American Repertory Ballet

Archives: People

Miles Orvetti

Miles Orvetti grew up in Washington D.C training at the Maryland Youth Ballet and The Washington School of Ballet. As a young dancer, Miles performed in supernumerary roles at the Kennedy Center in American Ballet Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty, Royal Ballet’s Don Quixote, and other acclaimed ballet performances. After spending summers in 2019 with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and in 2020 and 2021 with San Francisco Ballet, Miles was taken into the Professional Training Division at The Washington Ballet training under Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev. As a student he performed in school performances of Don Quixote, Esmerelda, Giselle’s Peasant Pas, and various other classical and contemporary works. Eventually becoming a trainee, Orvetti also performed in company roles in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker, Julie Kent’s Swan Lake, and Julie Kent’s Sleeping Beauty as well as understudying Balanchine’s Theme and Variations.

At the Kansas City Ballet where Miles joined in 2024 as a second company member, he performed various roles in Septime Webre’s Alice in Wonderland, Devon Carney’s The Nutcracker, Anna-Marie Holmes’ Don Quixote, Lila York’s Celts, Duncan Cooper’s Forward, and at lecture demonstrations and outreach events. Miles also has had the opportunity to choreograph on other students in his works The Morning Bell and Cold Flashes Drown the Music and hopes to continue to choreograph and create in the future.

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Headshot by xmbphotography and Mena Brunette; editing by Megan Teat

Jonathan Benjamin

Since the completion of his Masters of Music at Rice University, Jonathan Benjamin has built a varied career as a pianist, composer, and arranger. While in Houston, he arranged, conducted and performed Gershwin pieces for Tim O’Keefe’s Fascinating Evening. For American Repertory Ballet, he has composed, orchestrated, arranged, and performed for many pieces including a restaging of Twyla Tharp”s Eight Jelly Rolls, Kirk Peterson’s Eyes That Gently Touch, Douglas Martin’s Pride and Prejudice, Ethan Stiefel’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and most recently Luis Napoles’s Compasso. He also regularly plays at Broadway Dance and Steps Over Broadway, as well as keeping a busy freelance career throughout the Tri-State area.

Richard Moskowitz

Richard Moskowitz studied piano from an early age and began accompanying ballet classes as a teenager on Long Island and at Ballets Arts in Manhattan. During that time, he had the opportunity to play for distinguished teachers including Igor Schwezoff, Wilson Morelli, Vladimir Dokoudovsky and Nina Stroganova.

He went on to medical school, followed by surgical residencies and fellowships, and built a successful 40-year career in surgery.  While practicing medicine, he continued to hone his musicianship in his spare time.

After retiring from surgery, Richard happily returned to accompanying, once again bringing live music to the studios where he began. He now plays for Princeton Ballet School of the American Repertory Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Ballet Arts, Hofstra University and more.

Jason Bembry

Originally from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Jason Bembry received a B.M. in Piano Performance from New York University having studied under Anthony de Mare. Jason has seen significant success, winning awards as early as age 15 and performing at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Kaufman Center. As a classically trained pianist having studied music theory and composition extensively, Jason was commissioned in 2019 and 2024 to write two piano concertos for the Lawrence Middle and Intermediate School Orchestras. Debuting in 2018, Jason is also a published singer/songwriter with two pop-rock EPs and multiple electro-pop single releases this year alone. He makes a conscious effort to include his classical, jazz, and new age roots into every song he writes. As a solo-artist, Jason has played packed shows across New York, including The Bitter End, The West End Lounge, The Well, and The Delancey. With a growing fanbase across streaming services, Jason attributes his success to his classical piano training and his passion for moving others through music.

Pavel Zarukin

Pavel Zarukin earned his DMA in Musical Arts in 1985 from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, where he was also a professor from 1986 to 1991. During his studies, he was awarded second prize in the Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy. After immigrating to the United States, he taught piano at the Musical Arts Academy of Bucks County, as well as general and choral music at various New Jersey public schools. Currently, Pavel teaches at Christ the King Regional School in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and he is the music director at Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. He is also a staff accompanist at the American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School in Princeton, New Jersey, where he regularly appears in the ARB/PBS stage productions as the featured pianist.

Lane Dallape

Lane Dallape is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Suwanee, Georgia, trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Her education includes Suwanee Academy of the Arts, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Brenau University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. Recently, Lane performed with VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, directed by Ranardo-Domeico Grays. She also completed the American Repertory Ballet trainee program under the direction of Aydmara Cabrera and Ethan Stiefel, where some of her more memorable roles include Myrtha in Giselle, and the Spanish Pas de Deux in The Nutcracker. Since her completion of the trainee program, Lane has been teaching with Princeton Ballet School and has also worked on the administrative side as a Front Desk Receptionist. Lane looks forward to another season with the school and helping young dancers find their passion through technique and musicality in the classroom. 

Leigh Donlan

Former ballerina Leigh Donlan trained in Russian technique and a variety of folk and modern dance techniques, was Children’s Ballet Mistress at the Washington School of Ballet, Director of the Athenaeum School of Ballet, and studied English at the University of Oregon and Public Relations at Georgetown University. She has been writing for Ballet to the People since 2014.

Lisa de Ravel

Lisa de Ravel is the Founder and Lead Educator of Vitality and Grace Fitness, a wellness space where adults rediscover the joy and strength of purposeful movement. Her innovative programs—Silver Swans Ballet, Pilates, Aqua Fitness, and BeBalanced—are designed to support physical vitality, mental well-being, and social connection at every stage of life. From 2019 to 2023, Lisa served as Managing Director of the Miami City Ballet School, where she led the development and implementation of the institution’s first-ever strategic plan. Her leadership included spearheading a groundbreaking collaboration with the City of Miami to establish a student dormitory, expanding access and community engagement.


Lisa’s career in dance and education spans more than 30 years at American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School, where she held numerous leadership roles. As Dean of Students (2007–2017) and Alumni Relations Coordinator (2015–2019), she cultivated a strong sense of community among generations of dancers. She co-chaired milestone events such as the organization’s 50th Anniversary, The Nutcracker Reunion, fashion shows, and multiple annual galas.


Lisa began her tenure at ARB in 1988 as a dancer under the direction of Dermot Burke, performing works by renowned choreographers including Alvin Ailey, Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, August Bournonville, José Limón, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Septime Webre, and others. From 1989 to 2006, she taught and choreographed for Princeton Ballet School, including directing the Cranbury summer program, now known as the Summer Intensive Intermediates.


In recognition of her contributions to dance education, Lisa was honored with the Audrée Estey Award for Excellence in Dance Education and inducted into the Princeton Ballet School Wall of Fame.


She holds a B.A. in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Development from Rutgers University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and the Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society. She is a Certified Pilates Instructor and a licensed Silver Swans teacher through the Royal Academy of Dance. Her early dance training includes the North Carolina School of the Arts, the School of American Ballet, and Boston Ballet.