Professional Team

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Missy is the founder and director of North Florida Ballet Theatre. A Mississippi native & graduate of Mississippi University for Women, Missy has been teaching & directing children’s ballet & dance programs for over 35 years. She began teaching in 1979 and has taught in studios, academic schools and in university and college programs throughout Mississippi, New Jersey & Florida. Ms. High began her training at the Alpha School of Dance, under director Mary Alpha Johnson, and pursued further training under the tutelage of Ruth Hart and Jozia Mieszkowski. Ms. High has had the opportunity to continue her training and education through master classes and workshops with such notable artists as Edie Barnes, Melissa Hayden, Fernando Bujones, Patricia McBride, Jen-Pierre Bonnefoux, as well as other professional dance educators and artists. Her performance repertoire includes corps and lead roles in Pas de Quatre, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Gaîté Parisienne, Graduation Ball and a broad range of contemporary and modern choreography. She continues to study the arts and business through masters classes, workshops, seminars and other educational and business resources. Ms. High strives to offer ballet programs that provide a solid technical foundation, foster student confidence, inspiration and the opportunity for individual growth, offering her students a wealth knowledge and experience.

Marisa is a native of New Jersey and began her dance training at the age of three at ‘In The Spotlight Dance Studio’ under the direction of Tom and Jane Karaty located in Waldwick, New Jersey. After re-locating to Tampa she continued her training at All American Dance Factory under the tutelage of Terri Howell. She has studied under many notable teachers. Marisa has a strong foundation in classical ballet, as well as training in acrobatics, tap and jazz. Marisa began teaching in 2001 at ‘All American Dance Factory’, where she had the opportunity to instruct children of all ages. Growing up in the dance world, with a ballet mother, Marisa spent much of her childhood in dance studios. She has been with North Florida Ballet Theatre since it’s conception in 2012. In addition to being the homeschool mother of four daughters, Marisa continues to teach and inspire her students, focusing on safe and correct technique in all areas of movement.

Originally from New York, Heather trained at the New Paltz School of Ballet under former New York City Ballet dancers Peter and Lisa Naumann. Heather graduated from Mercyhurst University in 2011, Magna Cum Laude, with a BA in Dance and a concentration in Choreography. She was a member of the Nu Delta Alpha dance honors society and the Liturgical Dance Ensemble. Heather has performed professionally with Avant Chamber Ballet, Tampa Ballet Theatre, Nashville Dance Initiative, Dance Theatre of Tennessee, and Lake Erie Ballet, as well as a guest appearance with the Nilas Martins Dance Company. She currently performs as a guest artist with The Florida Ballet. In 2017 Heather joined North Florida Ballet Theatre as faculty member for the Pre-Professional division. Heather has a passion for teaching ballet and pointe to dancers of all ages, sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of dancers. 

Grace Mims graduated from Jacksonville University Magna CumLaude with a BFA in Dance. Following graduating college, she worked in Philippines with Ballet Center Cebu as a company dancer and teacher under premiere danseur Nicolas Pacafia and choreographer Gregory Aaron. Grace has performed in the opera The Vampyr, the musical The Wiz, & in many ballets such as Paquita, Romeo and Juliet, & The Nutcracker. Through dance, Grace has had the opportunity to travel four countries, with Kenya & Scotland being her favorites. Currently, Grace is a company member with Selah Dance Ministries. Grace teaches &choreographs for North Florida Ballet Theatre, Dance for Joy, and Faithbridge Fine Arts, & is the dance instructor at Harvest Community School where she has choreographed the musicals Willy Wonka, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, & Beauty and the Beast. She has attended teacher workshops with Ballet Magnificat! & earned certifications with the Progressing Ballet Technique. Grace joined the North Florida Ballet Theatre faculty as a ballet instructor in 2017.

Lyndsey Givens is a native of Jacksonville; she began her formal ballet training at The Florida Ballet Training Center in 2017. In 2018 she became a full-time Conservatory Student, a Trainee in 2019, and an Apprentice 2020. She is currently a Company Member with the Florida Ballet. Some of her previous roles include; Clans and Flings, Demi-Soloist in Roberto Forleo’s Creatures of Prometheus, Spanish, Columbine Doll, Snow Crystal, Demi-Soloist Flower, Arabian, and Lead Marzipan in FLB’s Nutcracker, Prelude in Les Slyphide, Phrygia in Spartacus, Fairy Godmother in Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, Pas De Trois and Celestial Variation in Paquita, Flower Girl in Gaîté Parisienne, and Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Givens competed in the semi-finals of Youth American Grand Prix in Tampa 2017, Tampa 2018, and Atlanta 2019. In 2019 she advanced to the Finals in New York City with a contemporary duet under the direction of Diedre Miles-Burger and Susie Dodge. She previously attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Tampa in 2018 and the Sarasota Ballet in 2019. 

Lyndsey Givens is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. 

Stephanie Doherty has been dancing for 21 years and instructing all ages ranging from the youngest beginner to professional company members. She began her vaganova training pre professionally with Space Coast Ballet Academy in Melbourne Florida under Boris Chepelev and Janna Kirova as well as guest teachers from the Kirov such as Anna ponomerenko, Ivan Urban,Viktor Kabaniev, and Ekaterina Shchelkanova. She also danced in various corps de ballet roles in Space Coast Ballet Companys full length professional productions such as Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Spartacus as well as dancing in many galas and promotional events around the city. After graduating highschool, she moved to Kansas City for three years to be a trainee in the Artist Development Program with Storling Dance Theater. During her time in KC, she participated in productions such as Butterfly, The Little Match Girl, and Underground as well as danced in New York City in Times Square with Project Dance New York. From there, she auditioned for East Coast Ballet Company and moved to Jacksonville Fl where she danced for 10 years in multiple productions and performances in the city and abroad. In 2014, she was invited to compete with YFX physical theater in season 1 of the television show called Fake Off and trained under master Mime Todd Farley. Stephanie has a passion for performance and storytelling and teaching students how to dance and tell their own stories

using the performing arts no matter their age or ability. She strives to help each student reach their full potential and find who they are as a dancer and in the arts.

Kathryn Peters has danced for twelve years and spent six of those years training at North Florida Ballet Theatre. She has trained in classical ballet, pointe, contemporary, progressive ballet technique, and musical theater. While at NFBT, she was an assistant choreographer for the Snow White Ballet production in 2021 and an assistant choreographer for a student contemporary piece. She has also participated in the Community Nutcracker production for seven years performing in lead roles such as Clara Stahlbaum, Merliton Lead, and Flower Bud demi-soloist. Kathryn has always had a passion for dance and enjoys sharing this passion with her students. 

Michelle Peters graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, an Elementary Education Teaching Certification, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Michelle began teaching at North Florida Ballet Theatre in 2015. She shares her expertise in. Many areas of dance and is currently teaching conditioning, flexibility, tap, acrobatics, and musical theater classes. Michelle also works as an academic tutor and is a homeschool parent of five.

Julian Rachal was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida and has been dancing for over 15 years. Coming from the world of sports and wanting to increase his athletic ability, Julian began dancing at Lavilla, the middle school of the arts. After one year at Lavilla, Julian’s love for dance grew at which time, he then began training with Laurie Picinch-Byrd, Artistic director of the Florida Ballet Training Center. It was there that Julian had the opportunity to participate each year in Youth America Grand Prix as well as receive training under the ABT certified curriculum. Throughout the six years with Florida Ballet, Julian had the opportunity to train under many great mentors and artists from their affiliate school, The Orlando Ballet School as well as The Joffery Concert Group and the Broadway Dance Center. While training at the Florida Ballet, Julian’s dance career flourished up until his graduation from Douglas Anderson School of The Arts. At the age of sixteen, Julian became an apprentice dancer with the Florida Ballet Professional Company, making him the youngest member in the company’s history. At eighteen, Julian then became a member of the company Diesel Fusion Dance Theatre under the direction of Ihaia Miller. Julian attended Jacksonville University on a full dance scholarship and achieved his Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. Throughout his career, Julian has performed many roles in shows that include “The Nutcracker”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Swan Lake”, “Giselle”, "Don Quixote”, “Le Corsaire”, “Raymonda”, and “A Midsummer Nights Dream”. Julian as showcased his dance abilities in the outdoor theatre drama “Unto These Hills” on the Cherokee Reservation, as well as on the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos while contracted by Creativiva casting. Julian has recently returned after being aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliances of the Seas, he is happy to be back to spread his knowledge and inspiration to his students again.