Staff & 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.

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 choreographer and dance educator from Boston, MA. She is a graduate of the Young Dancers Program at JMBT where she performed as a member of YouthWorks and in many seasons of The Nutcracker. In 2022 she graduated from Mercyhurst University with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Dance Education. In college Libby choreographed over 15 works for stage and film, served as choreographer-in-residence for the Erie Contemporary Ballet, presented work at the American Collegiate Dance Association festival, and completed choreography and dancer wellness internships at Deos Contemporary Ballet. Libby is thrilled to return to Boston and the JMBT community to help bring the joy of dance to a new generation of students!

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 17^th 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 knowlednge 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. 

Payton Thompson

Payton Thompson is a senior at Harvard concentrating in Economics and Theater, Dance, Media. While she has trained in many styles of dance, her heart has always belonged to the ballet/contemporary ballet world. Payton spent her high school years training at International Ballet Academy. Following high school graduation, she was offered a trainee contract with Ballet West and spent the 2020-2021 season dancing with the company. While at Ballet West, she had the opportunity to perform soloist roles in Swan Lake, Pamela Robinson Harris’s Cinderella, and multiple contemporary ballets choreographed by Francisco Gella. Payton has spent summers training on scholarship with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Francisco Gella’s Pre-professional Dancer Institute. Payton was invited to represent contemporary ballet and compete in the Judge’s Round of So You Think You Can Dance, seasons 13 and 17. In the summer of 2024, she worked with Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing repertoire by Robert Garland. She is also the director of the Harvard Ballet Company and co-founder of Harvard Contemporary Collective.

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.

Ameia Mikula-Noble

Ameia Mikula-Noble, originally from Vancouver, Canada, is currently based in Boston, USA. She graduated from New York University where she majored in dance and minored in creative writing. Ameia began dancing at the age of three. She specializes in ballet, modern, and contemporary, but her training has also included Jazz and hip-hop. Ameia had the opportunity to further her training through intensives at Hubbard Street, Juilliard, Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theater, and Complexions. Additionally, she has done workshops at B12 in Berlin, Orsalina 28 in Moncalvo, and Batsheva in Tel Aviv. She is currently a trainee at Boston Dance Theater. Ameia hopes to bring the joy of dance to the younger generation through her teaching. 

Sarah Fader

Bio coming soon!

Kate Bender

Kate Bender was raised in Maine where she trained from the age of 3 in classical ballet at Maine State Ballet. She was a Corps de Ballet member of their company where she trained under George Balanchine’s pupil Linda Miele. Here she performed corps de ballet roles such as Marzipan, Snowflakes, and Flowers in the Nutcracker as well as soloist roles like the Shy Violet in Alice in Wonderland.

Kate began teaching at Maine State Ballet where she taught ages 3 and up. Currently, she attends Northeastern University where she is getting her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is an executive board member and choreographer for Northeastern’s ballet company as well as being involved with other dance groups on campus.

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.

Yenthl Spinola Babani

Bio coming soon!

Betty Ann Platt

Betty Ann has a vast array of dance, teaching and choreography credits. Her extensive career ranges from the San Francisco Opera Ballet to Broadway, National Touring Companies, international dance concerts, TV and film. Recently, she moved from Seattle where she taught credit dance classes at Bellevue College. As Chair of Dance she doubled the size of the department and added ballet to the curriculum. Additionally, Betty Ann directed and choreographed for the dance ensemble class, The Eastside Moving Company, which performed works by noteworthy local and national choreographers such as Anne Reinking and Mandy Moore. Betty Ann is delighted to join the faculty of José Mateo Ballet Theatre. 

Alisa Khorkin

Originally from Boston, MA, Alisa received her training at the Boston Ballet School. After graduating from Brookline High School, Alisa moved to New York City to further her ballet training and dive into the professional ballet world. Over the years, Alisa spent her summers in many prestigious programs including the Boston Ballet Summer Intensive on a merit scholarship, Ellison Ballet School, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and the ABT summer program in New York with a full merit scholarship.

Alisa has danced with the Sibiu Ballet Theatre in Romania as well as the Israel Ballet in Tel Aviv for the past six years. Along the way, she has had the experience of collaborating with other companies such as the Panta Rei Dance Theatre based in Oslo, Norway. During her two years in Sibiu, Alisa performed soloist roles such as odalisques from Le Corsaire and one the three shades from La Bayadere. In addition, she performed in contemporary repertoire such as Parlez-Moi D-Amour by French choreographer Martin Chaix. Alisa toured to both South Korea and Luxembourg while dancing with the Sibiu Ballet Theatre.

During her time dancing with the Israel Ballet, Alisa had the opportunity to dance Serenade by George Balanchine as well as classics such as Giselle, Swan Lake, Paquita, and Sleeping Beauty. During her years in Tel Aviv, Alisa had the chance to share the stage with ballet stars such as Natalia Osipova, Marianela Nunez, and Vadim Muntigirov during their guest appearances with the company in the Tel Aviv Opera House. Alisa gained extensive contemporary dance experience dancing works by Sharon Eyal, Andonis Foniadakis, Itzik Galili, and George Williamson. During the Israel Ballet’s 2022 tour to Germany, Alisa danced soloist roles in both Nova Carmen by Sharon Eyal, as well as Black Swan by Andonis Foniadakis.

Emily Slevin

Emily Slevin is an interdisciplinary instructor, dancer, and choreographer. Her dance training started in Frederick, MD under Sheri Mendelsohn, a former Rockette. While obtaining her degrees at DePaul University in Chicago, she served as the Lyrical Team Captain for the university’s dance company, where her choreography was performed in theaters across the city. She has set choreography and taught masterclasses for companies including the Viktor Yeliohin International Ballet Academy in Lancaster, PA, BSDA in Tampa, FL, and WestSide Performing Arts in Dublin, Ireland. Since 2022, she has been a competition staff member and competition judge for the national tours of Starpower and Precision Arts Challenge. Emily is proud to be an annual staff member at Malmö Dance Week in Malmö, Sweden and is a company member of DanceWorks Boston.