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TBT Studio Company
Our Talented Dancers
Britt Bacon
Company Dancer
Co-Director
Britt Bacon is an independent dancer, choreographer and Fine Arts collaborator. She currently is a senior at Brenau University and is choreographing independent collaborations utilizing multi-media to showcase in different Galleries around Georgia and North Carolina.
Britt developed a passion for dance in grade school and became a senior member of the Royal Danse Ensemblé at Savannah Arts Academy her freshman year. She studied with local studios in the Savannah area before joining the African Dance Company Sankofa Dance Theater while a junior in High School. Over the next 6 years Britt traveled and performed in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Atlanta as well as many locations throughout the Southeast with Sankofa Dance Theatre, while having the privilege of working with artists such as Samfly Djallo (Samba), Tara Shepard Myers, and Vernard Gilmore from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Britt later became the assistant choreographer for the Downtown Delilah’s Burlesque Troupe in Savannah, Georgia as featured in the New York Times on the ‘Must-to-do-List in 24 Hours’ in Savannah, GA. Britt followed her career as a photographer and a mother and began studies at Brenau University in 2013. Since then Britt has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Vincas Greene, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Madia Cooper, and Carl Flink. She continues to give back to the local Tybee community by sharing her passion for our local youth through the art of dance!
Jeri Bettencourt
Company Dancer
Jeri performed for the Savannah Civic Ballet and the Savannah Ballet Guild under directors Stanley Zompakos and Don Cantwell of the Charleston Civic Ballet. She began training in Savannah with Ebba Thomson and Madeline Walker at age four. Jeri studied with the Atlanta Civic Ballet under Robert “Bobby” Barnett, Dorothy Alexander, and Carl Ratcliffe. She also attended the Pennsylvania Ballet Footlight Ranch. Jeri and her husband of 46 years have twin boys and one grandchild. When Jeri is not dancing, she can be found backpacking in the North Georgia Mountains. After an extended hiatus from dance, Jeri is pleased to perform the Nutcracker again with Tybee Ballet Theatre's Land of the Sweets, debuting as the Snow Queen. It is our pleasure to welcome her back on stage with the Tybee Ballet Theater.
Stephanie Ehatt
Company Dancer
Stephanie has been a Tybee resident for 5 years and is thrilled to be performing in her first show with Tybee Ballet Theatre! She began dancing at the age of 4 and since then has performed collegiately and in various theatres and shows all across the Southeast (including the local Savannah Theatre in shows like “Mama Mia”, “The 70’s Show”, and “9-5”.) She also enjoys working in film + tv and has had a number of featured roles such as “Clubgirl” in “Killerman” and “Erica” in “The Gift”. Stephanie is also a certified Fitness Instructor and active in Yoga, Pilates + Acrobatics. She loves living at the beach, and everything health + fitness. Favorite roles include “Pop” from Chicago, “Wendy” in Peter Pan, and “Shelley” in Hairspray. Steph is so lucky to have the support of her amazing friends, family + Tybee Ballet crew
Lisl Kotheimer
Company Dancer
Set Designer
Lisl began her adult ballet studies in 2016 at Artisan Dance Studio in Columbus, Ohio. After relocating to Savannah in 2020, she was thrilled to discover the talent at Tybee Ballet Theatre and to be able to continue studying classical ballet. As a professional designer, Lisl is drawn to the precise aesthetics and athleticism that are the foundation for ballet and contemporary dance. Lisl is looking forward to making her debut on stage in Savannah as Marzipan Variation and Waltz of the Flowers in Tybee Ballet Theatre's Land of the Sweets in November 2022.
Emily Liebtag
Company Dancer
Lighting Specialist
Instructor
Emily is originally from Michigan and began dancing at the age of 5 studying ballet, jazz, and modern. As a teenager she studied classical Russian ballet under Elzbieta Alabuszew-Kutek while performing and choreographing for various shows with Lansing Community College, the Community Dance Project, and the Happendance professional company. Emily then moved to Philadelphia, PA where she completed her BFA in Dance from Temple University. Through college and beyond, Emily studied and performed under Philip Grosser, Keith Thompson, Megan Durham Wall, and Kun-Yang Lin while also studying Lighting Design and Stage Production with Nanette Hudson Joyce. She took class and interned for two summers at the American Dance Festival where she had the pleasure of learning under and collaborating with some some of the top dance companies in the world such as Paul Taylor, David Dorfman, Mark Morris, and Pilobolus to name a few. Emily has also freelanced as a Lighting Designer and Production Manager for Music and Dance ensembles working in theaters across the United States, Australia, England, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Jennifer Musumeci
Company Dancer
Stage Manager
Jennifer started exploring dance in elementary school with a strong interest in Ballet, Jazz and Breakdancing. Growing up in a professional performing arts and visual arts family, she enjoyed both exposure to and the study of various dance styles not only throughout high school, but also well beyond into her professional life, including Tap, Broadway Dance and even some Ballroom. After taking some time off from formal classes while building her career, in 2020 she once again took on formal study in Ballroom, Argentinian Tango with Karina Romero and Jorge Carmona and the New Generation Dance Company. In 2021 Jennifer also began formal study of Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and even Hip-Hop with the Tybee Ballet Theatre, including private study with Kate Petit. While with Tybee Ballet Theatre, she danced in the May 2022 adult ensemble performance of “Colors” for the Threads of Love Spring showcase. Jennifer is in her second year with the Tybee Ballet Theatre adult dance education program. She is very honored to be a member of the TBT Adult Studio Company, growing, studying and performing with so many talented dancers. Jennifer has an extensive professional background in theater/performing arts. She completed her BFA at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts Film/TV program before moving onto professional stage management where she earned membership in Actor’s Equity Association. Most recently Jennifer led performing arts ensembles in artistic direction, creative producing and executive producing for live performances including large scale immersive festivals. Currently, she is in process of completing additional studies and state licensure requirements for counseling/specialist services in combined alcohol/drug addiction and trauma recovery. Jennifer plans to professionally bring together her passions for embodied movement, dance and performing arts to addictions and trauma recovery interventions and extended support services.
Arielle Navon
Company Dancer
Arielle Navon is from New York and has danced since age 3. Growing up dancing was the best hobby she could have asked for because dancing helps her to release energy, stress and creativity. It makes her feel like I can let go of every other part of the world. Arielle feels so good to be back into it with such an uplifting group of friends at Tybee Ballet Theatre. Arielle is honored to debut her roles as Spanish Lead and Waltz of the Flowers in Tybee Ballet Theatre's Land of the Sweets this November 2022.
Kate Petit
Company Dancer
Co-Director
Kate Petit is a native of Lafayette, LA, which is known for its culturally rich performing and visual arts community. Growing up in this rich art community pushed her to begin studying classical ballet at a very young age. At the age of 4 she was accepted to study with the Dance Conservatory, the official school of Lafayette Ballet Theatre. There she performed in various lead and corps de ballet roles in full length classical ballets such as, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many more. To further her training she auditioned and was accepted into some of the top tier national ballet companies such as, The American Ballet Theatre, The School of American Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet. She went on to study with Giacobbe School of Dance in New Orleans,LA, The Joffrey Ballet in Austin, TX, and the Houston Ballet in Houston, TX performing in various classical, contemporary, and modern ballets across the country. Locally, she has performed an original piece called "SPACES" in the PULSE: Technology Festival at the Jepson Center collaborating with local artists and SCAD alumni. As Co-Artistic Director at TBT, she has created original pieces annually performed by her students and company at the local Tybee Post Theatre.
She now resides on Tybee with her husband Ben and four children. Kate and her family fully embrace the coastal lifestyle, enjoying an active and full lifestyle together discovering the beautiful island of Tybee. She is also a certified 200HR-RYT Yoga Instructor, and continues to pursue her love of the performing arts by teaching community outreach ballet classes for youth and adults alike. Kate is honored to bring her love of movement and the art of dance to Tybee and the greater Savannah area.
Greta Valeyko
Company Dancer
Associate Director
Growing up in a small town in Virginia, Greta was one of the first dancers to major in dance in college. After finishing her BA in Dance from Columbia College, in Columbia, SC, she taught dance in a middle school, daycare, and studio to gain more experience. After a year of teaching, Greta was accepted into the Graduate Dance program at American University in Washington, DC and was granted an assistantship. It was at Kenmore that she developed the first ever dance program for Arlington Public Schools. During that time, she choreographed and directed The Nutcracker, multiple dance concerts, and choreographed all the musical theatre productions. Wizard of Oz, Music Man, 5 Guys Named Moe, and Guys and Dolls, to name a few. While teaching at Kenmore, Greta became a certified Dance Specialist through a program called CETA (Changing Education Through the Arts) offered by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Greta and her family are now residents of Tybee Island and she is very excited to be a faculty member and dancer at Tybee Ballet Theatre.
Liz Walker
Company Dancer
Liz returned to dance as an adult in 2019 at June Lawrence School of Dance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After watching her daughter fall in love with dance, it brought memories of her own childhood and the joy of creative movement in dance class. Upon relocating to Tybee Island in 2021, Liz was overjoyed to find the amazing Tybee Ballet Theatre, bringing exciting opportunities for the whole family. Liz returned to the stage for the first time as an adult in the TBT 2022 adult ensemble piece, “Colors” and had an absolute blast performing as Mother Ginger in Land of the Sweets. Liz is constantly inspired by the incredible dance talent of her fellow company members, and she is so grateful to have re-found this passion later in life. It’s been a wonderful way to express herself creatively, to stay in shape, and to connect with people. During the day, Liz works in technology and utilized an artificial intelligence chatbot to help write this bio.
Danielle Wiltse
Company Dancer
Instructor
Born and raised in Michigan, Danielle took her first tap class at the age of 3. She grew up dancing competitively, and performed with the Kalamazoo Dance Company in her college years. After graduation she went in search of adventure, moving to Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, and California before landing in Savannah 6 years ago. She loves beach days and living room dance parties with her husband and 3 kids. Danielle will make her debut as Dew Drop in Tybee Ballet Theatre's Land of the Sweets this November 2022.
Lindsey Clark
Company Dancer
Instructor
Lindsey Clark is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. She began dancing at the age of 3 and continued to study all types of movement throughout her life, eventually concentrating on modern and contemporary styles. As a dancer and lover of dynamic movement, she has incorporated this into her lifestyle. She discovered yoga as a teenager and has turned to the practice for peace and grounding ever since. Lindsey studied with specialized and talented teachers and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in October of 2020.Lindsey and her husband Ben have four beautiful kids. The Clarks love surfing, music, and traveling and can most often be found at the beach. Lindsey loves Tybee and is excited to teach and connect with others through her love of yoga and creative movement.
Shana Toney
Company Dancer
Choreographer