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Sarah Walston Phillips

ARTISTIC TEAM

Director

Performing Artist

Sarah Walston Phillips is a professional dancer and choreographer currently based out of Tampa, FL. Sarah is the Director and Founder of ATLAS Modern Ballet, a new professional performance company serving the Tampa community. She also performs and creates works in the Tampa Bay area as a freelance artist. 

 

Sarah graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South Florida in 2015. At the University of South Florida, she had the privilege of working with and performing works by choreographers such as Alonzo King, Maurice Causey, Robert Moses and Jennifer Archibald among many other guests and faculty members. In addition to her USF training, she has participated in many professional training programs across the country including, the Ailey School, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, ArchCore40 and BalletX, as well as studying abroad in Paris. 

 

After graduating from USF, she spent five seasons as a company member at Florida Dance Theatre where she performed and created new repertory presented by the company in Lakeland and on tour. At Florida Dance Theater she performed principal roles in original narrative ballets and The Nutcracker, as well as in contemporary works by company directors and guests such as, Jerry Opdenaker and Gregory Dolbashian. Following her time at FDT, Sarah was a member of Tampa City Ballet in Tampa, FL for two seasons as a performer, guest choreographer, and company class instructor.

 

Over the past few years her choreography has be presented in multiple festivals and showcases both across the United States, and internationally. She also has choreographed for Florida Southern College's Dance Department, where she is Adjunct Ballet and Modern Faculty. Sarah has graduated Summa Cum laude this past Spring from Jacksonville University with her MFA in Choreography.

COLLABORATING DANCE ARTISTS

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Caitlyn Elie-Gowan

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Caitlyn Elie-Gowan (Choreographer / Dancer) originally from Miami, FL is a graduate of The University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance with a Modern concentration. While she attended USF, she presented her own works and had the honor of working with many choreographers such as Yaniv Abraham who works under Ohad Naharin with the Batsheva Dance Company, Robert Moses from Robert Moses' Kin, Andee Scott, Erin Cardinal, Bliss Kohlmyer, Jeanne Travers, MerryLynn Morris, Julien Desplantez, Catherine Dénécy, Clint Lutes, and Kevin Quinao. Caitlyn is currently residing in Tampa, FL as a freelance artist & dance instructor. Also, she has worked with Jeanne Travers and Moving Current Dance Collective as a project-based dancer here in the Tampa Bay Area. As she progresses, she is focusing on developing her own movement/teaching vocabulary and working towards choreographing her own works, performing, and educating.  

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Antonio Hernandez

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Antonio Hernandez is from Fort Myers, Florida. After graduating from Lehigh Senior High School Center for the Arts and training at Footnotes Dance and Music Studio, he moved to the Tampa area and continued his dance training at Hillsborough Community College for the next three years under Program Director, Christina Acosta. He’s been a part of numerous student choreography and faculty showcases choreographed by Jessica Williamson, Helen French, Richard Ploch, Julie Harlan, Sea Lee, Christina Acosta, Bianca Russell, and Sarah Walston Phillips. Antonio has recently joined ATLAS Modern Ballet in their second season as an apprentice. He also spends his time at Tampa Bay Rhythmics as a ballet and contemporary instructor. While getting his associate’s degree in dance, he’s also been studying the art of motion media. He desires to combine his love of filmmaking and dance into a theatrical experience for others to relate to and be seen on the big screen.

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Faith Miller

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Faith Miller, originally from Palm Harbor, Florida, has been dancing since the age of three. She began her training at local dance studios and later attended the dance program at Howard W. Blake High School. She continued her studies at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. It was during her time at New World that Faith discovered her passion for choreography and storytelling and had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Peter London, Darshan Singh Bhuller, and Franchesca Harper. She currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she performs in a comedy magic show at the Zubrick Magic Theater while also teaching dance and aerial arts. Faith remains dedicated to expressing her artistic and creative vision and aspires to choreograph her own works in the future.

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Hannah Thompson

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Hannah Thompson is a Tampa native who began her dance training at just two years old. She spent most of her life training in classical ballet at Americas Ballet School which is now known as Tampa City Ballet School. During the summers, she attended many intensives at prestigious ballet programs around the country such as ABT New York, The Kirov Academy in DC, Ballet West, and Bolshoi NY. At 16, she began dancing with Tampa City Ballet as a trainee, and was promoted to a company member in 2020. In 2024 she graduated from the University of South Florida with a BFA in dance performance and choreography. She is very excited to be joining ATLAS this season as a company artist.

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Gracie Scaglione

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Gracie Scaglione has been dancing since the age of 2, training in Ballet, Modern, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, and Acrobatics. She furthered her studies as a Dance Major at USF, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance, with a concentration in Modern dance. She attended the University of South Florida on a full academic scholarship and has since received talent grants and scholarships from the dance program and its contributors. Gracie has taught a variety of styles of dance at Stagelights Performing Arts Center beginning in 2020, including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Acro, and Contemporary. She has choreographed and performed in works for USF College of the Arts, performed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Summer Intensive, and has worked as a Summer Nights performer at Busch Gardens. She enjoys performing, choreographing, and teaching, and intends to make dance her lifelong passion!

ATLAS is committed to upholding the highest respect and support for our performing artists and additional collaborators at all times. Diverse performers which bring forth their perspectives within each creative process are the lifeblood of the company. Their uniqueness is celebrated through the mission to uphold inclusive values and share art that is relatable amongst all audiences.

Board of Directors
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President
Sarah Walston Phillips
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Treasurer
Susan Thompson
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Secretary
Sharon McCaman

Video & Photography Credits: Justin William Phillips, Janelís Cortés,

 Caitlyn Schoen, Robert Buchanan, Sorcha Augustine,

 © 2024 by Sarah Walston Phillips

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