Galaxy of Dancers

Delta Festival Ballet, New Orleans Youth Ballet and Giacobbe Academy of Dance continue to set the standard for dance excellence in the State of Louisiana. Joseph Giacobbe and Maria Giacobbe have both become internationally known for their skill as directors and as teachers. Their students often graduate with scholarships to major universities or positions with leading dance companies. The number of professional dancers whose careers were launched by Delta and the NOYB attests to the Giacobbes’ success. They include:

Eleanor Bernard - Montgomery Ballet; Lexington Ballet; Ballet Arkansas; Indianapolis Ballet Theater; popular guest artist

Marcie Campo - Charleston Ballet Theatre

Murielle Capdepon - Apprentice with the Aurora Contemporary Ballet.

Liz D’Anna - A long time and professional dancer with Delta Festival Ballet and a teacher at the Academy.

Margot de La Barre – Musicals such as “Singing in the Rain”, “Hello Dolly”, “South Pacific”, “White Christmas”, “Company”, “Anything Goes” and in spring of 2012 “Evita”

Tobin Eason - American Ballet Theatre

Kelly Fortier-Apetri – Hartford Ballet, Kressovska Ballet of Dallas; presently directing her own studio in Mandeville

Elizabeth Gilbreath - Ballet Austin; Nashville Ballet; certified Pilates instructor

Laura Gilbreath – Soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet; Absolute Ballet

Kurt Gorrell – Nashville Ballet; national tours of “Contact” and “Movin’ Out”; gymnastic coach for “Billy Elliot”

Ann Green – Pittsburgh Ballet Theater; Sacramento Ballet; San Francisco Opera Ballet; Rotaru Ballet of Atlanta

Jerel Hilding – Dance Director of University of Kansas; former Soloist with Joffrey Ballet

Stephen Hook – American Ballet Theatre; appeared in the movie “The Turning Point”; Professor of Dance at Palomar College California

Patrick Howell – Principal, Milwaukee Ballet; former Soloist with Ballet Met & Northern Ballet Theatre of England

Loren Kinsella – National tours of “Will Roger’s Follies” and “Beauty and the Beast”; film actor and producer

Jason Lacayo - Musicals such as “Contact”, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, “Most Happy Fella” and “Fiddler on the Roof”

Simeon Long - Ballett Shindowski, Germany

Carol Messmer-Szutek – Joffrey Ballet; Pavlova Celebration; Toured with Alexander Goudonov; Ballet Rotaru of Atlanta

Erin Monteleone - Celebrity Cruise Lines; New York’s Radio City Music Hall Rockettes

Aubrey Morgan – New York City Ballet; Los Angeles Ballet; “Phantom of the Opera”, Broadway

Robert Morrow – Nashville Ballet; Dayton Ballet

Carli Neumann – National tour of “Phantom of the Opera”

Jamie Neumann - Off-Broadway plays such as “A Taste of Honey’

Gretchen Newburger - Principal with Zurich Ballet; former Soloist with National Ballet of Canada and London Festival Ballet; Director of her own school in Zurich

Denise Oustalet – Soloist with Dallas Ballet; Santa Fe Opera; architect of the dance program and Dance Chair for the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; in demand teacher

Denise Pons Leone – Soloist with Boston Ballet; White Oak Project wit Baryshnikov; faculty of Boston Ballet and Boston Conservatory

Jacquelyn Reyes - American Ballet Theatre; American Ballet Theatre studio company

Gregory Schramel – Ballet Oklahoma; Cincinnati Ballet; Miami Ballet; Atlanta Ballet; Vienna company of “Cats”; presently teaching and directing in New Orleans

George Smallwood – David Parsons Dance Company; Battleworks Contemporary Dance Company

Byron Suber – Hartford Ballet; professor of dance at Cornell University

Janie Taylor - Principal, New York City Ballet

Janessa Touchet - Principal, Cincinnati Ballet; Finalist in 2006 International Ballet Competition

Jessica Touchet - Smuin Ballet; La JAZDANZ; faculty member of Cincinnati Ballet School

Laurie Volny - Dance Captain of “Phantom of the Opera” in New York; former Soloist with Houston Ballet

Carolin Frankie Warren – Executive Director of Ballet Nova in Washington, DC; Choreographer and teacher for Giacobbe Academy of Dance and dancer with Delta Festival Ballet

Sarah Ellis Worden – Ballet Idaho