Youth Ballet Program Faculty

Trinidad Vives is a native of Madrid, Spain. Ms. Vives began her training in Spain with Carmina Ocaña, Luis Fuente, and Victor Ullate. She spent summers studying in Paris. Ms. Vives was a first prize medal and scholarship winner at the Prix de Lausanne Competition. She completed her ballet training at the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. Upon graduation she joined the Hamburg Ballet at the age of seventeen where she was a Soloist for six years and was awarded the Oberdorfer Prize for Best Young Artist. Later as a Principal dancer with the Basel Ballet, Düsseldorf Ballet, and English National Ballet in London she performed the leading roles of the classical ballet repertoire as well as contemporary works by some of the greatest twentieth-century choreographers such as George Balanchine, John Neumeier, Sir Kenneth McMillan, John Cranko, Glen Tetley, Ben Stevenson, Heinz Spoerli, and Ronald Hynd. Read more about Trinidad...

Mary Thompson, originally from Marshfield Massachusetts, began her dance training at the Boston Ballet under E. Virginia Williams and Violette Verdy, before continuing her studies at the School of American Ballet in New York City. It was there that she trained with such renowned teachers as Stanley Williams, Suki Schorer, and Alexandra Danilova. As a professional dancer she performed with Natalia Makarova and Company, Ballet Michigan, Berkshire Ballet, and Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre for many years. Her post-dancing career consists of more that 25 years of teaching experience where she has held the positions of School Principal and Ballet Mistress with Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, Head Teacher at Foxboro Classical Ballet Academy, as well as being a guest teacher with the Harvard Ballet Company, the Izmir Ballet in Turkey, University of New Hampshire and Adjunct Professor of Dance at Dean College. Mary's philosophy on teaching follows: "As a dancer, my passion for ballet and desire to excel drove me to search out the most knowledgeable teachers who could give me the information I needed in order to perform beyond my presumed potential. As a teacher, I strive to take all I have learned and discovered, and share it with each student I encounter. My goal is to develop and teach classes that inspire, while clearly communicating the mechanics of technique in a manner that can be both physically and intellectually understood by the dancer. If I am successful, the students' confidence will be rooted in knowledge and practice, and they will have gained the technical foundation to support and enhance their artistic goals. I believe all of this can be accomplished in a setting that is both nurturing and encouraging of excellence."

Isabel is a native of Brookline and a graduate of Boston University with a BA in Sociology. She began her ballet training at the Houston Ballet Academy and later at the Boston Ballet School. She continued training at The Brookline Ballet School with Trinidad Vives and Parren Ballard where she performed many featured and leading roles in The Nutcracker and Spring Showcase, as well as competing at YAGP until she graduated from the school in 2015. In her current position, she oversees the daily operations of TBBS, managing employees, clients, parents, and the facility.

Betsy trained under the direction of Victoria Lyras at the Indianapolis School of Ballet. She earned a double Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University, where she was instructed by Tyler Walters and Julie Janus Walters. She performed featured roles with the Duke Dance Program, including the lead soloist in Gerald Arpino’s Reflections. While in college, Betsy taught ballet at Walltown Children’s Theatre. After graduation Betsy performed prominent roles in both classical and contemporary ballets as a company member with Ballet Quad Cities. Betsy also taught ballet at the Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance and was selected to give a master class as part of the Wheaton College Artist Series. Betsy was on faculty at the Indianapolis School of Ballet, instructing both young children and adults. As a guest artist with ISB, Betsy performed roles such as the Second Violin in Concerto Barocco, the lead girl in Valse Fantaisie, Raymonda in Raymonda, and Dew Drop, Snow Queen and George Balanchine’s Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker.

Leah Abbott started her dance training at South Carolina Dance Theatre under Susan Rowe in classical ballet. She later attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH) where she studied under Irina Ushakova, Miriam Mesa-pelly, Thomas Shoemaker, Josée Garant, and Tracy Vogt. At SCGSAH, Leah had the opportunity to study Vaganova and Cuban-styled ballet along with Horton, Graham, and Limón modern techniques. During high school, she spent the summers dancing at American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in New York City and The Juilliard School. Since high school, Leah has started exploring more contemporary movement pulling from her classical training. Leah has performed works by Jennifer Archibald, Darrell Moultrie, Joseph Toonga, and Kate Weare, among others. Currently in her fourth year at the Boston Conservatory, she hopes to continue exploring contemporary movement and has recently found a passion for teaching dance to children.

MaryKate Walsh grew up in central Massachusetts and began her dance training at Betty Gundersen Studio of Dance. In 2014, she moved to New York City to further her training at Marymount Manhattan College, under the direction of Katie Langan. Working part time at dance studios while in college, MaryKate discovered her love for teaching and decided to study dance pedagogy. Throughout her eight years living in NYC, MaryKate taught ballet at several studios in New York and Connecticut. She was also a lead instructor at a barre fitness studio where she trained new instructors. After graduating and receiving her B.A., MaryKate continued teaching and also danced professionally with a tap company and in various contemporary dance festivals. In 2022, MaryKate moved to Boston to be closer to her family and is thrilled to be teaching at the Brookline Ballet School.

Raht has an A. Mus. T.C.L. from Trinity College in London, England and Diploma in Music Performance and Pedagogy from Yamaha Music Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. A devoted and firm believer of “rounded education,” he also earned a bachelor degree in Economics (B.Ec.) from Sydney University (Australia) where he was a Colombo Plan Scholar. He has an M.A. in Economics and an A.B.D in Economics from Northeastern University (Boston, U.S.A.), and has also completed graduate course work in higher education administration at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he also earned a Certificate of Mediation.
He is an Award Winner at the 11th International Electone Concour held in Japan receiving The Outstanding Performance Award for his award winning original composition “Australia” which was later copyrighted by Yamaha and now can be heard on U-tube. “Australia” was composed specifically to feature the GX-I Yamaha Synthesizer. At the time, he represented Australia to the Electone Concour.
Raht has been working with and composing original music for dancers, dance teachers, and choreographers in the Massachusetts since the early 1980’s. He also worked with The Kirov Ballet of Russia, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet of Canada, and Dance North of Australia when they performed in Bangkok and, at times, The Alvin Ailey Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance Company in Boston.
Raht has performed at the Sydney Opera House as well as in concert halls of other major cities of Australia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. In 2004, he was inducted into the Thailand Music Hall of Fame established by the Siamkolakarn Music Foundation (Yamaha Thailand.) He trains competitors and concert artists for various music competitions and concerts. He also sits on the panels of judges in music competitions and auditions. In fact, Raht very much enjoys the opportunity to teach everyone interested in learning to play the piano, and in both direct and indirect ways, to bring music into all lives and art forms.