Faculty & Musicians

MYB’s faculty and musicians are regarded as among the finest in the country coming from successful professional careers.

Deidre Byrne

Artistic Director & Principal

Deidre Byrne graduated from the Maryland Youth Ballet in 1985 where she received her early training from Hortensia Fonseca, Michelle Lees, and Eric Hampton. Upon graduation, Ms. Byrne entered the School of the Cleveland Ballet on full scholarship. She joined the Cleveland San Jose Ballet two years later where she danced for 13 years and was a soloist in much of the company’s repertoire. Upon her return to the DC area, she performed with Bowen McCauley Dance. Ms. Byrne earned her BS in business marketing at the University of Maryland University College and worked at the Kennedy Center with the Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell program. She is a certified teacher in the ABT National Training Curriculum, Primary Level 5. After 4 years as MYBs Principal & Associate Artistic Director, she has taken the helm as MYB’s new Artistic Director and Principal, carrying on Hortensia Fonseca’s legacy of excellent ballet training.

Deidre Byrne

Artistic Director & Principal

Michelle Lees

Principal & Artistic Director Emeritus

Ms. Lees was one of the first graduates of the Washington School of Ballet’s academic program. Upon graduation she joined the National Ballet where she rose steadily through the ranks to become a principal dancer. When the National Ballet folded in 1974, Ms. Lees joined the Chicago Ballet as a principal dancer. She later toured the US and Europe with such well known artists as Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. During her 42 year tenure with MYB, she choreographed MYB’s award winning production of The Nutcracker, The Mini-Nut, and our highly acclaimed children’s ballets at Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. In addition, she is responsible for mounting all of the classics performed by MYB including: Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, and Paquita. In 2006 and 2010 Ms. Lees won the award for “Best Teacher” at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and MYB was named “Best School” at the YAGP in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

Hortensia Fonseca

Founder & Artistic Director Emeritus

Mrs. Fonseca began her training in her native Costa Rica and joined the National Ballet of Costa Rica. She immigrated to New York in 1945, where she studied with Andre Eglevsky, and later moved to Washington, DC studying with Mary Day and Lisa Gardiner. As the founding Artistic Director of MYB, Mrs. Fonseca was instrumental in cultivating professional careers for many students. She was awarded the 2003 Pola Nirenska Award for Lifetime Achievement, named Teacher of the Year in 2004 by Dance Teacher Magazine, and received the 2005 Montgomery County Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Education Award.

Senior Faculty

Ethan Brown

Kristin Brown-Maki

Christopher Doyle

Harriet Moncure Fellows

Rhodie Jorgenson

Julie Miles

Françoise Thouveny-Doyle

Faculty

Pascha Barnwell

Alison Crosby

Leslyn Ham

Melissa Lineburg

Bonnie Pickard Schofield

Justin Bellamy

RoAnne Duncan

Luz Iturbe

Sarah MacDonald

Emily Skord

Lucy Bowen

Jennifer Ferguson

Cecilia Jordan

Amy Neal

Roberta Stiehm

Helen Marie Carruthers

Susan Gresko

Lisae Jordan

Phyllis Pomerantz

JoAnn Zinn

Laurice Chow

Elizabeth Gonzalez

Rachel Knudson

Jazmine C. Rutherford

Pascha Barnwell

Justin Bellamy

Lucy Bowen

Helen Marie Carruthers

Laurice Chow

Alison Crosby

RoAnne Duncan

Jennifer Ferguson

Elizabeth Gonzalez

Susan Gresko

Leslyn Ham

Luz Iturbe

Cecilia Jordan

Lisae Jordan

Rachel Knudson

Melissa Lineburg

Sarah MacDonald

Amy Neal

Phyllis Pomerantz

Jazmine C. Rutherford

Bonnie Pickard Schofield

Emily Skord

Roberta Stiehm

JoAnn Zinn

Senior Musicians

Levon Mikaelian

Musical Director Emeritus

Arsen Sumbatyan

Musical Director & Senior Accompanist

Anna Ghaplanyan

Senior Accompanist

Mikayel Mikaelyan

Senior Accompanist

Musicians

Jenny Alexander

Yelena Ayanyan

Alina Belenky

Irina Edigarova

Jamison Foreman

Bella Kristosturyan

Michael Parker

Samuel Peters

Frank Owens

Zina Stepanova

Natasha Sutherland

Jenny Alexander

Yelena Ayanyan

Alina Belenky

Irina Edigarova

Jamison Foreman

Bella Kristosturyan

Michael Parker

Samuel Peters

Frank Owens

Zina Stepanova

Natasha Sutherland

Ethan Brown

Ethan Brown is a former soloist with American Ballet Theatre. He received his training at the School of American Ballet in his birth place of New York City prior to joining the corps de ballet of ABT in 1981. He was promoted to soloist in 1988 and retired from the stage in 2004. For twenty-three years, Mr. Brown toured extensively throughout the US, Europe and Asia performing a wide variety of soloist and principal roles in ABT’s repertoire. He worked closely with choreographers Tudor, De Mille, Robbins, MacMillan, Tharp, Jiří Kylián, Cunningham, Neumier, Tetley and many others. After retiring from dancing, he spent several years teaching ABT and ABT II company classes and being a faculty member of the JKO School at ABT and ABT’s Summer Intensive Programs in New York and Bermuda. Mr. Brown is certified teacher in the ABT® National Training Curriculum, Primary-Level 7. He also annually judges ballet competitions and teaches master classes for Youth America Grand Prix.

Kristin Brown-Maki

Kristin Brown-Maki received her early training from the Florida Dance Theatre and was a graduate of Howard W. Blake High School for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida. She continued her dance education on scholarship at the University of South Florida while performing as a guest artist with the Brandon Ballet. Ms. Brown-Maki has danced professionally with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland, United Nations of Dance, THINK Dance Company, and Bowen-McCauley Dance. Kristin serves as the Children’s Division Director.

Christopher Doyle

Christopher Doyle was born in Boston, MA. He received his training at Boston Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School and from Hae Shik Kim in Fresno California. He was a member of the Washington Ballet for nine years where he danced many principal roles. Other companies he has performed with include the Milwaukee Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the National Ballet of Korea. He also served as artistic director for the Fresno Ballet from 1994 to 2005. Mr. Doyle is MYB’s Resident Choreographer.

Harriet Moncure Fellows

Harriet Moncure Fellows has been on the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet since 1982, teaching at all levels. She received her early training at the Richmond Academy of Ballet in Virginia and later with Eric Hampton in Washington. She was a leading dancer with Virginia Ballet Theatre and performed with Perlo/Bloom & Company for many seasons. Ms. Fellows taught dance at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, VA and ballet at The George Washington University. She is a 1975 graduate of the University of Richmond. Ms. Fellows serves as the Conservator of the choreographic work of the late Eric Hampton and is MYB’s JumpStart Initiative Coordinator.

Rhodie Jorgenson

Rhodie Jorgenson received her training at the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) School. She spent the majority of her career dancing with ABT, performing on stage and TV, and in movies, throughout the US, Europe, and the Far East. She has worked with choreographers Balanchine, Tudor, Robbins, Ailey, Smuin, and Feld. Ms. Jorgenson has been responsible for rehearsing many children’s roles for ballet productions at the Kennedy Center, including setting the children’s roles for American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. She has also been on the faculty at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS since 2002.

Julie Miles

Julie Miles received her training from Mary Day and the faculty at the Academy of the Washington School of Ballet. She went on to become a founding member of The Washington Ballet where she danced for twenty years performing many classical and contemporary principal roles. In addition, Ms. Miles served as rehearsal assistant to choreographer Choo San Goh staging many of his works for The Washington Ballet and other companies. In 1997 she joined the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet and is currently the Adult Program Coordinator.

Françoise Thouveny-Doyle

Françoise Thouveny-Doyle is a native of France. She started her classical ballet training in her hometown of Orléans and in Paris at le Centre de Danse de Paris training with Nina Vyroubova, Yvonne Meyer, and Gilbert Mayer. She started her professional career with Roland Petit at the Ballet National de Marseille and moved to the United States to join The Washington Ballet under the artistic direction of Mary Day and Choo San Goh. Ms. Thouveny-Doyle was a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Oklahoma under the artistic direction of Edward Villella, and guested with Martine Van Hamel’s New Amsterdam Ballet and the National Ballet of Korea. She performed repertory by many choreographers including George Balanchine, Anthony Tudor, John Cranko, Niles Christie, Edward Villella, Fernand Nault, Choo San Goh, and Roland Petit.

Following her career, Ms. Thouveny-Doyle along with her husband Christopher Doyle co-directed the Fresno ballet school in California. During their tenure in California they developed and implemented a comprehensive ballet curriculum from beginner level to pre-professional. At the invitation of Rebecca Wright she joined the faculty of The Washington School of Ballet where she has been teaching in the lower and upper division, as well as the professional division. She has been a guest teacher with the National Ballet of Korea, the School of Ballet Arizona, and the English National Ballet School in London. Ms. Thouveny-Doyle joined the faculty at Maryland Youth Ballet in 2021.

Ms. Thouveny-Doyle has extensive experience teaching and training young pre professional dancers and believes that through the study of classical ballet the student is provided with the confidence, focus and grace for success in years to come.

Levon Mikaelian

Born in Yerevan, Armenia Levon Mikaelian was introduced to classical as well as jazz music at a young age and at 7 began his professional piano training. Mr. Mikaelian trained in an intensive music school, participated in several piano competitions throughout Armenia, and was awarded a Diploma for the Babajanyan National Competition. He went on to study at the Komitas State Conservatory, majoring in Piano Performance with Dr. Svetlana Dadian.

In 1999, Mr. Mikaelian moved to the US and joined MYB as a pianist in 2000. He has accompanied classes for MYB faculty members, as well as guest teachers such as Susan Jaffe and Claudio Munoz, and also accompanied classes at The Washington Ballet for Septime Webre, Jeff Eduards, and others, at the Kennedy Center for Kevin McKenzie, Julie Kent, Roy Kaiser, and Trey McIntyre, and at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS.

Mr. Mikaelian has also been very involved in jazz, performing in local DC clubs. He was the lead singer in the album “With a Song in My Heart” that he released with Double Sharp, he released the ballet CD “Beautiful Motions” with MYB faculty member Rhodie Jorgensen as well as the album “Untainted” with the Levon Mikaelian Trio. He formed the band United Shades of Artistry and recorded a self-titled album with guests Randy Brecker and Gary Thomas.

Mr. Mikaelian has also been very involved with the Armenian Embassy in DC, where his septet was featured at the 25-yr celebration of the Independence of Armenia. He also helped organize a fundraiser hosting the first lady of Armenia, Anna Hakobyan, where Levon Mikaelian Trio was the main act.

In 2019, Mr. Mikaelian founded the Chevy Chase Arts Academy in Chevy Chase, MD. Currently, he is the Music Director at MYB and the Director/Founder at the Chevy Chase Arts Academy.

Arsen Sumbatyan

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Arsen Sumbatyan is a talented performer and teacher of trumpet and piano. He spent five years at Moscow Music School N83 By Tabakov, a music school in Russia, and went on to complete his bachelor’s degree in performing arts (trumpet) at the Academic College of Music by Tchaikovsky at Moscow Conservatory College and his masters degree in performing arts (trumpet) at Ippolitov-Ivanov State Musical Pedagogical Institute. He has studied with some of the world’s finest trumpet players including Vyacheslav Prokopov, Professor of Music and First Trumpet with the Moscow Bolshoi Theater Symphony Orchestra and Anatoly Semkin, First Trumpet with the Moscow Opera House Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Sumbatyan has served as a pianist for The Washington Ballet and has worked with numerous other companies throughout the country including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Kirov Ballet Academy. He has also traveled and performed extensively with the Regent Seven Seas Cruise Jazz Orchestra and has had the pleasure of working with the Mt. Vernon Concert Band, Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Tom Cunningham Jazz Orchestra, Imperial Palms Jazz Orchestra, and many other jazz, rock, ska and reggae bands. Mr. Sumbatyan plays trumpet for the Doc Scantlin Band, Washington Talent Agency, Edward Kim Reynolds Jazz Quartet, and The Hot Lanes, a 16-piece Big Band comprised of some of the DC area’s most diverse and talented musicians who perform and promote all decades of music while educating the local community in jazz. When he is not teaching lessons or performing somewhere else, you can also find him playing at the Columbia Station Jazz Club. Mr. Sumbatyan is currently a Senior Pianist at MYB and the Accompanist Coordinator.

Anna Ghaplanyan

Anna Ghaplanyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia. Music and theater have been central to her life since her earliest childhood days. Her piano studies began at age six at the Tchaikovsky Music School and continued at the National Conservatory, both in Yerevan. She holds a Master of Music and Artist’s Diploma from the Yerevan State Conservatory and has won a number of prestigious prizes at national piano competitions in Armenia.

Teaching has always been her great passion. Anna has worked with students of all ages and levels. She helps them make the most of their musical talents and prepares them for reaching their goals in the world of music. Ms. Ghaplanyan taught piano for 30 years before immigrating to the United States in 2006. Her experience as the Ballet Music Coordinator at the Opera and Ballet National Theatre helped her transition into a new musical life in America. Ms. Ghaplanyan is currently a Senior Pianist at MYB.

Mikayel Mikaelyan

Mikayel started his musical career at a young age by attending The Tchaikovsky Secondary Music School of Yerevan from 1966-1977. He graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan with a double major in Composition and Piano in 1982.

In 1999 Mikayel moved to the States with his family and started working as a ballet accompanist both at the Washington School of Ballet and Maryland Youth Ballet. From 2005 to 2017 Mikayel had the pleasure of serving as the Music Director of the Washington School of Ballet, during which time he worked closely with TWB company as well as other major dance companies from around the US. Mikayel also composed the music for The Washington School of Ballet Spring Performances from the year 2007-2016.

At present, Mikayel is a regular accompanist at George Mason University Dance department. From 2022 to present, Mikayel was delighted to continue his journey at Maryland Youth Ballet as a Senior Accompanist.