With over 45 years of dance experience, former Ohio Dance Theatre Principle and Soloist, Jennifer Muselin, studied under the direction of Denise Gula for 15 years, thus perfecting her training in Russian ballet, contemporary to include the styles of Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and Martha Graham as well as jazz styles of Fosse, musical theatre and swing jazz. Her love of dance was solidified, when as a child, she performed in BalletMet’s The Nutcracker ballet. In her teens, Jennifer trained with and danced works choreographed by former Cleveland Ballet affiliates, Cynthia Graham, Anne Owen and Joseph Glowick, with whom she credits her love for partnering and petit allegro. Ms. Muselin attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she danced under the direction of James Martin and Cherylyn Lavagnino, where she was granted a scholarship for her Sophomore year. At only 19 years old, Jennifer was awarded an apprenticeship at Chicago's famed Hubbard Street Dance Company and selected to instruct summer intensives with the National Cheerleading Association. Ms. Muselin became a founding member of Phenix Dance Theatre, which then became Ohio Dance Theatre in the early 90’s. While with ODT, Ms. Muselin's credits include Clara and Sugarplum, Dew Drop, Chinese and Arabian in The Nutcracker, as well as various principal roles that were choreographed for her exclusively. Jennifer has had the pleasure of being partnered by members of the former Ohio Ballet such as Blas Cerda and Luc Vanier and Joffrey Ballet’s Sam Meredith, as well as performed works choreographed by Mr. Vanier and Amy Miller, co-founders of Cleveland's GroundWorks Dance Theatre. Jennifer has also had the pleasure of dancing various roles choreographed for her in the Ohio Light Opera. Ms. Muselin is trained in the Pilates technique, which is instrumental in her teachings of both children and adults. She has choreographed shows to include Flower Drum Song, The King and I, as well as high school productions of Beauty and the Beast, Hairspray, Cinderella and instructed summer youth programs at Oberlin College for at risk youths. After she retired as a professional performer, Jennifer became an event coordinator for the Rock and Rolle Hall of Fame, planning such events as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, “Riot Girls and Rebels”, a celebration event for Joan Jett, and Food Network’s Dinner Impossible, to name few. She then went on to Director of Event and Catering for various Cleveland organizations. In 2013 Jennifer began a new chapter in her life and opened JAM Dance Academy in her home-town of North Ridgeville, a dance school focusing on the disciplined fundamentals of ballet technique. While with JAM, Ms. Muselin produced community-wide fundraisers as “Biking for Ballerinas” and produced productions of The Nutcracker ballet. In 2019, Jennifer embarked on her new venture as Executive and Artistic Director of her newly formed professional contemporary ballet company, Ballet Legato and also collaborates with the DEA and YMCA, providing after-school dance programs to children while instilling a drug-free life-style through her company. Some of Jennifer's professional teaching experience includes master classes and professional performances for OhioDance Festival, Michigan's Terpsichore Dance Collective, Cleveland Dance Fest, Choro Lab for DEA Educational Foundation, New Hazlett Theatre in Pittsburg, PA and the New Albany Dance Festival. Jennifer has produced and choreographed such ballets as The Nutcracker at Elyria's Stocker Arts Center every December, Red Riding Hood and the White Withches, Giselle, Alice in Wonderland and ROOTS, a choreographic event that showcases choreographers from in and around Ohio. Ms. Muselin has choreographed on some of Cleveland's most notible professional dancers and worked with members of Columbus' BalletMet. Ms. Muselin is also certified as a level 1 instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique, which she implements into her teaching focusing on core strength to trigger muscle memory and injury prevention. Jennifer has also choreographed for the Spark Children's Theatre at LCCC teaching summer dance to children, ages 10-18. She has been a 40-year resident of North Ridgeville and enjoys life with her husband, four children and granddaughter.
Executive Artistic Director
Season 2026/27 Artists
Katarina Flores
Company Dancer, Katarina Flores began her dance training at the Allegheny Ballet Company in Altoona, Pennsylvania at the young age of three. She has well-rounded training in different dance techniques including; classical ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip hop, contemporary and musical theater. She has performed in many ballets including; The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, Serenade, Cinderella, Les Sylphide, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake and other Neoclassical and Contemporary productions. Some of her favorite roles include the Sugar Plum fairy in the Nutcracker, and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Ms. Flores spent countless summers furthering her dance training at summer intensives, including Neglia Ballet International Summer Program, American Ballet Theatre (New York and California Intensive), the Harid Conservatory, Joffrey Ballet and Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive. After graduating high schooyl in 2016, she attended Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania on scholarship. Sophomore year, Ms. Flores attended American Ballet Theatre’s Collegiate Summer Intensive for college credit. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Minor in Fashion Merchandising in 2020. After graduation, she continued her career dancing as a trainee in Saint Louis, Missouri at The Big Muddy Dance Company under the direction on Brian Enos. Following this year-long program, Katarina accepted a Company position with Ballet Legato. This will be her fourth season dancing with the company. Some of Ms. Flores’s favorite moments performed with the company have been Sugar Plum and Snow queen in “The Nutcracker”, “In Flight”, “Meta”, “Self-Focused” and other works created by Artistic Director, Jennifer Muselin. Katarina plans to continue performing for her community, allow creativity in positive work environments and be a role model for others. Kat has performed the coveted role of Sugar Plum Fairy and the White Rabbit in Ballet Legato's Alice in Wonderland.
Company Dancer, Maggie Hollingsworth, originally from Chicago, Illinois, began dancing at the age of 2 at the Bolingbrook Park District where she trained as a competition dancer. After moving to Tucson, Arizona in 2015, Maggie started ballet for the first time at the age of 13 with Tucson Regional Ballet under Linda Walker. Four years later Ms. Hollingsworth began training under the new TRB artistic director Brittany DeGrofft, a former member of American Ballet Theatre. Maggie was mentored by Brittany DeGrofft, Patrick Ogle, and Alexis Salmen for two years. During her time at TRB, she danced roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Marzipan, and the Harlequin Doll in A Southwest Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Maggie was also a teacher assistant and substitute teacher at TRB, and choreographed two pieces on the Junior and Senior Apprentice Company. She also spent a summer at Los Angeles Ballet where then she spent another two years as a Trainee. After her time at Tucson Regional Ballet, Maggie spent a summer at American Repertory Ballet where she was offered a contract as a trainee to dance under the direction of Ethan Stiefel and Aydmara Cabrera for the 2022/2023 season. While there, she has performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Cinderella. Maggie has also studied under Kathleen Moore, Ana Novoa, Ian Hussey, Rebecca Maso and Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, just to name a few. Ms. Hollingsworth has a love of choreography and has choreographed on the ARB Trainees for their showcase. Maggie has attended the BalletMet trainee program in the summer of 2024 and joined the company for our 2023/24 season.
Company Dancer, Gabrielle Muselin, began her dance training with JAM Dance Academy at the age of 8 studying ballet, jazz, hip hop and contemporary. In her short time dancing, she has earned the roles of Russian, Mouse General, Party Girl, Snow, Flowers and Marzipan in the JAM Dance Academy 2016-18 “Nutcracker” production and participated in master classes with dancers such as Pam Pribisco, BalletMet's David Ward and Timothy Lynch. Gabrielle has attended both the Hubbard Street and Visceral Summer Dance Intensive in Chicago and was accepted in the Joffrey Summer Dance Intensives in New York on scholarship for both ballet and jazz. In 2021, she became a trainee with Ballet Legato and danced the role of Clare in their first production of "The Nutcracker." Some of her favorite roles have been one of the vines in "Red Riding Hood and The White Witches", and dancing in the contemporary version of "Giselle". In 2024, Gabrielle danced the role of the ruthless, Queen of Hearts in Ballet Legato's production of "Alice in Wonderland." Ms. Muselin was promoted to Company Dancer for the 2024/25 Season.
Company Dancer, Isabella Muselin began her dance training with JAM Dance Academy at the age of 9 studying all styles of dance. She loved performing in the “Nutcracker” earning the roles of Young Clara, Snow, Flowers and Arabian, a part she danced for 5 years with JAM Dance Academy “Nutcracker” events, and finally, full-fledged stage productions. After she graduated from High School Isabella attended Lorain County Community College and began teaching at JAM Dance Academy for students ages 3 and up. Isabella has attended the Hubbard Street Summer Dance Intensive and Visceral Dance Intensive, both in Chicago and was accepted into the Joffrey Summer Dance Intensives in New York on scholarship for both ballet and jazz. Isabella loves attending master classes all over the City of Cleveland, thus perfecting her art-form.
Ms. Muselin danced as an Apprentice for Ballet Legato in the 2021/22 season and was promoted to Company Dancer where she danced the roles of Harliquin, Marzipan and Lead Spanish in "The Nutcracker." Ms. Muselin is proud to run the DEA collaborative with Ballet Legato where she teaches dance to students, ages 10-14. This is Ms. Muselins' fifth season with Ballet Legato and she is excited to perform with her fellow dancers again.
Company Dancer Anneliese Welsh began ballet at age three in Connecticut, formal Vaganova training at eight in southern Maryland, and summer intensive training with Boston Ballet. She performed in several productions with Nittany Ballet in central Pennsylvania and as a trainee with Cincinnati Ballet. Welsh has been featured as a Diamond in Jewels and in Nutcracker and Alice! (in Wonderland) with Cincinnati Ballet; Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid with Cincinnati Ballet’s second company (CB2); as a Soloist in Chase Brock’s Four Seasons, Snow Queen in Nutcracker, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Nittany Ballet. Additionally, she has performed various Balanchine pieces including Serenade, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, and the “Pizzicato” variation from Raymonda. She also performed the “Inn Keeper pas de deux” and one of the Three Brides in Dracula, the Snow Queen and Flower Soloist in Peanutcracker: The Story in a Nutshell, The Night We Metpas de deux choreographed by Alexander Cain Biber, “Red pas de deux” and Green demi soloist in Rosine Bena’s Gershwin Allegro and Agitato, and Maria in Ananda Bena-Weber’s Twelfth Night: A Ballet Noir with Sierra Nevada Ballet. Anneliese is excited for her first season with Ballet Legato!
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