MEET THE DANCERS
KATE ANDERSON (SHE/HER)
Originally from Kansas City, Kate trained and performed with Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Austin, and Richmond Ballet before coming to Ballet Des Moines. During her time at Kansas City Ballet and Richmond Ballet, Kate performed in works such as Nicholas Beriozoff’s Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, and Malcom Burn’s The Sleeping Beauty. The highlight of Kate’s dancing career has been performing as the Turning Girl in Balanchine’s Who Cares? and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. This is Kate’s third season with Ballet Des Moines.
MEGAN BOYETTE (SHE/HER)
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Megan began her training at Charlotte Ballet under Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. She spent multiple summers at Ballet West before joining the company as a Trainee. She performed with Ballet West in Cinderella (Ashton), Swan Lake (Sklute), and The Nutcracker (Christensen). Megan was a recurring guest artist with Aspen Santa-Fe Ballet and has participated in two artist exchange programs with the Berlin State Ballet School. Following her time with Ballet West she joined Ballet Met and performed and toured with the company, performing in multiple world premieres by Edwaard Liang. Megan is honored to be a Jacob’s Pillow Alumn (class of 20’) working closely with program director/choreographer Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa. This is Megan’s second year with Ballet Des Moines.
SAVANNAH COX (SHE/HER)
Originally from Kansas, Savannah danced with Eugene Ballet Company before joining Ballet Des Moines. Savannah trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with a scholarship under Marcia Dale-Weary, Nick Ade and Alecia Good-Boresow, at Kansas City Ballet with a scholarship under Devon Carney, Hyuk-Ku Kwon and Kimberly Cowen, and Topeka Ballet with a scholarship under Linda Virr. Professional highlights include performing in Robert Curran's Swan Lake at Louisville Ballet and appearing as a soloist in William Forsythe's In the Middle Somewhat Elevated while at Tulsa Ballet. This is Savannah’s third season with Ballet Des Moines.
AMELIA GRUBB HILLMAN (SHE/HER)
Amelia Grubb Hillman has called Iowa home since 2016 and has been a company dancer with Ballet Des Moines for the past 8 seasons. Originally hailing from the Washington, D.C. area, she completed her training on scholarships at the Kirov Academy of Ballet and the Akhmedova Ballet Academy. In addition to her career with BDM, Amelia has performed with English National Ballet,The Washington Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Columbia Classical Ballet. Amelia has had the privilege to perform works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Derek Deane, Ma Cong, Jennifer Archibald, Stephanie Martinez, Ryan Nye, Stoner Winslett and more. Some of her most cherished moments on stage have been in the role of Cinderella, Ma Cong’s Screaming Silence, and performing Christopher Wheeldon’s Je Ne T’aime Pas with her husband, Logan Hillman. Amelia and her husband live happily in Sherman Hill with their 2 cats and 1 dog. She is excited to return for her eighth season with Ballet Des Moines.
LOGAN HILLMAN (HE/HIM)
Logan Hillman, hailing from northern Virginia, began ballet education at age ten from the Russel School and Virginia Ballet Company and School. At 16, he attended the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC, and concluded his training under Jacqueline Akhmedova at her school in Maryland. He worked professionally for the Columbia Classical Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. Favorite works include dancing in Jiří Kylián's Sech Tanze, Christopher Bruce's Sgt. Early's Dream, and Val Caniparoli's Swipe and The Lottery. This is Logan’s fifth season with Ballet Des Moines.
RUNE HOUCHIN (HE/HIM)
Rune Houchin began ballet at the age of 11 and moved from Colorado to Arizona to train at Master Ballet Academy before starting the trainee program at Tulsa Ballet in 2020. Rune’s accolades include second place classical and top 12 contemporary at YAGP San Francisco 2020 and first place Pas De Deux at YAGP Phoenix. His professional experience includes Tulsa Ballet under the artistic direction of Marcello Angelini, Fokine Ballet, and Phoenix Ballet. This is Rune’s third season at Ballet Des Moines.
EDDIE KIDD (HE/HIM)
Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Eddie trained with Boston Ballet School and the Cincinnati Ballet Professional Training Division, receiving notable awards including the Nancy Hebben and William Milberg Scholarship. Eddie’s favorite roles include the Spring Waters Pas de Deux and Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie. This is Eddie’s second season with Ballet Des Moines.
NOAH KLARCK (HE/HIM)
Hailing from Dearborn, Michigan, Noah Klarck previously danced with Ballet Memphis, Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma City Ballet Studio Company. His recognitions include the Mark Everett Award, Young Artist Award, and Premo Family Dance Scholarship. This is Noah’s third season with Ballet Des Moines.
CAMERON MILLER (HE/HIM)
Cameron Miller has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Ballet and Modern Dance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Conservatory of Music & Dance. Cam studied classical and contemporary dance with Kansas City Youth Ballet under the instructors HyukKu Kwon, Devon Carney, Peter Pawlyshyn, Kimberly Cowen, and Jennifer Owen. He received a full scholarship to Kansas City Ballet School and was a recipient of the Basil Thompson Memorial Scholarship and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory Scholarship. Cam has served in both Principal and Soloist roles with American Midwest Ballet and Ballet Vero Beach, and has appeared in more than two dozen main stage productions including At Last, The Wizard of Oz, Friends and Lovers, and George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco among others. He joined Ballet Des Moines as a guest dancer for the 2021 Dance Into Spring Tour and will begin his third full season as a company dancer this year.
CHIYO NISHIDA (THEY/THEM)
Originally from Osaka Japan, Chiyo studied at Homura Tomoi Ballet School before receiving their BFA in Dance Performance, minor in Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Butler University. Chiyo is the 2020 recipient of the Lynette Jordan Schisla Scholarship in Dance at Butler University and the 2020 and 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Performance Award with the Butler Ballet. Prior to coming to Des Moines, Chiyo performed with Butler Ballet and the Homura Tomoi Ballet Company, including the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker and Gulnara in Le Corsaire. This is Chiyo’s third season with Ballet Des Moines.
APPRENTICES
Andrea Stephanie Mish (She/Her)
Andrea graduated from Butler University with honors and a Bachelors of Science in Dance Arts Administration and Psychology. Prior to university, she trained at Southern Dance Theater and Ballet East in West Palm Beach, FL and graduated from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. She has received Butler Ballet’s “Outstanding Performer Award” and “Outstanding Artist Award” and has enjoyed the roles of Odile in Swan Lake, Clara in The Nutcracker, and Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle. This will be Andrea’s first season as an apprentice with Ballet Des Moines.
THOMAS MONTGOMERY (HE/HIM)
Thomas has attended Boston Ballet School and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as the recipient of the Dorothy L. Herriman Scholarship. His favorite role to perform is Edwaard Liang’s Für Alina as the male lead, which he performed at IU Ballet Theater. This will be Thomas’ first season as an apprentice with Ballet Des Moines.
TRAINEES
OLIVIA BROWN (SHE/HER)
Olivia comes to Des Moines after dancing in the BalletMet trainee program, as well as the Boston Ballet and The School of Carolina Ballet pre-professional programs. Her favorite roles have included Edwaard Liang’s Tributary, Liang’s Swan Lake, and Snow and Flowers in BalletMet’s The Nutcracker. This will be Olivia’s first season as a trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
MELISSA DAHMS (SHE/HER)
Hailing from Littleton, CO, Melissa trained with Belliston Academy of Ballet before studying at Colorado State University. She performed in The Nutcracker with Canyon Concert Ballet, before continuing her training with State Street Ballet in 2020/21. This past summer, Melissa danced her first professional role in The Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Bluebeard’s Castle. This will be Melissa’s second season as a Trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
MARISSA DOKE (SHE/HER)
Marissa previously danced with Phoenix Ballet and trained at Master Ballet Academy and recently won the Tanzolymp gold medal as well as two 3rd place awards at YAGP and top 12 in the World Ballet Competition. Her favorite role to perform is Snow Queen. This will be Marissa’s first season as a trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
RILEY FENLON (SHE/HER)
Originally from Naperville, IL, Riley trained with Von Heidecke's School of Ballet, A&A Ballet, and The Academy of Dance Arts. In 2022, she was placed in the top 24 at YAGP Chicago semi-finals, and the top 15 at Universal Ballet Competition Chicago semi-finals. This will be Riley’s second season as a Trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
cora miller (she/her)
Cora’s 15 years of training spanned the Ballet Arts School of Dance in Kalamazoo, the Grand Rapids Ballet School, Butler Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, and the Cecchetti Council of America, and Palm Beach Atlantic University before joining the St. Louis Ballet’s Professional Division in 2022. At St. Louis Ballet, she had the opportunity to perform in the corps de ballet of great classics such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. This will be Cora’s first season as a Trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
MORGAN MONTOUR (SHE/HER)
Morgan is currently earning her BFA in Ballet from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she performed as the Lilac Fairy, a Big Swan, and as understudy as a soloist in Raymonda. This will be Morgan’s first season as a trainee with Ballet Des Moines.
JORDAN POWERS (SHE/HER)
Hailing from Texas, Jordan trained at the Austin Dance Conservatory and won Top 15 at ADCIBC 2022 and 2023 in both classical and contemporary, as well as reaching the YAGP finals in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Her favorite roles are Kitri and Giselle, and her proudest moment was dancing at the Conservatório Internacional de Ballet e Dança Annarella in Portugal. This will be Jordan’s first season as a trainee with Ballet Des Moines.