American Ballet Theatre

After performing in musical theater productions as a child, Sean Stewart began his study of jazz dance and tap with Lisa Clark at the age of 10. He began studying ballet two years later with Yanina Cywinska and was a professional ballet dancer by the age of 14, having joined the Joffrey II Dancers in New York under the direction of Jeremy Blanton and Gage Bush Englund. He studied for a year at the Paris Opera Ballet School before joining American Ballet Theatre.

Sean has performed with Lar Lubovitch's company, as well as Complexions, Alabama Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, and Washington Ballet, and originated a role in “The Times, They Are A' Changin'“, a musical play directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp. Sean performed as a dance double for the character of Sergei in the film Center Stage. 

He has taught at the ABT Alabama Summer Intensive, the ABT online summer intensive, and the ABT Tampa Summer Intensive, at Eglevsky Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet School, and has served as a judge and teacher for YAGP. He has also served as the artistic coordinator and rehearsal director of the ABT Apprentice Program, assistant director and ballet master at CoLab Dance, ballet master for Hamptons Dance Project, ballet master, stager, and company teacher of Duncan Lyle Dance, and guest ballet master for the ABT studio company. Sean is a fully certified teacher with the ABT National Training Curriculum. He is a company class teacher at American Ballet Theatre.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Leonard Brito (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) began his training with Projeto Primeiro Passo and later studied at Escola Estadual de Dança Maria Olenewa, Centro de Arte Nós da Dança, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and The Ailey School. He danced with Ailey II and then with Ballet Hispánico for five seasons. Brito has performed with the Mariinsky Ballet, Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, and Focus Cia de Dança. In 2015, he received the III Brazilian Modern Dance Congress Award. He has performed works by Robert Battle, Cassi Abranches, Jae Man Joo, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Marcelo Misailidis, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Eduardo Vilaro, and Anabelle Lopez Ochoa. Brito is also proficient in capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art. He has appeared in the FX series POSE, Willy Chavarria’s film Safe From Harm, Out magazine, Hong Kong Dance Magazine, on the covers of Made in Brazil and SSAW, and in many other campaigns. He joined the Company in 2024. 

Broadway, Film & TV

Deon Ridley has performed both on and off Broadway.In 2001, Deon performed with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, at Madison Square Garden along with world-class musical artists including Whitney Houston, Usher, Jill Scott, Mya, Missy Elliott, Monica, Al Jerau, Deborah Cox and Gloria Gaynor for Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. His Broadway credits include: A Christmas Carol starring Frank Langella at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden and The Lion King, and Deon recently performed in the international tour of Chicago. Internationally, Deon has performed in many shows including Cats in Hamburg, Germany and has been featured in shows throughout Europe and Asia. On tour Deon has been seen in shows such as Damn Yankees and Fame the Musical. In 2003, Deon was featured as leading dancer and dance captain for Grammy Award-winning singer Celine Dion in her Las Vegas premiere show called A New Day at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with Director Franco Dragone and Emmy award-winning choreographer Mia Michaels. Deon was featured as a dancer for Netflix's hit series "The Get Down" and was also featured as a dancer for a Weight Watchers commercial starring Ana Gesteyer. His work as a choreographer includes several music videos for recording artists in the entertainment industry, Assistant Choreographer for NYU Tisch School for the Arts’ production of In the Heights, and events throughout Las Vegas for events such as the opening night gala for Michael Jackson’s "This Is It" movie premiere at the Palms Casino.

Hip Hop, Jazz

Rose Bedard is a dynamic figure in the dance community, embodying roles as a freelance artist, choreographer, and educator through her LLC, "2INSPIRE Dance." Her passion for dance is evident in her boundless energy and dedication, which she channels into teaching and choreography. She has established strong community connections wherever she goes, fostering lasting relationships with her students and collaborators.

Rose's teaching reaches beyond traditional dance studios; she imparts her knowledge at the Flynn Theater, public and private schools, and universities both within and outside Vermont. Her commitment to education is indicated by her recent month-long school residency, where she engaged with students and from preK to 5th grade.

In addition to teaching, Rose continues her own artistic growth through training in cities like Montreal, NYC, and Boston. She serves as the artistic director of "SynRgy," her own dancecompany, and contributes to the Slow Shapes Dance Company.

Her impact extends to coaching the Mt. Mansfield Union dance team for 18 years, guiding them to numerous championships in jazz and hip hop within the Vermont Northern Athletic Conference and the Vermont State level. Her teams consistently place in the top ranks at theNew England level, a testament to her coaching prowess and the dedication of her students.

Beyond teaching and coaching, Rose shares her expertise as a dance judge for Elite Dance Challenge, evaluating competitions across New England. Her philosophy centers on continuous growth and making a difference in people's lives, echoing sentiments encapsulated in quotes she resonates with, such as those by Joe DiMaggio.

Lyrical, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Choreography

Kristina Desjardins (she/her) moved to New York City to study Musical Theater at American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Since, she's joined New York City based companies such as ELSCO Dance, Metaphors&similiesDance, GIG (Get it Good), and VIVOBallet, and SANDSILK. She has worked with Dublin Worldwide Spirit Productions in numerous casino shows in Reno and Canada. Kristina's been fortunate to work as a Dancer/ Choreographer in Music Videos shot in L.A., New York, Reno, and London. She's choreographed Musical Theater shows at Merchants Hall and Castleton State College. Kristina is the Artistic Director of ENTITYDANCE and has presented her own works at Dixon Place, Junction Dance Festival, Beacon Bonfire, and Manchester Library. She is focused on bringing more dance to Vermont. 

Dance for Musical Theater, Jazz

Carissa Bellando (she/her) is originally from New York and holds a MFA in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University and a BA in Theatre and Speech with a concentration in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance from Wagner College.  

Carissa performed professionally for thirteen years in Concert Dance and Musical Theatre throughout the US, Taiwan, and at sea with Norwegian Cruise Line and Aida Cruises before moving into teaching and choreographing full-time. Some of her favorite performance roles include Tumblebrutus in “Cats”, the Carpet in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”, and Die Hexe (The Witch) in “Es War Einmal” (Once Upon a Time).  

Carissa has taught and choreographed in the US and Germany for colleges, conservatories, theaters, dance companies, and numerous studios. Most recently you may have seen her choreography in “Tick Tick…Boom!” for Vermont Stage, “SpongeBob: The Musical” for Shelburne Community School and Full Circle Collaborative, and “ Little Shop of Horrors” for Essex High School as well as numerous dance studios in the Chittenden and Washington counties.

Aerial Hammock

Cheyanne is a hula hoop artist, aerialist, and acrobat who discovered a love of circus in 2015 which has been a leading source of inspiration, passion, and community for her since. She is a former instructor for The Gym Dandies Children's Circus of Maine and Rise Up Fitness LLC in Oregon. She has performed with Nevaeh Dance Circus, Apparatus Dance Theater, and since moving to Vermont, Cirque de Fuego. She is also a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance in Aerial, Yin, and Vinyasa and is currently studying for her Certified Personal Trainer accreditation with the American College of Sports Medicine. Cheyanne believes that movement is medicine and finds joy in helping others build confidence and express themselves.