Announcements

July 23, 2026

Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet alumna Taylor Naturkas featured on cover of Pointe Magazine

We couldn't be more proud to celebrate Taylor Naturkas, a Harbor Springs native and Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet alumna, on an incredible milestone.

Following her promotion to Principal Dancer with Miami City Ballet this past March at just 23 years old, Naturkas is featured on the cover of Pointe magazine's July/August issue, a remarkable honor recognizing her extraordinary artistry and rapid rise in the dance world.

"With her strength and musicality, Taylor deserved this recognition," Miami City Ballet Artistic Director Gonzalo Garcia shares in the feature. "I've been fascinated by how she can take on a lot of repertory."

Taylor began dancing at the Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet when she was just four years old before joining Miami City Ballet School full-time at age 15. Since entering the professional company in 2020, she has risen through the ranks with extraordinary speed, from Corps de Ballet to Soloist in 2022, and now Principal Dancer. Along the way, she has performed leading roles in celebrated ballets including Jewels, Serenade, The Nutcracker®, Divertimento No. 15, and Firebird.

Despite an international career, Taylor continues to return home to perform with her CTAC family. Most recently, she appeared as the Bride in Appalachian Spring during this spring's Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100 production, sharing the stage once again with the next generation of CTAC dancers.

The Graham100 celebration continues with a second performance of Dance Legends: Little Traverse Bay Celebrates Graham100 on Saturday, August 22 at 7:00 pm at John M. Hall Auditorium in Bay View. While Taylor will not be performing in this production, the role of the Bride in Appalachian Spring will be danced by CTAC School of Ballet pre-professional dancer Ailinn Mullaney, who is currently training on scholarship at Boston Ballet and Ballet Chicago summer intensives before returning home for the performance. It's a fitting continuation of the School of Ballet's tradition of nurturing young artists as they take the next steps in their dance journeys.