OUR MISSION
The Ballet Herald is an independent voice in the cultural conversation. We are influenced and motivated only by the desire to share our passion for the arts and to express the impact they have – or have had – on our lives.
The views expressed in any given non-news article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire team. It is with this individual and company-wide integrity that we bring you stories related to the dance industry.
OUR HISTORY
The Traveling Ballerina was a seed planted in Fall 2018 as a result of not having access to a consolidated site to find ballet performances worldwide. Over time, it has grown in team size, content, and readership as well as gone through a couple of makeovers.
It is now being cultivated into a more encompassing online newspaper – The Ballet Herald – with a more sophisticated design aimed at enhancing the user experience and creating a space for future expansion.
OUR TEAM
Editor-in-Chief
Cherilyn J. LeeCherilyn's lifelong passion for ballet has opened the door to the next chapter of her journey. Her strong foundation includes training at the School of American Ballet, being a featured dancer with Hartford Ballet and Carolina Ballet, and being co-director/owner of City Ballet Raleigh. She was granted the Affiliate Teacher Award after successfully completing the ABT National Training Curriculum®. A professional career in the industry along with extensive global travel provide her with a unique set of experiences to draw upon as a journalist and audience member. Cherilyn is excited to be sharing her insight and news about ballet around the world.
Contributors
Graceanne LaCombeGraceanne LaCombe is a Louisiana-born writer based in Italy, where she explores her passions for food, wine, and the ballet. Before heading to college, Graceanne spent 15 years immersed in ballet training, dancing for companies such as the Slavin Nadal School of the Ballet, the Austin City Ballet, Lady Leah Lafargue School of the Dance and the Lake Charles Civic Ballet, which ultimately cultivated the movement and artistry that now shape her voice. Graceanne seeks to capture the many scenes, sounds and emotions of Italian culture—from the rhythms of chaotic trattorie to the grandeur and serenity of historic theaters—reflecting a deep passion for storytelling and the arts.
Jillian VerzwyveltJillian Verzwyvelt is a freelance writer who focuses on arts, culture, and travel. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, she trained at Lafayette Ballet Theatre before moving to Fort Worth, Texas to pursue bachelor’s degrees in economics and communication studies from Texas Christian University. Here, she discovered how to translate her passion for the stage to the page. Jillian is now working toward a dual master’s degree in global media and communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Southern California.
Justin RustleJustin Rustle is a performer, educator, choreographer, and writer from Gaithersburg Maryland. He received his foundational training at Maryland Youth Ballet and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University and an MA in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Justin has performed across the United States with companies including Ballet Arkansas and Bowen-McCauley Dance, as well as appearing as guest artist for numerous other companies, schools, and choreographers. He is currently on faculty at Baltimore School for the Arts, and a dancer with Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company based in Washington DC. He is also a contributing writer covering dance and physical theater for Maryland Theatre Guide. Photo by Jeff Watts.
Kasey BroekemaKasey Broekema is a reporter for The Sun US, as well as a freelance writer with work published from her fiction appearing in literary magazines, to getting the latest dance scoop, to neuroscience journals. She found her passion for dance twirling in a small studio in Kalamazoo, Michigan and her training included time with The School of Nashville Ballet, Vanderbilt University Dance Program, New Dialect, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Broekema attended summer programs with Suzanne Farrell on Cedar Islands, with Brooke Desnoës and Violette Verdy at L’Académie de Danse de Paris, Joffrey Ballet NYC, Ellison Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. She obtained her BA in English from Columbia University, Class of 2021. She is also a freelance dancer based in New York City and loves supporting small local companies. You can often find her scheming up story plots in dimly lit coffee shop corners, goggling in awe at her favorite dancers at Lincoln Center, and geeking out over Ancient Egyptian art at The Met Museum. Photo by John DeAmara
Mimi LiuMimi Liu is a full-time middle school dance teacher with the New York City Department of Education. She also teaches at The Brooklyn Ballet, as well as on her own YouTube channel Plié For The People. Mimi attended the American Ballet Theatre New York summer intensives three years in a row as a teenager, then graduated from the Boston Conservatory where she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in Dance. After moving to New York City, Mimi earned her M.F.A. in Dance from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and her M.A. in Dance Education from Hunter College on Full-Tuition Scholarship. Mimi is certified in levels Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and she is enthused by anything ballet!
Nadia VostrikovNadia Vostrikov grew up in Winchester, Virginia, training at her parents' ballet school and later at CPYB. She went on to dance professionally with Boston Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and several freelance companies. Her television appearances include Flesh and Bone, The Knick, Elementary, and Z: The Beginning of Everything. She now applies her creative background as a digital marketer in NYC.
Oksana KhadarinaOksana Khadarina is a Washington, DC–based dance writer. She has been covering dance at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as in New York City and internationally, since 2006. She has written for Dance Magazine, Pointe , DanceTabs, and Fjord Review, among other publications.
Paige WorshamPaige Worsham is a dance teacher, former professional dancer, and attorney. She attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for ballet and danced with Atlanta Ballet. In New York City, Paige was a member and choreographer for the Peyari Dance Project and performed off-Broadway in association with Spotlight On Productions. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for college and law school and has continued to teach a variety of dance genres for 20 years across North Carolina.
Sarah MillerSarah Miller, an arts and culture enthusiast, works in the non-profit sector and writes in her spare time. She grew up in North Carolina, where she studied ballet and modern, and where her love for dance developed from a young age. She graduated from Barnard College in New York City with an MFA in History before moving to Texas to work at Houston Ballet. She is currently living in the United Kingdom and working in volunteer management and community outreach.
