River Hemming

River Hemming’s passion and love for dance began at Christian Dance Center in Cypress, TX. In 2017 she began work as a trainee with Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, FL where she performed lead and various corps roles in Peter Stark’s Cinderella and Philip Neal’s The Nutcracker. She was also selected for the opportunity to perform a new work by Maria Konrad: Nebula

The next season, as a member of Vitacca Ballet Pro in Houston, Ms. Hemming performed lead and corps roles in La Bayadere and Paquita and competed in ADC/IBC where she won a full scholarship to Tulsa Ballet’s summer program and a scholarship to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Summer Program. She joined Tulsa Ballet as a trainee the following season, where she trained on merit scholarship with Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education and danced in corps and understudy roles with the company. She has enjoyed summers with Houston Ballet Academy, ABT Austin, Tulsa Ballet and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Company Experience. 

In 2021 Ms. Hemming joined Uptown Dance Company as an artist and has since received the opportunity to dance soloist roles including the lead of Gretel in Beth Gulledge-Brown’s Hansel and Gretel, Snow Queen, Arabian, Dew Drop and Sugar Plum Fairy in Beth Gulledge-Brown’s The Nutcracker, The lead of Candice in Leonard Lopez’s My Teenage Crush, and the lead Pas de Deux in Krissy Richmond’s Illusions.

Ms. Hemming is passionate about sharing her love of dance to the next generation and is thrilled to be a part of Uptown’s teaching faculty where she’s additionally choreographed on the pre-professional company. 

Kaitlyn Blake

Kaitlyn Blake began dancing at Carol Ehler Dance School where her love for the art took root. From the age of 13 to her high school graduation she grew in technique and artistry training at Ballet Center of Houston. 

While at the Ballet Center, she also performed with the pre-professional company, Houston Repertoire Ballet. As a company member she performed roles such as the Dew Drop Fairy in Victoria Vittum’s “The Nutcracker” and the Lilac Fairy in excerpts of “The Sleeping Beauty.”

Ms. Blake’s summer training included Ballet Magnificat!, Houston Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, and Tulsa Ballet. In 2018 she was placed in the preprofessional division of Ballet Magnificat’s! summer program and performed in the company’s ballet “Face to Face” staged by Jiri Sebastian Voborsky. 

Ms. Blake earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Belhaven University. While studying dance, she had performance opportunities such as a Big Swan in Act II of “Swan Lake” staged by Ravenna Tucker Wagnon, in “Frescoes” from “The Little Humpbacked Horse” staged by Sir Henry Danton, and the soloist role, Mother Joy, in Caleb Mitchell’s “Joy.” She was the female recipient of the 2022 Artistic Achievement Award. After graduation Ms. Blake spent a year teaching dance at Ballet Center of Houston and performing as an Artist in Residence with Houston Repertoire Ballet. 

In 2023 Ms. Blake eagerly joined Uptown Dance Company as an artist and teacher. She has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist in Beth Gulledge-Brown’s “Red, White and Blue,” the Mother in BethGulledge-Brown’s “Hansel and Gretel,” the Dew Drop Fairy and Arabian in Beth Gulledge-Brown’s “The Nutcracker,” and the jazz pas de deux within Pattie Obey’s “Ready, Set, Go!” To her delight in the 2025 Spring Fusion show, Ms. Blake’s own choreographic work, “Thy Neighbor,” was performed by the pre-professional company. Ms. Blake is grateful for all the performance, choreographic, and teaching opportunities she has experienced thus far with Uptown, and she is excited for her third season with the company.

Nico Covington

Nico Covington was born in San Angelo, Texas, where she started her ballet training at the age of three. In 2012, Nico joined Ballet San Angelo, where she grew stronger in her Ballet technique. It was there where her love for the art form expanded. 

While training at Ballet San Angelo, she performed many roles in classical and contemporary productions including solo roles such as Clara in the Nutcracker, the Swallow in Thumbelina, and the female lead in Arisal of the Clear.

 
In 2019, Nico started her training with the Houston Ballet Academy, where she discovered her artistry in classical and contemporary styles. While training at the Houston Ballet Academy, Nico attended multiple summer intensives and performed several roles in the academy’s repertoire, including a solo role as the Snow Queen in the academy’s Nutcracker Suites. Nico also performed various roles in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. 

 In 2023, Nico joined Uptown Dance Company where she performed several solo roles such as the female lead in Andre Silva’s Indigenous, the female lead in Skylar Campbell’s Domus, a solo role in Krissy Richmond’s Impressions, and Arabian, Reed Pipe, and Lead Angel in Beth Gulledge Brown’s The Nutcracker. 

 Nico is very excited to continue dancing with Uptown Dance Company for the 25/26 season. 

Dunia Baruani

Mr. Baruani was born in Burundi, Central Africa and began his dance training at the age of 9 at the Bujumbura Cultural Dance Centre. In 2016, he relocated to Houston, TX and started dancing at the Marshall Middle School Academy of Fine Arts. He received additional training from City Dance and the Institute of Contemporary Dance.

Mr. Baruani was a member of the prestigious pre professional company, HC2. During his time with HC2, he had the opportunity to work with Marlana Doyle, Genene Wallis-McGrath, Jade Devault ,Terrill Mitchell and Dwain Travis among others.

Mr. Baruani has also performed at the Austin Dance Festival, Miller Outdoor Theater and the Hobby Center with Urban Souls Dance Company.

Mr. Baruani is currently a student at the University of Houston majoring in business and healthcare administrations. Mr. Baruani is excited to be a member of Uptown Dance Company 25/26 Season.

(Photo by Fluid Frames Dance Photography)

Madison Magnuson

In 2024 Madison Magnuson graduated from Texas A&M in kinesiology and dance science. In 2020 She graduated from Uptown Dance Centre, She attended Jillana’s summer intensive, studying Balanchine technique and was fortunate to be chosen to perform several variations under Jillana’s direction. During her time with Jillana, Ms. Magnuson had to the opportunity to work with Jock Soto and perform his choreography.

Madison was a member of Uptown Dance Company II for seven years and performed premier works by Andre Silva, Chet Walker, Beth Gulledge-Brown, Nao Kusuzaki, and Barry Kerollis, as well as performing in Austria for their Tanzsommer festival.

Ms. Magnuson was a guest artist as Snow Queen in the Ballet Brazos Nutcracker in 2021.

Ms. Magnuson is excited to return to Uptown Dance Company as a company member for the 25/26 anniversary season.

Diego McKenna Borrero

Diego McKenna Borrero was born in Geneva, Switzerland and began his formal training in Lima, Peru under Pierre Echevarria. He continued his studies in Houston, TX with Chadwick Peters, Janie Carothers, and Courtney Jones before earning his B.A. in Dance – Pedagogy from Butler University on a full-tuition scholarship.

Diego began his professional career with Syracuse City Ballet, performing during their 2023–24 season, where he danced the role of Snow King in The Nutcracker, choreographed by Jayson Douglas.

While training at Butler University, Diego performed lead roles including Nutcracker Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Rothbart in Swan Lake, Peasant Pas in Giselle, and Clorinda in Cinderella. He also danced in works by Jennifer Archibald, Maria Konrad, Derek Reid, David Ingram. Diego's additional training includes summer intensives with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, Ballet Austin, and Teatro Teresa Carreño.

He is currently with Uptown Dance Company, in his second season as a professional dancer.

Ren Hall

Ren Hall is a dynamic professional dancer, choreographer, and composer originally from San Antonio, Texas. A self-taught mover in his early years, Ren’s passion for dance deepened in high school, where he formally trained in classical ballet and a range of other disciplines. He went on to study Music and Dance at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where he began bridging his artistic pursuits across both movement and sound.

While still in college, Ren danced for two seasons with San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet and later appeared as a guest artist with Ballet San Antonio and San Antonio Youth Ballet. His performances brought to life iconic works including Snow White, Cinderella, Blanca Flor, The Firebird, The Nutcracker, and Scheherazade.

After college, Ren spent several years performing internationally on cruise ships, completing three contracts with major cruise lines and entertaining audiences across the Caribbean. In 2023, he was awarded a scholarship to Houston Contemporary Dance Company’s summer intensive, which led to a two-season tenure as a company trainee. During his time there, he performed works by celebrated choreographers including Nao Kusuzaki (The House), Adam Castañera (Localish), and Marlana Doyle (Reliant Holiday Spectacular, Moving Myths), while also participating in residencies with Norbert De La Cruz III, Natasha Adorlee, Yue Yin, and others.

Ren is thrilled to be returning to his ballet roots as a company artist with Uptown Dance Company, bringing with him a broad artistic voice and a deep commitment to storytelling through movement