CINCINNATI BALLET - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Institutional Giving Manager
Amanda Pérez Duarte took her first steps in the world of ballet at an art academy in the city of Ciego de Avila, Cuba. She continued her training as a dancer by completing elementary and higher studies at the National Ballet School of Cuba, fulfilling her dream of mastering this art. During this stage, Amanda achieved silver and bronze medals in International Ballet Competitions held in Havana. In 2017, she graduated as a Dancer and became part of the National Ballet of Cuba, where she had the opportunity to dance in various repertoires, including Swan Lake, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Giselle, Coppelia, as well as pieces by renowned choreographers like Alexei Ratmansky, Ben Stevenson, Alberto Méndez, Cathy Marston, Ricardo Amarante, and Gemma Bond, among others.
Throughout her journey, Amanda excelled in leading roles such as Swanilda, The Blue Bird Princess, Three Preludes, Love Fear Loss, and Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, which led to her promotion as a Soloist of the company. She continued dancing with the National Ballet of Cuba until 2022. Subsequently, Amanda auditioned for the prestigious Finnish National Ballet Company and performed in several works during the 2022-2023 season. Her talent also earned her invitations to dance in various artistic galas, where she showcased her skills in pieces like the PDD of Don Quixote in Evli, Finland, as well as the PDD Romeo and Juliet and Diana and Acteon at the Carlo Gesualdo Danza 2023 International Prize in Italy.
Currently, Amanda is thrilled to be part of the Cincinnati Ballet company and looking forward to embracing new experiences and challenges in her dance journey.
Bella Ureta, a native of Seattle, began her training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in 2004 and has attended the elite summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada until 2016 when she joined Boston Ballet II.
She has performed in repertoire by world renowned choreographers including Jean Christophe Maillot's Roméo et Juliette, Crystal Pite's Emergence, William Forsythe's Artifact 2017, Jiří Kylián's Sechs Tänze, "Duet Mabul" in Ohad Naharin's Minus 16, "Snow Queen" in Victoria Morgan's The Nutcracker, "Charm Fairy" in Devon Carney's The Sleeping Beauty, "Pas de Trois" in Kirk Peterson's Swan Lake, and originated a leading role inEmmy-Award winner Travis Wall's Then…Now.
Ureta has performed in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Kent Stowell, Victoria Morgan, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Mikko Nissinen, Jill Johnson, Marius Petipa, Devon Carney, Septime Webre, Garret Smith, Jennifer Archibald, and Nicolo Fonte. Ureta has enjoyed dancing with the Cincinnati Opera in its productions of La Traviata and Aida. She joined Cincinnati Ballet's corps de ballet in 2017 and in 2020 was named one of Pointe Magazine's "Star of the Corps."
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Production
Caroline Perry grew up in Tustin, California and began her professional training in 2015 at the Houston Ballet Academy where she worked and performed alongside the company and second company until 2016 when she officially joined Houston Ballet II.
In 2017, she represented the Houston Ballet Academy at the Prix de Lausanne competition where she received an offer to join the corps de ballet. Perry continued dancing in Houston from 2017 until 2022 performing various works including George Balanchine's Jewels, Little Swans and Siegfried's Sisters in Stanton Welch's Swan Lake, and new works created by company members Connor Walsh and Melody Mennite.
Before joining Cincinnati Ballet for the 2022-2023 Season, she expanded her contemporary repertoire performing with Ishida Dance Company in creations by Bret Ishida and Doma choreographed by Jeremy Galdeano and Vera Kvarčáková.
Chandler Proctor was born in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina where he studied dance until 2013 when he joined Houston Ballet II. In 2015 he was offered a company position with Tulsa Ballet and was promoted to Soloist in 2019. While in Tulsa he performed in works by renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Derek Deane, Wayne McGregor, Ma Cong, and Edwaard Liang. This is Proctor's second season with Cincinnati Ballet.
Job Titles:
- Principal Ballet Mistress for Ballet Internationale
- Rehearsal Director
- Rehearsal Director and Director of Second Company - CB2
Dale Shields trained at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Butler University before joining Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, where she rose to principal dancer under Artistic Director George Verdak. She performed principal roles in productions including Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Coppelia, Night Shadow, The Moor's Pavane and many original works.
Shields served as Principal Ballet Mistress for Ballet Internationale, assisting with the original choreography of full-length ballets by Artistic Director Eldar Aliev and worked alongside Irina Kolpakova in staging many well-known classics. Accepting Artistic Director John McFall's invitation to join Atlanta Ballet as Ballet Mistress gave her the opportunity to assist in mounting numerous full-length productions. She assisted on works by inspiring national and international choreographers including Alexander Ekman, Helen Pickett, Twyla Tharp, Liam Scarlett, David Bentley, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Amy Seiwert, among others.
She is in her third season with Cincinnati Ballet.
Job Titles:
- Principal Faculty, Professional Training Division
- Principal, Professional Training Division
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Foundation Board
Job Titles:
- Patron Experience Team Member
Job Titles:
- Registration Services Manager
Elizabeth is a Cincinnati native who has worked for and with non-profit education organizations for more than 15 years. She worked locally at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the University of Cincinnati's Center for Community Engagement before spending six years as Recruitment and Outreach Manager at Washington, DC, non-profit For Love of Children. At FLOC, she directed efforts to recruit and onboard 400+ students and 500+ volunteers annually for out-of-school-time tutoring and college access programs. Elizabeth brought her experience in student enrollment, program administration, and volunteer management to the Academy team in 2017. She has a degree in Art, English, and Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton, and she spends her free time writing and drawing as she pursues publication as a picture book author/illustrator.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Academy and Education
- Vice President of Academy Education
Job Titles:
- Second Wardrobe Assistant
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
Job Titles:
- Director
- Founder
- Program Director
Jennifer Archibald is the founder and Artistic Director of the Arch Dance Company and Program Director of ArchCore40 Dance Intensives. She was appointed as the first female Resident Choreographer in Cincinnati Balle t's 40-year history. Archibald has choreographed for Atlanta Ballet, Ailey II, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet West, Sacramento Ballet, Nashville Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet, Richmond Ballet, BalletX, Ballet Austin, Grand Rapids Ballet and worked commercially for Tommy Hilfiger, NIKE, and MAC Cosmetics, as well as chart-listed artists.
At the age of 14, Jennifer (Porteous) Rutherford moved to New York City to train at The School of American Ballet, after being invited there with a full scholarship. Jennifer was asked to join New York City Ballet at 17 years old. While in NYCB, Jennifer performed in many different Balanchine and Jerome Robbins ballets and was hand selected by Robert La Fosse for his ballet Concerto in Five Movements. Jennifer received stellar reviews by The New York Times, singling her out for her performances in the company. Since retiring as a performer, Jennifer has been the Children's Nutcracker Coach at Cincinnati Ballet, and has taught ballet for over 15 years. She was also a resident choreographer with Exhale Dance Tribe, based out of Cincinnati. During the 2021-2022 Season, Jennifer joined the Otto M. Budig Academy team full time as Principal Faculty, Professional Training Division Coordinator.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Sustaining Trustee
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Member of the Foundation Board
- Vice President of Finance
- Ex - Officio
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Foundation Board
A Cincinnati native, Joshua Stayton began his training at the School for Creative and Performing Arts before joining the Orlando Ballet School (Peter Stark) and Houston Ballet II (Claudio Muñoz). Prior to joining Cincinnati Ballet, Stayton was a Demi-Soloist at Sarasota Ballet and a soloist at Tulsa Ballet.
His repertoire includes leading roles in The Green Table (Joos), Onegin (Cranko), Strictly Gershwin (Deane), A Million Kisses to My Skin (Dawson), Concerto (MacMillian), Mirror Walkers (Sir Wright), Cinderella (Morgan), Age of Innocence (Liang), Bolero (Fonte), Midsummer (Wheeldon), One/end/One (Elo), Sleeping Beauty (Angelini), Romeo & Juliet (Liang), Extremely Close (Cerrudo), among many more. Stayton has performed internationally in Hungary, Italy, Finland, Spain and Switzerland. As a choreographer, he has had world premieres for Ballet 22, Tulsa Ballet's second company, DeLa Dance Company, Azara Ballet, and SCPA's Dance Ensemble. Beyond his love for the stage, Joshua enjoys teaching the future generation of dance.
Job Titles:
- Youth Programs Coordinator
- Youth Programs Manager
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ms. Louis began her dance training at the age of five studying ballet, tap, and jazz. She continued her training while studying ballet more intensely at CCM, Ballet Tech Ohio, and Cincinnati Ballet's Otto M. Budig Academy. Ms. Louis went on to Mercyhurst University as a dance major under the direction of Tauna Hunter. In May 2007, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in Pedagogy and Choreography and a minor in Arts Administration. While studying at Mercyhurst University, Ms. Louis performed with the Lake Erie Ballet and SoMar Danceworks. Following graduation, Ms. Louis danced professionally for five seasons with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as one of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes. As part of the "Christmas Across America" company, she had the opportunity to tour all over the United States and Canada. Following her professional dance career, Ms. Louis turned her focus to her passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She has taught for several organizations including Ballet Theatre Midwest, Children's Theatre of Cincinnati, Clifton Cultural Arts Center, and Cincinnati Ballet. In 2014, Ms. Louis became a full-time member of the Otto M. Budig Academy team and now serves as Youth Programs Manager.
Kate Stark is a teaching artist and administrator who loves making dance accessible to students of all ages. Prior to joining the team at Cincinnati Ballet, Kate was an overnight producer at WHIO-TV, a freelance teaching artist, and the Executive Director of Parkinson Support & Wellness (PSW). At PSW, she oversaw programming for the estimated 60,000 people in the Greater Cincinnati area with Parkinson's Disease, developed a new brand identity and website for the organization, and initiated a monthly educational program in conjunction with Cincinnati Public Library branches to delve deeper into specific topics of interest to Persons with Parkinson's and their families. Kate maintains a relationship with the organization as consultant and webmaster today. She was recognized for her contributions to the region through her work teaching Dancing with Parkinson's as a recipient of the Next Generation Leader Award, and is proud to now be able to teach this class at the Otto M. Budig Academy. In addition to her work at the Ballet, Kate performs professionally with companies like The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, and The Carnegie Center for the Performing Arts.
Katherine Ochoa began training in 2009 at the National School of Ballet in Cuba where she learned a vast repertoire of variations and won both gold and silver medals in the Havana International Ballet competition. She later joined the Cuban National Ballet and in 2019 had the opportunity to participate in the semifinals of YAGP in Chicago and won the Grand Prix Award. She moved on to participate in the semifinals of YAGP in New York where she placed in the top 12. As a member of the Corps de Ballet in Cuba she performed in Giselle, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Don Quixote, and Umbral and she was quickly promoted to First Soloist. This is Ochoa's second season with Cincinnati Ballet. She was promoted to Soloist in 2023.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Foundation Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Patron Experience
Job Titles:
- Sustaining Trustee
- Treasurer of the Foundation Board
Marcus Romeo began training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. He completed his last three years of pre-professional training at The School of American Ballet, where he was awarded the Columbus Citizen Foundation Scholarship, the Linda and Arthur Collins Scholarship, and the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship. Following his graduation, Romeo joined Boston Ballet II under Mikko Nissinen and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2014.
During his time with Boston Ballet, Romeo appeared in works such as George Balanchine's Donizetti Variations, Kammermusik No. 2, Theme and Variations, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Diamonds, and Episodes, Jerome Robbins' The Concert, John Neumeier's Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, Ivan Liska's Le Corsaire, and William Forsythe's Artifact 2017. Romeo joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2017 and was promoted to Soloist.
Since joining Cincinnati Ballet, Romeo has enjoyed dancing the works of Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck, Helen Pickett, Cathy Marston, Nicolo Fonte, Penny Saunders, David Morse, Andrea Schermoly, Myles Thatcher, Septime Webre, Ohad Naharin, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Devon Carney, Victoria Morgan, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. In 2022, Romeo earned an Associate of Applied Business degree from Eastern Gateway Community College with a finance focus.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Data Services
Maura is a Cincinnati native with a love for dance that began when she attended her first dance class. She has since focused her professional efforts on supporting students in both high school and college endeavors. As Senior Enrollment Counselor at Thomas More University, Maura recruited students from across the nation with a focus on Ohio and Indiana. After her time on the road, she became Director of Admissions at Elder High School in which she managed the admissions process including student recruitment, financial aid and scholarship awards, marketing, and events. Maura was thrilled to join the Otto M. Budig Academy team in 2019 as Student Services Manager. She supports Academy and Education students outside the studio through academic and housing support, events, uniforms, and more. Maura is a graduate of Thomas More University with a degree in International Studies and Sociology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
- Sustaining Trustee
Job Titles:
- Director of Academy Operations
Originally from Northern California, Mike has been involved in the performing arts from a young age as a singer, dancer, actor, and instrumentalist. In 1998, he moved to Southern California to join the performing arts company, The Young Americans. Mike was fortunate to travel for several years as a cast member, merchandise manager, and company manager on eleven national and international tours including the U.S., the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Ukraine. It was during his time as a company manager that Mike found a passion for arts management and education. In 2005, he joined the Education Department at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (now known as Segerstrom Center for the Arts) in Costa Mesa, CA. Mike managed a myriad of events and performances at The Center which served over 20,000 children, families, students, and teachers annually. In 2010, Mike returned to The Young Americans to serve as its Dean of Administrative Services at the newly founded Young Americans College of the Performing Arts. During his tenure he was proud to be a part of the four-person executive team who led the College in obtaining regional accreditation as an AA-degree granting institution. In addition to his professional career in the arts and education, he continued to perform in community theater productions throughout Southern California and was a founding board member of the Star Center for the Performing Arts. Mike and his family recently relocated to Cincinnati where he joined the Otto M. Budig Academy team as the Director of Academy Operations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Graphic Designer and Content Manager
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy
Nikita Boris began her ballet training at the Irine Fokine School of Ballet. She continued her studies at the Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory of New York. In 2016, Boris was invited to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. She performed in the winner's gala of the Vaganova Prix at the Mariinsky Theatre. Boris traveled internationally for competitions and was awarded several medals, as well as the Grand Prix at Concorso di Danza Internazionale "Citta di Spoleto" Italy, and at VKIBC in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Nikita has danced as a guest artist with Tanzolymp in Berlin, the Ballet Beyond Borders Gala in Los Angeles, and the International Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga. Nikita joined Boston Ballet II in 2018, where she performed works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, Mikko Nissinen, Bruce Wood, and Samuel Kirkjian. She performed with New York Dance Project in the revival of Alberto Alonso's Carmen Suite, and in works by Gerald Arpino. Boris joined Cincinnati Ballet as an Apprentice in 2020. Since joining, Nikita has danced soloist rolesin Paquita, a variation from Raymonda, Winter Fairy in Victoria Morgan's Cinderella, and works by Amy Seiwert, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ohad Naharin, and Twyla Tharp.
Job Titles:
- Patron Experience Supervisor
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Foundation Board
Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Samantha received her preliminary training at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating from UNCSA, Griffin went on to dance with Charlotte Ballet before joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2015. She was promoted to Corps de Ballet for the 2017-2018 Season.
In 2018 Samantha was recognized in Pointe Magazine's "Stars of The Corps." Since being with Cincinnati Ballet she has performed roles in a variety of classical and contemporary works by Septime Webre, Val Caniparoli, Georgie Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Ma Cong, Stephanie Martinez, Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Helen Pickett, Cathy Marston, Travis Wall, Jennifer Archibald and others. Some of these principal and soloist roles include, Tall Girl in Balanchine's Rubies, Dark Angel in Balanchine's Serenade, Princess Tsarevna in Adam Hougland's Firebird, Fairy Godmother in Victoria Morgan's Cinderella, Tiger lily in Septime Webre's Peter Pan, Carabossein Devon Carney's Sleeping Beauty, and Garrett Smith's Facades.
When Samantha is not dancing she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kitties, eating good food, having good drinks, traveling and exploring new places.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Foundation Board
Scott was born in Marietta, Georgia, and began his ballet training at the age of 12 at the Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre. There, he danced numerous roles including Solor from La Bayadere, Arabian in The Nutcracker, and many other works choreographed by Tom Pazik.
In 2019, Scott was invited to join Cincinnati Ballet's Professional Training Division. During his training, he performed in Victoria Morgan's The Nutcracker and King Arthur's Camelot, Snow White choreographed by Pamela Robinson, and George Balanchine's Valse Fantaisie.
He was offered a contract with Cincinnati Ballet's Second Company for the 2022-2023 Season and was recently promoted to Apprentice for the 2023-2024 Season.
Simon Plant was born in Sydney, Australia and started dancing at the age of 7. After graduating from The Australian Ballet School in 2013, he joined the Australian Ballet where he performed works by choreographers Wayne McGregor, Graeme Murphy, Kenneth MacMillian, Simon Dow, Peter Wright, Stanton Welch, Jiří Kylián's, Tim Harbour, and others.
After moving to New York City with his husband in 2017, Simon became a company dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He danced five seasons with CCB, premiering multiple world premieres under co-artistic director and choreographer, Dwight Rhoden and co-artistic director/co-founder Desmond Richardson. Simon came on as Faculty for the 2022 Complexions Academy Summer Intensives, teaching company repertoire and NIQUE, Rhoden and Richardson's proprietary contemporary ballet technique, to students around the country. Simon is also a published author; when he's not dancing he's writing or spending quality time with his husband. He is thrilled to be joining Cincinnati Ballet for the 2022-2023 season.
Simone Muhammad, a native of St. Louis, MO, is a graduate of the Nutmeg Conservatory. She continued her training at Charlotte Ballet and Nashville Ballet where she performed contemporary and classical works by Jean Pierre-Bonnefoux, Peter Chu, Dwight Rhoden, and Paul Vasterling.
She has also performed supporting and ensemble roles in Swan Lake, Val Caniparoli's Nutcracker, George Balanchine's Emeralds, and Jerome Robbins' In G major. In 2021 she received a Bronze Medal for her performance of The Dying Swan coached by Charla Genn.
She was offered a contract with Cincinnati Ballet's Second Company for the 2022-2023 Season and was recently promoted to Apprentice for the 2023-2024 Season.
Tatiana Melendez trained at All American Dance Factory & Classical Ballet School in Tampa, FL. At 15, she was invited to join Houston Ballet Academy's Professional Division on scholarship. Upon her graduation in 2017, Tatiana joined Texas Ballet Theater where she performed multiple roles including Clara in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker, a Swan in Ben Stevenson's Swan Lake, and was cast as a female lead in the premiere of Stevenson's Matinü Pieces.
In 2018 she signed a contract to join Complexions Contemporary Ballet where she danced for 5 seasons touring nationally and internationally. As a company member with Complexions, she was part of multiple world premieres by Dwight Rhoden and the premier of Francesca Harper's pas de deux, "System".
Tatiana graced the cover of Pointe Magazine's 2020 fall edition as well as being featured in Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Spirit Magazine.
Tatiana has done guest performances around the world including performing the Snow and Sugar Plum pas de deux in Roma City Ballet company's "The Nutcracker" & guest performing in the World Ballet Competition & Universal Ballet Competition Galas.
Thomas began his full-time training at the age of 12 at Premiere Studios in Sydney, Australia. He was a top 5 Junior Men's Finalist at Youth America Grand Prix and was a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne, during which he received admission to Summer Intensives & short-term scholarships with Academie Princess Grace, English National Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, The Royal Ballet School, and The Australian Ballet School. Thomas accepted a position with Queensland Ballet's second company at 16 where he performed numerous company works including Strictly Gershwin, Flames of Paris (Philippe), Scotch on the Rocks, and Muscle Memory.
In 2017, Thomas joined the Atlanta Ballet 2 where he performed works such as Beauty and the Beast and Eclipse. Thomas was a company member with Complexions Contemporary Ballet from 2018-2023 where he performed multiple works by Dwight Rhoden & Jae Man Joo. Thomas has also done multiple gala performances such as Titas Gala Dallas, Plié for the Arts in Jamaica, World Ballet Competition & Universal Ballet Competition in Mexico, Atlanta & Orlando. This is Thomas' first season with Cincinnati Ballet.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources
Yoshihisa Arai began his Ballet training at the International Ballet Academy in Japan before he was accepted to The Royal Ballet School in London in 2005. While he was a student at The Royal Ballet School, Arai performed in works by Sir David Bintley, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan, with The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden and he was a Finalist of the Prix de Lausanne in 2007.
After graduating with honors and receiving the Achievement Award in 2008, Arai joined Northern Ballet in Leeds, UK under the direction of David Nixon CBE and Ballet Mistress,Yoko Ichino. He began his professional career performing in many original ballets by David Nixon around the UK and in opera houses in Far East Asia. In 2011, Arai transferred his career to the United States and joined Tulsa Ballet where he performed works by William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Douglas Lee, and Edwaard Liang.
The following year Arai joined The Joffrey Ballet Chicago under the leadership of Ashley Wheater MBE, where he gained innumerable experiences and the responsibility to perform countless principal and corps roles in world-renowned classical, contemporary, and original works by exceptional choreographers like Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli, Alexander Ekman, Lar Lubovitch, Cathy Marston, Wayne McGregor, John Nuemeier, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Krzysztof Pastor, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokov, Jerome Robbins, Liam Scarlett, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon OBE.
As a choreographer himself, Arai created several successful new works for The Joffrey Ballet such as Boléro, Élégie, and Afternoon Watch, which premiered at The Lyric Opera House and Auditorium Theater in Chicago. He has also choreographed a new Appalachian Spring for The Joffrey Ballet Studio Company in collaboration with the Illinois Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
In 2023 Arai choreographed and directed his first mini chamber opera Cåraboo: A Chamber Opera, composed by James M. Stephenson and librettist Matt Boresi and performed by International Chamber Artists. Arai has been invited to create a world premiere in collaboration with Berlin-based Composer, Designer, and Tony Award-winning choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon and Alondora de la Parra, founder and conductor of Festival PAAX GNP in Mexico. After a triumphant career as a professional ballet dancer and choreographer around the World, Arai will be joining the leadership team as a Rehearsal Director of Cincinnati Ballet and Director of Second Company- CB2 to aid in the success of the company's vision for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.