SKYLAR CAMPBELL
Skylar was born in Laguna Beach, California and trained with Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky and mentor and coach David Allan in Orange County, California. Mr. Campbell joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2009 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2018. Recently, Skylar Joined the Houston Ballet as principal dancer in 2022. Skylar has worked with world renowned dance makers including; Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, John Neumeier, James Kudelka, Ronald Hynd, Sir Peter Wright, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, Alex Ekman, Kevin O’day, Will Tuckett, Julia Adam, David Allan, Guillaume Cote and Robert Binet. He has performed dozens of principal roles and leading roles in some of the world’s most prestigious stages around the world such as; Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Stanislavsky Theatre, Mariinsky-2, Staatsoper-Hamburg, David H. Koch Theatre, Kennedy Center, War Memorial Opera House San Francisco, Los Angles Music Centre, and Print Works, London. He was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne in 2009 and awarded Dance Magazines "Top 25 to Watch" in 2015. Skylar is also the Director/Founder of Skylar Campbell Dance Collective; a nonprofit aiming to unite and collaborate with artists from across North America.
ZOE LUCICH
Zoe Lucich was born in Marin County, California. Her early training was at the Marin Ballet School. She then was accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand and graduated as a Trainee before joining the Houston Ballet in 2021 where she is currently dancing in the Corps de Ballet. She has danced in works by Helgi Tomasson, Stanton Welch, Justin Peck, Jiri Kylian, Arthiur Pita, Cathy Marston, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey Mcintyre, John Neumeier, to name a few. Zoe also dances annually in Julia Adam Dance’s summer project in Sonoma County. She is excited to be a part of Skylar Campbell’s Dance Collective.
CHELSY MEISS
Chelsy Meiss was born in Melbourne, Australia. Ms. Meiss trained with Karen Foster and Thelma Williams upon graduating with an Advance Diploma in Dance from The Australian Ballet School. Ms. Meiss danced with The San Diego Ballet for three seasons before joining The National Ballet of Canada. Her repertoire includes leading roles in works by James Kudelka, John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, Robert Binet and other notable choreographers. Ms. Meiss was part of the creation of Alexei Ratmansky’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and Guillaume Cote’s ‘Being and Nothingness’.
MELODY MENNITE
Melody Mennite is Principal ballerina with Houston Ballet. She has toured internationally to perform the classics as well as contemporary work in dance. Some of her classical Principal roles include Odette/Odile, Aurora, Kitri, Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Manon, Juliet, The Sylph in Bournanville’s La Sylphide, Nikya in La Bayadere, Ciao Ciao San in Madame Butterfly, Marie in the ballet Marie, Tatiana and Olga in Onegin, Stephanie and Mary Vetsera in Meyerling, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, and Lise in La Fille mal Gardee. Melody’s most recent international appearance was in the role of Juliet for the Houston Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet tour to Melbourne, Australia. During Melody’s professional career she has also originated roles in new classical and contemporary productions by choreographers Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Stanton Welch, Ben Stevenson, Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, Cathy Marston, Paul Taylor, Aszure Barton, Nicole Fonte, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Olivier Wevers, Oliver Halkowich, Jane Weiner, and Garret Smith as well as in her dual role as dancer/choreographer for several films. Melody enjoys all forms of dance and has extensive training and experience with styles rooted in classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. She is passionate about both learning and teaching what she has learned with others. Ms. Mennite has graced the cover of both Dance Magazine and Dance Europe and is celebrated as the Audrey Hepburn of ballet due to her dynamic acting and a predisposition for comedic roles. As an actor Melody has achieved two award winning performances in film and continues to build this part of her resume. Also from a musical family Ms. Mennite was singing onstage before she ever started training in dance. She has been professionally recorded and released and has performed leading singing roles in regional productions of both West Side Story and Oklahoma. Melody’s choreography has been featured on film, in music videos, and on ballet stages throughout the United States. In the last ten years she has been commissioned to create thirteen separate works nationally. Her hobbies include spending time in the outdoors, spending time with her son and two dogs, singing/making music, reading, writing, and practicing new ways to make art.
JACLYN OAKLEY
Jaclyn Oakley, was born in Winston-Salem NC and trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Boston Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, and at summer sessions with The School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Jaclyn joined the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto, Canada as an Apprentice in 2009 and was a member of the Corp de Ballet from 2010-2022, dancing an immense range of roles in the company’s repertoire, including ballets by John Cranko, August Bournonville, James Kudelka, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexi Ratmansky, John Neumeier, Crystal Pite, Wayne Mcgregor, Justin Peck, George Balanchine and Jerome Robins, among many others. Her most featured roles include the Sweet Fairy in Rudolph Nureyev’s The Sleeping Beauty, Tall Swans in James Kudelka’s Swan Lake, and the Tall Woman in Jerome Robins Elite Syncopations. After proudly celebrating 13 years with the National Ballet of Canada, Jaclyn joined the Houston Ballet in 2022. Jaclyn has performed in theatres across the globe from Moscow, Paris, Hamburg, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington DC, to Tokyo and beyond. She finds it so fulfilling to bring her extensive experience and joy of sharing art to the Skylar Campbell Dance Collective, where she dances and supports the non profit as Artistic Coordinator as well.
GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Gian Carlo Perez, a First Soloist at the Houston Ballet, brings a wealth of experience from his early training in Havana, Cuba, and his tenure with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and The Washington Ballet. His extensive repertoire includes iconic roles such as Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, Apollo in George Balanchine's Apollo, and Othello, among others. Gian Carlo's career has been marked by a dedication to development roles, allowing him to showcase his versatility on stage. His notable performance in George Balanchine's Themes and Variations at The Washington Ballet stands out as a defining moment, reflecting his unwavering focus and commitment to excellence. Having performed internationally in Spain, Panama, France, and Italy, Gian Carlo's artistry has garnered recognition, including a prestigious Princess Grace Fellowship in Dance in 2017.Havana, Cuba, and his tenure with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and The Washington Ballet. His extensive repertoire includes iconic roles such as Oberon in Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, Apollo in George Balanchine's Apollo, and Othello, among others. Gian Carlo's career has been marked by a dedication to development roles, allowing him to showcase his versatility on stage. His notable performance in George Balanchine's Themes and Variations at The Washington Ballet stands out as a defining moment, reflecting his unwavering focus and commitment to excellence. Having performed internationally in Spain, Panama, France, and Italy, Gian Carlo's artistry has garnered recognition, including a prestigious Princess Grace Fellowship in Dance in 2017.
BEN RUDISIN
Ben Rudisin was born in Woodbridge, VA and trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet II. He joined the National Ballet of Canada in 2013 as an Apprentice and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2021. His repertoire includes leading roles in works by Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, John Neumeier, Crystal Pite, and other notable choreographers.
Jack Wolff
Jack Wolff joined Houston Ballet in 2018, and is currently a Demi Soloist. Originally from Houston, Wolff started his training at Precision Dance Academy, Houston METtoos, and Houston Ballet Summer Intensives. In 2015, he moved to NYC to train at American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School on full scholarship. While living in NYC, Wolff was awarded YoungArts winner in Tap, represented the JKO School at ABT at Prix de Lausanne, and at 16 years old made his professional debut in Bulgaria as a guest artist with iMEE: a company under the direction of Spencer Gavin Hering and Andrea Dawn Shelley. Since being in the company at Houston Ballet, he has worked with respected choreographers such as Arthur Pita, Justin Peck, Azure Barton, Disha Zhang, and Trey McIntyre. He has also been featured in many works of Stanton Welch’s. Some of his memorable roles include Peter in Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan, Benvolio in Stanton Welch’s Romeo and Juliet, and the Prince Welch’s Cinderella. Jack Wolff also has a passion for choreography, and has created works for Houston Ballet II, Houston Ballet main company, Philadelphia Ballet II, and Houston Contemporary.
CHAE EUN YANG
Chae Eun Yang was born in Seoul, Korea, and trained at the Sunhwa Arts School and Korea national University of Arts, before joining Houston Ballet in 2013. In 2017 Chae Eun joined National Ballet of Canada for a short time before returning to Houston Ballet where she continues to dance. Prior to joining Houston Ballet she was awarded 1st Prize at Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition, 2nd Prize at Varna International Ballet Competition, 1st Prize at Tanz Olymp Berlin, and. Finalist at Prix de Lausanne. During her time dancing professionally Chae Eun has danced the works of some of the most renowned choreographers in the world including but not limited to; Jiri Kylian, John Neumeier, Stanton Welch, Kenneth Macmillan, Crystal Pite, Rudolf Nureyev, William Forsyth and many more.