STAFF
JOSÉ MATEO, Founder
SCOTT FRASER, Executive Director
MARY THOMPSON, Associate Director of Education & Performance
ROSE LEE, Studio Programs Manager
ISOBEL CHANG, Marketing Director
SHANNON SHERIDAN, Director of Development
YUMMI WANG, Development Associate
LIBBY BULLINGER, Studio Programs Administrator & Children’s Nutcracker Coordinator
NATE CHAFFIN, Studio Programs Associate
ANDREW GRESKO, Facilities Manager
FACULTY
José Mateo
Cuban-born José Mateo is the Founder and Artistic Director of José Mateo Ballet Theatre. For over 30 years, he has lead the José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s Young Dancers Program, a ballet school that offers an innovative model for a high-quality academy with a humanistic approach to ballet training that fosters diversity and inclusion.
In 2017, Mr. Mateo was the recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s 2017/18 Commonwealth Award for Achievement – the state’s highest honor in the arts, sciences and humanities.
Mr. Mateo continues to teach in the Young Dancers Program, working with our most advanced students and the YouthWorks pre-professional dancers.
Mary Thompson
Mary Thompson’s early training was at the Boston Ballet School under the direction of founder E. Virginia Williams. A coveted Ford Foundation Scholarship allowed her to study at Balanchine’s School of American Ballet (SAB) where she danced soloist roles in the Annual Workshop performances and was invited to audition for, and subsequently joined Makarova and Company. An injury caused Ms. Thompson to take a hiatus from dance, after which she rehabilitated with Marie Paquet in Boston and Finis Jhung in New York. Recovered, Ms. Thompson joined the Berkshire Ballet as a soloist where she progressed to Principal status and danced lead roles in Coppelia, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Anthony Tudor’s Little Improvisations and several works by Francis Patrelle. It was while working at Berkshire Ballet that Ms. Thompson began teaching. In 1986, Ms. Thompson began studying with José Mateo and began performing with the company and later teaching at the school. Over the years, Ms. Thompson has served as Principal of the Young Dancers Program, and Ballet Mistress for the company.
In 2021, Ms. Thompson was invited to join The Brookline Ballet School (TBBS) as Principal and accepted the opportunity to both share and expand her knowledge and experience with the highly respected area school. With the announcement of the acquisition of TBBS by The Boston Ballet, and the end of her tenure there, Ms. Thompson, who temporarily returned to JMBT as Nutcracker Artistic Associate for its 2024 Nutcracker season, will rejoin the organization in the full time role of Associate Director of Education & Performance beginning this July.
Magdalena Gyftopoulos
Magdalena Gyftopoulos is a seasoned arts administrator with extensive experience in dance education and organizational management. She received her dance training at the Boston Ballet School with Anne-Marie Holmes, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and José Mateo Ballet Theatre Young Dancer’s Program as a scholarship student. Magdalena joined José Mateo Ballet Theatre as a Company Dancer and member of the faculty in 2006.
In 2019, she assumed the role of Administrator and Dorchester Studio Principal and currently oversees programming, annual schedules, faculty management, and student recruitment, significantly increasing enrollment through innovative outreach initiatives at both locations. Magdalena chairs fundraising and outreach efforts as a Board Member of the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon.
Magdalena is known for her strategic leadership, effective communication skills, and commitment to community engagement within the Boston arts scene.
Libby Bullinger
Libby is a dance educator and choreographer from Boston, MA. She studied ballet at José Mateo Ballet Theatre as a member of the Young Dancers Program and the pre-professional performance group YouthWorks. Libby then went on to earn her BFA in Dance and BA in Dance Education from Mercyhurst University. During her collegiate studies, Libby discovered her passion for pedagogy and decided to pursue a career as a dance educator with interests in training students in both professional ballet settings and community programs such as public schools.
JMBT’s contribution to her formative dance training and the community’s impact on her upbringing led Libby to return to the organization after college. Currently, Libby is a faculty member at JMBT where she teaches students of all levels in the Young Dancers Program and the adult ballet program. Libby also serves as the Nutcracker Children’s Coordinator and a Studio Programs Administrator for the organization. She is committed to cultivating the same inclusive, educational, and impactful environment that she experienced growing up at Ballet Theatre.
As an educator, Libby is interested in helping students involve critical thinking in their study of dance. She emphasizes anatomical knowledge, collaborative learning, and willingness to learn from everyone in the room as main pillars of her teaching philosophy.
In addition to her work at Ballet Theatre, Libby leads a professional contemporary dance ensemble, Dance LAB Creative, and teaches dance at other organizations in the Boston area.
Bettina Indaco
Bettina Indaco was raised in Holland and trained at The Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. She studied with teachers Linda Goss, Wim Vreeken, Sulamith Messerer, and Sonia Matcholli and was featured in a ballet documentary about the prestigious Conservatoire, Stap voor Stap.
After graduating and receiving her degree with high honors dancing the lead in Les Sylphides, she joined The Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and performed in Europe and Asia. She has performed in traditional ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Nutcracker in which her leading roles included Snow Queen and Dewdrop. She performed in contemporary ballets by Balanchine, such as Concerto Barroco, Serenade, Diamonds, Symphony in C, and The Four Temperaments. She has also performed in many ballets of Rudi van Danzig, Hans van Maanen, and Jiri Kylian.
In 1990, Bettina Indaco joined Ballet Theatre of Boston as a soloist and danced in Boston and throughout Massachusetts in ballets by Jose Mateo. Indaco has taught at Ballet Theatre of Boston since 1996.
In addition to teaching, Indaco holds master’s degrees in Dutch, English and Spanish.
Adam Miller
Originally from Providence, RI, Adam Miller trained at American Ballet Theatre School, The North Carolina School of the Arts, and The School of American Ballet. He was a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, and Hartford Ballet, and performed as a guest artist in the USA, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has served as a faculty member at the School of Pacific Northwest Ballet, and as the School and Outreach Director for Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle, Washington. Additional teaching credits include Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Vassar College, Duke University, The North Carolina School of the Arts, Lyon Opera Ballet, the St. Paul’s School, Veroneszh Ballet (Russia) and Boston Ballet.
Adam is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Provincetown Dance Festival, now in its 17th season, and is on faculty at the Portland Ballet. He has previously served on the board of Connecticut Dance Alliance and as a grant panelist for Connecticut Council for Arts and Tourism and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. He is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship Award from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts for Artistic Excellence as well as grants from the Hartt School Faculty Development Fund and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.
Boris Richir
Boris Richir, originally from Antwerp, Belgium, received his dance education at the Paris Opera Ballet School. He began his professional career in 2009 at the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden and joined Boston Ballet in 2014. He has performed soloist and lead roles in a wide repertoire ranging from The Nutcracker to contemporary pieces such as the ballets of William Forsythe. He has performed around the world on stages such as the Palais Garnier in Paris, The Bunka Kaikan Theatre in Tokyo, the Boston Opera House, the Saxon State Opera House in Dresden, and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. He appears in the 2012 filming of The Nutcracker of the Semperoper Ballet Dresden by ARTE as well as the 2014 New Years broadcast on German national television, ZDF.
In 2012 he became assistant director of ART of Ballet courses and masterclasses, responsible for the organization of high level dance summer courses across Europe. In 2017 he founded United Dance, a company providing dance education to specialized populations in Europe and North America.
Michael Wagley
Born in Columbus Ohio, Michael Wagley trained at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, San Francisco Ballet School, and as a member of Houston Ballet II. He began dancing professionally with Ballet San Jose and went on to work at The Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), Staatsballett Berlin (Germany), and Universal Ballet Company (Korea).
Since retiring from his performing career in 2017, Michael has worked as a ballet teacher and holds RAD Registered Teacher Status as well as a BA in Dance Education from the Royal Academy of Dance in London. He has taught at both the professional and university level as an artistic staff member at Incheon City Ballet and Hansung University, respectively, and is proud to have worked with students now dancing in professional ballet schools and companies across Europe, Asia, and North America. He has also served as a ballet competition jury member. In addition to his current work at Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Dance Education.
Susan Bourque
Susan is originally from West Palm Beach, FL where she received her early training under the direction of Joan E. Miller at The Palm Beach Ballet Center. She concurrently attended the Dreyfoos School of the Performing Arts and graduated as Ballet Major. Susan continued studying at The Joffrey Ballet School and began her performance career with The Augusta Ballet. In 2001, Susan joined José Mateo Ballet Theatre where she performed many roles in annual productions of the Nutcracker including Snow Queen, Columbine, Arabian Coffee, Marzipan and Dew Drop Fairy. Other ballets Susan has been featured in include Streams, Danzones Balleticos, Isle of the Dead, House of Ballet and Arroz con Mango. In 2013, Susan transitioned from the stage to the role of Ballet Mistress. As Ballet Mistress Susan worked closely with Mr. Mateo on many aspects of production including costuming, casting and coaching. Susan lives on the North Shore with her husband, Lance and their three children.
Geneviève Basu
Geneviève is a dedicated ballet dancer and instructor who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Utah. Originally from Weston, MA, she began her ballet training at the Boston Ballet School before completing her studies at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC.
After graduation, Geneviève worked as a freelance artist with various companies, cultivating her skills as a professional dancer while discovering her passion for teaching ballet to students of all ages. Her repertoire includes La Fille Mal Gardee, Paquita, Le Corsaire, La Vivindiere, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and multiple versions of The Nutcracker. She has since returned to Boston, where she now focuses on teaching and is pursuing certification as a Pilates instructor through the Equinox Teacher Training Program.
Geneviève is a strong advocate for accessible, high-quality ballet instruction and believes that everyone can find joy through movement. She is most passionate about giving the next generation of dancers the knowledge required to enter the field of ballet.
Maria Rogler
Maria began dancing at 4 years old in Dedham, Massachusetts, studying ballet with Renae Maccioli-McLeod and Leticia Guerrero, as well as at the International Ballet Academy of Norwell. She participated in multiple summer intensives at Festival Ballet Providence and competed in international ballet competitions including Bari, Italy and Atlanta, Georgia. While she focused primarily on ballet, she has a substantial amount of knowledge in Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, and Tap Dance.
After high school, she was offered a post-graduate position with the Festival Ballet Providence Company and was a trainee in the company from 2021-2023. During that time she performed in such ballets as Serenade, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and many contemporary works. She now does freelance dancing and has been honored to be a part of the 2023 JMBT production of ‘The Nutcracker’ performing the Spanish Divertissement among many corps roles. She also enjoys choreographing and is recently working on choreographing a new ballet in which she performed an excerpt from it in the Summer of 2023 with many fellow colleagues. She started assistant teaching in 2012 and has been teaching ballet professionally since 2019. Maria is delighted to be a part of the JMBT faculty and is looking forward to continuing to share her love and knowledge of ballet with the next generation of dancers.
Elizabeth Rookey
Elizabeth was born and raised in Framingham, MA. She received her early training at the Walnut Hill Community Dance Academy and went on to join the Walnut Hill High School in 2012. After graduating, she joined Ballet Austin for the 2016-17 season as a part of the Butler Fellowship Program. In 2021, Elizabeth graduated from the Hartt School with a BFA in Dance Performance and a concentration in Ballet Pedagogy. While at the university, Elizabeth trained extensively in ballet, Graham, Limon, contemporary and composition, and had the privilege to perform a myriad of works, including the lead in Martha Graham’s Chronicle, a solo from George Balanchine’s Valse-Fantasie, Fascinatin’ Rhythm from Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Primavera in Jose Limon’s Dances for Isadora, and Lar Lubovitch’s Something About Night.
Amanda Garcia Cora
Born and raised in Puerto Rico. Developed as a professional ballet dancer under the guidance of Carlota Carrera at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico. In 2014, attended a Summer Intensive in Cuba and in 2019 with the New York Dance Project. Had the opportunity of performing classical and neoclassical ballets: Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Midnight’s Summer Dream, Bach: Three Movements, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Giselle, Spring Waters, among others. Since 2015, I have been a ballet teacher from ages 3-15. In 2021, received the Certification for Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT). I also acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and currently started a Master degree in Arts in Gastronomy at Boston University.
Sarah Fader
Bio coming soon!
Yenthl Spinola Babani
Bio coming soon!
NaShaya Wornum
NaShaya is a female artist of the African diaspora whose distinct combination of techniques of dance communicates humanity through storytelling. NaShaya began her dance career in Hip Hop and African Dance. She danced locally with her community already immersed in the culture, learning the significance of carrying on tradition. She began her formal training in ballet and modern dance at 4 Star Dance studio. From there, she went on to train at Boston Arts Academy where she furthered her knowledge of modern and ballet. Using a blend of learned techniques and forms, NaShaya strives to unite people in a global understanding that transcends race, gender, and class.
Betty Ann Platt
Betty Ann is originally from Pennsylvania where she began to study ballet at age 5. A few years later however, she was accepted into a prestigious program in New York City to study with one of the finest ballet teachers in the US. Continuing her training in this program exclusively in NYC, she also studied with world class ballet instructors from Juilliard and ultimately in an advanced program at American Ballet Theatre. Betty Ann credits her exceptional training to a successful and wonderfully fulfilling profession dance career. It also eventually led to being able to share her knowledge and experience in an equally rewarding teaching career.
Her vast array of performance, choreography and teaching experience ranges from the Met Opera Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera Ballet to Broadway, National touring companies, International Dance Concerts, TV and film. Recently she moved from Seattle where she taught classes for Ballet Bellevue and mostly all of the credit dance classes for Bellevue College. As Chair of Dance, she was able to double the size of the department and add two ballet classes to the curriculum. Additionally, she directed and choreographed for the Dance Ensemble Class, the “Eastside Moving Company,”which performed works by many noteworthy local and National choreographers, such as Mandy Moore. Betty Ann loves teaching for JMB, being able to see her students’ progress, and in the three years since she began, to enjoy the tremendous growth of the Adult Program.
Rheya Shano
Rheya Shano is a Boston native, trained at The Brookline Ballet School under the direction of Trinidad Vives and Parren Ballard.
As a student, she participated in numerous ballet competitions, most notably the Prix de Lausanne in 2019, and the USA IBC in 2018, where she was a Bronze medal prize winner.
In 2019, she went on to dance in Tulsa Ballet’s second company, and is now dancing as a freelance artist and a company member with City Ballet of Boston and the Asian American Ballet Project.
Allison Wan
Allison Wan is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area where she began her ballet training at the Contra Costa Ballet with Emily Borthwick, Charles Anderson, and Shannon Bresnahan.
While completing her undergraduate degree at Vassar, she was a member of the Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre. Here, she got the opportunity to perform in a wide range of ballet and modern, as well as choreograph.
Currently, Allison is a graduate student at Northeastern University and both dances with and has choreographed for the Harvard Ballet. Allison is absolutely delighted to be a part of the JMBT community.
