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Join Us at the Next Thalhe Festival!
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Date: September 19, 20, 21 - 2025
We’re excited to announce that the next Thalhe Festival will take place in the vibrant city of Sarasota, Florida!
Known for its rich arts scene and breathtaking beaches, Sarasota provides the perfect backdrop for a celebration of dance, diversity, and creativity.
This year, the festival will be held at the prestigious Sarasota Opera House, a venue that embodies elegance and artistic excellence.
What to Expect
- Master Classes
- Celebration Gala / Cocktails
- Photo Shoots / Video
- PT Sessions
- Hair & Makeup
- Emergency costume repair
- Dance Expo
- Danceship conections
- Personal Feedback of your performance
- Accessibility
- Games and Gifts
Gala Night
The Gala is one of the special moments of the Thalhe Festival.
On this evening, a few participants are randomly selected to perform again on stage, alongside professional guest dancers.
It’s not a competition or an award, just a way to celebrate those who are here for the love of dance.
After the performances, everyone is invited to our cocktail event, with food, drinks, and music.
It’s a space for everyone to connect, chat, laugh, take photos at our custom backdrops, meet the Thalhe team, make new friends, and enjoy a relaxed moment of community and networking.
2025 Thalhe Team
Claudia Mota
Patricia Strauss
Alysson Rocha
Artistic Patron · International Ballet Masterclass Teacher
Principal Dancer at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro and one of Brazil’s most celebrated ballerinas. Claudia Mota joins the Thalhe Festival as Artistic Patron, where she will lead an international ballet masterclass and perform in our Gala Night. Sharing her artistry, legacy, and excellence with dancers from around the world.
Alysson Rocha
Patricia Strauss
Alysson Rocha
Artistic Liaison · Masterclass Ballet Teacher
Ballet Master at Ballett Dortmund (Germany) and judge at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). As Artistic Liaison of the Thalhe Festival, Alysson bridges the connection between the festival and the broader dance community, participants, professionals, and the audience alike. He will also lead a
Artistic Liaison · Masterclass Ballet Teacher
Ballet Master at Ballett Dortmund (Germany) and judge at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). As Artistic Liaison of the Thalhe Festival, Alysson bridges the connection between the festival and the broader dance community, participants, professionals, and the audience alike. He will also lead a ballet masterclass with the excellence and experience of a world-class educator.
Patricia Strauss
Patricia Strauss
Patricia Strauss
Repertory Variation · Masterclass Ballet Teacher
Former soloist with renowned companies such as Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal and Het Nationale Ballet (Netherlands), Patrícia Strauss brings a wealth of stage and teaching experience to the Thalhe Festival. As a repertory coach and masterclass ballet teacher, she will guide participants thr
Repertory Variation · Masterclass Ballet Teacher
Former soloist with renowned companies such as Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal and Het Nationale Ballet (Netherlands), Patrícia Strauss brings a wealth of stage and teaching experience to the Thalhe Festival. As a repertory coach and masterclass ballet teacher, she will guide participants through the nuances of classical variations, combining technical precision with artistic depth. Her dynamic approach empowers dancers to explore character, emotion, and performance quality in every movement.
Xander Chawi
Patricia Strauss
Patricia Strauss
Physiotherapist · Masterclass Ballroom Teacher
Professional in physiotherapy with a deep focus on dance and age-related care. He will lead a workshop on physical wellness for dancers of all ages, teach a special masterclass in ballroom dance, and offer individual physiotherapy sessions during the festival.
Katie Borton
Madeline LaComb
Katie Borton
Production manager.
She supports the team with planning and logistics before the event and ensures everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so each dancer can shine on stage.
Marina Lessa
Madeline LaComb
Katie Borton
Costume Designer · Backstage Support
Responsible for custom costumes for participants. She will be present throughout the festival to provide backstage support and assist with any costume emergencies.
Lu Fernandez
Madeline LaComb
Madeline LaComb
Official Ambassador of Thalhe Festival in Brazil
In recognition of her dedication to promoting adult ballet, inspiring dancers of all ages, and breaking barriers in dance, we are honored to appoint Lu Fernandez as the Official Ambassador of Thalhe Festival in Brazil.
We believe in the transformative power of dance, and with Lu's commitment
Official Ambassador of Thalhe Festival in Brazil
In recognition of her dedication to promoting adult ballet, inspiring dancers of all ages, and breaking barriers in dance, we are honored to appoint Lu Fernandez as the Official Ambassador of Thalhe Festival in Brazil.
We believe in the transformative power of dance, and with Lu's commitment and passion, we are getting closer to bringing this beautiful festival to Brazil.
Our vision goes even further: we aim to expand Thalhe Festival worldwide, making it a global symbol of diversity, inclusion, and love for dance.
Madeline LaComb
Madeline LaComb
Madeline LaComb
Official Event Photographer
Zaruhi Baroyan
Zaruhi Baroyan
Zaruhi Baroyan
Official Concert Pianist | Accompanist | Music Educator
Zaruhi Baroyan, a native of Yerevan, Armenia, is a highly accomplished pianist and accompanist
with a career spanning Europe and the United States. A graduate of the Tchaikovsky Music
School of Yerevan and the Komitas State Conservatory, she holds bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD
degrees in
Official Concert Pianist | Accompanist | Music Educator
Zaruhi Baroyan, a native of Yerevan, Armenia, is a highly accomplished pianist and accompanist
with a career spanning Europe and the United States. A graduate of the Tchaikovsky Music
School of Yerevan and the Komitas State Conservatory, she holds bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD
degrees in music. She began her professional journey as an accompanist with the Armenia State
Opera and Ballet Theater and has won numerous awards in international music and ballet
competitions since 1988.
In 1999, she was invited to the United States by Columbia Artists to perform in a nationwide tour
of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music alongside American star Michael Bolton. Since 2004, she has
served as the company pianist for the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, collaborating with world-
renowned artists including Marcelo Gomes, Diana Vishneva, Johan Kobborg, Alina Cojocaru,
José Manuel Carreño, and many more.
Her extensive credits include work with the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Ringling
International Arts Festival, Kirov Academy of Ballet, Salzburg Landestheater, and the Barbieri-
Carreño Dance Festival. She has shared the stage with legendary figures such as Itzhak Perlman,
Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Joshua Bell.
Special Broadway Host & Meet & Greet Experience
🎭 Stephen DeAngelis
Casting Director • Producer • Artistic Visionary
Stephen DeAngelis is one of the industry’s leading Casting Directors and Independent Producers. He has produced and created over 300 Broadway concerts across New York and the United States, featuring a multitude of stars — including Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winners and nominees, screen actors with Broadway roots, and some of the fastest-rising talents in theatre today.
🌟 Career Highlights
- Over 100,000 performers cast across all entertainment mediums
- Creator & Host of the acclaimed concert series At This Performance…, showcasing over 1300 Standbys, Understudies, and Alternates since 2003
- Acknowledged by BroadwayWorld as “an artistic triumph everyone should seek out and see”
- Key figure in the 2024 and 2025 editions of BroadwayCon
🎬 Commercial Casting
Stephen has cast over 3,600 national commercials for top advertising agencies in Manhattan, including Grey Advertising, Ogilvy & Mather, and others. His clients include Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Pantene, Febreze, Canon, Gillette, and many more.
His work has earned Platinum, Gold, and Silver Lions at Cannes and contributed to some of the most iconic campaigns in the industry.
🎭 Theatre & TV
- Cast and directed over 300 theatrical productions
- Cast the Emmy-nominated Playhouse Disney series Johnny and the Sprites
- Directed All-Star productions including:
- Pippin (World AIDS Day concert)
- The Secret Garden
- Into the Woods
- Hair (25th Anniversary production)
- Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
- Tommy (50th Anniversary celebration)
- Regular contributor to The Drama League Directors Project
🎖 Awards & Recognition
Artists Stephen has worked with have collectively earned:
- 🏆 285 Tony Awards and 932 nominations
- 🏆 284 Drama Desk Awards and 1055 nominations
- 📺 209 Primetime Emmy Awards and 901 nominations
- 🎥 53 Academy Awards and 164 nominations
- 🎵 147 Grammy Awards and 488 nominations
- 🎭 24 Olivier Awards and 82 nominations
- 🎟️ 6 Pulitzer Prizes and 8 Kennedy Center Honors
He is the only Casting Director who is also a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).
💼 Current & Upcoming
- Appointed Producing Artistic Director of the new Pocono Center for the Arts (opening 2026)
- Recent projects include:
- Kowalski (world premiere, headed to Broadway)
- One For My Baby (featuring the music of Harold Arlen)
- Not Ready For Prime Time (about the original SNL cast — opening for the 50th anniversary)
- Director of the 32nd & 33rd Oscar Hammerstein Awards (honoring Bernadette Peters and Jerry Zaks)
❤️ Philanthropy
Stephen is a passionate supporter of causes including:
- Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA)
- The Entertainment Community Fund
- The Starlight Children’s Foundation
- The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
- Give Kids the World Village
- Toys of Hope / The American Giving Project
🎤 A Life in the Arts
Stephen began as a performer, touring nationally with Godspell, Grease, Shenandoah, and Hair, and served as the first Producing Artistic Director of the Shawnee Playhouse in the Poconos.
In 2024, he was honored with the inaugural Stephen DeAngelis Award, created in his name to recognize his visionary leadership and contributions to the performing arts.
