Dina Castillo began her training at the Allegheny Ballet Company when she was five years old. She studied under the direction of Deborah Anthony and Cristin Burwell (Davis). At the age of sixteen, she was invited to study year round at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Dina spent her summers on full scholarship at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, WA. At eighteen, she received an offer to join the Los Angeles Ballet under direction of Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen. For six seasons, Dina danced numerous roles with the Los Angeles Ballet including featured roles in Christensen/Neary’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and George Balanchine’s La Valse.While dancing for the Los Angeles Ballet, she was recognized for her leadership, sharp eye, and teaching abilities, which then became utilized when she was appointed a company teacher and rehearsal mistress to Colleen Neary.Dina began her teaching career as a guest for the Allegheny Ballet at the age of seventeen. While in Los Angeles, she joined the faculty at the Brentwood Academy of Dance and later became a primary teacher of the Los Angeles Ballet School.In 2010, Dina began choreographing, and choreographed her first ballet, Fly, for the School of American Ballet’s student choreography workshop. She then created Danzas Argentinas in 2011 and Simple Symphony in 2014 for the Los Angeles Ballet’s choreography workshop. Dina has created many other works for the Brentwood Academy of Dance, Los Angeles Ballet School, Allegheny Ballet, and Blair Dance Academy.
A Pittsburgh native, Nicole began training professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet House. In 2013, she became a professional division student with Pacific Northwest Ballet and joined the company as an apprentice in 2014.While at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nicole danced in featured roles in George Balanchine’s Coppelia (Friend of Swanhilda and Jesterette), George Balanchine’s Diamonds (Demi Soloist), George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Marzipan and Columbine), Jerome Robbins West Side Story Suite (Rosalia), Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake (Swan Pas de Quatre), and William Forsythe’s New Suite (Handel 2). Nicole has also danced corps de ballet roles in George Balanchine’s La Source, Serenade, Square Dance and Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Nicole began as an assistant teacher at PNB in 2013 and now teaches at Pittsburgh CLO Academy and Wexford Dance Academy. She is happy to be back home and very excited to be on the faculty at Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh.
Christy is originally from Morgantown, WV and began her training at Kat and Company Dance Studio. She continued her love of ballet with the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh and then with Walnut Hill School for the Arts and Miami City Ballet School. She trained at many summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre where she received the National Training Scholarship, School of American Ballet, and Chautauqua Institution. She was then accepted into Texas Ballet Theatre’s School under full scholarship and was asked to perform professional roles in director Ben Stevenson’s Giselle and The Nutcracker with the company as a student. At eighteen, she joined Tulsa Ballet for two seasons where she performed in many ballets such as George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and Dracula , and with the Tulsa Opera. She went on to dance with Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas, TX where she had the opportunity to work with Michele Gifford of New York City Ballet and performed principal roles in George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, Who Cares? , and Walpurgisnacht Ballet . She also danced with Mejia Ballet International where she performed solo works by director Paul Mejia and was a faculty instructor.Christy is currently a certified Romana’s Pilates instructor at Touchstone Pilates and is studying at Point Park University with a major in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management.
Meredith McCall is proud to be on the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh faculty. She began her dance training at the age of two, with a primary focus on classical ballet. Growing up, she spent many summers dancing with the New York City Ballet in Saratoga Springs, the Pennsylvania Governor’s School of the Arts, the Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway. Meredith combined her passion for theater and dance and earned a B.A. in Musical Theater from Point Park University. After being accepted into the Actors' Equity Association, she worked as a performer and choreographer for professional theaters and national tours. She has fifteen years of experience, and a teaching style that she believes instills a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence in all of her students. Meredith lives in Peters Township with her husband Bryan and their children Addison, Bradley and Amelia.
Jaden Murphy was born in Pittsburgh, PA, but was raised in West Palm Beach, FL. She began her dance training seriously in Florida around the age of 10. She trained at Southern Dance Theatre under the direction of Julie Bravata and Penni Greenly. Murphy continued her training at Alexander W. Dreytoos School of the Arts, with Jan Hannford and Heather Lescialle, the deans of the department. She had the great opportunity of working with Melissa Rector, Jennifer Archibald, Christopher Huggins, Levi Marsmann, Margo Sappington and many more. There she graduated in 2017 with training in Classical ballet, Pointe, Graham, Horton, Limon, and Broadway Jazz. She spent most of her summers at Orlando Ballet and Point Park University. Jaden returned to where she was born to continue her studies at Point Park University where she received a Bachelors in Fine Arts (BFA) in the Spring of 2021, graduating Magna Cum Laude, with a concentration in Ballet and a minor in Entrepreneurship. This program is under the direction of Garfield Lemonius. There she had the honor of working with artists such as Amy Hall Garner, Julia Erikson, Jason McDole, Jay Kirk, Rocker Verastique, Susan Stowe, Michelle Gifford and countless others. Murphy's performance experience includes "La Bayadere”, “Swan Lake”, and many more contemporary ballet works. Upon graduation, she received and accepted an apprenticeship with Pittsburgh's newest ballet company called Confluence Ballet Company. Jaden has recently, in her second season, been promoted to Company Artist. She is so excited to be teaching and dancing in the city she loves the most!
Alivia Owen received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University. She has performed throughout the Pittsburgh area for the CLO, PMT and West Virginia Public Theater. Alivia has choreographed for the CLO Gallery of Heroes, Front Porch Theatricals and several different high school musicals. She is a proud mom to MaKenna and Lukas!Sabrina Locke is from Pittsburgh, PA where she began ballet at 2 years old, and danced all the way through college, accumulating 21 years of experience. Sabrina was a student at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh from the school’s grand opening in 2006 until her high school graduation in 2017. Throughout her time at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh, Sabrina trained primarily under Steven Piper, Lindsay Piper and Lindy Mandradjieff. She performed annually in the school’s production of The Nutcracker in a variety of roles, as well as performing in the school’s annual Spring Gala. Through her performances in the Spring Gala, Sabrina has performed in various classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Coppelia. She also has performed some of her own BAP favorites such as Bolero, Spring Symphony and Brandenburg Concerto. She has also performed in the Pittsburgh Irish Festival and various other performances with BAP as well. Following high school graduation, Sabrina danced with Volé - Penn State Dance Company throughout her years studying at The Pennsylvania State University. While dancing with Volé, she extended her love of dance to Contemporary dance as well as continuing her love for ballet. Throughout her time at PSU, Sabrina taught master ballet classes and various classical variations to the company. Her senior year, choreographed “Blue”, a classical ballet piece for the company. Sabrina held many leadership roles with the dance company which led to her position on the Executive Board her senior year. Following her time at BAP as a student, Sabrina remained active within the school by substitute teaching throughout the school year and summer intensives. Over the years, her love for ballet has never faltered and has only grown. Sabrina is proud to return to the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh, a place she sees as a second home, as faculty.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pa, Lindy received the majority of her training at School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. Lindy began her professional career with the San Francisco Ballet, and in June of 2001, she joined the New York City Ballet.While at the New York City Ballet, Ms. Mandradjieff danced featured roles in David Allan's Reunions; George Balanchine's Coppélia (Waltz), George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (Marzipan and Dolls), Raymonda Variations, La Sonnambula, and Walpurgisnacht Ballet; Peter Martins' Eight Easy Pieces, The Sleeping Beauty (Eloquence and Ruby), and Swan Lake (Pas de Trois and Pas de Quatre); Jerome Robbins' Interplay; Richard Tanner's Soirée; Helgi Tomasson's Prism; and Christopher Wheeldon's Mercurial Manoeuvres and Polyphonia. She also originated a featured role in Peter Martins' Viva Verdi and corps roles in Melissa Barak's Telemann Overture Suite in E Minor, Susan Stroman's Double Feature, and Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals.In 2002, Ms. Mandradjieff appeared in the nationally televised Live From Lincoln Center broadcast New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography on PBS, dancing in Mercurial Manoeuvres.Lindy was a member of the BAP faculty from 2006-2013, and is now the Artistic Director of her own school in Charleston, SC - the Dance Conservatory of Charleston.
Anna Grunewald is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she trained at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh. During the summers, Anna continued her training at Boston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Ballet West and expanded her performance experience as an apprentice with the Charlotte Ballet at the Chautauqua summer program. In the spring of 2018, Anna graduated from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance and an Outside Field in Arts Management. Among her instructors were Michael Vernon, Violette Verdy, Sarah Wroth, Kyra Nichols, Carla Korbes, and Shawn Stevens. During her time at Indiana University, Anna performed soloist and principal roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Divertimento No.15, and La Source as well as the principal role of Giselle, Bournonville’s Flower Festival In Genzano, and Sasha Janes’ Lascia La Spina.Currently, in her first year with Ballet Arizona, Anna will be joining the Miami City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet for the 2019-2020 season.
