Faculty

Gregory Amato

Gregory Amato has a wide breadth of experience in the international world of ballet. Mr. Amato has performed in over 50 countries, including forthe Queen of England, two presidents, numerous ambassadors, dignitaries, and prime ministers.

He was selected by New York City Ballet principal dancer Edward Villella to become a founding member of the Miami City Ballet, before performing with the Ballet du Nord in France. He was then similarly chosen by Michael Smuin as a founding member of Smuin Ballet. While dancing there, Michael Smuin created several ballets on Mr. Amato, including "Frankie and Johnny,” and "Cyrano." He also appeared in the movie, "The Fantastics," which Smuin choreographed.

Mr. Amato's primary teacher and inspiration was New York City Ballet soloist Nolan T'Sani. He studied on full scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.

Mr. Amato competed and won the gold medal in the Fred Astaire International Ballroom Dance Competition. Despite his impressive ballet career, his personal highlight was his experience as the featured dancer at Carnegie Hall for the 100th Celebration of George Gershwin’s birthday.

Mr. Amato has been the Artistic Director at Peninsula Ballet Theatre and PBT Conservatory since 2017, where he has created over 40 original works, including full-length productions of The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Carmina Burana, Carnival of the Animals, and Carmen.

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Nina Amato

BALLET MISTRESS

Nina Amato is a former principal ballerina with the Sacramento Ballet and has danced the lead role in such ballets as Swan Lake, Giselle, Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, Les Sylphides, Sleeping Beauty, and Juliet in Ron Cunningham’s Romeo and Juliet, a role which was created specifically for her. She has also danced and created roles in a wide range of contemporary works by renowned choreographers, and the lead in several ballets by George Balanchine.

Chloé Watson

SCHOOL MANAGER & TEACHER

Chloé Watson* was born in Dallas, Texas. She began her early training at the Dallas Ballet Center, graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and earned her BFA in Dance at the State University of New York at Purchase College on scholarship. During her time at Purchase, Chloé performed at Jacob’s Pillow, and trained in Paris and Madrid. Chloé spent five seasons performing with American Midwest Ballet in Omaha, Nebraska, and with their sister company Ballet Vero Beach in Florida. Her choreography has been commissioned by both companies. While in Omaha, Chloé coached dancers of American Midwest Ballet II, and trained competitive dancers at a local studio. She is delighted to return to Peninsula Ballet Theatre for a fifth season of performing and teaching.

Léna Alvino

Léna Alvino* is originally from Switzerland. She started ballet at 5 and modern and contemporary dance at 14. After graduating from an artistic high school, she joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco. In August 2017, she moved to Santa Barbara, danced with State Street Ballet’s Professional Track Program and taught at Momentum Dance Company and Westside Dance. She is very excited to be back in the Bay Area, and to have joined eMotion Arts dance co. since March 2018, Peninsula Ballet Theater since August 2018 and The DanceWright Project since April 2019. Léna currently teaches at Peninsula Ballet Theatre and Petits Pas Studio.

Jaymee Krysta Boyd

Jaymee Krysta Boyd* is a California native born in Los Angeles. She trained at pre-professional companies Ballet California and California Dance Academy. She began her training as a competitive jazz and tap dancer. Jaymee later found the challenge of ballet and trained in various styles, including Balanchine, Vaganova, and Cecchetti.

Aline Carili

Aline Carili* was born in Brazil. She trained and studied dance at Mvsika Center for Studies, graduating in 2010. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from PUC Goiás in Brazil in 2014. Aline has been teaching for 11 years. She loves teaching at Peninsula Ballet Theatre because PBT is her second family, and it’s an enjoyable place to work.

Katelin Foley

Katelin Foley began her training at the Nancy Doizé School of Dance in the South Bay, where she studied Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary. Katelin graduated from DePaul University in 2018 where she was a part of the DePaul Dance Company's Tap and Lyrical Teams. While in Chicago, she choreographed and produced for Synergy Dance Company, which specialized in bringing dance to all levels and abilities. For the past several years Katelin has been working as a dance teacher and choreographer for Starting Arts where she teaches students from ages 5 to 25. She also performs locally around the bay in various nusical theatre productions. Her passion is bringing dance positivity to all people no matter their age or abilities.

Vincent Hwang

Vincent Hwang has been dancing for over 15 years, specializing in Hip-Hop movement, such as turfing, breaking, and waving. He has been a part of many teams including Academy of Villains, Full Potential Dance Company, and is currently a director of Tribe Dance Crew to put on theatrical productions, such as Stuck Sanders’ Hip Hop Nutcracker. Vincent teaches countless kids and adults at multiple premiere studios across the bay with the passion to inspire and connect people through movement.

Melia Kramer

Melia Kramer* has been dancing for the past 13 years and has been an apprentice with the PBT company for the past four seasons. In addition to training with Peninsula Ballet Theatre, she has also trained under the American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet School. She has performed in a variety of productions including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Paquita, Carmen, and many more. Melia is very to join the PBT Conservatory faculty!

Alyssa-Marie Muña

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.

Verónica Quevedo

Verónica Quevedo loves art, music, and all kinds of dance. As a child, she started with gymnastics, but with time fell in love with jazz, tap, and ballet. She trained and performed at Guillermo's Maldonado Conservatory, Isabel's Beteta School, and Oscar's Carapia School. Verónica went on to study teaching Royal Academy, and Imperial (ISTD) styles along with Cuban technique, also taking workshops in Cuda and Canada. Verónica shares, "I think it is wonderful that we, teachers, have the opportunity to guide children, teens, and adults to express all kinds of emotions through their body, through dance. To feel the music, the rhythm, the energy of their classmates and audiences."

Minna Rogers

Minna Rogers has been professionally trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance. Her personal style of dance and teaching is to integrate technical excellence with emotional expression. She began her professional studies in Tucson, AZ, and has studied at master classes and workshops at the University of Arizona, Vienna Opera Ballet School, Vienna Conservatory Ballet, among many others. She teaches ballet and musical theatre dance at Peninsula Ballet Theatre and choreographs and performs locally in musical theatre and dance productions.

Talia Rosen

Talia Rosen began taking ballet classes at three years old and is now continuing her dance experience through teaching. This is her first season teaching at Peninsula Ballet Theatre, mainly working with Pre-Ballet, Level 2A, and 2B. Her favorite productions she’s performed in are Alice in Wonderland as the White Rabbit, and The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy at Classical Ballet of California, under the direction of Nina Baratova Amato. Talia is really looking forward to working with everyone at PBT this season!

Matthew "Ninja" Sutton

Matthew “Ninja” Sutton was born in San Carlos, CA. He started breakdancing at Dance Mode Studio in 2010 and has since grown to do almost all styles of hip-hop. After many studio competitions, he was invited to join Tribe Crew, which is an all-adult hip hop-based team. Currently, Ninja is a choreographer for Poise’n Brigade (Tribe’s youth team) and has helped make sets for competitions such as Prelude Norcal, Collaboration, World of Dance Bay Area, and World of Dance Championships. He also performs as leading roles for theater shows such as Hip-Hop Halloween: The Monster Mashup, and Stuck Sander’s Hip-Hop Nutcracker.

* PBT Company Dancer