Peter Pan Guest Artists:
Wyatt Mier
Role: Peter Pan
Wyatt Mier began training in Tokyo, Japan, in Fumi Academie at the age of 5. He then trained with Northwest Florida Ballet through their Academie and Pre-Professional Programs and is now a soloist with the company. He has received further training with American Ballet Theater in their summer programs, and recently competed at Youth America Grand Prix with an invitation to compete in the upcoming finals in Tampa, Florida. Wyatt has danced soloist and principal roles including Puck in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Snow King and Lead Russian in Nutcracker and the Jester in Cinderella. He has also performed as a guest artist with Andalusia Ballet, Mobile Ballet, and Inwood Dance Company.
Daniel Benavides
Role: Captain Hook
Daniel Benavides grew up dancing traditional Mexican folk dance ballet folklórico, and began his ballet training through the STEP-UP! program at Anaheim Ballet where he received a full tuition scholarship in his second year. Within his first two years of ballet training, he was accepted to summer intensives at both American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet. He joined the San Francisco Ballet School in 2002 on full scholarship. After two years training and performing with San Francisco Ballet, he moved to Boston to begin his professional career with Boston Ballet II. In 2006, he had the opportunity to tour with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, performing in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival, a world-renowned venue for artists from across the globe. He joined Orlando Ballet following the festival. Since then, Benavides has danced there for fifteen seasons, performing roles such as The Cavalier and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake, The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Birbanto in Le Corsaire, and the title role in Dracula. During his time with Orlando Ballet, he has worked with and performed the work of many notable choreographers, including Twyla Tharp, Jessica Lang, Lila York, Peter Chu, Bruce Marks, Michael Pink, and Robert Hill. Benavides has also been a guest artist and teacher with multiple companies and schools.
Agustin de Sousa
Roles: Mr. Darling, Pirate
Agustin de Sousa began his training at age 13 at Danzaira Escuela de Ballet in Peru, followed by the Cary Ballet Conservatory in North Carolina, where he graduated in 2020. While training with the Cary Conservatory, he received multiple competition scholarships and awards, including qualifying for the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York. He is also an American Ballet Theatre Certified teacher.
Agustin received his first contract at age 19 with The Sarasota Ballet in Sarasota, Florida. As a member of The Sarasota Ballet, he had the opportunity to perform several internationally renowned ballets, including George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Stars and Stripes, and Theme and Variations, as well as Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations. At age 21, he joined Cleveland Ballet in Cleveland, Ohio. After pandemic-forced closures, Mr. de Sousa returned to the Cary Ballet Conservatory as a faculty member, teaching young dancers where he himself was a student.
Marsalis Rene AnderSon-Clausell
Role: Pirate
Marsalis Rene AnderSon-Clausell was raised in Roswell, Georgia. He trained in classical ballet at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre (MBT) under the tutelage of Prima Ballerina Maniya Barredo. During his 10 seasons with MBT, he attended Orlando Ballet, Nashville Ballet, National Choreography Summer Intensives. In addition, Marsalis performed in and enjoyed time with Robert Barnett, Oliver Munoz, and the late John Magnus in original choreography for SERBA. With Ballet Pensacola, Marsalis had the privilege of performing Snow Pas; it was a dream come true. “Richard & Christine have made dancing a greater adventure with higher levels of expectation each season.” Marsalis is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in General Business at the University of West Florida. This is his fifth season with Ballet Pensacola, and his third season as a Principal Dancer.
Juan Guillermo Arango Villa
Role: Pirate
Juan was born in Antioquia, Colombia. He began studying ballet at Andrea Wolff Ballet in Colombia, under the direction of Andrea Wolff and received full scholarships to train with the Miami City Ballet and Orlando Ballet Schools during his summers. Juan Graduated from the Miami City Ballet Professional Training Program in 2020. Juan has performed Corps de Ballet, Soloist and Principal roles in professional productions with Andrea Wolff Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Miami City Ballet and Cuban Classical Ballet. This allowed him to work with & perform works by some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed choreographers such as Andrea Wolff, Arantxa Ochoa, Ariel Rose, Arthur Saint Leon, August Bournonville, Durante Verzola, Eriberto Jimenez, George Balanchine, Geta Constantinescu, Jessica Gatinella, Joan Lathan, Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, Pam Tanowiz & Rafi Maldonado. This expanded his repertory to include many Classical Repertory Ballets and Innovative creations such as; Balabille, Carnival, Carnival of the Animals, Coppelia, Divertimento N-15, Don Quixote, Faena Art’s Once With Me, Once Without Me, Le Corsaire, Le Petite Dance, Luvenalis, Marco Spada, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Napoli, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty.
Max Murdock
Role: Pirate
Max Murdock has been dancing since the age of 6 and began his training with Northwest Florida Ballet. He continued his dance training with Northwest Florida State College, Next Generation Ballet, The Tallahassee Ballet, and the Florida State University School of Dance. Max has performed roles in The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Firebird, Les Sylphides, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and has also danced in many musicals, contemporary performances, and in the feature film Dancin’: it’s on!.
