Founded in 2014 by Dave Hurlbert (Founder, former Artistic Director), the Marigny Opera Ballet is the resident company of the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans, Louisiana. For its thirteenth season, Verismo Opera will join the Marigny Opera Ballet to create 4 original productions of ballet-opera.
Executive Director Dave Hurlbert and Artistic Director Bogdan Mynka will produce this season, hiring choreographers, composers, musicians and designers from New Orleans, as well as across the United States, Europe and South America.
The Company includes six professional dancers who rehearse each day at the Opera House. Over the years, it has attracted dancers from London, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Alabama and Mississippi as well as from the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Their artistry has been recognized repeatedly by numerous awards granted by the Gambit Tribute to the Classical Arts in New Orleans.
Marigny Opera Ballet is funded and administered by the Marigny Opera House Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Ballet owes its ongoing success to the dedication of its artists and staff, and to the generosity of its patrons, donors and corporate sponsors.
Executive Director: Dave Hurlbert
Artistic Director: Bogdan Mynka
Resident Choreographer: Amalia Najera
Technical Director: Tammy Srinivas
General Manager, Box Office: Austin Krieger
Wardrobe Manager: Carmen Goldbling
Lauren Guynes is a dancer, choreographer, and educator based in New Orleans, holding a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi. Now in her tenth season with the Marigny Opera Ballet as Company Manager, Lauren has performed throughout the Gulf Coast, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City. Her own choreographic work has been presented with the Marigny Opera Ballet, Making Space, Coast Dance Fest, and in collaborations with local musicians and filmmakers. Additionally, Lauren works in the film industry, contributing performances for productions on TNT, Netflix, Amazon, and choreography for Disney and Electric Entertainment. Her commitment to dance education spans all ages and skill levels, celebrating movement as a profound form of artistry.
Christian Denice is a Los Angeles–born dancer, choreographer, and educator whose career bridges the worlds of classical and contemporary dance. He has performed with Odyssey Dance Theatre, River North Dance Chicago, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (BJM Danse), earning recognition as one of Time Out Chicago’s “Top Ten Male Dancers” and a Chicago Tribune “Notable Dancer” of 2010.
As a choreographer, Christian has created works for companies including Cincinnati Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Chamber Dance Project, Ballet22, DanceWorks Chicago, Marigny Opera Ballet, BalletX, Kit Modus, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Odyssey Dance Theatre, and Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, among many others. His choreography has been commissioned by both professional companies and university programs across the U.S., and he continues to teach and set work internationally.
Christian is the 2015 winner of the University of South Florida’s Echo Choreographic Competition and a 2016 Joffrey Academy “Winning Works” choreographer. He has held residencies with Kennesaw State University, Keshet Center for the Arts, Georgetown University, University of Missouri Kansas City, and Western Michigan University to name a few. Christian is a dancer for internationally acclaimed Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis and frequently stages his work throughout the U.S. and Europe.
His recent credits include the Kennedy Center premiere of his film Dwellings, created with filmmaker Alexander Sargent, and his Broadway debut in The Little Prince (2021). Christian has served as répétiteur and rehearsal director for ISHIDA Dance.
Edward Spots is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans film, television, print media, and digital platforms. He gained national recognition as the lead actor in the acclaimed film America, which is now archived in the Library of Congress. A portrait of him is also on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art—an honor that reflects his cultural impact and artistic legacy.
In 2022, Edward was named one of Gambit’s “40 Under 40,” celebrating his contributions to the arts and the New Orleans community. Since returning to his hometown, he has focused on uplifting and inspiring the local dance community, using his platform to help shape the next generation of local professional artists.
Allyssa Nelson began dancing at the age of six in Homestead, Florida, at Donna Lee Studio of Dance. She later attended New World School of the Arts High School, studying ballet and modern techniques, also performing works by renowned choreographers such as Paul Taylor and Robert Battle. After graduating in 2020, Allyssa joined BalletMet’s trainee program, performing in classics like Sleeping Beauty and Western Symphony. She then went on to dance with New Orleans Ballet Theatre for two seasons, gracing the stage in ballets such as Serenade, Dracula, Concerto Barocco, and Romeo & Juliet. Allyssa is thrilled to be dancing as a company artist with Marigny Opera Ballet for her second season!
Kennedy Walker is a movement artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a background of training and performing in several styles such as ballet, tap, hip hop, modern, and jazz. Kennedy continued on to Tulane University where she was a member of the Newcomb Dance Company throughout her tenure. She graduated from Tulane University in 2022, earning a BA in Dance as well as a BS in Neuroscience. The combination of her passions led her to complete a Master of Science in Dance Science in London, England at Trinity Laban Conservatoire where she worked collaboratively with artists across the University as well as across the city of London. Kennedy has enjoyed working with companies across Louisiana such as BODYART Dance in New Orleans and Basin Arts in Lafayette. She is excited to be dancing with Marigny for her second season!
Chloe Roberts is a dancer and performing artist from New Orleans. She began her pre-professional training with the New Orleans Ballet Association, where she worked with renowned companies and artists such as Ballet Hispánico, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Jae Man Joo, among others. She continued her training at Tulane University, where she performed with the Newcomb Dance Company and received her B.A. in Dance and B.S. in Psychology in 2023. After graduation, Chloe toured nationally with Lightwire Theater before joining Saint Louis Dance Theatre’s trainee program under the direction of Brandon Fink and Kirven Douthit-Boyd. Chloe is an active freelance artist, performing and presenting work at various festivals and residencies across the Midwest and South. She is thrilled to join Marigny Opera Ballet this season!
Nick Buynitzky is a dancer, acrobat, and movement artist from Raleigh, North Carolina. After years of competitive trampoline and power tumbling, he began dancing at Needham B Broughton High School and discovered a new passion for combining the creativity and expression of dance with the tricks of gymnastics training. In 2025, Nick received a BFA in contemporary dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), where he was fortunate to perform and work with several talented choreographers and dancers. After graduating, Nick performed with Norwegian Cruise Lines aboard the NCL Sky as a production singer/dancer. Throughout his educational and professional career, he has trained in several styles and techniques, including Cunningham Technique, Ballet, Countertechnique, floorwork, musical theatre, Hip-Hop, breakdance, and acrobatics. Some of his notable performance highlights include work from Rena Butler, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Shen Wei, and Ming-Lung Yang. His interest in performance, teaching, and composition continues to grow, and he is eager to explore these interests further. He is ecstatic to share the stage with the incredible Marigny Opera Ballet Dancers this season for Program Two and Three.
Claudio Caverni, originally from Siena, Italy, began his dance training in a small studio in Tuscany and graduated from Ateneo della Danza in 2021. That same year, he moved to New York City to train at The Ailey School, completing the Certificate Program. As a student, Claudio performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in “Bird Lives,” “Festa Barocca,” and “Chasing the Spirit” by Hope Boykin. He also appeared in “Memoria” during AAADT’s 2023 NYC season and at BAM in 2024. Claudio has collaborated with choreographers Amy Hall Garner, Ronald K. Brown, Norbert De LaCruz III, FLOCK, Juliano Nunes, Christopher Huggins, and Renee Robinson. Based in New York, he dances with inDANCE and New York Baroque Dance. Claudio is also a choreographer; his first piece, “Exousia,” premiered in March 2025 at the Spark Theater Festival NYC and was selected for the Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance residency STUDIO TO STAGE for the KODAFE festival and HOT FESTIVAL! at Dixon Place. He was a guest choreographer for Hearts of Men 25 for Earl Mosley Diversity of Dance, premiering “Coworkers.”
December 6-15, 2024
Put on a Light — Choreographer: Diogo de Lima; Music: Ted Joyner
Echoes — Choreographer: Christian Denice; Music: Ted Joyner
March 13-22, 2025
A Weight Gets Lighter — Choreographer: Diogo de Lima; Music: People Museum
Dusk — Choreographer: Cassi Abranches; Music: People Museum
December 9-18, 2022
December 4-13, 2020
October 4-6, 2019
December 6-8, 2019
January 31-February 2, 2020
November 1-4, 2018
January 17-20, 2019
New Resonance Chamber Orchestra; Francis Scully, Conductor
January 17-20, 2019
January 17-20, 2019
March 21-24, 2019
October 6-8, 2017
December 1-3, 2017
Christmas Cocktails – Diogo de Lima; Music: Lawrence Seiberth (Premiere)
January 26-28, 2018
March 23-25, 2018
November 18-20, 2017
February 9,10, 12, 2017
April 14-16, 2017
October 2-4, 2015
December 11-13, 2015
March 18-20, 2016
May 13-15, 2016
Poems of the Soul – Nikki Hefko; Music Alec Wilder (Premiere)
January 23-25, 2015
April 17-19, 2015
Under a Glass Bell – Maya Taylor; Music: Justin Gledhill (Premiere)
Salterelle – Diogo de Lima; Music: Scott R. King (Premiere)
