Melissa Gelfin De-Poli began her ballet training with Lisa Collins Vidnovic at Metropolitan Ballet Academy and continued with Barbara Sandonato and Andrea Long-Naidu at Barbara Sandonato School of Ballet. She joined the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in 2009, under the direction of Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens, and was awarded a National Training Scholarship with ABT. Prior to dancing with Cincinnati Ballet, Gelfin De-Poli danced for Orlando Ballet II and Orlando Ballet Company from 2011-2014 and was a finalist in the 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition. Gelfin De-Poli joined Cincinnati Ballet as a New Dancer for the 2014-2015 Season and was promoted to Corps De Ballet in February of 2015. She was promoted to Senior Soloist in 2017 and Principal Dancer in 2018. As a dancer with Cincinnati Ballet, Gelfin De-Poli’s repertoire includes classical and contemporary works by Septime Webre, Yuri Possikov, Victoria Morgan, Val Caniparoli, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Nicolo Fonte, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Adam Hougland, and Ma Cong. She has danced Principal roles in Septime Webre’s ALICE (in Wonderland) and The Wizard of Oz, Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, King Arthur’s Camelot and Romeo and Juliet, Kirk Peterson’s Coppélia and Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Rubies and Serenade, Devon Carney’s The Sleeping Beauty and originated roles in Penny Saunders Nannerl, Myles Thatcher’s Anamoly, Andrea Schermoly’s Swivet and several works by Jennifer Archibald. Gelfin De-Poli most recently debuted her world premier Clockwise in Cincinnati Ballet’s 2019 The Kaplan New Works Series and choreographed and performed a solo work in the inaugural 2018 Female Choreographic Initiative Festival hosted by Houston Ballet. During the summer months, Gelfin De-Poli performs and tours with Moving Arts Company.

Andrea (Andi) Giselle Schermoly was born in South Africa.  She trained at the National School of the Arts, Johannesburg and on full scholarship at Rambert Ballet and Contemporary School and full scholarship at The Royal Ballet School, London.  She competed internationally as a member of The South African National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.  She danced professionally for Boston Ballet Company and the Netherlands Dance Theater (1&2).  

She is the resident choreographer at Louisville Ballet Company.

She has choreographed for Ballet Met, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Cape Dance Company, Kansas City Ballet Company, State Street Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Louisville Ballet Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Festival Ballet Theater, Ballet Theatre Afrikan, Quixotic Cirque Noveau, Boston Ballet 2, Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, The Juilliard School solos evening and directed and choreographed a dance narrative film for The Ashley Bouder Project presented at The Joyce Theater, NYC, which went on to be presented by San Francisco Dance Film Festival.  She was awarded the “Outstanding Choreographer” award in 2012, 2013 and 2017 at Youth America Grand Prix.  In 2014 she choreographed at Lincoln Center for YAGP’s 15th anniversary gala evening on dancers Maria Kochetkova (principal San Francisco Ballet) and Joaquin de Luz (principal New York City Ballet). The piece has since been re-staged at ‘Buenos Aires International Dance Gala' Argentina and ‘Stars of the 21st Century Gala’ in the Champs Élysées, Paris. Andi has choreographed for feature films, commercials and music videos including ‘Beautiful Now’, 'Bunheads', Justin Bieber/Poo Bear and Deorro music video and choreographically assisted on projects as 'Budweiser Superbowl Commercial’ and ‘Star Trek into Darkness’.  She's created work for principal dancers attending international galas, most recently for Sarah Van Patten/Wei Wang of San Francisco Ballet for Tahoe Dance Camp.  

Andrea has created 7 original works for Louisville Ballet, including having the honor of recreating two iconic Martha Graham works in collaboration with Louisville Ballet and Louisville Orchestra.  “Appalachian Spring” and “Judith”.  “Appalachian Spring” will be performed at Carnegie Hall in an upcoming season.  She has upcoming work with Royal New Zealand Ballet and Compania Nationala de Danca, Spain, amongst others.  Her most recent dance film ‘Rite of Spring’ for Louisville Ballet received outstanding reviews including “the best pandemic film produced in the US”.  by ARTS AIR.  

Originally hailing from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Yusha-Marie Sorzano is a relentless, dynamic performing artist, choreographer, educator, and leader in the dance world. She is currently a member of Camille A. Brown & Dancers and is founding co-artistic director of the newly formed Zeitgeist Dance Theatre, as well as serving as Associate Director for Program Development with Francisco Gella Dance Works. Concurrently, she teaches ballet as special faculty at the California Institute for the Arts and is at work as choreographer for Jeannette, a new musical.

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As a dancer, Ms. Sorzano is always hungry to stretch her artistic boundaries by working with new companies and choreographers. She has been attached to numerous nationally recognized organizations, including Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and L.A. Dance Project. She has performed in principal roles with the Ailey company and in a wide variety of concert works, including works by noted choreographers Dianne McIntyre, Ulysses Dove, Maurice Béjart, Hofesh Shechter, Kyle Abraham, and Mauro Bigonzetti. Additionally, she has performed alongside recording artists, made film and television appearances, and danced in theater and opera.

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As a creator, Ms. Sorzano has choreographed works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Idaho, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and numerous schools and training programs, and she is currently working on a new piece that combines concert dance with an immersive audience experience. She has been a research fellow at the New York Public Library's Jerome Robbins Dance Division, an artist in residence at the Watermill Center in New York, a recipient of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's New Directions Choreography Lab, and a National YoungArts Foundation Dance Artist-In-Residence.