Summer Faculty

SWBT’s faculty are the most sought-after instructors in the valley. They bring their wide range of expertise and experiences to share with our aspiring dancers. Scroll down to read more about each faculty member and the expertise they bring to SWBT’s dancers. 

Crystal Fullmer – Classes & Intensives

With 25 years of teaching experience at universities, private studios and conservatories, Crystal Fullmer brings a wealth of knowledge into the classroom and rehearsal process.

Her early training started with Jacquie Kunzman, Nina Vasilieff Raimondo, and Frank Bays at a small classical studio in Oregon, while later she studied with Greg Halloran and Lorraine Person at University of Idaho, and Donna Jewell, Mary Anne Santos Newhall, and Eva Encinias-Sandoval at University of New Mexico.

Crystal owned and directed her own dance studio in eastern Washington for a few years, and has also been on faculty with Washington State University, Central Washington University, Alma College, and University of Idaho. She is currently an adjunct with the Dance Department of Grand Canyon University.

Her former students have been accepted to dance programs at Cornish College of the Arts, University of Utah, LINES Ballet at Dominican University, The Hartt School, Western Washington University, University of Idaho, University of Arizona, and University of New Mexico. Some have also danced professionally with Ballet 5:8, State Street Ballet, Ballet Idaho, ArtLab J, and Third Coast Dance Company. 

Elijah Evans – Classes

Born and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, Elijah Evans began his dance training with The Newport Academy of Ballet, under the direction of Miki Ohlsen. There he had countless opportunities to perform with The Island Moving Company and the Junior Company in productions such as The Nutcracker, Dracula, and The Great Friends Dance Festival. Elijah studied Ballet Pedagogy with a scholarship to The University of Hartford: Hartt School under the direction of Stephen Pier. There he had the opportunity to study Ballet, Limón and Graham Techniques, Contemporary Dance Forms, Composition, Kinesiology, and Ballet Pedagogy: Primary to Advanced Levels. While attending, he danced works by acclaimed choreographers such as: Lar Lubovitch, Claudia Schreier, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, George Balanchine, August Bournonville and Doris Humphrey.

Elijah’s professional experience involves freelance work dancing with Island Moving Company, Spindle City Ballet, Part of the Oath Dance Company and The University of Hartford: Hartt School Community Division. He prides himself in having a strong pedagogical understanding of classical ballet through all levels. Elijah mentored under Sarkis Kaltakhtchia, Debra Collins Ryder, and Amy Manfredi. During that time he cultivated a syllabus for beginner male dancers, a syllabus for dancers in the intermediate levels, as well as a syllabus for teaching modern dance in school settings for children with no dance experience.

Now retired from the stage, Elijah keeps his passion for dance alive by sharing his knowledge and love of classical ballet to the younger generations. He is looking forward to his first season with Southwest Ballet Theatre.

Erica Lizotte – Classes

Erica Lizotte began her dance training in Massachusetts where she was born and raised. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a BFA in Dance Performance. Upon graduation, she moved to Chicago to pursue her love of dance. She was blessed to have performed with various companies such as Zephyr Dance and Cindy Brandle Dance Company. Erica relocated to Arizona and found a home with Center Dance Ensemble, the resident modern dance company at the Herberger Theatre in Phoenix.

She performed 10 seasons with CDE and was grateful to be under the direction of the late Frances Cohen and Diane McNeal Hunt. Erica has a lifelong LOVE for dance and is excited to be back with SWBT to share her enthusiasm and passion for teaching the next generation of dancers.

Melissa Marshall – Classes

Melissa Marshall started her dance training at the age of three, in Albany, New York. At the age of six, she began more serious ballet training with the Albany Berkshire Ballet under the direction of Madeline Cantarella Culpo. She performed in many ballets including Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, and the Nutcracker.

Melissa performed and travelled with the ABB company throughout the East coast and Canada performing several roles in the Nutcracker. She attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for two summer programs under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary in 1995 and 1996. In 1997, she put her ballet career on hold to pursue a career in physical therapy at Springfield College, Massachusetts. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001, and Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 2002.

Melissa worked as a licensed physical therapist in the state of New Mexico, in the school-age, early intervention, in-home pediatric, and geriatric settings for eight years. She moved to Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico, in 2010, where she resumed dancing and began teaching with Destiny Dance Academy. In 2017, Melissa opened Elegante School of Dance and Therapeutic Center where she choreographed and taught ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, acrobatics, yoga, toning and conditioning as well as provided physical therapy services and therapeutic massages to children and adults. In late 2017, Melissa moved to Goodyear, and became a licensed physical therapist in AZ, working with children with disabilities. In 2018, Melissa began dancing and performing with Southwest Ballet Theatre. She currently teaches, assists and performs with SWBT.

Melissa has a passion for uniting her physical therapy and dance backgrounds to serve children with special needs in the ballet studio. She is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT).

Natalie Ramirez – Intensives

Natalie Ramirez began dancing at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, California, under the direction of Victoria Koenig and Jill Voznick.

In 2016, Natalie moved to Massachusetts to train as a pre-professional program student at the Boston Ballet School. She then joined the School of Ballet Arizona’s pre-professional program in 2018. In addition, Natalie furthered her training by attending the following summer intensives under scholarship: Pacific Northwest Ballet, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet School, and the School of Ballet Arizona. In 2019, she was accepted into Ballet Arizona’s Studio Company. Natalie then joined the company in 2020 and has since performed in various classical and contemporary roles, such as in Second to Last, Within the Golden Hour, In Creases, Pas de Sept, and Les Patineurs. In addition, she’s performed in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Bourrée Fantasque, and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.

Gillian Rojas – Classes & Intensives

Gillian Rojas has her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Arizona State University. In 2024, she will graduate from Northern Arizona University (Phoenix Biomedical) with her Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. She continues to teach ballet and choreograph during school, and looks forward to coming back to SWBT.

Gillian has professional dancing experience with Ballet Arizona, Orange County’s Festival Ballet Theatre and Convergence Ballet in Phoenix. She received training at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre, Southland Ballet Academy and the San Francisco Ballet School. She also studied at the Royal Ballet School, in London, for a short term. During summers, she studied ballet on scholarship in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Houston and London. In 2013, she was one of the original dancers to perform in Gala De Danza, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, an annual international dance performance. She was also a YoungArtsDance winner in 2014 and competed in the Youth America Grand Prix finals, in New York, for three years.

In addition to her experience with dance, Gillian has her 200-hour Yoga Certification and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) certification.

Caitlin Rose – Classes

Caitlin Rose, movement artist and Baltimore native, has been teaching and making art for over 10 years. She received her MFA from The University of Arizona and is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor. Caitlin received her Vinyasa certification from Session Yoga (Tucson, AZ), and currently serves as dance faculty for Grand Canyon University.

Rose creates in both the commercial dance & concert dance spaces and is traditionally a narrative-style storyteller who engages in anthropological themes that strive to reach diverse communities. She has recently showcased her work at the Arizona Dance Festival, Third Space Dance Festival, and other performance opportunities in the valley.

Caitlin is currently focused on deepening the relationship between her artistic, Pilates, and somatic investigations. She hopes to bring the findings of her explorations to audiences who are curious about building community and furthering our understanding of humanity.

In her free time, Caitlin enjoys hiking, yoga, Pilates, and spending time with her cat, Pumpkin. She loves coffee and chocolate and often pairs them together.

Sydney Walker – Classes & Intensives

Sydney Walker started classical ballet at the age of four and completed several Royal Academy of Dance examinations with Arizona Youth Ballet under the instruction of Kelly Moul.  She earned exceptional marks in her classical performance and musicality, receiving one of the highest total grades in her studio in 2013. RAD, a worldwide classical ballet syllabus program, inspired her passion for character dance and its strong technique.  After ten years, she joined Southwest Ballet Theatre and has thrived dancing in their professional performances.  Her favorite roles include the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, Pretty Bird in Tarzan, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and a Czardas soloist in Coppélia.

Sydney has over five years of teaching and choreography experience. She enjoys her administration role at SWBT as it connects her with the staff and families while they collaborate in performance production.

On the side, she plays piano recreationally with her 15 years of piano experience.  She hopes to continue teaching and dancing in the future.

Sydney is certified in adaptive dance by the Boston Ballet Company, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), and has earned an Associate in Arts Degree.

Lisa Gray Young – Classes & Intensives

Lisa Gray Young, a Phoenix native, grew up studying various genres of dance, as well as acting, voice, piano, and flute. After graduating from South Mountain Center for the Arts High School, Young went to Arizona State University, graduating with honors and earning a B.F.A. in Choreography/Performance.

She has performed, taught, and choreographed for a myriad of dance companies, theaters, schools, studios, and churches around the Valley, including Center Dance Ensemble (dancing the principle role of “Gerda” in The Snow Queen, ’98-’00), The Movement Source, Inc., Dance Arizona Repertory Theater, Stageworks, MesaYoutheatre, East Valley Children’s Theatre, Greasepaint Youtheatre, The Mesa Arts Center (co-founded/co-directed Step to This Dance Company), Grand Canyon University, Mesa Community College, Phoenix College, and Paradise Valley Community College.

She has received numerous ariZoni Theater Awards of Excellence nominations for her choreography in the theater community and has won twice for her work in The Orphan Train and The Jungle Book, both with MesaYoutheatre.

Young currently also teaches children and teens at Dance Theater West.