Each year, Southeastern Pennsylvania’s favorite holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” get’s even more exciting. This year is no exception, with the arrival of some fresh faces and some familiar ones. Guest artists–who are from all around the world–are part of what makes this show so remarkable for audiences. Continue reading to learn more about this year’s featured guest dancers. 

Ingrid Silva

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, Ingrid Silva began ballet studies at the age of eight at Projeto Dancando Para NaoDancar. Silva studied at Escola de Danca Maria Olenewa, Centro de Movimento Debora Colker on full scholarship and at age 17 joined Grupo Corpo as an apprentice. Following high School, she attended Univercidade da Cidade. Silva attended the Dance Theatre of Harlem Summer Program on full scholarship in 2007, joined the Professional Training Program and Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble in 2008 and became a member of the professional Company in 2013.

As guest artist, Silva performed with Dancando Para Nao Dancar in Brasil, Armitage Gone! Dance and The Francesca Harper Project. Silva’s work with choreographers includes Arthur Mitchell, Donald Byrd, John Alleyne, Darrel Grand Moltrie, Francesca Harper, Robert Garland, David Fernandez, Carol Armitage, Deborah Colker, Rodrigo Pederneiras and many others. With Dance Theatre of Harlem, Silva has danced principal roles in George Balanchine’s Glinka Pas de Trois and Agon, Robert Garland’s Return, Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven and John Alleyne’s Far but Close. Soloist roles include Alvin Ailey’s Lark Ascending, Donald Byrd’s Contested Space, and Darrel Grand Moltrie’s Vessels. 

As a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, Silva has performed and provided community outreach in Jamaica, Honduras and Israel. She performed at the Brasil Foundation’s Lincoln Center 2014 Gala and was featured in the Brasilian film Mare Nossa Historia de Amor. She was featured recently in Vogue and Glamor magazines in Brasil. In 2016 Silva was part of an Activia campaign and was also nominated the brand’s Global Ambassador embracing Women’s Empowerment. In 2017, Silva was the cover of Pointe Magazine (June/July Issue), being the first African Brazilian to be a cover and also shows Silva’s inspiring journey.

Dylan Santos

Dylan Santos, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, started his ballet career as a trainee at Centro de Artes Pavilhao D, under thedirection of Ricardo Scheir. At age of 15, he was selected to represent his country at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in New York City. As a finalist, Mr. Santos received several offers to study ballet in major schools around the world. Choosing to stay in the United States, he moved to Boca Raton, Florida, as he accepted a full scholarship with the Harid Conservatory.

Soon after, Mr. Santos moved to Houston Ballet, where he received most of his professional ballet training under Claudio Munoz and Stanton Welch. Mr. Santos received his first job offer at age of 19 with the Orlando Ballet. And after two years with the Orlando Ballet, he moved to Chicago to dance with the Joffrey Ballet. He has also worked with Columbia City Ballet and State Street Ballet. A two-time New York Times mention, Mr. Santos is currently a company member with the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Virginia Johnson, which is a touring company based in New York City.

Mr. Santos has performed many different pieces, such as Serenade, Tchaikovsky and Agon by George Balanchine, Chaconne by Jose Limon, Coming together by Nacho Duato, in addition to many others. He has also worked on productions like Infra (Joffrey Ballet), Manon (Houston Ballet), Giselle and Bolero by amazing Paris Opera Ballet. Mr. Santos is excited to be performing with the Sierra Nevada Ballet for the first time this year as the Prince in Sleeping Beauty.

Blake Krapels 

Blake Krapels, recently joined BalletX, Philadelphia’s contemporary ballet company in the Fall of 2018. He is a 2011 United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, who trained in New Jersey under the tutelage of Billy Larson and Jamie Salmon. In 2015, Blake graduated from The Juilliard School with a BFA in dance, where he performed Repertoire by William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Elliot Feld, Jose Limon and Peter Chu. In addition to his core training at school, Blake participated in Nederlands Dans Theatre’s 2014 & 2016 Summer Intensives, as well as Springboard Danse Montreal 2013. Since graduating, he has danced for The Metropolitan Opera, Keigwin & Company, GroundWorks Dance Theatre, Emery LeCrone Dance &; Konverjdans. Last fall, Blake launched Alpha, a dance theater company with two of his Juilliard classmates Michael Marquez and Gemma Bender. They curated their world premiere as a part of Cleveland DanceWorks 2017.

Nick Peregrino 

Nick began his training at the Pacific School of Dance in CoosBay, Oregon, and later at the Oregon Ballet Academy under the direction of John Grensback. After attending SUNY Purchase as a Dance Major for a year, he received a full scholarship to train at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia in 2009. He Joined Ballet Fleming in 2011, and has performed in numerous productions including Gaspar, The Myth and the Madness of Edgar Allen Poe, Janis and Joe, Cafe Music, Edge of Assurances, and Alice in Wonderland. He has also performed as a guest artist with many companies including: Roxy Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Charleston Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet Theatre, as well as many others. Most recently Nick has performed with Lustig Dance, the Sarasota Opera, Suzanne Farrell Ballet of Washington, DC, and FJK Dance of New York City. Previously Nick has performed with Berks Ballet Theatre in The Nutcracker and as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Kaito Yamamoto

Kaito Yamamoto was born in Hokkaido, Japan. He received his early training at Midori Okajima Ballet studio and Kanako Sakai Ballet studio in Japan. At age 18, Kaito Yamamoto began his training at Gelsey Kirkland Academy of classical ballet in 2013. Mr. Yamamoto joined Gelsey Kirkland Ballet in 2014 as a company member, he performed “Harlequinade” “Cavarly Halt”, “Don Quixote” “Nutcracker”, “Faust” increasing many soloists roles “Talisman”-pas de deux “Wedding Procession, Don Juan” by Leonid Yakobson “Gayane , Gopak , Les Corsaire”-male variation. Kaito has taught master classes in Japan.

As a company member with Roxey Ballet in Lambertville, New Jersey, he has performed roles as Cavalier (Nutcracker), Toreador in Carmen, Mowgli in Mowgli and the Don Quixote pas de deux.