NCI CHOREOGRAPHERS 2026
Emily Adams is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. She trained at the School of American Ballet before joining Ballet West, where she has been a Principal Artist since 2015. Emily began choreographing as a student and was invited by Peter Martins to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session in 2004. She has created seven ballets for Ballet West, most recently Mass Hysterical, which featured an original score by frequent collaborator and Sundance Institute Fellow Katy Jarzebowski.
Emily has choreographed works for Richmond Ballet, Ballet West II, The Rosin Box Project, Revolve Dance, and artEmotion, among others. She was awarded the Utah Arts Festival’s Choreographic Commission in 2017. In August 2019, Emily collaborated with The Way of the Rain, Sibylle Szaggers Redford, and composer Tim Janis to create Earth Movements: A Symphony for Ballet. The ballet was presented at the UN 68th International NGO Conference and featured dancers of Ballet West alongside the Utah Symphony. Emily participated in the National Choreographers Initiative in 2022 and is a 2023 recipient of the Princess Grace Honoraria for Choreography.
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Julia Feldman received her training under Pamela Hayes of Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet and began her professional career with Sacramento Ballet in 2011, where she is currently a Company Artist. She discovered her passion for choreography through the company’s annual choreographic showcase, creating a new work annually since 2012. In 2019, Feldman was selected for the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, California, under the direction of Molly Lynch.
In 2021, she was one of three choreographers commissioned to co-create a new Nutcracker for Sacramento Ballet, led by Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp. The following year, she was selected for the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session, directed by Adrian Danchig. Her first full-work commission for Sacramento Ballet, Hearts, premiered in April 2022. Her second commission, Pockets of Light, debuted in March 2025 and was followed by the premiere of All I See Sometimes in October 2025.
In 2026, Feldman will premiere new works for Smuin Contemporary Ballet, the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works, and Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis. Feldman is also a founding member of Capital Dance Project, a collective of professional dancers based in Sacramento. The summer-based company focuses on creating world premiere works in collaboration with local visual artists and musicians. Feldman has created eleven works for Capital Dance Project to date and has played an integral role in shaping the organization’s mission, management, and creative vision, including its annual Behind the Barre and Digital Series productions. Julia is honored to return to choreograph for the National Choreographers Initiative ’26 — The Last Dance!
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DaYoung Jung is an award-winning choreographer, dancer, and dance educator from South Korea. Jung’s choreographic works have been commissioned by companies and projects across the United States, including National Choreographers Initiative, Oklahoma City Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and PointeWorks. Her work Vignettes, created in 2022, was chosen as the audience favorite at Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis: International Choreographic Competition. Most recently, she was invited to create a new work for the New York Choreographic Institute.
She trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, where she graduated with honors and earned a master’s degree in ballet pedagogy. In 2006, she was a semifinalist at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Donetsk, Ukraine.
As a dancer, Jung joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2012, was promoted to soloist in 2014, and to principal dancer in 2017. Throughout her career, she performed leading roles in classical works including Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, The Firebird, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty. She also performed works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Stanton Welch, Septime Webre, Michael Pink, Robert Mills, and many others. Her final performance was in May 2022 as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, after which she transitioned into her current role as Rehearsal Director for the company.
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Sarah Tallman is a native of Colorado and began her formal training in Greeley, Colorado, under Deb Larsen, followed by Chérie Noble, Lizanne McAdams-Graham, Arthur Leeth, and Jeffrey Rockland. Under the tutelage of Karen Genoff-Campbell and Sandra Minton, Sarah received a BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Northern Colorado.
Sarah spent 15 years of her 22-year performing career with Wonderbound, where she had the pleasure of dancing in over 45 original works by Artistic Director Garrett Ammon. She has performed alongside musicians, poets, mentalists, and visual artists. Additionally, Sarah was featured in and originated world premiere works by Ma Cong, Jennifer Hart, Mark Godden, Alex Ketley, Maurya Kerr, Robert Mills, Amy Seiwert, and LeeWei Chao. She has also danced as a principal artist with Central City Opera.
An accomplished choreographer, Sarah has created several works for Wonderbound, as well as original works for Oklahoma City Ballet, Nashville Ballet II, Boulder Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Western Arkansas Ballet, the University of Northern Colorado, Kent State University, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts, Vail Youth Ballet Company, and Denver School of the Arts. Sarah was the 2015 recipient of the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, California.
Currently, Sarah is in her sixth season as Ballet Master and Assistant to the Artistic Director at Wonderbound. She continues to freelance as a choreographer and master teacher. The simple things that make Sarah smile include twinkling lights and the color orange. She resides in Denver with her loving husband.
Emily Adams is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. She trained at the School of American Ballet before joining Ballet West, where she has been a Principal Artist since 2015. Emily began choreographing as a student and was invited by Peter Martins to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session in 2004. She has created seven ballets for Ballet West, most recently Mass Hysterical, which featured an original score by frequent collaborator and Sundance Institute Fellow Katy Jarzebowski.
Emily has choreographed works for Richmond Ballet, Ballet West II, The Rosin Box Project, Revolve Dance, and artEmotion, among others. She was awarded the Utah Arts Festival’s Choreographic Commission in 2017. In August 2019, Emily collaborated with The Way of the Rain, Sibylle Szaggers Redford, and composer Tim Janis to create Earth Movements: A Symphony for Ballet. The ballet was presented at the UN 68th International NGO Conference and featured dancers of Ballet West alongside the Utah Symphony. Emily participated in the National Choreographers Initiative in 2022 and is a 2023 recipient of the Princess Grace Honoraria for Choreography.
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Julia Feldman received her training under Pamela Hayes of Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet and began her professional career with Sacramento Ballet in 2011, where she is currently a Company Artist. She discovered her passion for choreography through the company’s annual choreographic showcase, creating a new work annually since 2012. In 2019, Feldman was selected for the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, California, under the direction of Molly Lynch.
In 2021, she was one of three choreographers commissioned to co-create a new Nutcracker for Sacramento Ballet, led by Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp. The following year, she was selected for the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session, directed by Adrian Danchig. Her first full-work commission for Sacramento Ballet, Hearts, premiered in April 2022. Her second commission, Pockets of Light, debuted in March 2025 and was followed by the premiere of All I See Sometimes in October 2025.
In 2026, Feldman will premiere new works for Smuin Contemporary Ballet, the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works, and Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis. Feldman is also a founding member of Capital Dance Project, a collective of professional dancers based in Sacramento. The summer-based company focuses on creating world premiere works in collaboration with local visual artists and musicians. Feldman has created eleven works for Capital Dance Project to date and has played an integral role in shaping the organization’s mission, management, and creative vision, including its annual Behind the Barre and Digital Series productions. Julia is honored to return to choreograph for the National Choreographers Initiative ’26 — The Last Dance!
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DaYoung Jung is an award-winning choreographer, dancer, and dance educator from South Korea. Jung’s choreographic works have been commissioned by companies and projects across the United States, including National Choreographers Initiative, Oklahoma City Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and PointeWorks. Her work Vignettes, created in 2022, was chosen as the audience favorite at Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis: International Choreographic Competition. Most recently, she was invited to create a new work for the New York Choreographic Institute.
She trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, where she graduated with honors and earned a master’s degree in ballet pedagogy. In 2006, she was a semifinalist at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Donetsk, Ukraine.
As a dancer, Jung joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2012, was promoted to soloist in 2014, and to principal dancer in 2017. Throughout her career, she performed leading roles in classical works including Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, The Firebird, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty. She also performed works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Stanton Welch, Septime Webre, Michael Pink, Robert Mills, and many others. Her final performance was in May 2022 as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, after which she transitioned into her current role as Rehearsal Director for the company.
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Sarah Tallman is a native of Colorado and began her formal training in Greeley, Colorado, under Deb Larsen, followed by Chérie Noble, Lizanne McAdams-Graham, Arthur Leeth, and Jeffrey Rockland. Under the tutelage of Karen Genoff-Campbell and Sandra Minton, Sarah received a BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Northern Colorado.
Sarah spent 15 years of her 22-year performing career with Wonderbound, where she had the pleasure of dancing in over 45 original works by Artistic Director Garrett Ammon. She has performed alongside musicians, poets, mentalists, and visual artists. Additionally, Sarah was featured in and originated world premiere works by Ma Cong, Jennifer Hart, Mark Godden, Alex Ketley, Maurya Kerr, Robert Mills, Amy Seiwert, and LeeWei Chao. She has also danced as a principal artist with Central City Opera.
An accomplished choreographer, Sarah has created several works for Wonderbound, as well as original works for Oklahoma City Ballet, Nashville Ballet II, Boulder Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Western Arkansas Ballet, the University of Northern Colorado, Kent State University, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts, Vail Youth Ballet Company, and Denver School of the Arts. Sarah was the 2015 recipient of the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, California.
Currently, Sarah is in her sixth season as Ballet Master and Assistant to the Artistic Director at Wonderbound. She continues to freelance as a choreographer and master teacher. The simple things that make Sarah smile include twinkling lights and the color orange. She resides in Denver with her loving husband.
