Faculty
Gregory Amato
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & SCHOOL CO-DIRECTOR
Gregory Amato has a wide breadth of experience in the international world of ballet. Mr. Amato has performed in over 50 countries, including for the Queen of England, two presidents, numerous ambassadors, dignitaries, and prime ministers.
He was selected by New York City Ballet principal dancer Edward Villella to become a founding member of the Miami City Ballet, before performing with the Ballet du Nord in France. He was then similarly chosen by Michael Smuin as a founding member of Smuin Ballet. While dancing there, Michael Smuin created several ballets on Mr. Amato, including "Frankie and Johnny,” and "Cyrano." He also appeared in the movie, "The Fantastics," which Smuin choreographed.
Mr. Amato's primary teacher and inspiration was New York City Ballet soloist Nolan T'Sani. He studied on full scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.
Mr. Amato competed and won the gold medal in the Fred Astaire International Ballroom Dance Competition. Despite his impressive ballet career, his personal highlight was his experience as the featured dancer at Carnegie Hall for the 100th Celebration of George Gershwin’s birthday.
Mr. Amato has been the Artistic Director at Peninsula Ballet Theatre and PBT Conservatory since 2017, where he has created over 40 original works, including full-length productions of The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Carmina Burana, Carnival of the Animals, and Carmen.
Léna Alvino
SCHOOL CO-DIRECTOR & TEACHER
Léna Alvino* is originally from Switzerland. She joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco, then moved to Santa Barbara, where she danced with State Street Ballet’s Professional Track Program and taught at Momentum Dance Company and Westside Dance. She is loving being back in the Bay Area, performing with Peninsula Ballet Theatre and Ramm Dance. Throughout her years at PBT, she is honored to have danced Myrtha in Giselle, Rose in The Nutcracker, Faith in Carmen, Fortuna in Carmina Burana and Constanza in Mozart. Léna has been teaching children and adults at Peninsula School of the Arts and Petits Pas Studio for many years. She is excited to now co-direct Peninsula School of the Arts with Gregory Amato.
Nina Amato
BALLET MISTRESS
Nina Amato is a former principal ballerina with the Sacramento Ballet and has danced the lead role in such ballets as Swan Lake, Giselle, Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, Les Sylphides, Sleeping Beauty, and Juliet in Ron Cunningham’s Romeo and Juliet, a role which was created specifically for her. She has also danced and created roles in a wide range of contemporary works by renowned choreographers, and the lead in several ballets by George Balanchine.
Chloé Watson
DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC OPERATIONS & TEACHER
Chloé Watson trained at the Dallas Ballet Center and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. She earned her BFA in Dance Performance with a concentration in ballet from SUNY Purchase, graduating cum laude. She performed professionally with American Midwest Ballet, Ballet Vero Beach, and Peninsula Ballet Theatre, where she danced for seven seasons.
​
At PBT, Chloé performed principal roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy in Gregory Amato’s The Nutcracker, the title roles in Giselle and Mr. Amato’s Cinderella, and Ron Cunningham’s Incident at Blackbriar. She also originated and danced leading roles in many of Mr. Amato’s world premieres, including Ghost Dances and In This Light.
​
Now retired from the stage, Chloé serves as Director of Artistic Operations at Peninsula Lively Arts. She primarily teaches PSA’s most advanced students and believes ballet develops meaningful life skills like focus, resilience, creative expression, that benefit dancers far beyond the studio. She has taught students of all ages, from early childhood through adult.
Aaron Alferez
Aaron Alferez brings over 15 years of dance experience, with the majority of his hip-hop journey being self-taught. While his primary expertise lies in hip-hop, he has also received training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, and contemporary during his time at Skyline College.
He has been a dedicated member of three distinct dance teams: the Skyline College Hip Hop Dance Team, Folau House (formerly The Office), and Samahang Modern (a UCLA-based dance team). Aaron remains committed to continuous training and expanding his knowledge across various hip-hop styles, with a strong aspiration to share his expertise and contribute to building a more skilled and vibrant dance community.
Patricia Gordon
Patricia Gordon grew up in the Bay Area and began her dance training at 3 years old. At 16, she relocated to Pennsylvania to train at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Darla Hoover. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, Ballet Idaho, and most recently Sacramento Ballet. Throughout her career, Patricia has had the opportunity to perform the works of many prestigious choreographers such as George Balanchine's The Nutcracker and Bourrée Fantasque, Dani Rowe's Chaminade, Penny Saunders' Myrtle, Paul Vasterling's Cinderella, and Young Soon Hue's Romeo and Juliet.
Hannah Jiang
Hannah Jiang has been dancing at Peninsula Lively Arts for six years. She has performed in many productions such as The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Carnival of the Animals, and Adventures in Neverland. She loves dance and music and is excited to begin teaching at Peninsula School of the Arts.
Joshua Jung
Joshua began as a hip hop dancer when he was 10, competing at dance conventions for 3 years, during which he rounded off his dance training with jazz, ballet, contemporary, and tap. Discovering his passion for ballet, he attended Bay Pointe Ballet under the tutorship of Bruce Steivel, where, in addition to ballet, was versed in character dance and partnering. When he started his first year studying Dance and Environmental Science at San Francisco State University, Joshua also started his pre-professional dance career at the age of 17, dancing with Foley Dance, performing neoclassical-Georgian ballets around the Bay Area. Joshua also danced with the New Ballet Studio Company in Cinderella, The San Jose Nutcracker, and Fast Forward (a contemporary ballet showcase). Joshua has been a teacher at studios and in schools in the Bay Area for 7 years now, teaching at PLA, ODC, SFSU, and PCPA, ranging many ages and styles.
Hayley Marilao
Hayley Marilao is a dance and teaching artist, certified in Progressing Contemporaty Technique, and based in California’s Bay Area. Marilao graduated with a BFA in Dance from San Jose State University in Spring 2023. Under the direction of Raphaël Boumaila, she performed choreography by José Limon such as Missa Brevis and the “La Patrie” solo from Dances For Isadora. She has also performed works by Paul Taylor, Camille A. Brown, Doug Varone through her education and training. Currently, she is teaching, choreographing, and performing around the Bay Area and will be applying for a Masters degree in dance.
Alyssa-Marie Muña
Alyssa-Marie Muña* grew up in Millbrae, California, training with Ayako School of Ballet and Peninsula Youth Ballet. She moved to Southern California at the age of 17 to study with the School of International Ballet, and received additional training through intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Manila, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Joffrey Ballet School. Alyssa-Marie is happy to return to the Bay Area to join Peninsula Ballet Theatre.
Verónica Quevedo
Verónica Quevedo loves art, music, and all kinds of dance. As a child, she started with gymnastics, but with time fell in love with jazz, tap, and ballet. She trained and performed at Guillermo's Maldonado Conservatory, Isabel's Beteta School, and Oscar's Carapia School. Verónica went on to study teaching Royal Academy, and Imperial (ISTD) styles along with Cuban technique, also taking workshops in Cuda and Canada. Verónica shares, "I think it is wonderful that we, teachers, have the opportunity to guide children, teens, and adults to express all kinds of emotions through their body, through dance. To feel the music, the rhythm, the energy of their classmates and audiences."
Minna Rogers
Minna Rogers* has been professionally trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance. Her personal style of dance and teaching is to integrate technical excellence with emotional expression. She began her professional studies in Tucson, AZ, and has studied at master classes and workshops at the University of Arizona, Vienna Opera Ballet School, Vienna Conservatory Ballet, among many others. She teaches ballet and musical theatre dance at Peninsula Ballet Theatre and choreographs and performs locally in musical theatre and dance productions.
* PBT Company Dancer
​
​