Ms. Sagraves began her ballet training at the Terre Haute Academy of Dance and continued in Indianapolis at Ballet Internationale and Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana. She attended summer intensive programs with Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet. She has trained with Violette Verdy, Irina Kolpakova, Michael Vernon, Jacques Cesbron, Vladilen Seminov, and Tatiana Pali, among others. Ms. Sagraves was a Ballet Major and Faculty Merit Scholarship recipient at Indiana University, where whe danced numerous roles with IU Ballet Theater, including the lead in the re-staging of Le Spectre de la Rose and Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker. Ms. Sagraves has also performed the role of Wendy in Atlanta Ballet’s production of Snow White. Ms. Sagraves is a former member of the professional company of Georgia Dance Theatre and classical ballet educator with Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts. During her dance career Ms. Sagraves was awarded an apprenticeship with the Milwaukee Ballet under the direction of Michael Pink.

Ms. McIlwraith, a Senior company member of Georgia Dance Theatre, has been a student of the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 14 years. She has received additional training from the Atlanta Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre and Walnut Hill School. She has received partial scholarships to the summer and year round programs of Walnut Hill. She was the recipient of a full scholarship to GAD summer intensive program. Ms. McIlwraith has performed lead roles in various productions of Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts including Don Quixote, The Three Musketeers and The Nutcracker. In 2009, Ms. McIlwraith performed the role of Dewdrop Fairy in Georgia Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker. In the fall of 2010, Ms. McIlwraith will be attending Birmingham Southern College on an $18,000 dance scholarship.

Ms. Morales, a Senior company member of Georgia Dance Theatre, attended Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 15 years. She received additional training from such notable professional schools as The Rock School in Pennsylvania, Kaatsbaan, and the Atlanta Ballet. Ms. Morales has performed various lead roles as a Georgia Dance Theatre member. These roles include Dewdrop Fairy and Arabian in Georgia Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker. In 2006-07 season, Ms. Morales danced the lead role of Wendy in Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts production of Peter Pan. Ms. Morales is furthering her education at Birmingham Southern College and was awarded a $23,000 dance scholarship.

Ms. Van Meter has been a professional actress, director and choreographer for the past several years. Among her professional credits as a performer Ms. Van Meter has appeared at the Fox Theatre in the world premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy, Steel Magnolias and Girl of My Dreams with the Village Theatre of Seattle, Washington. Her choreography credits include such plays as The Who’s TOMMY, The Secret Garden, Man of La Mancha, The Music Man, CATS, EVITA, Joseph…, Singin’ in the Rain. Ms. Van Meter is a teaching artist with the Village Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Van Meter recently returned from South Africa where she spent 6 months with the Refilwe Community Project, teaching dance and theatre to children through A.S.T.E.P. (Artists Striving to End Poverty). Ms. Van Meter continues to perform professionally throughout Seattle.

Ms. Payton is the owner and director of Dance South located in Whitehouse, Tennessee. She is also the founder and Artistic Director of the performing company, Encore Dance Project. In 2005 Ms. Payton was selected as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Governor’s School of the Performing Arts. Her students have been accepted to study with the Nutmeg Conservatory, Nashville Ballet of the Arts and the Tennessee Governors School of the Arts. Dance South website: www.dance-south.com.

Ms O’Brien-Martin was a full scholarship recipient to the Atlanta Ballet and received open invitation status to American Ballet Theatre of New York and The Rock School of Pennsylvania. Ms. O’Brien-Martin has performed professionally for US Beat and the John Casablanca Model and Talent Management Center of Atlanta. In 2008, Ms. O’Brien-Martin danced the lead role of Constance in Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts production of The Three Musketeers. Ms.O’Brien-Martin is a former member of the professional company of Georgia Dance Theatre and currently a dance educator at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts. Ms. O’Brien-Martin is the founder/director of On Pointe Marketing.

During his training, Mr. Reynolds received full scholarships to American Ballet Theatre and School of American Ballet of New York, Houston Ballet and The Rock School of Pennsylvania. For the 2010-11 season, Mr. Reynolds will be joining the professional company of Milwaukee Ballet under the direction of Michael Pink. Mr. Reynolds spent 5 seasons with the Atlanta Ballet and was the only member to ever be promoted to full company status in mid-season (February 2005) and the youngest apprentice member to ever be signed with the Atlanta Ballet. In 2009, Mr. Reynolds danced the lead role in Michael Pink’s production of Dracula. Mr. Reynolds is a guest performer and dance educator for the Georgia Academy of Dance & the
Performing Arts.

Mr. Davis began his formal training at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts at the age of eight. He was the 2003 Gold medalist recipient of the American Youth Grand Prix and the 2004 overall Grand Prix winner at the NYC finals. In 2004, Mr. Davis was accepted into the Studio Company of American Ballet Theatre . Mr. Davis is currently in the main company as a corps de ballet member of American Ballet Theatre. Mr. Davis performs throughout the United States as a guest artist during his off season from American Ballet Theatre. In 2009, Mr. Davis returned to Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts to perform the lead role in Georgia Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker.

Ms. Reynolds has trained at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 16 years. She has received additional training from American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Burklyn Ballet Theatre and The Lines Ballet of California. She has received apprenticeships with Alvin Ailey American Dance Center of New York and Lines Ballet of California. She has been a guest performer with Burklyn Ballet Theatre as the company toured Edinburg, Scotland and a member of the professional touring company of Angela Whitehill’s Paradise Ballet Theatre. Ms. Reynolds is a former member of Georgia Dance Theatre Professional Company. Ms. Reynolds is dance educator at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts.

Ms. Phillips is a graduate of Belhaven College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance.  She has performed original and classicla works with the Belhaven Dance Ensemble and Belhaven Theatre Department. She has recently continued her dance education with summer intensives with the Richmond Ballet and Atlanta Ballet. Ms. Phillips has performed, choreographed and lead workshops for the Shachah Touring Company in Shizouka, Japan. During the 14 seasons Ms. Phillips has been a member of Georgia Dance Theatre she has danced leading roles such as Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Kitri in Don Quixote and Clara in Georgia Dance Theatre’s production of the Nutcracker. Ms. Phillips is a current member of Georgia Dance Theatre Professional Company and dance educator with Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts.

Ms. Smith Bravo trained with the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for 10 seasons. She was a Senior member of Georgia Dance Theatre. She is currently attending Belhaven College under a full dance scholarship. She is also working with the Blacksmith Dance Project as a local guest artist. Ms. Smith has been featured in such diverse pieces as Deo Mitha, TRUST, and One Body, Many Parts.

Ms. Strauch, a Georgia Dance Theatre alumni, has been involved in the performing arts for the past 20 years with training and performing experience in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and theater. Ms. Strauch, a recipient of the Hammett Dance Scholarship, has trained at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 12 years. She has received additional training from the Atlanta Ballet and South Carolina Dance Conservatory. Ms. Strauch performed “Wendi” in the 1st major production of Peter Pan presented by Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts. Ms. Strauch is a member of the Board of Directors for Georgia Dance Theatre and Administrative Director  for Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts.

Ms. Parker, a Georgia Dance Theatre alumna, began her serious ballet training with Ballet Academy of Miami, and later with Georgia Academy of Dance. She went on to perform professionally with the Charleston Ballet as a company apprentice, where she performed in such works as “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Firebird”, “Dracula”, and on an extensive East coast “Nutcracker” tour. Ms. Parker has 15 years of teaching experience, including directing and choreographing numerous productions at the early childhood thru senior company levels.

Catherine Vining has trainined with the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 12 years and is a former member of the Senior Company of Georgia Dance Theatre. She has received additional summer training from the Atlanta Ballet and Walnut Hill Performing Arts School. Ms. Vining has received scholarships to The Rock School of Pennsylvania and Walnut Hill Performing Arts School. Ms. Vining received a $126,000 dance scholarship for three seasons with Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts as a full time resident student. She is currently under contract with the Nashville Ballet as a professional company member.

Brianne Wesolowski trained with the Georgia Academy of Dance and the Performing Arts for the past 20 years and under scholarship with Georgia Dance Theatre for the past fourteen seasons.
Ms. Wesolowski received additional training from many notable ballet schools including the Houston Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Burklyn Ballet Theatre on scholarship and the Milwaukee Ballet on scholarship.  Following her summer with the Milwaukee Ballet, Brianne received an invitation to join Milwaukee Ballet II under the direction of Michael Pink.  Brianne joined Georgia Dance Theatre professional company in  2005 and danced under professional contract for five  seasons.
Ms. Wesolowski’s performing credits include the principal role of Black Swan in Swan Lake, Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the principal role in Melony Tribble’s Swallowed Up, the lead in Nadia Thompson’s Grande Terentella, Romantic Girl in Burklyn Ballet Theatre’s Graduation Ball, Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, and the principal role in Les Sylphides. Ms. Wesolowski has also performed soloist roles in La Bayedere, Symphony in D, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Le Corsair, Peter Pan, La Fille Ma Gardee, Coppelia and several contemporary works showcased in Georgia Dance Theatre’s In the Spirit of Dance series.
Ms. Wesolowski has taught several levels of classical ballet, pointe and hip hop at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts and continues to be a guest teacher.
Ms. Wesolowski graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in World History and a BA in Religious Studies from Georgia State University in May 2010 under full academic scholarship.  She is currently working on a Masters of Theological Studies at Emory University.

Ms. McDonnell has trained with the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for the past 17 years. Ms. McDonnell has received additional training from such prominent professional schools as Boston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
Ms. McDonnell has been a scholarship member of Georgia Dance Theatre for the past 7 years and a member of the professional company of Georgia Dance Theatre for 4 seasons. Ms. McDonnell’s performing credits include the title role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Georgia Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker Ballet as well as principal roles in Les Sylphides, The Three Musketeers and Peter Pan.  She has also performed soloist roles in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Symphony in D, The Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland.  Additional performing credits include roles in Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and several original and contemporary works showcased in Georgia Dance Theatre’s In the Spirit of Dance series.
For six seasons, Ms. McDonnell was a dance educator in the classical ballet, early childhood and contemporary programs at Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts.
Ms. McDonnell’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a minor in Management from Kennesaw State University.
Ms. McDonnell is the Founder and Artistic Director of North Georgia School of Ballet. (www.ngaschoolofballet.com)

Ms. Davis, a former member of GDT , continued her dance education with Dance Academy of Stuart after relocating to Florida. Ms. Davis is a member of the Anna Preston Dancers and Reach Dance Collaborative of Florida. Along with continuing as a dance educator, Ms. Davis choreographs and directs for community theater and for the professional theater company -Shiloh Theatrical Productions. Her choreography credits include Peter Pan, King & I, Pacific, Oliver, Jesus Christ Superstar, Gypsy, Grease, Damn Yankees and Camelot. Ms. Davis holds a fine arts degree from Indian River State College.

Megan Davis, a former member of Georgia Dance Theatre, continued her dance education with Dance Academy of Stuart after relocating to Florida. She is a dance major and holds a fine arts degree from Indian River State College.
Ms. Davis is a full time professional dancer and performer with Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios of Orlando, Florida. Ms. Davis has been opening cast for two new parades brought to Disney from the west coast and performed Christmas shows in front of Cinderella’s Castle.
She also does Jammin’ Jungle Parade along with many other roles as a Disney cast member. Visit Megan and watch her perform at Disney!

Ms. Rourke-Creighton received most of her dance education from the Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts. She was a former member of Georgia Dance Theatre for eight seasons. Ms. Rourke-Creighton received numerous soloists and principal roles including Juliet in Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts production of Romeo & Juliet. Ms. Rourke-Creighton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Methodist University. Ms. Rourke-Creighton is continuing her love of dance in the capacity of a dance educator for the Studio Atlanta Dance.