Artistic Staff

Nicolina Lawson

Executive & Artistic Director

   Founder | Ballet North Texas & North Texas Conservatory

Nicolina Lawson founded Ballet North Texas in November 2017 for the purpose of bringing continually expanding productions of contemporary, Neo-classical, and classical concert dance to the Dallas, Texas area through its own professional ballet company. Included in her vision of a Dallas based professional ballet company was a personal belief in the importance of training the next generation... (Continue Reading)

Cindy Michaels
Assistant Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer

Cindy Michaels, Assistant Director & Resident Choreographer, is originally from California where she served as Artistic Director of Redding City Ballet from 1997 to 2012, and as Director of Dance for the Shasta College Fine Arts Department teaching ballet, modern dance, choreography/dance analysis and partnered adagio classes. Her thirty year performance and teaching career... (Continue Reading)

Lisa Miller
Resident Lighting Designer

Lisa works with many organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, including Texas Ballet Theatre, Theater Three and Kitchen Dog Theater where she is a proud eight-year company member. At Kitchen Dog Theater her credits include the premiere of BARBECUE APOCALYPSE and the Regional Premieres of IRONBOUND and CHARM. In the past she has also worked with The Dallas Opera, The Fort Worth Opera and... (Continue Reading)

Lauren Kellison
Company & Marketing Manager

Lauren Kellison, originally from Littleton, Colorado, began her classical training at the age of three. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Colorado State University. While at CSU, she received her pedagogical certification in modern technique and Vaganova ballet technique, while holding an Assistant to Director title for the CSU Tour Dance Company her junior and... (Continue Reading)

Allan Gonzalez
Resident Company Photographer

Allan González is the founder of a local professional photography business called AAfotos / DFW Dance Photography. His work is all about capturing the essence of a moment, and the beauty of a performance, staying true to the true heart of each image and subject. His vision and passion show as he goes to great lengths to prove the best possible quality to his customers, and this means that each image... (Continue Reading)

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Lorinda Mitchell
Costume Designer & Backstage Manager

Sewing various items since the age of 10, Lorinda discovered her love of ballet costumes in 2010, perfecting the tradition of tutu and tunic construction. She has been assisting with costuming and backstage organization for Ballet North Texas since their first Nutcracker in 2018, working directly with Mrs. Lawson and other choreographers in the design of the ballets... (Continue Reading)

Danny Goldman
Music Advisor - Clarinetist with MAKE

Clarinetist Danny Goldman picked up his first clarinet at the age of 11.  He performed all the Weber concerti with The Louisville Orchestra by the age of 14.  At 15, he was principal and soloist with The World Youth Symphony Orchestra.  By 16, he was praised as “flat-out, jaw-agape spectacular” (The Courier-Journal, USA) and called a “wunderkind” (Maestro Robert Franz)... (Continue Reading)