THE DANCERS
Heidi Buehler
Bio
Heidi is from the SF Bay area where she received her dance training in classical ballet. She graduated with her BFA in Dance from UC Santa Barbara where she gained her modern and contemporary training and was a recipient of the 2008 Alice Condodina Performance Award. Her professional career includes dancing for various SF Bay Area ballet and modern dance companies, being a solo dancer in a 2-year national tour of Peter Pan, and performing locally in Southern California for an Ovation Award-nominated musical, as well as with modern dance companies including Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and the Union Project Dance Company.
Chad Allen Ortiz
Bio
Chad Allen is from Temecula, California, and trained under the mentorship of his brother, George Ortiz Jr. His professional career began as an apprentice of Nickerson-Rossi Dance (NRD) in 2014. Chad Allen is now the Executive Director and Principal Dancer of Nickerson-Rossi Dance. Chad is also the Co-Owner of the Palm Springs Dance Academy, Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Dance Festival, and Co-Produces the Platform Dance Convention. Through NRD's multiple dance programs throughout the nation, Chad has worked with over 32 high schools, 35 universities, 20 professional dance companies/choreographers, and countless amounts of dance studios.
Currently, you can find Chad teaching as an adjunct at Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute, directing the Co-Operative Educational Internships with Drexel University’s Steinbright Program, is a faculty member at the Palm Springs Dance Academy, and performs and tours with the Nickerson-Rossi Dance company.
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Chad has worked with multiple non-profits with educational and therapeutic dance programming, from the Flourish Foundation with Jackie Lopez’s Versa-Style Next Generation in Los Angeles, Sister Mary’s Project Home in Philadelphia, and the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage.
Chad has taught multiple educational programs throughout the Palm Springs Unified School District and Riverside County’s Office of Education.
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Chad has danced internationally with the Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company and has also worked with Union Dance Project, PGK Dance Project, Brandywine Ballet, Compulsions Dance & Theater, and a national touring group for Romeo & Juliet. Chad has performed at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow, the McCallum Theatre’s Choreographer’s Festival, and the Royal Theatre in Turin, Italy.
Marissa Andresky
Bio
Marissa Andresky, originally from Sunrise, Florida, is currently based in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a Dual Degree. Marissa completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a concentration in Ballet and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. She studied abroad in Paris where she had the privilege of working with international choreographers and choreographing solo work. Marissa was a company member with Tampa City Ballet for two years before moving to California. Along with dancing with Tampa City Ballet, she had the chance to work with Diavolo, performing in their Veterans Project in Tampa. She teaches ballet and other styles of dance and is training to receive her certification in Pilates. She is both excited and humbled to be able to continue working with Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company after working with them in the Apprenticeship Program.
Hailee Mitchell
Bio
Hailee Mitchell​ grew up in Southern California and trained in both classical and contemporary ballet for 15 years at Dunamix Dance Project. She competed at ​YAGP​ in 2017 and was a top ​10 semi-finalist for contemporary dance​ earning her a scholarship to the ​University of North Carolina School of the Arts​ ​Advanced Summer Ballet Program.​ In 2018, Hailee earned a merit scholarship to ​Alonzo King Lines ​Advanced Summer Ballet​ ​, in 2019 to their Pre-professional program​ ​and a scholarship to attend ​Lines year round ​Training Program​. She also earned a merit scholarship to ​Backhaus​ ​Summer Intensive​. In 2020 Hailee performed with ​City Ballet of San Diego​ as a trainee.
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Hailee can be seen in ​“These Walls” Music Video​ as a ballet dancer by ​Artist Jason David Sluter​ ​and​ ​“Happiness”​ an Indy Film as a classical ballerina directed by Michael Uganda.​ She is currently signed with San Diego Model and Talent agency and is a model for the Palm Springs Dance Festival, 2019.
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Hailee attended the apprenticeship program with the ​Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company ​and is honored to become a company dancer​.
Sarah Warren
Bio
Sarah Warren, originally from Maryland, currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where she attended Temple University and obtained her BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography. Upon graduation in 2015, Sarah now performs professionally and teaches at local dance and fitness studios. Sarah has performed work for Keila Cordova Dances, The InterACTion Project, Alana Melene Dances, a. dance theatre, and many other artists in the Philadelphia and NYC areas. She was formerly an apprentice with NYC-based company Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre and currently dances and performs with Nickerson-Rossi Dance (East), Putty Dance Project, Matter Movement Group, and ContempraDANCE Theatre. Along with dance, Sarah is a certified Bar Method instructor currently teaching at the Bar Method Rittenhouse location in Center City Philadelphia.
Corey Levine
Bio
Debuting in Nickerson-Rossi’s 10th anniversary, Corey Levine is a graduate of Towson University’s Dance Performance and Choreography Program. He has had the opportunity to train with Koresh Dance, Gallim Dance, Ray Mercer, and Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance at intensives and master classes. Corey recently had his debut at the Kennedy Center in D.C. with Company E Dance. While in college he met Nickerson-Rossi Dance at a workshop during his sophomore year. Corey had the opportunity to attend an apprenticeship with Nickerson-Rossi Dance in Palm Springs, California. He was able to secure his dream job with them now position as a company dancer and educator.
Kaylee Kollins
Bio
A desert native, Kaylee grew up dancing, training under Penny Huffor and Tyrone Baker. Her professional journey started at the age of 12 when she went to the Joffrey Chicago Summer Intensive. She has been accepted into Boston Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet School, the Rock School, Suzanne Farrell Ballet School, Alvin Ailey School, Alonzo King Company, and Ballet West. She attended the following summer intensives: Miami City Ballet, Joffrey Chicago (2 Times), American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Chicago, Joffrey San Francisco, Los Angeles Ballet, Hubbard Street, and Backhaus dance.
She then attended California State University, Long Beach, and graduated with a BFA in Dance. While in college, she has had the privilege to dance professionally in school and out. She also has her Pilates certification.
Riley Hart
Bio
Riley Hart is a Coachella Valley native. With over 13 years of dance training, Riley is deeply connected to her craft and is a versatile, dynamic, and curious dance artist. She began her pre-professional dance training in 2021 under the direction of Michael Nickerson-Rossi at Palm Springs Dance Academy and Cristina Mckeever with the Aztec Arts Academy. She is highly proficient in ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and tap dance. She has a passion for teaching the younger generations of dancers, as well as creating her choreography.
Riley has had the honor of receiving scholarships to Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, Backhausdance Summer Intensive, AMDA, and the "Direct Link" Summer Intensive. She is also a two-time recipient of the Frank Moss Scholarship for the Performing Arts.
Additionally, Riley has had the privilege of performing choreographic works by Dante Puleio, Kim T. Davis, Danah Bella, Michael Nickerson-Rossi, Cristina McKeever, Chad Ortiz, Christina Grady, Riley Roberts, and more. Some of her performance experiences include; “Palm Desert Choreography Festival”(McCallum Theatre), “Open Call Talent Project”(McCallum Theatre), “Boots On Arenas: A Tribute to Nancy Sinatra” (Palm Springs Modernism Week) “In Process” (Palm Desert High School Performing Arts Center), Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker” (Annenberg Theater) and most recently, Riley performed as a Company Apprentice for Nickerson-Rossi Dance's 11th Anniversary show in January 2023.
Riley is also training to be certified in Mat Pilates with Kathleen Spillman, expanding her knowledge of the body and fueling her passion to help others strengthen and improve their physical health. She plans to attend College of the Desert in the Fall of 2024, where she will earn her Associate's Degree in Kinesiology to support her career as a professional dancer.