Jared Mesa, born in Yuma, began his formal dance training with Dancer's Workshop at the age of 17 in Yuma, AZ and joined YBT as a member in 2000. He has trained in Ballet, Jazz & Modern for over six years. Professionally, he has danced with Ballet Quad Cities in Rock Island, Ill dancing roles as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and 'couple' in Tango as well as Russian and Harlequin doll in the Nutcracker.

He has studied on scholarship and danced at Burklyn Ballet Theatre in the summer for four seasons and has guest danced with every company and high school in the City of Yuma, most notably Yuma Ballet Theatre, Ballet Yuma, Kofa & Yuma high school. Guest work includes Ballet Yuma: Hilarion in Giselle and James in La Sylphide , and Burklyn Ballet: lead in Russian dance, Drummer Boy in Graduation Ball and Pas de Quarte in Giselle as well as many contemporary works. Jared has also guested with Gliech Contemporary Dances out of London, England at the Rouses Point Fete de Danse, Ketchikan Theatre Ballet in Ketchkan, Alaska and Abilene Ballet Theatre and Patty harper dance in Abilene, Texas. Jared has also worked with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and Sheryl Crow.

As an award winner for his choreography at Burklyn Ballet Theatre for his dance "Lucha con el Toro" in 2003, he has continued to choreograph for them in '05-'07. He has also comissioned choreography for companies in Great Falls, Mt and San Francisco, Ca.

Jared has a strong creative talent in choreography. His focus on developing and growing within his dance career make him an excellent candidate for teaching, performing, rehearsing and setting new "dance" for YBT and our students.

Zabie Nields

Ms. Zabie Nields is a veteran company member of YBT and former company member with Lake Erie Ballet. She received her BA in Dance from Mercyhurst College where she concentrated in choreography, performing, and pedagogy. She is certified to teach in the state of AZ and anxious to share her knowledge with her students this year. She also teaches at Cibola High but her forte is classical ballet. She received her Vagonova and Balanchine training in NH from Doreen Caferella and Patrica Lavoie as well as four years at Central Pa Youth Ballet. Ms. Nields has been teaching pointe and served as ballet mistress for several summers at Burklyn Ballet Theatre in VT. She has set and performed many of the classics including Swan Lake, La Sylphede, Paquita, Raymonda, Don Q., La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Copellia, Pas de Quatre, Serenade among others.

Laura Hernando

Laura Hernando is a Yuma Native with more than 20 years of dance experience and a proud student of Linda Farrar, Dawn Atherton, and Thom Clower. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts from Stephen's College in Columbia, MO. She has a background in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary, Musical Theatre and World Dance. She formally trained at Dancer's Workshop, Yuma Ballet Theatre, Cibola High School, Eglevsky Ballet, and Stephens College. She has performed in Ballets such as Les Sylphide, Firebird, Gaite Parisienne, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Dracula. She performed "Snow Queen," "Dew Drop," "Spanish" and "Chinese" in The Nutcracker and "Tweedle Dum" in Thom Clower's Alice in Wonderland. In musical theatre, she was dance captain and a cast member for Pippin, Will Rogers Follies and Urinetown the Musical. She was also a "Cut Dancer" in A Chorus Line. She choreographed "America" and "Good Morning, Baltimore" for Yuma Ballet Theatre's Broadway Bound. She has also choreographed for Boji Bantam Children's Theatre, Filipino Association of Yuma, Cibola High School, Sahuaro Girls Scouts of Yuma, and Kiara Harris, a Miss Yuma County 2009 contestant. She also taught at O.C. Johnson Elementary School after school dance program, a Yuma Ballet Theatre Outreach Program. With all her dance and theatre experience, she will provide an creative learning environment for the youngest students of Yuma Ballet Theatre's School of Dance.

Bailey Elias

Bailey Elias was born in Yuma, Arizona in 1992. After trying many activities as a young girl, she found dance to be her passion and she fell in love with it. She started dancing at 11 under the instruction of Dawn Atherton with the basics of jazz, ballet, and hip hop. A year later she auditioned for the company JOY and stayed dancing there for 5 years. She has had the privilege of learning many different styles from Brandy Henry, Michelle Parker, and Brooke West. She participated in the work study program at Dawn's Dance Studio by helping with various classes as a teacher assistant and cleaning the studio. Bailey is beginning her third year as a Kofa Royal Dancer. As a junior she was the historian for the club, and this year she is the vice-president. She participates in choreographing for all of the productions performed by Kofa. During her many years of dancing, she has performed in many shows to include: Shrek, Hercules, Scooby Doo, Happy Feet, Toy Story, Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Chicago, Cats, A Chorus Line, and many other JOY original shows. She looks forward to her first year here at Yuma Ballet Theatre teaching the hip hop classes and hopes to share her love of dancing with the up and coming stars of Yuma Ballet Theatre!

Laura Hernando Photo by Bill Butler

Jared Mesa Photo by Bill Butler

Zabie Nields Photo by MLN Photography

Bailey Elias Loaned Photo