Catherine Field began her ballet training at the age of five at Yuma Ballet Academy with Kathleen Sinclair. Here, she was given the opportunity to study Horton technique under Emma M.K. Cong and quickly fell in love with contemporary artistry and movement. Subsequently, Catherine was accepted into the academy’s pre-professional ballet company, Ballet Yuma, an Honor Company member with Regional Dance America, under the artistic direction of Kathleen Sinclair and Jon Cristofori (late). Ballet Yuma has since transitioned into being a company member of The Ballet Alliance.
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Upon graduation, Catherine began teaching for Yuma Ballet Academy with the guidance of Kathleen Sinclair. Here, she truly developed her passion and ability to teach proper technique with an emphasis on the development of true artistry in young dancers. Catherine strives to lay a solid technical and artistic foundation for all of her students so that dancers and audience members may experience true communication and connection through performance. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Catherine has taught and built ballet curriculum for local dance programs, taught overseas in Japan, and in San Diego, CA with The Ballet Institute of San Diego, Artistic Director Eglė Špokaitė.
Catherine is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), Pointe Safe, and professionally fits pointe shoes alongside her mentor, Gg Muir-Robinson. As of Summer 2025, Catherine is now the Owner/Director of Yuma Ballet Academy, the official training school for Ballet Yuma. She is honored to now serve as Artistic Director for Ballet Yuma. Catherine enjoys sharing her unique experiences in hope of guiding and inspiring the upcoming generations of dancers.
In a milestone leadership transition, Emma M.K. Cong has stepped down from the role of Artistic Director and has chosen to stay on as Ballet Yuma’s Artistic Liaison to help guide the future of Ballet Yuma. This new role marks a natural culmination of a distinguished 26-year career at Ballet Yuma’s official training school, Yuma Ballet Academy. She has been a driving force of artistic innovation, education, and community engagement during her over 25 years of teaching.
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Ms. Cong’s journey is deeply rooted in Yuma. Her foundational training under mentors Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair, followed by majoring in Dance at the University of Idaho, provided the springboard for her return in 1999. Joining Yuma Ballet Academy’s faculty, she began laying the foundation for the Academy's Contemporary dance program and quickly rose to head its Early Childhood Dance program. This extensive experience has given her a unique understanding of the institution's artistic and educational pillars.
A core tenet of her leadership has been a profound commitment to community. As the Director of Ballet Yuma’s Outreach Program for the past decade, Ms. Cong has demonstrated her vision for dance as an inclusive art form. Her work leading initiatives like “Ballet Bound,” serving underprivileged third-grade boys and girls in local elementary schools, “Project Pas de Deux,” in partnership with The Boys & Girls Club, and “Making a Pointe” a program for at-risk junior high girls, showcases her ability to connect with the broader community—a vital skill she brings to her new role.
At the heart of her talents is an acclaimed artistic voice. An award-winning choreographer, Ms. Cong has developed a signature style that inspires dancers and audiences alike. Her numerous works for Ballet Yuma and other companies, including the celebrated piece “Irmandade,” reflect a creative vision she will now impart across the company’s repertoire. Citing Jon Cristofori as a key inspiration, she also fosters new talent as a mentor for emerging choreographers, ensuring a vibrant creative future for the art form.
As she steps into the role of Artistic Liaison, Ms. Cong is poised to offer guidance to Ballet Yuma artistic staff and dancers.
Kathleen Sinclair is Director Emeritus of Ballet Yuma. Kathleen has taught for the past Thirty years and has specifically developed a syllabus for the first four years of a child’s ballet studies. She also created a pre-ballet syllabus for 3-6 year olds.
During the 1980’s, she and her husband, Jon Cristofori, directed Yuma Ballet Theatre. Taking this small performing group to its first regional ballet festival in 1986, they built it into a Regional Dance America Honor company by 1990.
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In the fall of 1993, Jon and Kathleen opened their own ballet school, Yuma Ballet Academy in Yuma, Arizona and with a group of dedicated supporters organized Ballet Yuma.
Ballet Yuma is a proud member of The Ballet Alliance. Their students have received numerous awards and scholarships and have or are dancing in professional companies today, including New York City Ballet, English National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Les Grands Ballets de Canadiens de Montreal, Trey McIntyre Project, Houston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, Louisville Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Ballet Memphis, Ballet San Jose, Ballet Idaho, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego and Utah Regional Ballet.
Kathleen is the past Chairperson for The Ballet Alliance. She has also served twice as a grant panelist for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Jon Cristofori – Artistic Director 1994-2021
