👋 We Are Excited to Introduce You to BalletMet’s Newest Company Dancers!
At the beginning of every new season, one of our favorite days is the first day back for BalletMet’s Company Dancers. When they first walk back into the studios, see old friends, and once again begin their journey from rehearsal to stage. This year, we have a group of new talented dancers joining our 25/26 Company roster. A few familiar faces that you might recognize from last seasons second company, BalletMet 2, as well as some brand new faces that we cannot wait for you to meet!
Amélie Freeman
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, AMÉLIE FREEMAN began dancing at the age of four. In 2021, she graduated from high school cum laude with an honors diploma and joined the trainee program at BalletMet under the direction of Maria Torija. After two years as a trainee, Amélie accepted a contract with BalletMet’s second company. Ms. Freeman has performed in various outreach programs in the greater Columbus area, as well as the principal roles in George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 and Walpurgisnacht. She has performed in several other works, including Remi Wörtmeyer’s Ad Astra, Balanchine’s Western Symphony, the pas de deux from Grand Pas Classique, and the second odalisque in Le Corsaire. Amélie has appeared in full-length works alongside BalletMet’s main company, performing pieces choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, Remi Wörtmeyer, Gerard Charles, David Nixon, and Edwaard Liang. Ms. Freeman is excited to join the company for the 25/26 season.
Cesar Ramirez
CESAR RAMIREZ joined the National Ballet of Cuba at the age of 17. He was awarded 1st and 2nd place in international competitions in Cuba and 2nd place in YAGP Philadelphia. He has danced classical ballet repertoire and works by Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, George Balanchine, Edwaard Liang and Melissa Barak.
Jordan Sheppard
JORDAN SHEPPARD was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio when he was 3 years old. He found joy in dancing when it was introduced to him in the 4th grade through the Momentum-Excellence program. He has been dancing with BalletMet since 2015 when he was accepted into the academy through the Discover Dance program. He joined the trainee program in 2019, where he enjoyed performing principal roles including Conrad in Le Corsaire and Principal Male in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht. He spent the summers of 2019 and 2022 with the Houston Ballet. Jordan placed second at the regionals of the Youth American Grand Prix 2023 in Pittsburgh. That same season he was selected to be a part of the 2023 USA International Ballet Competition (USAIBC) held in Jackson, Mississippi. Throughout his career Jordan has performed many roles in Gerard Charles’ The Nutcracker, David Nixon’s Dracula and Edwaard Liang’s Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, Cinderella and Alice. He started his professional career dancing with BalletMet 2 during the 23/24 season and is excited to be continuing as a Company Member!
Claire Wessells
CLAIRE WESSELLS was born in Tucson, Arizona, and has lived in Columbus, Ohio, since the age of five. At seven years old, she began training as a student with the BalletMet Academy. In 2023, she joined the trainee program under the direction of Maria Torija, performing roles including Kitri in Don Quixote and First Violin Principal in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. Claire also performed alongside the professional company in Gerard Charles’ The Nutcracker and Edwaard Liang’s Alice and Romeo and Juliet. In 2023, she was awarded first place at the YAGP Pittsburgh Semi-Finals and was selected as one of only 12 female junior semi-finalists at USABIC in Jackson, Mississippi.
At age sixteen, Claire accepted a contract with BalletMet 2 for the 24/25 season. As a member of the second company, she had the opportunity to perform in outreach programs across Columbus, as well as David Nixon’s Dracula, Remi Wörtmeyer’s Ad Astra, and Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15.
Claire is honored and excited to join the company for the 25/26 season!
Katelyn Yang
KATELYN YANG, a Seattle native, trained from age 16 at the Dutch National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam under Nathalie Caris, Ainara Garcia Navarro, Grigori Tchitcherine, and Ernst Meisner. While with the academy, she rehearsed and performed original works by Remi Wortmeyer, William Forsythe, Hans van Manen, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Ernst Meisner. In 2023, she danced with the Dutch National Ballet in their production of the Sleeping Beauty as a nymph. Katelyn graduated in 2024 with an associate degree in classical ballet and a bachelor’s degree in teaching classical ballet, having intensively studied Vaganova syllabus, pedagogy, music, and anatomy.
As a young dancer, Katelyn participated in many dance competitions, festivals, and intensives all around the world, medaling at the Youth American Grand Prix semi-finals, TanzOlymp Berlin, and Taiwan Grand Prix. She was also a participant of the DanceOpen festival in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2018 and a competitor in the 2020 Prix de Lausanne where she received scholarship to the ABT JKO School. She has had the privilege of training under dancers from the Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Mariinsky Ballet and uses the knowledge she has obtained every day in her dancing and teaching career.
Katelyn spent the 24/25 season with the Washington Ballet Studio Company, where she played the role of Clara in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker and danced in George Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s 18+1, Ulysses Dove’s Vespers, and Edwaard Liang’s Alice.
YOU can see all of BalletMet’s newest dancers shine on stage at the Davidson and Ohio Theatre this season! Visit our performances page and find out which show (or shows 😉) you are going to see them in.