Nikita Boris began her ballet training at the Irine Fokine School of Ballet. She continued her studies at the Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory of New York. In 2016, Boris was invited to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. She performed in the winner’s gala of the Vaganova Prix at the Mariinsky Theatre. Boris traveled internationally for competitions and was awarded several medals, as well as the Grand Prix at Concorso di Danza Internazionale “Citta di Spoleto” Italy and at VKIBC in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Nikita has danced as a guest artist with Tanzolymp in Berlin, the Ballet Beyond Borders Gala in Los Angeles, and the International Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga. Nikita joined Boston Ballet II in 2018, where she performed works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, Mikko Nissinen, Bruce Wood, and Samuel Kirkjian. She performed with New York Dance Project in the revival of Alberto Alonso’s Carmen Suite, and in works by Gerald Arpino. Boris joined Cincinnati Ballet as an Apprentice in 2020. Since joining, Nikita has danced soloist roles in Paquita, a variation from Raymonda, Winter Fairy in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, and works by Amy Seiwert, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ohad Naharin, and Twyla Tharp.
Jackie is an artist, scholar, and educator originally from Houston, Texas whose primary medium is dance. She has a Bachelor of Science in both Dance and Business Management from Skidmore College and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Studies from The Ohio State University with a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Latinx Studies. Jackie has taught dance for twelve years at various studios and ballet academies in Texas and has lectured at The Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan University. Jackie has presented and performed at festivals and conferences from New York to Los Angeles and in between. She is a member of the Latinx Dance Educators Alliance and has received several competitive grants and awards including the Greater Columbus Arts Council Funds for Artists, Coca-Cola’s Critical Difference Directors Grant, Center for Ethnic Studies Research Grant, and San Antonio Dance Umbrella’s Artist Scholarship. When she is not teaching, Jackie co-directs a Latinx artist collective based out of Columbus called Taco Reparations Brigade which focuses on highlighting Indigenous Epistemologies within Latinx identity.
Megan Flynn is a dance educator, choreographer, and performer. She has over twenty years of experience working with children, teens, and adults, as well as pre- and professional dancers. She earned her MFA in Dance from UCIrvine, BFA from Tulane University, and Professional Diploma from Trinity-Laban Conservatoire in London, England. Prior to relocating to Cincinnati, Megan was the Gustave L. Davis ’59 and Susan S. Davis Director of Dance/Artist-in-Residence at Union College in Schenectady, NY. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor of Dance at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA (2013-22) and Artistic Director of the Muhlenberg Community Dance Center. She has served as a guest instructor for Earl Mosely’s Institute of the Arts (NYC), Philadelphia Dance Academy, Delaware Valley Dance Academy, Summer Stages Dance at Concord Academy, Summer Stages Dance at the Boston Ballet School, and the Skipton Summer School (England). Megan founded her professional company in Philadelphia in 2015 and continues to perform nationally and internationally. In 2021, she was selected for ATLAS, the choreographic scholarship program embedded within ImPulsTanz: Vienna International Dance Festival. Her work has been presented in traditional venues and public spaces, including: The NADINE Project (CT); Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia Fringe, Koresh Artist Showcase, Come Together Dance Festival (PA); Delaware Art Museum (DE); Cincy Fringe (OH); Built on Stilts (Martha’s Vineyard, MA); Dixon Place, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Choreography on the Edge (NY); ATLAS/ImPulsTanz (Austria), Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland); and site-specific locations across southern Spain.
Ayako Hasebe Lloyd is originally from Japan and began her training at the Van Metre School of Dance in Tennessee before continuing at the Koshizuka Natsuko Ballet School in Japan. She graduated from Butler University with honors and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. Lloyd performed as a company member with the Lexington Ballet Company for ten seasons. As an educator, she joined the Lexington Ballet faculty in 2009 and served as the Ballet Mistress until 2024. She was also the classical ballet program coordinator and a choreographer at Town & Village School of Dance for twelve years. Lloyd has been a guest instructor with Kentucky Governor’s School of Arts, a YAGP coach, and a teaching artist at the Lexington Theatre Company’s Artist Development Program. Lloyd is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is excited to be joining Cincinnati Ballet’s faculty and is looking forward to working with the Professional Training Division and the Academy dancers.
Simon hails from Sydney, Australia and has been dancing since the age of seven. He graduated from The Australian Ballet School in 2013 and joined the Australian Ballet company the following year, where he performed works by choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Graeme Murphy, Kenneth MacMillian, Simon Dow, Peter Wright, Stanton Welch, Jiří Kylián, Tim Harbour, and others. After moving to New York City in 2017, Simon became a company dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He danced five seasons with CCB, performing multiple world premieres by co-artistic director and choreographer Dwight Rhoden, under co-artistic director/co-founder Desmond Richardson. He also became a member of the teaching faculty for the Complexions Academy Summer Intensives. Simon joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2022 and has since danced works by choreographers William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Annabel Lopez Ochoa, Val Caniparoli, Jennifer Archibald, and others. As well as serving as an AGMA Delegate on behalf of the Cincinnati Ballet dancers, Simon is a published author. When he’s not dancing or writing, he’s usually teaming up with his husband to exact DIY renovations on their 130-year-old house.
Sierra began her training at Ballet Midwest in Topeka, Kansas and most recently danced in the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Professional Division in Seattle, Washington. During her time at PNBS she performed in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Balanchine’s Square Dance, Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake, Bruce Wells’ Snow White, and Wells’ Beauty and the Beast. Sierra is currently dancing in the Professional Training Division at Cincinnati Ballet.
