Holt Ballet Staff

Yelena Holt

Owner and Artistic Director

Yelena Holt has been an educator and dance instructor in Nevada County since 1980. With a background in dramatic and musical theater, classical ballet from Crockett School of Dance and Sacramento Ballet, and a State of California Credential in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, Mrs. Holt has nurtured Nevada County’s young dancers in achieving exemplary skills, not only in dance but in all walks of their lives. Mrs. Holt has initiated and developed three public high school dance programs: Dixon High School from 1975 to 1980; Bear River High School from 1989 to 1995; and Nevada Union High School from 1994 to 2010.  She was also the owner of Nevada County Ballet School from 1982 to 1986. After her retirement from public school education in 2010, Mrs. Holt saw a need to direct the training in the dance arts for both younger and older students. With 45 years of experience in developing dancers, Yelena Holt, through Holt Ballet Conservatory, continues to guide Nevada County aspiring dance artists in the training and opportunities they need in order to become beautiful dancers and empowered people. Holt Ballet Conservatory not only trains young people in the magical skills of dance technique, but also creates opportunities for the trained dancers to showcase their talents.

Yelena Holt has placed more than 60 Nevada Country dancers in some of the nation’s more competitive and highly acclaimed dance conservatories, universities and colleges, and pre-professional programs.

Amy Schultze

Nora Heiber

As a founding member of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Nora Heiber danced for the company for 12 years, after which she served as a Board Trustee for 10 years. As part of the teaching staff of the LINES BFA and Training Programs, Nora teaches a workshop entitled “Creating a Life of Dance,” in which she strives to bestow upon her students such tools as proactive problem solving, confidence-building, and energy management, for the purpose of enjoying a thriving professional career. In addition, Nora serves the arts community as the national Dance Executive for the American Guild of Musical Artists, where she represents dancers, choristers, solo singers, and production staff of the opera and ballet. Nora was also a tenured member of the San Francisco Opera for 18 years and is a founding member of the San Francisco GYROTONIC where she has been teaching GYROTONIC methodology since 1988. As a Master Trainer in all of the equipment, Nora has provided training to many GYROTONIC trainers currently teaching all over the world. Currently, Nora and her husband Cliff reside on a 20-acre farm in Penn Valley, dedicated to providing a peaceful environment that is in accordance with natural laws for the pursuit of conscious living. We are proud, at Holt Ballet, to welcome Ms. Heiber to our guest staff.

MaryAnne Dulmage

MaryAnne Dulmage has studied and/or taught Ballet since she took her first class as a young child, where she found her lifelong passion. She focused on the Cecchetti method as a child and later studied with teachers in other styles (Sheila Rozanne, Stanley Holden, Richard Gibson and others). Eventually opening Dance Unlimited with Karen Taylor in Simi Valley, CA, she found the rewards of sharing her love of dance with students. When her husband was transferred to the San Francisco area she took over Millbrae Dance Academy on the S.F. peninsula. MaryAnne taught all levels of Ballet, master classes, choreographed, and oversaw dance productions throughout the year. More recently, she and her husband Larry built a home in Nevada City, and she is now delighted to have the opportunity to continue teaching and coaching with Holt Ballet.

Tsal’gyur Starbuck

Nicole Starbuck (Tsal’gyur) danced with the San Francisco Ballet Company for ten years. A finalist at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, she apprenticed with the San Francisco Ballet and joined the company as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 1995. She was promoted to Soloist in 2002. During her ten years dancing with SFB Company under the direction of Helgi Tomasson, some of her favorite experiences included; Peasant Pas de Trois, Cygnets, and Neopolitan in “Swan Lake”, Silver Fairy in “Sleeping Beauty”, sharing a role with Lucia Lacarra in Nacho Duato’s “Without Words”, sharing the role of Princess with Yuan Yuan Tan in Yuri Possokov’s “Medea”, the Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker”, George Balanchine’s “Serenade” and “Jewels”, Jerome Robbins “Glass Pieces” and “The Cage”, and dancing principal roles in Val Caniparoli’s “Slow“ and “Death of a Moth”. Ms. Starbuck is grateful to have worked with renowned figures such as Natalia Makarova, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Nacho Duato, Mark Morris, Val Caniparoli, Susan Jaffe, and Georgina Parkinson. Choreographing since she was a student, she has taught group and private classes since 2001.

Kara Davis

Kara Davis danced for Atlanta Ballet, Ohio Ballet, and Ballet Jörgen before moving to San Francisco in 1996. She is a founding member of KUNST-STOFF and Janice Garrett & Dancers, both of whom she danced with for 10 years.  She has danced for Amy Raymond, Alex Ketley, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Robert Moses, Kathleen Hermesdorf, Pearl Ubungen Dancers & Musicians, Holly Johnston, Val Caniparoli, and SF Opera. She won an “Izzie” in 2003 for “Outstanding Achievement in Individual Performance” and was SF Chronicle dance critic Rachel Howard’s pick for 2005’s MVP. Along with Co-Director Bliss Kohlmyer, she founded project agora in 2006. She has received multiple nominations and awards from the Isadora Duncan Award Committee and has presented her work at the Bates Dance Festival, the Kennedy Center (ACDA National Festival), Edinburgh Fringe Festival, YBCA, ODC Theater, San Francisco International Arts Festival, DZINE Gallery, SF MOMA, & the Headlands Center For The Arts.  Her choreographic work has been shown at the Kennedy Center, Bates Dance Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, ODC Theater, and YBCA. She has also taught at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Mills College, San Jose State, San Francisco State, and USF.She has been a faculty member at Alonzo King LINES Pre-Professional and BFA Programs since 2005 and earned her MFA in 2013 from Hollins University.

Matt Carney

Matt Carney is thankful for this thing called dance and for all of the teachers who have helped him along the way. He began dancing professionally with the Modern American Dance Company (MADCO) in his hometown of St. Louis, MO and later joined the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company based in Kansas City. Mr. Carney has had the privilege to perform works by dance luminaries Sir Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, Erick Hawkins, Doris Humphrey, Robert Cohen and Donald McKayle, and looks forward to passing this folklore down to any students who will listen. Matt moved to San Diego in 2008, working as a company member with Malashock Dance, San Diego Dance Theater, and San Diego Ballet where he currently serves as Executive Director.  He was on faculty at Coronado School of the Arts for 11 years and often guest teaching at the San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Matt holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and received his Masters in Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University.

Carolyn Wilson

Carolyn Wilson trained with the Alameda School of Dance, Alameda Chamber Ballet, with Elena Solovieva, Tatiana Legat, Laura Young and with the faculty of the Boston Ballet. She performed with the Nevada Ballet Theatre and with the Alameda Civic Ballet ,and was their ballet mistress as well. After her performing career, she focused on teaching and passing her many accomplishments and skills on to the next generation of dancers. She has taught for the Valley Dance Theatre, and also functioned as their “Cleaner,” working with all levels of dancers through one-on-one coaching and private lessons. Carolyn graduated from California State University, Hayward, with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing. She furthered her education by becoming a Certified Wedding Consultant, leaning on her ballet training and performing experiences to produce high-end weddings throughout California. Carolyn recently joined the teaching staff at Holt Ballet Conservatory after she and her family made the leap to the CA foothills in 2022.

Linda Amaral

Linda Amaral started training at four years old and has never stopped! She graduated from the California State University, Long Beach, in Dance and PE, then earned her Masters in Dance at California State University, Fresno. She instituted the Dance Major at The College of the Sequoias, in Visalia, California, and was their Director of Dance for 40 years. In addition to running the college dance programs and choreographing their musicals, she also served as a guest choreographer for over 50 high school, community, college, and professional musicals.  Ms Amaral’s background includes active involvement in the teachers of California professional organization, CAPHERD, as well as with  the continuing education organization, California Dance and Movement, a summer workshop for professional educators of dance. She and Yelena Holt met at this workshop and have been friends and collaborators for the past 30 years!

Gabriella (Blaney) Baldock

Originally from Northern California, Gaby Baldock grew up a Nevada County native. At a young age she started competing as an elite gymnast, which in return led to the start of her dance career. While in high school, Gaby trained with Yelena Holt in the Nevada Union High School Theatrical Dance program. Gaby attended college at the University of California Irvine where she earned a full ride scholarship along with a degree in dance and education. She then moved to New York City where she danced professionally for 6 years. Gaby was a member of SynthesisDANCE under the Artistic direction of Tracie Stanfield. Gaby has performed at numerous venues including BAM, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, High Line Ballroom, Ailey City Group Theater, the Brooklyn Museum and The Salvatore Capezio Theatre. She has taught at Broadway Dance Center’s Children and Teen Program, AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts in NYC and surrounding studios in the tristate area. After moving back from NYC she worked as the  Assistant Program Director of the Nevada Union Theatrical Dance Program for 2 years. Gaby is currently the program Director for the Bear River High School Dance Program and has been for the past 4 years. 

Jesse Beck

Jesse Beck trained at the Tisch School of Dance at New York University where he obtained his BFA in Dance, as well as completed a double major in Politics. He is the recipient of the Edward Weisik Scholarship, as well as the Camille Cosby Memorial Scholarship. He performed in works by Gus Solomons Jr., Sean Green, Tiffany Billings, James Martin Dance, Brook Notery. Was a principal dancer with Lane & Co. Dance, and premiered in the 30th Fall Season of Dances Patrelle—a dynamic, professional ballet company.

Every year for over 18 years, Jesse returns to Nevada Union High School, where he began his training, to teach master classes and set various choreographic works on the dancers. Jesse’s choreographic works have been shown in California and New York.  

Jesse began training in Grass Valley, California at Nevada City School of the Arts. He went on to study with Nevada Union Theatrical Dance before attending college at Chapman University as a dance major and then transferring to NYU. 

Sophie Humphers

Sophie Humphers was born and raised in Nevada County. She began her dance training at Sierra Dance Institute at the age of 3. At 15 years old, she moved to New York City, where she attended Joffrey Ballet School as a full-time ballet trainee. Sophie attended summer intensives at Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco and William Forsythe’s ART-of in Zurich, Switzerland. Sophie graduated from UCLA in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree. She owned and operated a dance studio in Nevada County for two years before returning to New York. Sophie is excited to be home once again, teaching dance and enjoying the beauty of Nevada County!