Guest Instructors

Chris Bloom

July 28-Aug 1 Contemporary & Ballet

Chris Bloom graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Ailey/Fordham B. F. A. Program. He subsequently has performed with Parsons Dance, The Dash Ensemble, The Black Iris Project, 360° Dance Theater, Lydia Johnson Dance, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, PARA.MAR Dance Theater (where he is a founding member) & San Francisco Dance Works. A member of Ballet Hispanico from 2013-2023, Chris originated roles in new works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Fernando Melo, Michelle Manzanales, Miguel Mancillas, Edgar Zendejas, Andrea Miller, Claudia Schreier, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Edwaard Liang & Eduardo Vilaro. In addition he has performed in Nacho Duato’s Jardi Tancat, William Forsythe’s New Sleep, Pedro Ruiz’s Club Havana, Tania Perez Salas’s 3. Catorce Dieciséis, Andrea Miller’s Naci, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Mad’moiselle, as Don José in Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia & as Juan Perón in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón, both filmed & aired on PBS. In 2015, Chris was nominated for the Clive Barnes Award for his performance in CARMEN.maquia at the Apollo Theatre in NYC. He has also appeared several times on Good Morning America as well as in dozens of local news shows. Chris has choreographed 7 dance films including Black & White Pages which was a Vimeo Staff Pick the month it was released. His choreography has appeared on stage at The Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, The Joffrey Jazz & Contemporary Trainee Program, and at the Juilliard School. Chris is a repetiteur for both Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Stephanie Martinez, caring for and restaging works at Oklahoma City Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Madison Ballet, Southern Methodist University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Arizona, and University of Iowa. 

Photo credit: Mark Mann

Gabrielle Sprauve

July 28-Aug 1 Contemporary & Ballet

Gabrielle Sprauve is a New York City–based freelance dance artist, educator, and stager. Born in Queens, NY and raised in Savannah, Georgia, she joined Ballet Hispánico in 2017, originating and performing roles in works by celebrated choreographers including Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Michelle Manzanales, Bennyroyce Royon, Eduardo Vilaro, Andrea Miller, Edwaard Liang, Omar Román De Jesús, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. Her performances have taken her to stages across the globe.
In addition to her time with Ballet Hispánico, Gabrielle has appeared as a guest artist with Traverse City Dance Project and held company positions with SF Dance Works and PARA.MAR Dance Theatre. Her work extends into television and film, with credits in the movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman and TV series such as Lioness, The Gilded Age, and The Morning Show.
Gabrielle has performed at renowned festivals including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the American Dance Festival, and the Vail Dance Festival. She starred in the PBS special Doña Perón by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, filmed at the Kennedy Center, and appeared in the CBS special An Inside Look at Ballet Hispánico by Adriana Diaz and Analisa Novak. Her title role in Sor Juana by Michelle Manzanales at New York City Center and her principal role in Buscando a Juan by Eduardo Vilaro at the Metropolitan Museum of Art have both earned her features in The New York Times.
Offstage, Gabrielle is a dedicated teaching artist and stager. She has taught and staged works at institutions such as Ballet Hispánico, The Joffrey Ballet School, Bucknell University, New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble, and The Academy of Dance Arts. Her staging credits include works by Tania Pérez-Salas, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Chris Bloom, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. Gabrielle is represented by Lakey Wolff & Company.

Photo credit: Mark Mann

Kaylee Skelton

August 4-8 Ballet and Pointe

Photo credit: Jordan Faker

Kaylee Skelton is from Littleton, Colorado, where she started her serious ballet training at Belliston Academy of Ballet, under the direction of Jeannine Belliston. Ms. Skelton attended summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Boston Ballet. She then continued her training on scholarship in the Professional Division with Pacific Northwest Ballet, where she had the opportunity to perform in ballets with the company, such as Kent Stowell’s "The Nutcracker," "Swan Lake," and "Cinderella," as well as world premiere pieces set by PNB’s company members. She also danced as a company member with Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas, collaborating with Cirque du Soleil and performing roles such as “Big Swans” and “Spring Fairy” in James Canfield’s "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker." Kaylee then joined City Ballet of San Diego, where she danced in the company for 3 years. There she had the opportunity to dance many roles, including ballets by George Balanchine, such as “Tall Girl” in Rubies, “Choleric” in The Four Temperaments, and “Solo Girl” in La Source. Before joining Avant Chamber Ballet, she spent a year as a Principal Dancer with Reformation Dance Company under the direction of Kathleen Vreeland. This is her fifth season with Avant Chamber Ballet. Ms. Skelton has had the pleasure of teaching at many places, including Belliston Ballet where she grew up, and assistant teaching at Pacific Northwest Ballet. She mainly teaches ballet and pointe, but has also taught jazz, leaps and turns, and more.