Amanda Tuohy, CDE

Artistic Director

Amanda Tuohy-Fuller serves as the Artistic Director and Educational Director for Indiana Ballet Theatre (IBT). She is a Certified Dance Educator (CDE), Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), and an Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (ISTD) honors graduate.

In addition to leading IBT’s artistic and educational vision, Amanda owns a private counseling practice and teaches and coaches dancers across the IBT school and company. She directs both modern and ballet productions and guided IBT to receiving the Urban Award in 2025. Amanda also serves as Adjunct Professor at Valparaiso University and is on faculty with the Joffrey Grainger Academy in Chicago.

Amanda’s work spans choreography, staging, and restaging major classical and contemporary works, including the historic site-specific documentary project “Save the Dunes” for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Her choreography has been featured on IBT tours, including performances on cruise ships, at Disney (USA and France), and internationally in Mexico, England, Germany, France, and Italy.

As founder of IBT’s modern dance programming and the Kaleidoscope concert series, and co-founder of the collective Standing Room Only, Amanda performed principal roles in all major IBT productions including the roles of Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Firebird, Odile, Bluebird, Swanhilda and in Peter Pan, and with IBTs professional sister company, Pas De Cinq. She taught movement workshops for Northwestern University’s theater students, and danced professionally with Chicago-based modern companies, festivals, and collectives including Perceptual Motion, M.O.V.E.D., Around the Coyote, and Matter Dance before retiring from the stage.

Amanda prepares students for scholarships, competitions, and pre-professional opportunities such as F.A.M.E., Étoile, Icon Dance Awards, Youth Arts Awards, Italia Grand Prix, and Youth America Grand Prix. Her students have gone on to join or train with organizations including Milwaukee Ballet II, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Brandon Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, Des Moines Ballet, Hubbard Street, River North, Disney World, as well as performing on Broadway, in High School Musical, the Rose Bowl, the Academy Awards, SYTYCD, Dance Chicago, Rebound Dance Festival, and more.

Her students’ university and conservatory placements include Butler University, Indiana University, SUNY Purchase, Columbia College Chicago, Conservatório Internacional/Annarella Sanchez (Portugal), Milwaukee Ballet, Joffrey (NY and Chicago), A&A Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Royal Winnipeg (Canada), Royal Ballet, Ballet West, Cincinnati Ballet, Boston Ballet, IBC, ABT, the Chicago Academy for the Arts, Sarasota Ballet, and others.

Amanda trained at Imperial, Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, and Columbia College Chicago (Performance/Choreography; Graduate Studies in Dance/Movement Therapy with Bartenieff/Laban Movement Analysis). She is a 28-year member of CNADM, a Certified Dance Educator, and serves on the CNADM Board of Directors. Amanda is certified in Revolutionary Principles of Movement (RPM), participated in ABT’s Beyond the Barre program, brought RPM training to IBT faculty, initiated the Chasing Dreams program (2019), and facilitated bringing International Ballet Stars’ “Swan Lake” to Northwest Indiana in 2025.

She is currently a training in the Royal Ballet School’s Affiliate Teacher and Assessment Programme in Covent Garden, London. Amanda is working toward affiliate teacher status with plans to bring this holistic, joy-centered approach to IBT’s curriculum—providing students the opportunity to learn and earn Royal Ballet School training certificates.

Sophiana Botich

Sophiana Botich, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a Contemporary emphasis from Lindenwood University in 2022. As an undergraduate, she performed in Lindenwood’s dance concerts and the American College Dance Association Conference in addition to setting original works. Prior to attending Lindenwood, Sophiana trained with Terrence Marling, John Magnus, Elain Bauer-Brown, Ethan Kirschbaum, and with other faculty at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Ruth Page Civic Ballet, and Portland Festival Ballet. As an alumna of Indiana Ballet Theater, Sophiana has performed in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and the Nutcracker in a variety of roles, in addition to teaching, assisting with rehearsals and classes, and setting original works on the company. Sophiana currently resides in Lake County, Indiana and is the Coordinator of Programs and Education for Phi Sigma Sigma where she supports collegiate chapters’ recruitment efforts.

Lindsay Wilson

Lindsay has been a dedicated dancer with the IBT for 20 years, performing in several lead roles in various performances. She began dancing at the age of four and in addition to IBT intensives, she has trained over the summers with several renowned institutions, including Faubourg Ballet School, Milwaukee Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. Lindsay is passionate about teaching and inspiring the next generation of dancers in IBT’s youth programs. She has completed certification in the Revolutionary Principles of Movements Dance Teacher Training Program and is a proud member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM). Beyond her work as a dancer and teacher, Lindsay also serves as a stage manager for IBT’s productions, ensuring that each performance runs seamlessly behind the scenes. The discipline, focus, and commitment she has developed through dance have also been integral to her work in the healthcare field. Lindsay’s multifaceted career demonstrates how the principles of dance extend beyond the studio, influencing all aspects of her life.

Kristy Victor

An energetic instructor and rehearsal assistant working with IBT company, this talented performer began her dance studies at the age of 3 with IBT and continued on to study and complete her ISTD advanced-level examinations, with distinction, in London, England. IBT Ballets include Cinderella, Firebird, Gaite Parisienne, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Peter Pan, Kaliedoscope, and Standing Room Only. Kristy is Executive Director at Northwest Cancer Centers, and owner of Refresh Med spa.

Lily Ullrich

An outstanding National Honors student, athlete, and participant in IBT’s chapter of the National Honors Society in Dance Arts, Lily began dancing with the Civic Dance Center before training extensively with IBT and attending Butler Ballet’s Summer Intensive. Lead roles at IBT have included Clara, Princess Aurora, Autumn Fairy & Red Rose. She enjoys performing modern and jazz dance in Kaliedoscope, and is also Snow Corps & Marzipan in this year’s Nutcracker. Lily plans to double major in dance and history at university. Her favorite IBT memory is “the magic of watching my friends from the side of the stage as they step into the spotlight, completely transforming: confident, powerful & beautiful, as if they were always meant to be there.”

Grace Griffith

Grace, a senior in high school, has danced for 15 years, and has been an IBT member for over four years, after training with the Civic Ballet in Portage, IN for 11 years. She has previously enjoyed performing roles such as Harlequin Doll, Spanish, Waltz of the Flowers, and as a Snowflake. Grace participates in Kaliedoscope, and in performing for the larger NWI community area. Outside of dance, Grace participates in robotics, bowling, unified sports, and orchestra. She would like to thank her family for always being her biggest supporters, as well as to thank the IBT staff for creating amazing shows and performance opportunities.

Salena Elish

Guest Artist

Salena is an adjunct instructor of dance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from Indiana University and has shaped a dual career in dance education and dance company program management. Salena has been on the teaching faculty at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Chicago, IL), the School at Steps (NYC), Long Island University’s Tilles Center for the Arts (Brookville, NY), and Pentacle/Danceworks (NYC). She has studied dance pedagogy through programs at American Ballet Theatre (NYC), the Lincoln Center Institute (NYC), 92nd Street Y (NYC), and the Center for Arts Education (NYC), as well as kinesiology through Columbia University’s Teacher’s College (NYC) and Integrated Movement Studies (Salt Lake City, UT). Salena has been on the management teams at Keigwin + Company (NYC), River North Dance Chicago (Chicago, IL), Steps on Broadway (NYC), and Pentacle/Danceworks (NYC) and has served on numerous arts education grants panels and community consortiums. Salena is a dedicated advocate of the art of dance and hopes to continue creating opportunities for members of the Valparaiso University community to engage in movement.

Tabitha Porter

Guest Artist

Tabitha is a senior Creative Writing and Theater & Dance double major at Valparaiso University. Her choreography credits include: “Homebound Sonnet” (Dance Ensemble 2025: Beyond the Fear), “Do It Scared” (Dance Ensemble 2026: Finding Free), and “Treachery” (Soul of Sol Showcase 2026). She would like to thank Amanda Tuohy and the rest of IBT for allowing her to choreograph this year.