Began dancing at the age of nine, training at the School of International Ballet under Cecilia Hering. At the studio, she had the opportunity to perform Marius Petipa’s Cinderella and Don Quixote. At age 11 she competed in Youth American Grand Prix and continued to New York Finals. Two years later she won first place in the Classical Variation category in Los Angeles and again competed in the New York finals. In 2016 she received a scholarship to Ballet Idaho and danced alongside the company as a pre-professional student. In June 2020, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division. Ms. Bakland just joined Nashville Ballet’s Second Company in 2021 and was promoted in 2022 to the main company as an Apprentice.

After dancing at the School of International Ballet, I went on to also dance for Riverside ballet. I started dancing at the School of International Ballet when I was three years old along with figure skating. Dancing will always be a part of me and I really miss it. I am currently working for a designer clothing company, and I believe that dance has given me grace and confidence in the way I present myself. I am also doing Pilates on a daily basis, and I love it because of how much it reminds me of ballet. I am striving to earn my health coach certification and Pilates certification. Above all, dance has taught me a dedication and passion that will carry me through the rest of my life.

Alexandria is a School of Psychology graduate student at CSUSB. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish. Alexandria trained in ballet at the School of International Ballet for over 10 years and currently still takes classes. She recently performed in the Nutcracker Ballet as the “Snow Queen”. Throughout the past 7 years, she has taught children’s ballet classes and the children’s summer intensives at SIB. Alexandria also has worked as a behavior technician with autistic children and as an interventionist at an elementary school’s learning center. Her work with children inspired her to pursue a career as a school psychologist.

Samantha is currently a college student at Crafton Hills College and dancer at The International School of Ballet. She has previously trained on scholarship with The Kirov Academy of Washington D.C and Vitacca School for Dance in Houston, as a member of their professional programs. Samantha has participated in many summer intensives with prestigious ballet companies including American Ballet Theater and Colorado Ballet. In 2019, Samantha traveled to Prague to train under the direction of Daria Klimentova at The International Masterclasses in Prague. Further, Samantha has been invited to audition for a multitude of ballet companies across Europe including, Hungary, France, Spain, Austria, and Norway. Samantha is looking forward to continuing her pursuit of dance while receiving an associate’s degree in Spanish and later a Bachelor’s in English.

Chanel began her ballet training at the age of three at Redlands Festival Ballet with Cecilia Herring. As a young student, she performed in Don Quixote, Cinderella, and Paquita, attended summer intensive programs with the American Ballet Theatre, and competed annually in the Youth American Grand Prix. Chanel later joined Inland Pacific Ballet in 2010 as an Apprentice and performed in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and excerpts from Swan Lake and Dracula. Chanel took a brief hiatus from her professional dancing and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance with an emphasis in ballet and modern dance in 2015 at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine in addition to earning a certification in Pilates. Chanel continued dancing with Inland Pacific Ballet from 2016 to 2018, finishing her last season with the company as a Principal dancer. In 2019, Chanel received her M.B.A from the University of Redlands.

     I am currently working on the marketing team for a company in Corona, CA. My life as a ballet student and professional dancer has taught me how to be dedicated, learn quickly, and always strive to create the best end product (because dancers tend to be perfectionists). I learned so much about myself personally, creatively, and professionally throughout my 25 years as a ballet dancer and I've found that I apply what I've learned in the studio to my work. The process of refining my skills, learning new choreography, and creating something beautiful never failed to show me that I can always work harder to be better and that I must stay motivated in order to realize the joy of reaching my goals. I believe that the discipline and joy of ballet translates to all facets of our life because it reveals that we really do possess the qualities we need to succeed.

      Leaving the world of ballet was the hardest decision I ever made because it was something that brought me so much happiness, and it all started with Cecile at Redlands Festival Ballet. I spent fifteen years of my life in those studios and she taught me everything I ever needed to know about being an artist. My artistic ability was always my biggest strength as a performer and it always stood out in auditions or on stage, and even though I am not dancing professionally, I have found a career that allows me to use those creative capabilities that I developed during those fifteen years. Cecile was always so loving and encouraging to her dancers which filled us with so much confidence that shined in our dancing. I still take ballet classes when I can because it will never be something I stop doing. It is a part of my identity and I am always so proud to say that my ballet teacher is Cecilia Hering.

Alyssa-Marie Muña grew up in Millbrae, California, training with Ayako School of Ballet and Peninsula Youth Ballet. She moved to Southern California at the age of 17 to study with the School of International Ballet, and received additional training through intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Manila, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Joffrey Ballet School. Alyssa-Marie is happy to return to the Bay Area to join Peninsula Ballet Theatre for the 2022-2023 season.

Samantha grew up in Loma Linda, California beginning dance at the age of 4 studying under Cecilia Hering, at Redlands Festival Ballet now known as the School Of International Ballet (SIB). Ms. Zane has been the Social Media Manager from August 2018 to August 2023 at SIB. She was a teacher’s assistant for a couple of years and then began to teach Ballet II for 2.5 years. Currently, Samantha is a student at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. Her major is Contemporary dance with an emphasis on Ballet. Ms. Zane has attended many prestigious ballet summer intensives: Boston Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Ellison Ballet, and Festival Ballet Providence now known as Ballet RI. When Samantha isn’t at the studio her favorite things to do is play with her dogs, hang out with family and friends, take photos, and craft.