The Nutcracker Ballet Performers

Olivia began dancing at 3 and has trained at Las Cruces School of Dance and Music since age 7. She has participated in workshops and/or performances with State Street Ballet, Dance Across America, and the Moscow Ballet’s The Great Russian Nutcracker. Olivia made her solo debut as Clara in The Nutcracker (2019). In 2021, she danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), which she reprises here. Other recent roles include, Summer Faerie (Cinderella, 2022), Amor (Don Quixote, 2023). Olivia is currently an engineering student at NMSU.

A founding member of BBC, BBC Company since 2016 (founding member). Josh has danced at the Las Cruces School of Dance & Music for eight years. He originated the detective Ethan Stone in Café Noir (2017), Erebus Grimely in The Persistence of Air (2018), Don José in Carmen (2019), the Prince (Cinderella, 2022), and Basilio (Don Quixote, 2023). In addition, he has performed as the Beast (Beauty & the Beast, 2016), Demetrius (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2018), and numerous roles in The Nutcracker (Nutcracker/Cavalier, Rat King, Snow King, Coffee). Josh graduated from NSMU with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Juliana started her dance journey at the age of 3 and has been dancing under the instruction of Monique Foster since 2018. In addition to ballet, she has trained in tap and jazz. In addition to her dance training, Juliana has been selected to all-state choir for the last two years. Some of her solo performances include: Clara (Nutcracker, 2019) and Tea (Nutcracker, 2022). She was recently featured in a performance of the White Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake in a collaborative performance with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra.

Daniel has studied ballet for the last 18 years at both the Academy of Ballet and the Las Cruces School of Dance & Music. He originated the lead male role, Jake Marlowe, in the BBC's production of Cafe Noir (2017); he also originated the role of Altan in The Persistence of Air (2018). Additional roles include: The Nutcracker Prince/Cavalier (Nutcracker, 2022), The Beast (Beauty and the Beast, 2016), Billy the Kid (Billy the Kid, 2017), the Lead Thief (Don Quixote, 2023), Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2018) and most memorably one of the Ugly Stepsisters (Skinny in Cinderella, 2015 and 2022).

Brooke started dancing at the age of 6 at Las Cruces School of Dance & Music under. She has also participated in summer intensives by Jennifer Boren and Marina Fliagina. Featured roles in BBC productions include Tea (Nutcracker, 2021), Harlequin Doll (Nutcracker, 2022), Autum Faerie (Cinderella, 2022), and the Dryad Queen (Don Quixote, 2023).

Janelle Hernandez has been dancing for over 17 years, primarily under the direction of Monique Foster. She currently teaches ballet and jazz classes at the Las Cruces School of Dance & Music. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, with a supplemental major in Law & Society from New Mexico State University. Recent roles include Cinderella 2022 (Fairy Godmother), The Nutcracker 2022 (Sugar Plum Fairy), and Don Quixote 2023 (Flower Seller). Janelle was privileged to be selected for the 2022 Arts Lab Desert Peaks pre-professional/professional workshop hosted by Dark Circles Contemporary Dance.

Rachel has been studying with the Las Cruces School of Dance and Music since 2012, where she has performed innumerable times. Favorite roles include Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2018) and Coffee, Snow Queen, and Rat #4 (Nutcracker), Cinderella (Cinderella, 2022), and Mercedes (Don Quixote, 2023). She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from NMSU.

JP (as he prefers to be called) studied ballet in Florida. He spent two years on scholarship at the School of American Ballet’s Summer Intensive as well as the Rock School Summer Intensive. He currently teaches at Las Cruces High and teaches men’s class at LCSDM. Recent performances include The Nutcracker (Nutcracker/Cavalier, 2021), and Don Quixote (Basilio, 2023). In 2015 and again in 2022 he had the opportunity to play his favorite role — as Dumpy, the Ugly Stepsister (Cinderella). JP is currently an instructor at Las Cruces High School.

Megan began dancing at four years old and trained with Ballet Repertory Theater of New Mexico for 14 years. She has attended numerous BRT summer intensives and has performed in The Nutcracker,  Alice in Wonderland, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Magic Flute, and Alice in Wonderland with BRT. SheI has also attended Ballet West’s summer intensive and performed in The Nutcracker with New Mexico Ballet Company. Megan is currently a Biochemistry major at NMSU.

Naomi began her dance training at the age of 5. She spent a number of years dancing in various schools before joining the Las Cruces School of Dance and Music in 2022. Though primarily focused on ballet, she has experience in contemporary, character, jazz, tap, and hip-hop, as well as in theater arts. She has performed in the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Carmen (2023 with EP Ballet Theatre). Naomi’s first main role was as one of the four swans in the Pas de Quatre dance as part of the collaborative performance of Borderlands Ballet and Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in El Paso Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive 2023, guest teachers Rebeca Maso, Javier Zavala, and Lourdes Gomez. Naomi plans on pursuing a professional dance career.

Borderlands Ballet apprentice

Borderlands Ballet apprentice