark.

ELIZA SOTO was born in Glendale, California and began her formal ballet training at the Marat Daukeyev School of Classical Ballet. After relocating to Dallas, Texas, she studied at the Classical Training Program under the direction of Ashley Ellis and George Birkadze. At the Classical Training Program, Soto had the opportunity to perform in multiple full-length ballets, where she danced lead roles such as Gamzatti, Giselle, and Sugarplum Fairy. Soto competed at Youth America Grand Prix, where she was awarded first place in the Classical Category and competed as a Finalist in 2022 and 2023. The Youngarts Foundation also named Soto a "Finalist with Distinction," and she performed at Youngarts Week in Miami, Florida. There, she was awarded a scholarship from the foundation based on her performance and dedication to the arts. This is Soto's second season with Atlanta Ballet 2.

NICOLE KOSASIH WIDJAJA began her ballet training at the age of five at the Marlupi Dance Academy in Indonesia. She participated in various competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), where she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the San Francisco Ballet School’s full-year program. She joined San Francisco Ballet School in 2023, completed the Trainee Program, and graduated in 2026. During her time in San Francisco, Widjaja performed numerous corps de ballet roles with the company, including La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Onegin, Stars and Stripes, The Nutcracker (Waltz of the Flowers and Snowflakes), Raymonda, and Mayfly by Myles Thatcher. She also performed lead roles in Time Will Softly Lull, choreographed by David Occhipinti, as well as the Raymonda and Paquita Grand Pas de Deux. Widjaja has been invited to perform as a guest artist with Ballet.id and Indonesia Dance Company, as well as in Shanghai, China, and Hong Kong. This is her first season with Atlanta Ballet 2.

VINCENT WINDERMAN was born and raised in California, where he began his ballet training at the age of 10. At 15, he moved to Houston, Texas, to study full-time at Houston Ballet Academy. The following year, he moved to Stuttgart, Germany, after being accepted into the John Cranko School. In 2024, Winderman graduated from the John Cranko School and immediately began working as an apprentice with Theater Altenburg in Gera, Germany. During his time with the company, he performed in productions including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Jeux de Cartes, and Romeo and Juliet, among others. Winderman joins Atlanta Ballet 2 for the 2026–27 season.

KAHLEN WRIGHT was born in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 3 where she began training at the age of 4 in hip hop, jazz, tap, and contemporary. She joined Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education in Academy 1 in 2016 and progressed through all six levels. During her time in the Academy, Wright was awarded a Decade 2 Dance scholarship. She worked with choreographer Yuri Possokhov on the world premiere of Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker, performing as a party child and Fritz in the early years. From 2022 to 2024, Wright danced the role of Young Marie and, while in Academy 6, performed in the Snowflakes and Flowers scenes. She also performed student and corps roles in George Balanchine’s Coppélia and Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide. Additionally, she participated in many ballets choreographed by Bruce Wells, including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Swan Princess, and Snow White.

Atlanta Ballet 2 photos by Kim Kenney.