Jane Hachiya-Weiner
Artistic Director
Jane Hachiya-Weiner, Artistic Director
Jane Hachiya-Weiner has been a vital part of the Indianapolis dance community since 1985 when she joined Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Jane is originally from Japan, where she graduated Valedictorian, Class of 1975 from the Earnest J. King High School – a Department of Defense School at Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. She continued her studies with the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Academy in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, becoming a company member in 1979, and then Principal Dancer. During her 8 years with the company, Jane studied and danced in Tokyo and abroad in England, Scotland, France and Italy. Her rich repertoire of the classics (Swan Lake -Odette/Odile, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Pas de Quatre), and her opportunities to work with the most famous partners and mentors of her time (Anton Dolin and David Wall of the Royal Ballet, Michael Birkmeyer of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Cyril Atanasoff and Patrick Dupond of the Paris Opera), give her a breadth of respected expertise in this genre. Jane was a Silver Medalist in the Japan Ballet Association National Ballet Competition in 1980. She was also the recipient of the Akiko Tachibana National Award for Emerging Artists for her 1981 Performance as Giselle in the Inoue Ballet Company production of Giselle. She danced extensively with the Japan Ballet Association both in Tokyo and on national tours, and as guest artist with the other Tokyo-based ballet companies. She danced annually in the NHK TV (National Television Broadcast Station of Japan) annual gala event, An Evening of Ballet, as a representative of the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Company.
After coming to the United States in 1984, Jane danced with the Boston Ballet and the Boston Ballet Ensemble before moving to Indianapolis. She danced extensively with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre (later known as Ballet Internationale) under its founder, George Verdak, and subsequently Dace Dindonis and finally Eldar Aliev. From Limon, to Balanchine, to Verdak, Jane personified the artistic versatility as well as classic virtuosity of a true ballerina, and the Indianapolis public supported her warmly.
Jane’s teaching career began when she was appointed Director of the Academy of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre during her final years as a professional dancer. After her tenure at Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, she joined the faculty of Jordan College Academy of Dance at Butler University in 1998 and was appointed Adjunct Faculty for the Dance Majors Program at the Jordan College of Fine Arts Department of Dance as their pointe technique teacher in 2002. She remained at that position until 2009 when she took on the role of Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Carmel at Performer’s Edge—a pre-professional ballet company and educational component of the Performer’s Edge School of the Performing Arts—in Carmel Indiana.
In the spring of 2018, Mrs. Hachiya-Wiener and her husband Frank Weiner were presented with an opportunity to establish Ballet Theatre of Carmel as an independent entity, subsequently renaming it Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy (BTCA). Jane is BTCA’s Artistic Director and stages full length ballets, coaches and instructs level 2B and above ballet classes at the Academy.
Jane also continues to serves for Anderson University’s School of Music Theatre and Dance in staging Classical Ballets for the Dance Program and is also currently an Adjunct Faculty member of Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts teaching Ballet Technique and Pointe Technique for the Dance Department.
Jane is educated in several of the most celebrated training techniques including RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) syllabus and the Vaganova (Russian) syllabus. Jane is an ABT® (American Ballet Theatre®) Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also designated an ABT® Affiliate Teacher in that she has successfully presented students for national examinations. Currently, she is the only teacher in the state of Indiana with the ABT® Affiliate Teacher designation.
When not at the ballet studios, Jane enjoys visits from her two sons (now adults). At home, Frank and Jane enjoy the company of their 3 canine family members, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Cocker Spaniel and a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog. These fine family members keep Frank and Jane quite happy, busy and covered in fluffy dog fur!
Frank Weiner
Associate Artistic Director
Frank Weiner, Associate Artistic Director
Born in Zimbabwe, Africa, Frank started dancing at the Studio School of Dance in Massachusetts under Dede Guercio-Renko at the age of 15. He was initially trained in the Royal Academy of Dancing methodology. He continued his dance studies as a dance major at the State University of New York at Purchase and New York School of Ballet.
As a company apprentice, Frank performed with the Hartford Ballet in Connecticut under the artistic direction of Michael Uthoff. He appeared in Hartford Ballet’s productions of Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia and Carmina Burana, as well taking on soloist roles in the ballet productions of Hansel and Gretel and The Nutcracker. He was chosen for the role of The Moor in Jose Limon’s iconic piece The Moor’s Pavane, a unique honor for a company apprentice.
While in Hartford, Frank was also a member of the Works Contemporary Dance Company.
Upon moving to Indianapolis, Frank danced for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, later known as Ballet Internationale, as a full company member under the artistic direction of George Verdak, Dace Dindonis and Eldar Aliev.
During his time with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Frank performed pieces choreographed by George Verdak, Dace Dindonis, Choo San-Goh, Lambros Lambrou, Jill Bahr, George Balanchine and Jose Limon. He danced the roles of Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, the Snow King and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, Hilarion in Giselle, and other solo and principal roles in Spartacus, Spring Waters, and The Moor’s Pavane.
After his time with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Frank joined Dance Kaleidoscope under the artistic direction of David Hochoy, where he was featured by Hochoy as well as guest choreographers in original pieces such as Puccini People, Love Lies Bleeding, Seasons, and Farewell. During his time with Dance Kaleidoscope, Frank also performed in Indianapolis Civic Theatre’s productions of A Chorus Line, Anything Goes and La Cage Aux Follies.
After retirement from full-time dancing, Frank became a ballet faculty member at the Jordan College Academy of Dance at Butler University. He currently teaches advanced ballet technique, men’s technique, pas de deux and variations at Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy. Frank also holds the position of Associate Artistic Director for Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy.
Jane Hachiya-Weiner, Artistic Director
Frank Weiner, Associate Artistic Director
Amanda Browning
Sarah Farnsley
Andi Fitzgerald
Hanna Fritz
Brittany Gaither
McCaleb Hanks
David Hedrick
Alexis Ingram
Isaac Jones
Gwen Lamb
Erica Lohman
Briah Napier
Nicole Mikesell
Rachel Whitehead
Amanda Browning
Amanda Browning
Amanda Browning is an Indianapolis-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and artistic director dedicated to creating meaningful, movement-driven work. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Belhaven University.
Her performance career spans a diverse range of professional companies and collaborative projects, including Ad Deum Dance Company (Houston, TX), Front Porch Dance (Jackson, MS), Kim Robards Dance (Denver, CO), Ormao Dance Company (Colorado Springs, CO), Moving Collective (Louisville, KY), and Phoenix Rising Dance Company (Indianapolis, IN).
Amanda’s choreography has been presented by organizations including Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, Louisville Ballet Student Company, Moving Collective, (IN)Dance, Relevations Dance, Belhaven University Dance Ensemble, and Taylor University Dance Ensemble. Her work has also been featured at the South East Regional Ballet Association Festival, Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival, Indy Dance Festival, Indy Fringe Festival, and Indy Dance Film Festival. In 2024, she founded Pulse Dance Theater, where she continues to develop original works that foster artistic collaboration and meaningful audience engagement.
As an educator, Amanda is passionate about mentoring the next generation of artists through both technical training and creative exploration. She has taught and choreographed for universities, pre-professional programs, and intensive training initiatives, including Belhaven University, Pikes Peak State College, the Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Program, Kentucky’s Governor’s School for the Arts ARTShops, and Taylor University.
Sarah Farnsley
Sarah Farnsley
Sarah Farnsley is a choreographer, dancer, and passionate dancers’ rights advocate. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University and an MA in Dance Politics & Sociology from the University of Roehampton in London, and her writing has been published in the Journal of Performing Arts Leadership in Higher Education. Sarah has danced with the Louisville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and Chicago Repertory Ballet and was a guest artist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal for 3 years. Upon relocating to London she performed with English National Ballet as well as a season with New English Ballet Theatre. In 2019 she was invited by Édouard Lock to be his rehearsal assistant at the Paris Opera Ballet. During the pandemic, Sarah was selected to be part of the Mayor of London’s Creative Freelancers: Shaping London’s Recovery cohort where she led and authored two reports.
She has choreographed for Louisville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Ballet Theatre of Indiana, Taylor University, and Metropolitan Youth Ballet, where she has enjoyed creating multiple contemporary student solos. Her 2017 dance film Absolution premiered at Dances With Films Festival and won awards for Best New Director and Best Experimental Short at dozens of festivals around the world. She currently dances with Pulse Dance Theater and is the Managing Director of the Indy Dance Council, founders of the annual Indy Dance Festival.
Andi Fitzgerald
Andi Fitzgerald
Andi Fitzgerald is a dance artist, choreographer, and teacher originally from Woodstock, Illinois, where she began her training at Woodstock Ballet Studio. She earned a BA in Dance Business from Anderson University, after which she trained with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s professional program under the direction of Alexandra Wells.
Andi performed professionally in the Chicago dance community for over eight years, working on a range of projects that included multiple film collaborations with Purus Motus. She was a company dancer with Trifecta Dance Collective for six seasons and Solarium Dance Company for three seasons. Alongside performing, Andi pursued her passion for choreography throughout her time in Chicago. She set and presented original work at Trifecta Dance Collective’s seasonal spring shows, as well as several Midwest dance festivals, including the Detroit Dance City Festival, Elpis Dance Festival and Iowa Dance Festival. In addition to performing and choreographing, Andi spent many years teaching dance to students of all ages. She taught extensively at Moves Dance Studio and Dance and Music Academy. She also spent five years teaching dance within the Chicago Public School system.
Andi is now excited to continue pursuing her passion for dance, choreography and teaching in the Indianapolis area!
Hanna Fritz
Hanna Fritz
Hanna Fritz is an Indianapolis-based dancer, choreographer, and educator dedicated to creating beautiful, story-driven work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing with a minor in dance from Taylor University. Hanna received her technical training from Elise Flagg Academy of Dance (Geneva, IL), Wheaton Academy (West Chicago, IL) , and Taylor University (Upland, IN). Her performance career includes a diverse range of collaborative projects at Wheaton Academy and Taylor University, including the 2024-2026 Dance Concerts, 2022-2025 Airband, the 2022 production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, 2023 senior capstone Luminescence, and 2024 senior capstone Homebody.
As an educator, Hanna is passionate about making young artists feel seen and loved while also enabling them to achieve technical excellence. Hanna’s choreography has been presented by organizations including Taylor University and the Wheaton Park District (Wheaton, IL).
Brittany Gaither
Brittany Gaither
Brittany Gaither, a native of Anderson, Indiana, began her dance training and performed as a company member with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre Academy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from Columbia College Chicago, where she performed works by renowned choreographers Merce Cunningham and Mark Morris. She later earned a Master’s degree in Teaching Education from Dominican University.
Passionate about arts education, Brittany founded the dance programs at KIPP Indy and KIPP Chicago, campuses within the nationwide KIPP public charter school network. She developed comprehensive curricula that integrate ballet and jazz technique with modern dance and creative movement, creating meaningful opportunities for students to experience dance as both an art form and a means of personal expression.
Brittany has been a member of the Crossroads Dance Indy leadership team for the past nine years. As Artistic Director, she has played an integral role in the organization’s artistic growth, helped secure its nonprofit status, and continues to shape its vision through high-quality programming, performance, and community engagement. In her role as Artistic Director, she also serves on the Indy Dance Council, collaborating with fellow arts leaders to support and strengthen the Indianapolis dance community. She is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where adult dancers of all backgrounds can train, perform, and thrive.
McCaleb Hanks
McCaleb Hanks
McCaleb Hanks is a dancer, performer, and choreographer who graduated from Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in Dance in May 2026. He is a company member of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre (GHDT), and his professional debut is in the production of Salem.
David Hedrick
David Hedrick
David Hedrick is an accomplished dance educator, choreographer, and former soloist and principal artist whose career spans leading institutions and international stages. A graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, The Joffrey Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Lipcomb School of Divinity. David has performed as a dancer with world-renowned companies including the San Francisco Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet under Rudolf Nureyev, and Stars of American Ballet led by Mikhail Baryshnikov. As a teacher and curriculum developer, he has served on the faculty of Shorter University, The Benjamin School, and numerous studios across the U.S. His accolades include mentoring and choreographing Erin Ellis, a top 10 finalist on So You Think You Can Dance and featured in Robert Lafosse’s book “Nothing to Hide”. David recently moved back to Indianapolis, where he enjoys time with his wife and children, popcorn, movies, and sitting at an outdoor café in a random piazza in Rome surrounded by friends.
Alexis Ingram
Alexis Ingram
Alexis Ingram is a dance educator with more than 20 years of experience using movement to build confidence, creativity, and community. As an adjunct faculty member in Butler University’s Dance Department, she mentors and supports the next generation of dance educators. She also teaches dance at James Whitcomb Riley School 43, part of Indianapolis Public Schools’ Visual and Performing Arts School.
Her background spans studio direction, arts-program leadership, and expanding access to dance across professional and community settings. A certified Pilates instructor, RYT-500 yoga teacher, and C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, Alexis brings a holistic approach to movement and well-being. She holds a B.A. in Dance Pedagogy, an M.S. in Integrative Medicine, and an M.Ed. in Social Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and Yoga.
Isaac Jones
Isaac Jones
Originally from Michigan, Isaac Jones studied under the direction of Cyndi Buczek and Sergey Rayevskiy. He has danced with Dayton Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and has been selected as a dancer for the National Choreographers Initiative and as a guest artist with Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. He has danced featured roles in works by Jiří Kylián, Gerlad Arpino, Natasha Adorlee, Glenn Edergton, Alia Kache, Robert Curran, Adam Hougland, Penny Saunders, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Stephen Mills, Toni Pimble, Septime Webre, Mariana Oliveira, Amy Seiwert, Suzanne Haag, Ilya Kozadayev, Stephanie Martinez, and Karen Russo Burke. He has choreographed works on Ballet Papillon, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Dance Initiative, Dayton Ballet Second Company, Dayton Dance Conservatory Company, Eugene Ballet, and the Sarasota Ballet Trainee Program. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Dance for the University of Dayton and as Summer Faculty for Interlochen Arts Academy. He is the proud founder of the Brenda & David Jones Memorial Fund.
Gwen Lamb
Gwen Lamb
Gwen Lamb, originally from Morrison, Missouri, started dancing competitively at age 5 and fell in love with ballet at 12 and began training under Alexandra Zaharias at the Alexandra School of Ballet. She then joined the school’s pre-professional company and spent summers at Kansas City Ballet and Butler University’s Ballet Summer Intensive.
Gwen went on to earn her B.F.A. in Dance Pedagogy from Butler, graduating cum laude with the program’s highest honor. During her time with Butler Ballet, she performed in Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and original works by the program’s esteemed faculty members.
After graduating from Butler, Gwen joined Lexington Ballet, where she performed in featured roles such as Dew Drop Fairy, Snow Princess, and Marzipan lead in The Nutcracker. She also appeared as a soloist in world premieres by Ayako Hasebe Lloyd (Cincinnati Ballet faculty), Patrick Garr (of Broadway’s Hamilton), and Eric Trope (Artistic Director of Ballet Des Moines).
Beyond performing, Gwen is a passionate teacher with experience in ballet, pointe, variations, character, jazz, contemporary, and creative movement. After teaching throughout central Kentucky, she’s thrilled to be returning to Indianapolis to continue inspiring the next generation of dancers.
Erica Lohman
Erica Lohman
Erica Lohman is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, where she trained under the direction of Jane Hachiya-Weiner. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, graduating summa cum laude and with honors. She performed with American Midwest Ballet for four seasons, where she was featured in numerous ballet productions and in works by Frank Chaves, Monique Haley, Ray Mercer, and Bob Fosse. She has also performed with De La Dance Company, Kansas City Ballet, Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and she has danced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the American College Dance Festival, and the Kansas Dance Festival. As a choreographer, she has created dozens of works for various student and professional organizations, including American Midwest Ballet School, Ballet INitiative, Seiche Dance Collective, pianist Mia Vassilev, the Omaha Fringe Festival, the inaugural Indy Dance Festival, and Omaha’s early music ensemble Cantare!. Erica is a passionate educator and has over 10 years of experience working with dancers of all ages. She has led multiple dance outreach projects, including as the Founding Director of Bellevue Dance Academy’s Performance Company. She loves to incorporate the knowledge she possesses as a 200-Hour Certified Yoga Instructor in her work to encourage all she encounters to find their best flow through life.
Briah Napier
Briah Napier
Briah Napier is a dynamic dance artist with a BFA in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the University of Houston. Originally from the Bay Area, California, and later based in Houston, Texas, she is a graduate of The Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she developed her artistry under the guidance of accomplished teachers and choreographers.
Beginning her dance journey at the age of three, Briah has cultivated a versatile practice through extensive training across multiple styles. A former member of Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater, she has collaborated with artists from diverse disciplines and continues to expand her creative voice through performance, teaching, and choreography. Napier remains deeply committed to sharing her passion for dance and inspiring the next generation of artists!
Briah is currently a company member of Dance Kaleidoscope.
Nicole Mikesell
Nicole Mikesell
Nicole Mikesell began dancing at age five at the Judith Svalander School of Ballet in Crystal Lake, Illinois. She went on to earn her BFA in Dance from Ball State University in 2017.
Nicole has been a valued member of the Metropolitan Youth Ballet of Indiana faculty since 2017, where she teaches ballet from Preschool through Level 2B. She also serves as Lower School Cast Coordinator and Rehearsal Associate, helping to prepare the youngest dancers for performances. In addition, Nicole teaches Jazz and Contemporary classes and is part of the Summer Camps faculty.
Beyond MYB, Nicole is the Performance Coordinator for Crossroads Dance Indy, a contemporary dance company in Indianapolis, where she also choreographs and performs professionally. Her original work has premiered at the Indianapolis Fringe Festival, Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective’s Cultivate, Penrod Arts Fair, and at numerous venues across the city. She has also performed with Elisha Movement and Q Artistry.
Nicole is an American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum certified teacher for Pre-Primary through Level 3 and is certified by Dancing Wheels Company to teach mixed-abilities dance. She is also a certified Pilates instructor, teaching at Sarah Woolgar Movement, a studio owned by fellow MYB faculty member Sarah Woolgar.
Rachel Whitehead
Rachel Whitehead
Rachel Whitehead is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and has recently moved back to the Indy area after teaching for the past three years in Nashville, TN. Rachel has been dancing since the age of 5, primarily training in ballet.
In high school she trained at the Grand Rapids Ballet School. Under the direction of Patricia Barker and Attila Mosolygo, she was able to perform in countless works such as The Nutcracker, Serenade and Peter Pan with the Grand Rapids Ballet Company.
Rachel received her degree in Dance from Anderson University in 2017. While at Anderson, she was able to receive extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern, composition and pedagogy, as well as work with many experienced professionals in the dance world. During her time at Anderson she was also able to compete in the ACDA Nationals in Washington DC.
Rachel joined BTCA’s faculty in the fall of 2020 as a Primary Level Ballet instructor and part-time Administrative Assistant. She has loved her time at BTCA thus far and is excited to continue to pour her experience and love for dance into the students here.