CREATIVE DIRECTOR, RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER

2014-present

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.

SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR

2017-present

Rachyl began her dance training at the age of three with Temecula Dance Company in tap, jazz and ballet. At age 12, she focused on ballet training at The Ballet Studio in Temecula, CA. She attended summer intensive programs with American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Walnut Hill School of the Arts to augment her training. Rachyl was a company member at City Ballet of San Diego for 3 seasons where she performed in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht, the company’s productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliette, Firebird and Giselle. Rachyl is now a company member in her seventh season with Selah Dance Collective and Nebula Dance Lab.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

2020-present

Born in Denver, Colorado, Arianna trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, tap, and musical theater before moving to Santa Barbara in 2016 to dance professionally with State Street Ballet. She has performed various soloist and principal roles in The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Jungle Book, and The Sleeping Beauty among others. She has also had the pleasure of working with choreographers like Edgar Zendejas, Meredith Ventura, and Kassandra Taylor Newberry in their creative processes during her career, and recently produced her first show in 2022 in collaboration with Selah Dance Collective. Arianna became a certified Countertechnique instructor in 2023, and is excited to continue growing as a dancer, teacher and performer in the coming season, and is so happy to be part of SELAH.

2022-present

Originally from the Sacramento area, Alexis Robards trained in various styles of dance before joining State Street Ballet’s Professional Track in 2019. She has attended summer intensive programs at the Classical Ballet of Colorado, the TDCA International Ballet Festival, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Ballet West. She toured with State Street Ballet in 2022 during their production of Appalachian Spring and has performed with Selah Dance Collective throughout California and in New York. Alexis is passionate about choreography: her work has been presented in Nebula Dance Lab’s HHII Dance Festival and she was selected to set work on her peers at State Street Ballet.

2024-present

Avery Trask started dancing at 11 and trained under the direction of Kirsten Oakley and Laurin Boland at Oakley Ballet Center in Ventura, California. Predominately trained in ballet and modern dance, she was a part of Footworks Youth Ballet from 2017-2023 as a dancer and rehearsal assistant. She has been featured in soloist and principal roles in the company’s repertoire, including The Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Snow White in the production by the same name. She is pursuing her BFA in Dance at the University of California of Santa Barbara.

2016-present

Ashley Kohler Reynolds, a Santa Barbara based Dancer and Instructor, joined Selah Dance Collective in 2017. A sought-after performer in the Santa Barbara dance community, Ashley has danced with choreographers like Weslie Ching, Robin Bisio, Nicole Helton, and performs and is rehearsal director for Nebula Dance Lab, a professional contemporary dance company in Santa Barbara. Aside from performing, Ashley also has a passion for teaching. She has been on staff at Los Olivos Dance Gallery for 15 years, and also teaches in local schools through Children’s Creative Project.

2023-present

Brenna Chumacero, from Huntington Beach CA, trained at Orange County Dance Center, Performing Arts School HBHS, and Ballet West. She has worked with Leslie Peck and performed lead Russian in Balanchine’s Serenade, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker at Enid OK. Brenna joined the Professional Track at State Street Ballet in 2022, was promoted to an apprentice in 2023, and full company member the following year.

2024-present

Eryn Orsburn has been dancing since the age of four and since has trained in nearly every style. In 2018, she received her BFA in Dance Theatre from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in Hollywood. Since then, Eryn has been working professionally throughout LA, NYC and Vegas performing in a variety of live dance shows and being featured in several commercials and music videos working with brands like Oreo and artists like Meghan Trainor. Eryn is currently passionate about merging the worlds of dance and mindfulness, sharing it as a pathway to deeper embodiment and authentic expression.

2024-present

Fenna Roukema, from Santa Barbara, CA, received her early training in ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz from State Street Ballet Academy (SSBA). She joined SBCC’s Modern Dance Company in 2018 and received her Associate of Arts in Dance in 2022. She has also choreographed several modern works, and has most recently won recognition for FOAM (2022) (Finalist at Red Rock Dance Festival 2023) and Chronophobia (2023) (Gala selection at ACDA Baja 2024, Finalist and Audience Choice Award at Red Rock Dance Festival 2024). Fenna has been a member of SSBA’s teaching staff since 2022; she continues to dance with the SBCC Dance Company.

2023-present

Hailey Maynard graduated from the Orlando Ballet School under the direction of Phillip Broomhead and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program. She also studied under Edwaard Liang and Maria Torjia at BalletMet. Additionally, she attended summer intensives at Alvin Ailey/Broadway, Joffrey Ballet, The Rock School, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Mark Morris Dance Group, working with choreographers such as Alonzo King, Mike Tyus, and Carmen Rozestraten. After joining State the Professional Track at Street Ballet in 2023, Hailey performed alongside the main company in their productions of Giselle, Cinderella, and Other Voices.

2015-present

Originally from Orange County, Monique Nadeau studied at La Danse in La Mirada before moving to Santa Barbara in 2003. She is a multidisciplinary dancer with extensive performance experience including work with the UCSB Dance Team, Rhythm Street Team, and Fusion Dance Company. Monique joined Selah in 2015 and also dances with Nebula Dance Lab. Monique spends her days as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Santa Barbara’s Cottage Hospital.

2021-present

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 2023. Vietor looks forward to continuing to develop his artistry with Selah Dance Collective.

APPRENTICE

Madelyne Herbert was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, and began training with State Street Ballet Academy, where she danced in many lead roles. Madelyne has performed as Clara in The Nutcracker with State Street Ballet and was selected to perform alongside the company in their production of Sleeping Beauty. Madelyne has attended summer intensive programs with American Ballet Theater and Boston Ballet, for which she received a full-tuition merit scholarship. She has performed works by Kassandra Taylor Newberry and Eva Stone and soloist roles in works by Autumn Eckman and Rodney Gustafson. Madelyne is currently a trainee in State Street Ballet's Professional Track program and has performed in productions alongside company members in Giselle, Scheherazade, and The Firebird. 

APPRENTICE

Madeline Skye Stiner, raised in Santa Ana, California, began her formal dance training at the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School under the direction of Alaine Hubert, graduating in 2021. She continued her career in dance as a Trainee with American Repertory Ballet, training under the direction of Ethan Stiefel and Aydmara Cabrera, and was later invited to join the faculty of Princeton Ballet School. Throughout her career, Madeline has trained extensively with renowned artists such as Stella Abrera, Paloma Herrera, and Kevin McKenzie. She has also participated in prestigious summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Boston Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. In addition to her dance achievements, Madeline holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. She is currently a trainee with State Street Ballet and has performed in company productions such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Scheherazade.