Faculty

Emilie started teaching in 2014 at different studios including one for under-privileged students on the West Coast of Mauritius and choreographed for several end of year school shows over the years. In 2018, she then decided to pursue her dream of dancing abroad. She attended The Ailey School starting in the fall 2018 to learn diverse styles of dance other than ballet namely Horton, Graham, contemporary, jazz and Taylor. She graduated from the Scholarship program in May 2020 having trained with an amazing faculty such as Caridad Martinez, Mikhail Ilyin, Guillermo Asca, Earl Mosley and Carolyn Adams. During her time in New York, she has had the opportunity to perform for Global Harmony at The Ailey Citigroup in February 2020 and was an apprentice at Neville Dance Theatre. Currently, she is dancing with Convergence Ballet Company.

Antoinette Klimek began her dance performance and education career in Chicago, IL. She was a faculty member at ARCC Ballet and Dance, where she was charged with leading syllabus and curriculum development for all the school’s ballet courses. She also developed and managed the studio’s work-study program for students in need of financial aid and mentored students wishing to pursue dance or theatre in college. While at ARCC, she worked professionally as a classical contemporary ballet dancers, notable with Geiger Dance Project, Elements Contemporary, and Ballet North.

In 2013, she moved to Phoenix, where she joined the faculty of the Yen Li Chen Ballet School and the Conservatory of Dance. In 2014, she was named the Conservatory’s Ballet Program Director. She continued her performance career with Phoenix companies such as Convergence Ballet and Center Dance Ensemble until her retirement from the stage in 2018. Her final role was the White Queen in Convergence Ballet’s first full-length Alice in Wonderland. 

Antoinette is excited to return to Ballet Theatre of Phoenix as a faculty member and to have the opportunity to pass onto its students the many joys of dance, as well as its lessons that extend far beyond the classroom or stage.

Originally from Tirana, Albania, Ilir’s early exposure to Albanian folk dancing led him to ballet lessons at age 11 at National Ballet School of Albania. Ilir graduated from the Baku Choreographic University of Azerbaijan, and then joined Azerbaijan Opera Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer. After moving to the United States in 1999, Ilir was given a full scholarship to The Rock School of Dance Education in Philadelphia and the School of American Ballet in New York City. Ilir danced with Carolina Ballet (2000-2003) and Oregon Ballet Theatre (2007-2008) as a soloist dancer, and as a principal dancer with Ballet Arizona (2003-2015). In addition, Ilir has been a guest artist with Miami City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theatre. Ilir’s dance repertoire includes pieces by national and internationally known choreographers such as Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Michel Fokine, Marius Petipa, Dwight Rhoden, Alexei Ratmansky, Nicolo Fonte, Ib Andersen, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Robert Weiss. Ilir has also been featured in works by Christopher Wheeldon and Alejandro Cerrudo. Ilir has performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with Oregon Ballet Theatre and with Ballet Arizona. Since moving to Arizona in 2003, Ilir has been a faculty member at many studios throughout the Valley including Yen-Li Ballet School, the School of Ballet Arizona, Ballet Etudes, Diverse Elements and Plumb Performing Arts Center faculty.

As a graduate of Oklahoma City University, August obtained a Bachelors of Science in Dance Pedagogy and moved to Phoenix to begin their teaching career. They teach a plethora of ages and dance styles at studios around the Valley. Their training includes classical ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip hop and musical theater. August pursues many interests and areas of study but their true passion lies in dance and the spread of that love to others through their teaching. They hope to continue learning about the rich diversity of dance and how it ties us to our humanity. 

Minghong Xu is a professional dancer and ABT Certified Teacher with a strong background in both classical and contemporary ballet.

Minghong danced professionally with Virginia National Ballet (2019 – 2024) and Columbia Classical Ballet (2018 – 2019), performing lead and soloist roles in productions such as Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Aladdin, and Boléro. She received her foundational training and Liaoning Ballet School, a Prix de de Lausanne partner school, and later trained on scholarships at Joffrey Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre NYC Summer Intensive, and the Washington School of Ballet.

As an experienced instructor, Minghong has taught at Virginia National Ballet Company School and Hong Dance Studio, coaching youth beginners to pre-professional dancers. Her students have achieved top rankings in competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) adn WBAC Grand Prix.

With a passion for inspiring the next generation of dancers, Minghong is committed to fostering strong technique, artistic expression, and deep appreciation for the art of ballet in every student she teaches.

Greg is a classically trained pianist and accomplished ballet accompanist. He has played for ballet schools in Northern Utah, Southern California, and Phoenix, and has accompanied numerous musicals, choral groups, weddings, and other events. He is fond of Romantic-era music and classical ballets, and when he is not playing the piano, he enjoys reading, cooking, yoga, and staying active. Join Greg Tuesday evenings from 6:30 – 8pm in our Intermediate Ballet Open Class!

Natalie Nerat grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. She started dancing competitively at the age of three in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop and modern. She found her love of ballet early on and attended Central Midwest Ballet in Madison, WI. At 17, she joined Colorado Ballet’s pre-professional program where she trained for two years. She then joined Ballet Arizona Studio Company in 2023 and performed with Ballet Arizona under the direction of Ib Anderson and Daniela Cardim. Her repertoire includes The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, Aswell as George Balanchine’s Serenade and Walpurgisnahct, among others. She has experience teaching ballet, contemporary and jazz for all ages. She is excited to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers.

Originally from Mazatlán, Mexico, Veronica began dancing at 13 and later earned a scholarship to the Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana, Cuba, graduating in 1998 as a ballet dancer and teacher. She performed with Ballet de Monterrey (2000–2003) and taught in various schools across Mexico before moving to the U.S. in 2006.
In the U.S., she expanded her training and earned degrees in Dance Technology and Fine Arts from Scottsdale Community College (2015), followed by a BFA in Dance Education and a BA in Psychology from Arizona State University (2019). She has performed with companies like Instinct Dancecorps and has taught in both public and private school settings, sharing dance with diverse student communities.
Currently, Veronica pursuing a Master’s in Psychological Intervention in Adolescents and Children at UNIR (Spain), further deepening her understanding of how psychological well-being and creative expression intersect. Throughout her journey, from dancer to educator, she has remained committed to the transformative power of dance as a tool for learning, healing, and human connection across cultures.