Category: Dancers

Mikal Gilbert raised in Virginia Beach, VA, Mikal Gilbert developed a love for dance at the age of 19 while studying music performance at the University of the Arts. It was there that his passion grew upon encouragement from several dance faculty members. He then went on to formally train at Norfolk Academy under the tutelage of Elbert Watson, where he studied ballet and modern. In 2017, Gilbert was an inaugural member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. In 2018, he continued his studies at The Ailey School as a full scholarship recipient.

Mikal has attended intensives and workshops at Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and BalletX. Mikal is a “Dancer of Philadelphia” and has been a member of Koresh Dance Company (2019–2022), Dance Iquail (2022), and PHILADANCO! (2022–2024), where he performed works by Bernard Gaddis, Milton Myers, Christopher Rudd, and Tommie Wheed. Mikal joined LINES Ballet in 2024.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Mikal Gilbert | © RJ Muna

Amanda Smith grew up in Orange County, CA and trained at California Dance Academy, Pointe of Grace, and Anaheim Ballet. In 2008, she was crowned Miss Dance Drill Team California and USA. She moved to New York to study at SUNY Purchase where she received her BFA in 2012. She also studied abroad and performed at the Dance New York International Dance Festival in Madrid, Spain.

After graduating, Smith joined Charlotte Ballet and worked with Patricia McBride. In 2015, she moved back to New York, where she joined New York Theatre Ballet. Smith also taught and participated in outside projects including The Black Iris Project and Kymera Dance, and she was featured in a national campaign for GAP. She then joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2017 and was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine’s 2019 April issue. While at DTH, Smith performed many roles in ballets such as Allegro Brilliante and Blake Works IV. She also guested for Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Furthermore, Smith has taught classes, performed as a guest artist all over, and worked with many prolific artists such as Arthur Mitchell, Carmen De Lavalade, and William Forsythe.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Amanda Smith | © RJ Muna

Maël Amatoul is native to the French Riviera. He embarked on a journey at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes, where he trained in ballet and contemporary. Amatoul has worked on pieces by choreographers including Jean Christophe Maillot, Christophe Garcia, Hervé Koubi, and Francesco Curci. In 2022, he was awarded a Scholarship of Excellence in Art and Culture from the Côte d’Azur University. After seven years in Cannes, Amatoul decided to open his dance experience to new techniques and joined The Ailey School. There, he had the opportunity to learn and perform works by Alvin Ailey and renowned choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Branndi Lewis, Renee Robinson, and Clifton Brown. After attending the LINES’ Summer Intensive in June 2023, Amatoul joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet as a company dancer.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Maël Amatoul | © RJ Muna

Theo Duff-Grant was born in Vancouver, Canada. He studied at Goh Ballet Academy for ten years before completing his training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2015, he joined the Dutch National Ballet. In 2017, he moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia to join the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Duff-Grant joined LINES Ballet in 2022.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Theo Duff-Grant | © RJ Muna

Joshua Francique was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He began his dance training with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater back in 2015. Joshua continued his training at the Northern Illinois University BFA dance program and, soon after, at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. Francique has performed works by Nicole Clark-Springer, Gary Abbott, and Kevin Iega Jeff, to name a few. In 2020, Francique attended LINES Ballet Training program for a year. Joshua joined LINES Ballet in 2022.

Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Joshua Francique | © RJ Muna

Meredith T. Webster grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, studying under Jean Wolfmeyer. She worked with Sonia Dawkins’s Prism and Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theatre in Seattle, and earned a B.S. in Sustainable Resource Sciences from the University of Washington before moving to San Francisco to join Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

In her 9 seasons as a dancer with LINES, she originated many central roles and won a Princess Grace Award. She then served as Rehearsal Director for 6 years, and has staged Alonzo’s work for companies such as American Ballet Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Miami City Ballet, and Rambert Dance, among others. She has also served as a coach and stager for Ballet22.

Meredith has created site-specific work in collaboration with the visual artist Ana Teresa Fernandez, performed with Sharp&Fine, Ledoh/Salt Farm, Charlotte Griffin’s milkleaf, and Maureen Whiting & Co. She co-created the Ladysmith Draw and Empress Archer evening-length duets and has choreographed for trainees at Ballet Idaho, LINES Ballet Training Program, and Open Space TOO. Her work for film includes Mirrors, Evidence of it All, Miles Away, and Numenon. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Sharp&Fine and lives on the unceded Ohlone land of xučyun (Huchiun), also known as Oakland, California.

Image: Meredith Webster | © Justin Sorensen