OUR TEAM

Novus Contemporary Ballet is led by a passionate team of dance artists and collaborators who believe in the power of movement to challenge boundaries, foster community, and spark dialogue. Our team blends experience in classical and contemporary dance, arts education, choreography, production, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Together, we seek to shape the future of ballet.

26/27 Company Dancers

Mary Aleiner is a dancer and aerialist whose work bridges classical training and contemporary innovation. She began her training at Dance Theatre of Harlem and furthered her studies at summer intensives with Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, Steps on Broadway, and State Street Ballet. After stepping away from dance in 2021, Mary discovered aerial arts in early 2022 and began training across a wide range of apparatuses, including silks, sling, rope, lyra, dance trapeze, loops, straps, invented apparatus, and harness work (wall, open space, and even site-specific environments like trees). By January 2024, she was performing professionally in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Her performance credits include Fix You at the Arlington Theatre for Kids Helping Kids (choreography by Autumn Lotus and Chanel Pepper) and JUPITER at the Lobero Theatre (choreography by Jeff Shultz). Returning to formal dance training in 2024, Mary performed with SBCC Dance Company during the 2024–2025 season and was invited to join Lisa Eaton’s company works in 2025. In addition to live performance, Mary has appeared in the dance films FEMME (Ghost of Love edition) and So Win, and performed FEMME live at Legalize Congress at Los Angeles Dance Project. With her hybrid background in dance and aerial, Mary continues to expand her artistry across ground and air.

Mary Aleiner

Elianne Holt began her dancing training at Hosanna Dance Studio in Eugene, OR, where she fell in love with dance in all forms. After her oldest brother decided to become a professional dancer, she followed in his footsteps. She began training more seriously, which included summer intensive training at the University of Utah, Oregon Ballet Theater, and State Street Ballet under the tutelage of Meredith Ventura, Chris Alloways-Ramsey, Lauren Anderson, Bailey Shaw, Katerina Svetlova, Nilas Martins, Tigran Sargsyan, and Megan Philipp. In the fall of 2023, Elianne joined State Street Ballet’s Professional Track where she had the opportunity to perform in featured roles such as Meredith Ventura’s Carmina Burana, Sapphires, and In the Bleak Midwinter. She performed alongside the professional company in their production of The Nutcracker. In addition, she has performed with Selah Dance Collective in productions such as “Sound and Smoke” and “Wildflowers”. Elianne’s choreography was selected to be shared in local shows and theaters across Santa Barbara. Elianne is extremely excited and honored to join Novus Contemporary Ballet for its inaugural season.

Elianne Holt (Apprentice)

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lia began her training at Cincinnati Ballet Academy. While in Cincinnati, Lia had the opportunity to work closely with the company, having performed roles in Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, Septime Weber’s The Wizard of OZ, and Victoria Morgan’s The Sleeping Beauty. Upon graduating from Cincinnati Ballet Academy, Lia was offered a trainee position with Tulsa Ballet. During her two seasons in Tulsa, Lia performed works by Ma Cong, Jera Wolfe, and Maine Kawashima. In 2024, Lia joined State Street Ballet as a trainee, where she collaborated with Meredith Ventura in choreographing La Foule. Lia is ecstatic to be joining Novus Contemporary Ballet for their inaugural season and can’t wait to embark on this new adventure!

Angelia Lane

Kristin grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where she began her ballet training at age 4. After moving back to her birthplace, Seattle, Washington, she attended the Maple Valley School of Ballet under the instruction of Jessica Hamblen-Klepper. She later trained with former Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Deborah Hadley, as well as Amy Thompson and Eva Stone. During her time with Ms. Hadley, Kristin gained a deeper appreciation for all kinds of movement through her exploration of the Balanchine style and various contemporary and modern works. Upon graduating from high school, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to train at Ballet West Academy in the Professional Training Division, where she spent 2 seasons training vigorously under renowned faculty. Kristin joined State Street Ballet as a trainee in the Professional Track in 2024 and is thrilled to continue her journey with Novus Contemporary Ballet for their 2026 season! 

Kristin Sholberg

Emma was raised in San Diego and began dancing at the age of 3. In 2017, she furthered her training under the instruction of Jill Gibson, focusing on the ABT National Training Curriculum. Throughout her training, she took on roles as a teacher, choreographer, and rehearsal & production assistant, which allowed her to develop versatile skills beyond ballet technique. Emma went on to graduate from Elon University in 2023 with a BS in Dance Science and minors in Dance Performance and Choreography & Exercise Science. She had the opportunity to train formally in modern technique and worked with incredible guest choreographers, including Lee Edwards, Ilya Kozadayev, and Janice Rosario. She also trained in lighting design, stage management, presented her own undergraduate research, and completed her Progressing Ballet Technique certification. 

Emma Stenger

Rosalind began her ballet training at the age of eleven with Scottsdale School of Ballet. She then attended other pre-professional programs with Oregon Ballet Theater and Oklahoma City Ballet, as well as Ballet Arizona, where she performed Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Sleeping Beauty. In 2024, she joined State Street Ballet's trainee program and joined Novus Contemporary Ballet in 2025.

Rosalind Young

26/27 Trainees

  • Valentina Carlini

    Trainee

  • Allie Francis

    Trainee

  • Ayushi Gaur

    Trainee

  • Brisa Gelber

    Trainee

  • Lucy Lepidoptera

    Trainee

  • Oliver Myers

    Trainee

  • Alice Quint

    Trainee

  • Liz Witthoeft

    Trainee

  • Faye Zink

    Trainee II

Leadership

Meredith Ventura

Meredith Ventura is a multi-creative artist based out of southern California. She graduated with honors from UC Santa Barbara, with a B.F.A. in Dance in 2013, received her M.F.A. in dance at Hollins University in 2018, and is currently a Ph.D. student in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. As the founder and artistic director of Selah Dance Collective, Ms. Ventura has produced and performed in full evening-length performances and presented works throughout the United States. She has performed with Nebula Dance Lab and Janusphere Dance Company and travels nationally and internationally as a dance educator and advocate for the arts.

Founder and Artistic Director

Vietor Davis is a dance artist based in Santa Barbara, California. Vietor started his training in ballet and contemporary dance in 2017 at The Dance Network and later joined their senior dance company. Vietor joined Selah Dance Collective in 2021 and made his professional debut in Arianna Hartanov’s Bolero. Vietor has since performed throughout the United States with Selah as a member of the touring company, including their recent performance of Sound and Smoke at Gibney 280 in March 2024. Vietor looks forward to continuing to develop his artistry and arts management skills with Novus Contemporary Ballet.

Company Manager

Vietor Davis

Emma Stenger

Emma, originally from San Diego, has been dancing all her life. In 2017, she furthered her training under Jill Gibson, focusing on the ABT National Training Curriculum. Throughout her training, she served as a teacher, choreographer, and rehearsal & production assistant, which helped her develop versatile skills beyond ballet technique. Emma graduated from Elon University in 2023 with a BS in Dance Science and minors in Dance Performance and Choreography & Exercise Science. She had the opportunity to train formally in modern technique and worked with incredible guest choreographers, including Lee Edwards, Ilya Kozadayev, and Janice Rosario. She also trained in lighting design, stage management, presented her own undergraduate research, and completed her Progressing Ballet Technique certification.  Emma was promoted to Training Program Director in 2026. 

Training Program Director

JOIN OUR TEAM

If you are a dancer interested in auditioning for Novus Contemporary Ballet, we’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email with your resume, headshot, and any relevant performance materials. Our team will reach out with more information about upcoming audition opportunities and how to get involved.

Audition Info