My 25+ year dance career has included a bit of everything—tremendous highs, tremendous lows, and experiences some would hardly believe. This rare and winding journey through the dance world has shaped me into who I am today and humbled me in countless ways.
What I’ve learned is that success comes down to hard work, perseverance, kindness, inspiring others, holding yourself accountable, and staying true to who you are. I’m passionate about offering the insight I never had, so dancers today feel supported, equipped, and empowered as they navigate their own journeys.
"I always say, “It’s about progress, not about perfection.” I had ups and downs that were really hard, and times where people told me I wouldn’t get a job or my body was wrong. I learned how to work through that. It took me years to get to a major company. Everyone has their own way to get where they’re going, and everyone has stepping stones that they have to take."
Pointe Magazine {Suddarth, 2025)
A native of Bedford, Massachusetts, I was introduced to ballet at the age of five and trained extensively under Frances Kotelly at The Ballet Academy, Inc. My early years were grounded in the Cecchetti Method, and by age nine I had also begun studying partnering. From 2004–2008, I continued my training year-round with the Boston Ballet School, where I was awarded the PAO Merit Scholarship in my final year. At Boston Ballet, I remained rooted in the Cecchetti Method while broadening my education in the Vaganova, Bournonville, and French traditions. This rich blend of techniques became a key factor in my ability to adapt throughout my later career. My summers were devoted to intensive training with the Boston Ballet School, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under Marcia Dale Weary, the Northeast School of Ballet, the Boston Conservatory, and, beginning at age twelve, with Nancy Bielski in New York City. After graduating from the Boston Ballet School Trainee Program, I auditioned across the country.
“I went to about 20 auditions. I was in rooms with 150 girls, everybody hoping for the same thing. The only thing I could get was another traineeship, with Cincinnati Ballet.” (1)
I joined Cincinnati Ballet for the 2008 season as an Anthony Albano and K. Ann Choe–Albano Fellow under the direction of Victoria Morgan. At the end of the year, the company selected just one female and one male trainee to return. The rest were released without a contract—and as the recession hit, I found myself auditioning 20 or 30 more times.
"My whole childhood was, “If you get into a smaller company, that’s a failure.”
But something happened in that audition and I thought, Maybe it’s okay if I’m not in a major company. Maybe that’s what I need. (2)
I went on to join Alabama Ballet from 2009-2014. Under direction of Tracey Alvey and Roger Van Fleteren, I was privileged to perform most corps de ballet, soloist and principal roles in the Alabama Ballet repertoire throughout those five years.
In May 2014, I joined Miami City Ballet under the direction of Lourdes Lopez as a first-year Corps de Ballet member. In February 2018, I was promoted to Soloist following my performance in Jerome Robbins’ In the Night. I rose to Principal Soloist in January 2022 and, in October 2023, was promoted to Principal Dancer after a performance of the Russian Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade. That same evening, I had the rare privilege of dancing a triple bill—Balanchine’s Serenade, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, and Jamar Roberts' Seachange.
Since joining MCB, I have performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles across a wide range of repertoire, including works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Jerome Robbins, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Justin Peck, Liam Scarlett, Brian Brooks, Durante Verzola, Ariel Rose, Ricardo Amarante, Margarita Armas, and Amy Hall Garner. I was deeply honored to be chosen to perform Odette and Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake—first for its North American premiere in 2022, and then again in 2024 and 2025.
"My path to Miami City Ballet was drawn from a willingness to take risks and to overcome failure along the way. I’ve met a lot of people who never had to audition—they were in a school and went right into that company. But I learned from auditioning in rooms full of dancers, having to stand there and be judged in a different way.
As much as I dealt with rejection, it ultimately helped me become the best dancer I could be."(3)
Dance Magazine 1-3 quotes: Friscia, 2020
In 2018, I was graciously given the opportunity to found the Miami City Ballet Mentorship Program Series. This program provides the pre-professional division of the Miami City Ballet School with monthly mentorship series offering industry guidance supported by guest speakers from the main Company. Together, we focus on progress rather than perfection, fostering growth through discussions on etiquette, performance preparation, confidence building, and advocacy development.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and recently graduated from Northeastern University with a Master of Science in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship, where I was honored to receive a Dean’s Scholarship upon admission.
I thank my family and husband for their endless support of my career and my goals in the industry as I look to continue to break barriers in new ways.
