Staff & Teachers

Wade Walthall

Wade Walthall received his formal dance training under a Ford Foundation Scholarship and Stipend to the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Coming directly from his academic training, he was offered a soloist position by then Director, Rudi Van Dantzig of The National Ballet of Holland. He lived in Amsterdam for several years and went on to dance an extremely varied and eclectic repertory, including works by some of the world’s foremost choreographers.

After a season as the principal resident guest artist for The National Ballet of Spain, located in Madrid, Mr. Walthall returned to Seattle in the United States in 1982 as a Principal dancer for The Pacific Northwest Ballet under the Direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. After his 7 year performing career with The Pacific Northwest Ballet, Mr. Walthall was a requested guest artist and performed throughout the United States. Throughout his career, Mr. Walthall has studied, worked, and performed with some of the most prestigious figures in the Dance World. He has performed with artists such as Rudolf Nureyev, Alexander Gudanov, Wayne Eagling, Merle Parke, Leslie Collier, and Karin Kain, in cities including New York, London, Paris, Rome, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Jakarta, and Hong Kong.

As an instructor Mr. Walthall has taught various dance techniques at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Austin, The Hong Kong Ballet, The Washington Ballet, and San Antonio Dance Theater. In 1986 Mr. Walthall danced the male lead in the cinematic version of the STOWELL/SENDAK/BALLARD movie: NUTCRACKER: THE MOTION PICTURE. After his retirement from the stage Mr. Walthall received a degree cum laude in dance education from The University of Washington and was a pivotal figure in the creation and development of The Evergreen City Ballet where he designed, choreographed, directed, and taught for the school and company. He is mentioned in several listings of notable personalities throughout the world including Who’s Who in America and The Dictionary of American Biography.

Holley Calmes

Marketing Director

Ms. Calmes has been involved in the arts in the Atlanta area for over thirty years. Her career has included positions with The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Woodruff Arts Center, the Academy Theatre, International Ballet Rotaru, the Gwinnett Philharmonic, and the Hudgens Center for the Arts among others.

Ms. Calmes has also maintained a presence on Gwinnett’s art scene by writing her weekly column for the Gwinnett Daily Post, “Art Beat,” for four and a half years. She has contributed volunteer work to the Georgia Council for the Arts and been the Chairman of Performing Arts and Volunteers for the annual “Barefoot in the Park Arts Festival” since its beginning in 2003.

She is also on the Board of the acclaimed Atlanta arts presenter “New Trinity Baroque.” She is married to the well known dance photographer Richard Calmes, and together they contribute to the support and elevation of dance by contributing time and work for dancers across the country.

Predrag Gosta

Music Director & Conductor

The founding Music Director and Conductor of the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Predrag Gosta is steadily building a reputation as one of the most exciting conductors in the Southeast. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Atlanta’s acclaimed period instrument ensemble, New Trinity Baroque, as well as the Assistant Conductor of the National Philharmonic in Washington D.C. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Gosta started playing violin at the age of six, and later continued his studies in voice, harpsichord and conducting. Educated at leading music conservatories in Europe, he is the recipient of both academic and performance scholarships from Trinity College of Music in London, Belgrade Music Academy, and Georgia State University in Atlanta. He received an undergraduate degree and Postgraduate Certificate from Trinity, three Master of Music degrees from GSU, and had attended masterclasses and summer schools in England, Germany, Russia and the United States. Gosta performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Boston, New York, London, and Belgrade. Most recently, he toured England, Finland, Sweden and Serbia, and guest conducted orchestras in Russia, in St. Petersburg and Moscow. He has over a dozen CD recordings to his credit and has published articles in leading music journals. He is the Artist in Residence and former Adjunct Professor at Oxford College of Emory University, and a member of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars and Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity.

Kelly Sipsy

Administrative Assistant

Mrs. Sipsy is better known to GBT students as “Miss Kelly”, and she has been a constant, diligent presence in the GBT offices for the past four years. Her administrative expertise has helped continue the every day life of GBT running smoothly.

Ashley Lazenby

Ashley Lazenby, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, trained with Lisa A. Toups and Kathryn McBeth at Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre. While attending Kennesaw State University, Ashley taught ballet, tap and jazz for Georgia Dance Conservatory as well as performed with Young Audiences of the Woodruff Arts Center. Upon graduating from KSU with a B.S. in Exercise and Health Science, Ashley danced with Charleston Ballet Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina for two seasons. While there, she performed Balanchine’s Serenade and Rubies, Salvatore Aiello’s Notturno, and was featured in many original choreographic works. Ashley also taught the jazz and tap program of the Charleston Ballet Theatre School and recently co-choreographed the school’s Broadway Dance Project production of Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. Ms. Lazenby is currently Co-Artistic Director of Covington Regional Ballet.

Peter Swan

Peter Swan, originally from Atlanta, GA., attended Georgia State University as a jazz saxophone studies major.  He began his training under Nicolas Pacana (Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet) and Gregory Aaron (Hartford Ballet).  He has performed principal roles with Atlanta Festival Ballet, Gainesville Ballet,  Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre, and Southeast Alabama Dance Company, and is still highly sought after as a guest artist throughout the country.  Peter has also taught numerous summer intensives and master classes in the Southeast, including Jacksonville University and the University of Georgia.

In 2009, Peter began dancing with Charleston Ballet Theatre (CBT) in Charleston, SC.  While there, he was featured in many original productions, as well as George Balanchine’s Serenade and Rubies, Salvatore Aiello’s Notturno, and Bruce Marks’ Lark Ascending. 

In 2011, Peter Swan left CBT to assume the role of Co-Artistic Director for Covington Regional Ballet in Covington, GA. In addition, he continues to freelance and is on faculty for Mainstream Dance and Gwinnett Ballet Theatre.

Noel Dupuis

Trained with the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, Miami Conservatory and the Martha Mahr School of Ballet. During the early years of his career, he danced with the Atlanta Ballet, Southern Ballet Theatre, Memphis Concert Ballet and the Nashville Ballet prior to joining Ballet West as a Senior Artist. While at Ballet West, he was under the direction of Jon Hart and Jonas Kage and performed in a variety of ballets including Cinderella, Swan Lake, Peter Pan, and The Nutcracker.  He also performed in a number of ballets choreographed by Ashton, Forsythe, Hans van Manen, Val Canniparoli and George Balanchine including Mid-Summers Night Dream as Lysander, Who Care’s, Four Temperaments and Allegro Brilliant.  In 2003, Noel moved to the Louisville Ballet as a Soloist under the direction of Bruce Simpson. While there, he danced the role of Vronsky in Anna Karenina and as Arabian, Spanish and Waltz of the Flowers Cavalier in The Nutcracker. After two seasons, Noel moved to the Charleston Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer and Company Teacher.  He performed as the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Captain Hook in Peter Pan and Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Noël has had the privilege of performing at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Cultural Olympiad and the Sixth Annual China Arts Festival. Since 2006 Noel has been working as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer.

Ryan Cook

Preston’s early training began in Cleveland, TN at Mountain Lauel
 Studios under the direction of Heidi Lambert. He attended three years at the Nashville Ballet Summer Intinsive where he studied with Elaine Thomas, Adam Sage, and Paul Vasterling. In the summer of 2000 he moved to Torrington, CT to attend the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts resident program working with Elena Tchenichova, Alexi Tchernichov, Eleanor D’Antuono, and Kevin Martin. Preston has also trained and performed with Orlando Ballet School under the direction of Peter Stark. While there he also trained with Orlando Molina, Katia Garza,
Zoica Tovar, and former Orlando Ballet director Fernando Bujones. In 2004 Preston accepted a contract with Columbia Classical Ballet under the direction of Radenko Pavlovich. He has enjoyed performing various roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Jekyll and Hyde, Don Quixote, Mard
Diamond’s Snow White, Le Corsaire, and Fernando Bujones’ Georgia On My Mind.

Kassandra Taylor

Kassandra Taylor Newberry graduated cum laude with a BFA degree in Dance from Point Park University.  She has choreographed and performed throughout the country as well as in Austria, Germany, and Italy.  Mrs. Newberry has won numerous choreography awards:  National Choreographic Recognition Award 2007, 2010 & 2011 (Presented for best choreography in the Southeast RDA); 2010 Choreography Connection Award (presented at Craft of Choreography), Project Tier Outstanding Choreography Award 2008, 2009, 2010; Choreography Connection Award 2010 at the Craft of Choreography; Outstanding Choreographer for Youth American Grand Prix 2009 (where 5 pieces of her choreography were chosen for the top 12 to attend the National Finals in New York City); and Monticello Choreography Award 2004. In 2010 Mrs. Newberry was commissioned to set a piece at Point Park University for Pittsburgh Connections, and had two pieces premier at the CONCEPTS Choreographic Showcase in Winston Salem, North Carolina.  She has had 2 works selected to be performed for the American College Dance Festival (Regional and National)-presenting her work at the Kennedy Center as one of two choreographies chosen among 20 universities to attend from the nation. In 2007 Mrs. Newberry moved to San Francisco to join the trainee ensemble with Alonzo King’s LINES Contemporary Ballet, and in 2008 she became ballet mistress and educational director for the Salt Lake Ballet Conservatory in Utah. In 2009 she became ballet mistress for the High Point Ballet and Winston Salem Festival Dance Center.  Mrs. Newberry has danced professionally as a founding company member with Winston Salem Festival Ballet, Dance Theatre of Pittsburgh as well as Pillow Project Dance Theatre.  Mrs. Newberry currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia as a freelance dancer and choreographer.  www.KassandraTaylor.com

Caroline Watson

Caroline Watson was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her mother, being a tap teacher, began her dance education at age 3. She moved to Atlanta at 5 and studied under Pavel Rotaru. She has trained for 15 years in classical ballet (Vaganova method), jazz, tap, traditional Russian folk dance, character dance and hip-hop.  She took private instruction from Pavel Rotaru, and she was accepted into America Ballet Theatre summer camp 3 times and attended the New York City and Austin, Texas camp locations.  She also studied in New York at the Broadway Dance Center and attended a Rockettes summer intensive.  At the age of 14 she began dancing at the Atlanta Ballet in their pre-pro program.  By 16 she was in the Elite program, while dancing in the St. Pius dance company.  She was a ballet and jazz teacher for the past year 2 years at Statesboro School of Dance under Shay Morgan in Statesboro, Georgia.  Now attending Kennesaw State University to become a nurse, she wants to continue teaching, since dance is her passion.

Whitney Sue Jones

Whitney Sue Jones danced with GBT from 1996-2007.  She performed lead roles in “The Nutcracker”, “Daphnis and Chloe”, “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Paquita”.  Whitney Sue trained at summer intensives with North Carolina Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Colorado Ballet.  She was awarded the Eurotard Best of Festival Open Scholarship at SERBA in 2005.  During the 2007-2008 season, Whitney Sue danced with the North Carolina Dance Theatre as an apprentice under the direction of Patricia McBride and Jean Pierre-Bonnefoux and performed in “Beauty and the Beast”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Nutcracker”, and “Who Cares”.  In 2008-2009, she continued training and dancing with NCDT in their Professional Certificate Program while finishing her college degree with UNC Charlotte. She was chosen to perform “The Waiting Room” from the Sal Aiello Trust restaged by Mia Cunningham of NCDT.  Whitney Sue earned a “Professional Training Certificate in Dance” from North Carolina Dance Theatre and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education at UNC Charlotte in 2010.  Today, Whitney Sue facilitates the teaching and learning of students at Magill Elementary through the ArtsNow program that strives to integrate the arts into the classroom.  She has been a member of the GBT faculty since 2006. 

Jody Blevins

Jody Blevins began dancing at age 5 with Gwinnett Ballet Theatre and continued dancing with the company until her freshman year in college. Jody has had leading roles in productions such as “The Nutcracker”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Alice in Wonderland”. She attended summer intensive programs with Alabama Ballet and Charleston Ballet. Jody graduated from Georgia State University in December 2010 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing. She has been teaching ballet for the last 4 years and is excited to be apart of the GBT staff for a fifth year.

Rebecca Crawford

An Atlanta native, Ms Crawford trained at Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater, Atlanta School of Ballet, Joffery Ballet School, and the Kirov Academy of Ballet under scholarship. Continuing her training at the Miami City Ballet School, she performed principal roles in such ballets as George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, The Nutcracker, Jewels, and Who Cares? With the Miami City Ballet she danced in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and The Nutcracker, and in the Miami City Ballet’s Lecture Series, the role of Odette in Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, and Le Corsaire Pas de Deux. Rebecca has also danced professionally with American Repertory Ballet and Ballet Arizona. Rebecca has been teaching at Gwinnett Ballet Theater since 2004.  She has her B.A. in History and her Masters in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University.

Tierney Reid

Tierney has been dancing since she was 6 years old and has continued dancing throughout college and adult hood. She has had the wonderful opportunity to travel around the United States as a Dance Olympus VIP in 2002. Performances were in cities from Orlando, to Las Vegas, to Houston Texas. Tierney was a member of the Atlanta Dance Works Performing Dance company for over 10 years, performing the opening to Egleston’s Children’s Parade, Festival of Trees, as well as many holiday shows, competitions and performances. Tierney is professionally trained in all disciplines of dance; however tap is her favorite. She is inspired by other tappers such as gene Kelly, Sabion Glover, Sammy Davis Jr., Micheal Flatley and her original tap teacher Barry Thomas. During her time at Valdosta State Tierney was a tap instructor at Dance Arts, assisted with annual Nutcracker performances, as well work with her sorority’s step team ZTA in their annual greek performances. She has also had the opportunity to perform in various shows with Dance 101 under the choreography of David Norwood and Lindsey Theil. Tierney is currently a full time elementary education teacher with a degree in School Counseling. The career goal is to be school counselor until retirement. The goal after retirement is living amongst the land with horses flourishing.

Pumkin (Likesa Harris)

Pumkin, born Likesa Kayonda Harris is a native of Atlanta, Ga. Having danced since the age of 3, its safe to say dancing runs thru her veins! Pumkin is trained in Jazz, Modern, Ballet, African, Lyrical and self taught in hip hop. Ms. Harris is currently using her hip hop and Jazz training to teach at the Gwinnett Ballet Theater and Tolbert Yilmaz school of Dance. She is the head of the dance ministry at her church, Atlanta Metropolitan Cathedral where she says dancing combined with praising God is priceless! Pumkin’s talents have taken her around the world from Alabama to South Africa and Japan. She has toured with many recording artists as a choreographer and back up dancer including Ciara, Mary J Blige, Kandi, Keith Sweat and more. When Pumkin is not in the dance studio, she is in the recording studio working on her album with her female alternative rap group “The Gang of Roses.”