ARTISTS
SIDNEY HAEFS
Sidney Haefs was born in Los Angeles, CA. She began her training at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy under the direction of Corinne Glover. Participating in Royal Academy of Dance Exams, she holds her Advanced 2 certificate with distinction. Ms. Haefs continued her education at the University of Utah where she graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Ballet and a Minor in Human Development and Family Studies. From there, she was offered a traineeship with Kansas City Ballet where she spent a year before joining the company as an apprentice in 2019.
During her time with the company, she has had the opportunity to perform many roles including the Diamond Principal in George Balanchine’s Jewels, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Big Swans in Swan Lake, Peasant Pas de deux in Giselle, Queen of the Dyads in Don Quixote, the Emerald Ballerina in Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, as well as Isabel in In the Middle Somewhat Elevated. She has also performed roles in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Adam Hougland’s Carmina Burana, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Edward Liang’s Wunderland, Jirí Kylián’s Petit Mort, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti. In addition to her performing background, Ms. Haefs holds her level one PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique) certification, DK Pilates Mat Certification, as well as an NASM Certified Personal Trainer certificate.
SIDNEY HAEFS
Sidney Haefs was born in Los Angeles, CA. She began her training at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy under the direction of Corinne Glover. Participating in Royal Academy of Dance Exams, she holds her Advanced 2 certificate with distinction. Ms. Haefs continued her education at the University of Utah where she graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Ballet and a Minor in Human Development and Family Studies. From there, she was offered a traineeship with Kansas City Ballet where she spent a year before joining the company as an apprentice in 2019. During her time with the company, she has had the opportunity to perform many roles including the Diamond Principal in George Balanchine’s Jewels, Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Big Swans in Swan Lake, Peasant Pas de deux in Giselle, Queen of the Dyads in Don Quixote, the Emerald Ballerina in Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, as well as Isabel in In the Middle Somewhat Elevated.
SIDNEY HAEFS
She has also performed roles in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Adam Hougland’s Carmina Burana, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Edward Liang’s Wunderland, Jirí Kylián’s Petit Mort, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti.
In addition to her performing background, Ms. Haefs holds her level one PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique) certification, DK Pilates Mat Certification, as well as an NASM Certified Personal Trainer certificate.
TARYN PACHCIARZ
Taryn Pachciarz was born in Kansas City, Missouri and received a majority of her training on full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, performing Waltz Girl in Serenade for the SAB workshop. Ms. Pachciarz was given her Corps de Ballet contract with the New York City Ballet and performed numerous Balanchine and Robbins ballets including, Stars and Stripes, Jewels, Symphony in Three Movements, West Side Story Suite, and The Cage.
TARYN PACHICIARZ
Ms. Pachciarz just completed her 13th season with Kansas City Ballet and has been featured in numerous roles in The Nutcracker, The Four Temperaments, The Sleeping Beauty, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Wendy in Peter Pan, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvie Pas From William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, the Lead Woman in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Myrtha in Giselle, Russian girl in Serenade and the Principal girl in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Rubies and Diamonds. Some of her favorite choreographers to originate roles for include Matthew Neenan and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
Taryn Pachciarz was born in Kansas City, Missouri and received a majority of her training on full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, performing Waltz Girl in Serenade for the SAB workshop. Ms. Pachciarz was given her Corps de Ballet contract with the New York City Ballet and performed numerous Balanchine and Robbins ballets including, Stars and Stripes, Jewels, Symphony in Three Movements, West Side Story Suite, and The Cage. Ms. Pachciarz is in her 13th season with the company and has been featured in numerous roles in The Nutcracker, The Four Temperaments, The Sleeping Beauty, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Wendy in Peter Pan, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvie Pas From William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, the Lead Woman in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Myrtha in Giselle, Russian girl in Serenade and the Principal girl in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Rubiesand Diamonds. Some of her favorite choreographers to originate roles for include Matthew Neenan and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
TARYN PACHCIARZ
PAUL ZUSI
Paul Zusi began his training at Southold Dance Theater at the age 6, inspired by his mother’s lifelong love of dance. Mr. Zusi attended summer programs at The School of American Ballet in 2018 and Boston Ballet School in 2019. Following the summer of 2019, he joined Boston Ballet as a member of their second company, working closely with renowned choreographers and teachers such as Jorma Elo, Peter Stark, Kathleen Mitchell, Larissa Ponomarenko, and Mikko Nissinen.
PAUL ZUSI
Mr. Zusi is now a dancer with Kansas City Ballet, and his professional repertoire includes Jorma Elo’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’s Glass Pieces, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, and other classics including Giselle, Swan Lake, Serenade, The Little Humpbacked Horse, and Don Quixote. Mr. Zusi would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support.
PAUL ZUSI
Paul Zusi began his training at Southold Dance Theater at the age 6, inspired by his mother’s lifelong love of dance. Mr. Zusi attended summer programs at The School of American Ballet in 2018 and Boston Ballet School in 2019. Following the summer of 2019, he joined Boston Ballet as a member of their second company, working closely with renowned choreographers and teachers such as Jorma Elo, Peter Stark, Kathleen Mitchell, Larissa Ponomarenko, and Mikko Nissinen. Mr. Zusi is now a dancer with Kansas City Ballet, and his professional repertoire includes Jorma Elo’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’s Glass Pieces, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, and other classics including Giselle, Swan Lake, Serenade, The Little Humpbacked Horse, and Don Quixote. Mr. Zusi would like to thank his family and friends for their continued love and support.
SAM MCREYNOLDS
Sam McReynolds is a freelance dance artist originally from St. Louis, MO, where he received his BFA in Dance at Lindenwood University and trained closely under hip hop choreographer/instructor Anthony “REDD” Williams. He expanded his approach to movement greatly through his experience exploring Gaga technique here in the U.S. and in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since moving to LA in 2016, he has danced for several notable choreographers and dance companies, such as Sarah Elgart / Arrogant Elbow, Brian Friedman, Marguerite Derricks, Sidra Bell, Dolly Sfeir, Bryan Arias, Norbert de la Cruz, Ate9 Dance Company, The TL Collective, LA Contemporary Dance Company, and more.
SAM MCREYNOLDS
Sam has a great passion for choreographing and has presented live works in LA at CONGRESS: Legalize Dance, Club Jete, LAVENDER, Stage & Screen Show, VOICES: Queer Artist Showcase, and Los Angeles Dance Festival. In May of 2021, he won the Best New Filmmaker Award at the Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival for his dance short film Proclamation, which he conceptualized, directed, co-choreographed, and edited. Most recently, he was a finalist for the 2024 Carmel Choreography Fellowship in Carmel, California. Currently, Sam is a resident artist with Charlotte Street Foundation and company dancer with Owen/Cox Dance Group here in Kansas City.
SAM
MCREYNOLDS
Sam McReynolds is a freelance dance artist originally from St. Louis, MO, where he received his BFA in Dance at Lindenwood University and trained closely under hip hop choreographer/instructor Anthony “REDD” Williams. He expanded his approach to movement greatly through his experience exploring Gaga technique here in the U.S. and in Tel Aviv, Israel. Since moving to LA in 2016, he has danced for several notable choreographers and dance companies, such as Sarah Elgart / Arrogant Elbow, Brian Friedman, Marguerite Derricks, Sidra Bell, Dolly Sfeir, Bryan Arias, Norbert de la Cruz, Ate9 Dance Company, The TL Collective, LA Contemporary Dance Company, and more. Sam has a great passion for choreographing and has presented live works in LA at CONGRESS: Legalize Dance, Club Jete, LAVENDER, Stage & Screen Show, VOICES: Queer Artist Showcase, and Los Angeles Dance Festival. In May of 2021, he won the Best New Filmmaker Award at the Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival for his dance short film Proclamation, which he conceptualized, directed, co-choreographed, and edited. Most recently, he was a finalist for the 2024 Carmel Choreography Fellowship in Carmel, California. Currently, Sam is a resident artist with Charlotte Street Foundation and company dancer with Owen/Cox Dance Group here in Kansas City.
MEI MCARTOR
Mei McArtor grew up in Columbia, South Carolina where she began her training at Southeastern School of Ballet at the age of four. She then joined Kansas City Ballet as a Trainee for the 2023-2024 season. During her time as a Trainee, she performed numerous roles in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde, Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Peter Pan, and George Balanchine’s Jewels. She also performed in Gabriel Lorena’s Under My Skin and Emily Mistretta’s This version of you looking at you you looking back in Kansas City Ballet’s New Moves 2024. Ms.
MEI MCARTOR
McArtor just finished her second season with the Kansas City Ballet as a KCB II dancer where she performed in Septime Webre's Alice in Wonderland, Anna-Marie Holmes' Don Quixote, and Lilah Yorks' Celts.
MEI
MCARTOR
Mei McArtor grew up in Columbia, South Carolina where she began her training at Southeastern School of Ballet at the age of four. She then joined Kansas City Ballet as a Trainee for the 2023-2024 season. During her time as a Trainee, she performed numerous roles in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde, Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Peter Pan, and George Balanchine’s Jewels. She also performed in Gabriel Lorena’s Under My Skin and Emily Mistretta’s This version of you looking at you you looking back in Kansas City Ballet’s New Moves 2024. Ms. McArtor just finished her second season with the Kansas City Ballet as a KCB II dancer where she performed in Septime Webre's Alice in Wonderland, Anna-Marie Holmes' Don Quixote, and Lilah Yorks' Celts.
DANI VARENHORST
Danni Varenhorst is beyond excited to perform with Moving Arts for a second summer. Her past includes summer programs such as Joffrey Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. From 2019 to 2020 Danni attended Texas Christian University and studied ballet then transferred to Loyola Chicago University in the fall of 2020. Through Loyola’s dance program she had the amazing opportunity to work with artists all over Chicago. In the spring of 2023 Danni graduated with a BA in Dance and went on to dance with Milano Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Wichita, and Moving Arts in the summer of 2024.
DANI VARENHORST
In the summer of 2023 she attended programs at Orsolina28 where she worked with Jacob Jonas the Company and Medhi Walerski. She is currently a marketing intern for Visceral Dance Chicago.
DANNI
VARENHORST
Danni Varenhorst is beyond excited to perform with Moving Arts for a second summer. Her past includes summer programs such as Joffrey Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. From 2019 to 2020 Danni attended Texas Christian University and studied ballet then transferred to Loyola Chicago University in the fall of 2020. Through Loyola’s dance program she had the amazing opportunity to work with artists all over Chicago. In the spring of 2023 Danni graduated with a BA in Dance and went on to dance with Milano Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Wichita, and Moving Arts in the summer of 2024. In the summer of 2023 she attended programs at Orsolina28 where she worked with Jacob Jonas the Company and Medhi Walerski. She is currently a marketing intern for Visceral Dance Chicago.
ISAAC ALLEN
BEN ZUSI
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Ben Zusi trained at Southold Dance Theater under Calin Radulescu and, formerly, Erica Fischbach. While training, he attended various summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Boston Ballet. In his senior year, he received first at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) regionals and was a finalist at YAGP finals.
Zusi spent two years in Kansas City Ballet II, the second company of Kansas City Ballet. During this time, he performed roles in multiple Company productions, including Petite Mort, Lead Russian in The Nutcracker, Toto in The Wizard of Oz, and various other corps roles.
BEN ZUSI
Zusi joined Milwaukee Ballet in 2023, and has since performed in Michael Pink's The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer's Imaginarium and as Jack in Pink's Cinderella, along with other roles and notable ballets.
Isaac began his ballet training at the age of 8 at Stillpointe Dance Studio in southern Oregon. He spent many of his summers attending intensive training programs across the country including San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theater. In 2016 he was accepted into the HARID Conservatory in Florida where he trained for 2 years under Meelis Pakri before joining Milwaukee Ballet’s second company. Isaac spent 3 years in the second company and 2 as an apprentice, getting the opportunity to perform in ballets such as Michael Pink’s Dracula, Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many more. In 2022, Isaac joined Kansas City Ballet where he has been featured in ballets such as Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort, Septime Weber’s Alice, and many more
ISAAC ALLEN
Isaac Allen began his ballet training at the age of 8 at Stillpointe Dance Studio in southern Oregon. He spent many of his summers attending intensive training programs across the country including San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theater. In 2015, Mr. Allen joined Oregon Ballet Theaters’s Pre Professional program. The next year he was accepted into the HARID Conservatory in Florida where he trained for 2 years under Meelis Pakri before joining Milwaukee Ballet’s Second Company, performing in ballets such as Michael Pink’s Dracula, Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream and many more.
ISAAC ALLEN
Mr. Allen spent 3 years in the second company before being promoted to the main company as an apprentice where he danced for 2 years. This is his second season with Kansas City Ballet.
BEN ZUSI
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Ben Zusi trained at Southold Dance Theater under Calin Radulescu and, formerly, Erica Fischbach. While training, he attended various summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Boston Ballet. In his senior year, he received first at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) regionals and was a finalist at YAGP finals.
Zusi spent two years in Kansas City Ballet II, the second company of Kansas City Ballet. During this time, he performed roles in multiple Company productions, including Petite Mort, Lead Russian in The Nutcracker, Toto in The Wizard of Oz, and various other corps roles.
Zusi joined Milwaukee Ballet in 2023, and has since performed in Michael Pink's The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer's Imaginarium and as Jack in Pink's Cinderella, along with other roles and notable ballets.
TROY MONGER-LEVIN
Troy Monger-Levin began his training in 2019 with Gina Illingworth in Camino, California. After training at Camino Classical Ballet for a year, he began to train with Pamela Hayes in El Dorado Hills, CA. After spending his first Summer Intensive on scholarship with Ellison Ballet, he accepted a place in the Kansas City Ballet School Daytime Program on scholarship. After a year with KCBS, Mr. Monger-Levin accepted a Trainee contract with Kansas City Ballet, and a season later was promoted to Kansas City Ballet II. During his time with KCB, he has performed Corps De Ballet roles in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Giselle, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, Corps de Ballet in George Balanchine’s Diamonds, as well as many notable roles in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll and Hyde.
TROY MONGER-LEVIN
In the summer of 2024, Troy had
the opportunity to attend the 2024 Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program.
TROY
MONGER-LEVIN
Troy Monger-Levin began his training in 2019 with Gina Illingworth in Camino, California. After training at Camino Classical Ballet for a year, he began to train with Pamela Hayes in El Dorado Hills, CA. After spending his first Summer Intensive on scholarship with Ellison Ballet, he accepted a place in the Kansas City Ballet School Daytime Program on scholarship.
After a year with KCBS, Mr. Monger-Levin accepted a Trainee contract with Kansas City Ballet, and a season later was promoted to Kansas City Ballet II. During his time with KCB, he has performed Corps De Ballet roles in Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker and Giselle, Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, Corps de Ballet in George Balanchine’s Diamonds, as well as many notable roles in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll and Hyde.
In the summer of 2024, Troy had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program.
ISABELLE JOHNSON
Apprentice
Isabelle Johnson began her dance training at Wichita Children’s Theater and Dance Center. She later moved to Metropolitan Ballet Wichita for 3 years before joining Ballet Wichita Academy. She has had the opportunity to attend summer programs at the New York Institute of Dance and Education, Oklahoma City Ballet, Master Ballet Academy, and most recently the Joffrey Ballet (Chicago). Isabelle joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance in the fall of 2022 as a pre-Professional student, where she trained for a year and a half. During this time, she also had the opportunity to attend classes with American Ballet Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. She then moved back home to attend the University of Kansas and dance with Ballet Wichita. In the fall of 2024, she joined Ballet Wichita’s first ever ensemble as a Demi-Soloist.
ISABELLE JOHNSON
Apprentice
Currently, she has plans to continue her education and her professional career. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support, as well as Logan Pachciarz for his guidance.
Isabelle Johnson began her dance training at Wichita Children’s Theater and Dance Center. She later moved to Metropolitan Ballet Wichita for 3 years before joining Ballet Wichita Academy. She has had the opportunity to attend summer programs at the New York Institute of Dance and Education, Oklahoma City Ballet, Master Ballet Academy, and most recently the Joffrey Ballet (Chicago). Isabelle joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance in the fall of 2022 as a pre-Professional student, where she trained for a year and a half. During this time, she also had the opportunity to attend classes with American Ballet Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. She then moved back home to attend the University of Kansas and dance with Ballet Wichita. In the fall of 2024, she joined Ballet Wichita’s first ever ensemble as a Demi-Soloist. Currently, she has plans to continue her education and her professional career. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support, as well as Logan Pachciarz for his guidance.