Winter Workshop

Iori Araya, received her training at the Australian Ballet School. Originally from Osaka, Japan, Iori has danced with Ballet Memphis since 2017. Her repertoire includes performances as Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Sugar Plum, Clara, and Dewdrop with Nutcracker, Spring Waters Pas de deux, and Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Divertimento no. 15, Serenade, Allegro Brilliant, Square Dance, and Concerto Barocco.She has also performed works by Matthew Keenan, Val Caniparoli, Edward Laing, Trey McIntyre, Garrett Ammon, Colby Damon, and Stephanie Martinez. She has danced professionally with Singapore Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and The Australian Ballet Dancer’s Company. Iori has partnered with Ballet Arts as an Audition Judge and a Ballet Arts Summer Intensive instructor.

Fabio Mariano, graduated from State School of Dance Maria Olenewa and performed in big productions of ballet and opera at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro such as The Nutcracker, The Rite of Spring, Aida and Marguerite & Armand. Taught by renowned Brazilian and Russian teachers from Kirov Ballet, he performed many classical and contemporary works by different choreographers early in his career in Brazil. In 2016, he joined Atlantic City Ballet (NJ). Fábio has been an artist with Collage Dance since 2017, where he has performed works by Nacho Duato, G. Balanchine, Wayne McGregor, Camile A. Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Amy Hall Garner and the artistic director Kevin Thomas. He has also choreographed both for the professional company and the conservatory. Fábio is a ballet teacher with more than 10 years of experience. In 2020, he co-founded the online platform Blacks in Ballet alongside Ingrid Silva and Ruan Galdino to highlight ballet dancers of color.  

Anwen Brown trained with the Pittsburg Ballet Theatre School and the San Francisco Ballet School, joining Ballet Memphis in 2013.  She has danced in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Sugarplum, Clara and Dew Drop in Nutcracker, and Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. She has also performed works by Julia Adams, Mariano Oliveira, Gabrielle Lamb, and Matthew Newman. She has also danced in the National Choreographer’s Initiative and the Prix de Lausanne. Anwen has partnered with Ballet Arts as an Audition Judge and has been a Ballet Arts Summer Intensive Instructor.

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Caroline Purcell Meinert is a Jackson native and a Ballet Arts alumna. From the young age of four years old, Caroline began dancing, wanting to be trained in all forms of dance offered at Pat Brown School of Dancing. She was trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre. She received other training with Joffery Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Orlando Ballet, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the Radio City Rockettes. Wanting to immerse herself more in the art of dance, she attended the conservatory at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where she received a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance performance and choreography in 2017. While at UMKC Caroline was blessed to be a part of many professional opportunities as a dancer, such as her performance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City. Caroline has performed many lead roles in The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Paquita, Dorothy in the Emerald City, Sweet Lips, Pas de Quatre, Deanna Hiett’s 3 Play 4 Play, Madison Cannon’s And Then There Were Five, Ronald Tice’s Mata Hari, and many more. Caroline has continued her love for dance by performing professionally, choreographing, and teaching. As a teacher Caroline trained dancers and choreographed pieces for the Youth American Grand Prix. There, her contemporary choreography qualified for the finals in NYC. Caroline is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Megan Jones was born in Southern California. While living in California, Megan spent many years on stage in both dance and musical theater. She danced at The Dance Factory in Los Angeles for 8 years, focusing on tap, both recreationally and competitively. She also participated, and assistant directed, in youth repertory theater main stage productions such as The Wizard of Oz, Lil Abner, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Peter Pan, and many more in Huntington Beach. Megan moved to Tennessee in 2004 to attend Freed-Hardeman University, majoring in Special Education. She is married and has two children. Her daughter is in her 3rd season with Ballet Arts.

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Reese Davis grew up in Jackson,Tennessee, and is a Junior at Union University studying Exercise Science, Pre-Physical Therapy. She performed with Ballet Arts from 2014 to 2022. Some of her favorite roles performed  in The Nutcracker include Clara, Dew Drop Fairy, and Arabian on silks. She also enjoyed playing the roles of The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland 2021 and Peter Pan in Peter Pan 2022. She received her dance education at Pat Brown School of Dancing and attended summer training with Ballet Memphis, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballet West’s ArtEmotion. Reese is certified in personal training, Nan Giordano Jazz Technique, and is a dance instructor with The Academy of Ballet Arts. She was previously crowned Miss Hub City Volunteer 2024 and currently holds the title of Miss West Tennessee Volunteer 2025.