Learn about Natalie Ferris!
Natalie is currently a JMBT board member, but she was previously a YDP student and a member of YouthWorks! Natalie has danced in The Nutcracker as a poli, party girl, and even Clara!
Stay curious and do what you enjoy, even if it is hard!
Board member (since March 2025) and JMBT alumna Natalie Ferris first came to José Mateo Ballet Theatre in 2003 as a Level 1 student in the Young Dancers Program (YDP). Today, Natalie lives in California where she works at Apple as a biophotonics scientist -a field that bridges physics, biology, and cutting-edge optical technology. When asked about joining the Board, Natalie shared that she was inspired by the JMBT’s emphasis on community and her desire to support that commitment as an alumni of the School.
How – and when – did you first come to JMBT?
I started at JMBT in 2003 in the YDP program in Level I. I had been asking to do ballet for years and JMBT’s emphasis on a well-rounded education and community was important for my family.
What did you enjoy most about dancing at JMBT?
First and foremost were the friendships I made with other students. Learning alongside and performing with the same people every day forged some really close bonds. I also always felt incredibly supported by faculty, other parents, and my peers, making it a great place to learn. I felt safe pushing myself, which allowed me to grow not only as a dancer, but also as an individual.
Natalie performing as Clara in JMBT’s The Nutcracker
After graduating from/leaving JMBT where did life take you?
After high school I went to Dickinson College where I danced at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, performed with Dickinson’s Dance Theatre Group, and majored in Physics. After graduating, I came back to Boston to do a PhD in Biophysics at Harvard. During that time taking open classes at JMBT was really important for my mental health. The challenge of ballet has always helped center me; it is a great work out and it forces me to be truly in the moment.
I now live in California working as a biophotonics scientist and I still take open classes as frequently as I can. I also recently started to teach ballet classes to adults and am finding it incredibly rewarding to be able to give back to a community that has given so much to me over the years.
Do you have any favorite memories from your time at JMBT you would like to share!
My best friends were my classmates in YDP and Youth Works (one of them was even the maid of honor at my wedding!). It is really the little moments of friendship that stick with me; sitting on the floor of the dressing room between rehearsals playing card games, dashing across Mt. Auburn street to get Berry Line before our parents arrived to pick us up after class, attending summer intensive auditions together, supporting each other’s accomplishments, and performing together in The Nutcracker and at the Dance for World Community Festival are just a few highlights that stand out.