Piedmont Dance Theatre's guest artists for The 2026 season

Maria Baranova is an internationally acclaimed Finnish-Ukrainian prima ballerina. She began her training at the Helsinki Dance Institute before receiving a scholarship to the Hamburg Ballet School under legendary choreographer John Neumeier. 

Her distinguished career has included principal roles with the Hamburg Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich. An award-winning artist, Baranova has received honors including the Erik Bruhn Prize and has performed leading roles across the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Principal Dancer Rachele Buriassi was born in Sarzana, Italy, and began studying ballet at age four. At 11, she received a full scholarship to the École de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France, before continuing her training at the prestigious John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany. 

After joining Stuttgart Ballet in 2006, she rose to First Soloist in 2012 and joined Boston Ballet as a First Soloist in 2015. Rachele joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as a Principal Dancer in 2019 and has performed and taught internationally.

Roddy Doble is a Principal Dancer and choreographer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Originally from Connecticut, he trained at the School of Performing Arts, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and the School of American Ballet. 

He began his professional career with American Ballet Theatre II before joining American Ballet Theatre, where he danced in the corps de ballet from 2008 to 2013. He later joined Boston Ballet, advancing to Soloist, before becoming a Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets in 2019. 

His repertoire includes works by Balanchine, Ashton, Robbins and Cranko, and he has also created choreography for Les Grands Ballets, including the pas de deux Crater.

Esnel Ramos is a Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Born in Havana, Cuba, he trained at the National Ballet School of Havana and began his professional career with the National Ballet Company of Havana under legendary artistic director Alicia Alonso. 

He subsequently danced with Acosta Danza, Ballet de Jalisco and New Jersey Ballet before joining Les Grands Ballets in 2019. Promoted to Principal Dancer in 2023, Esnel has performed leading roles in works including Giselle, Swan Lake, Spartacus, Talisman and Flammes de Paris, and is also an internationally sought-after guest artist.