Birmingham Ballet Academy offers dance training in Birmingham, Al for all ages.

Administration

Cindy Free, founding Executive and Artistic Director

Katherine McDorman, Administrative Bookkeeper

Stephanie Thompson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Ballet Mistress

Katie Welsh, Administrative Assistant

Whitney Renfroe, Repertory Company Manager, Ballet Mistress

Cole Companion, Ballet Master

Teaching Faculty

Cindy Free, founding Executive and Artistic Director, began her dance training in Canton, Ohio under teacher and mother

Suanne Ferguson. She first appeared with the Canton Civic Ballet under direction of John Begg. Upon moving to Birmingham, she performed professionally as the youngest member of the Birmingham Ballet directed by Alfonso Figueroa. Throughout her career she studied with many notable teachers including Robert Joffrey, Robert Barnett, and Gus Giordono. She attended the prestigious College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and Birmingham-Southern College. She has been recognized by the National Ballet of Canada for completion of continuing education teacher training. Mrs. Free toured internationally with Up With People before she returned once again to the Birmingham stage with the Alabama Ballet Theatre. Mrs. Free has a heart for developing dancers and giving them the training and opportunities they need to achieve excellence. In 1991, she co-founded Birmingham Ballet Academy along with Suanne Ferguson and Janet Wolnski. 1996, she established the semi-professional performing company, Birmingham Ballet, which has since given thousands of young dancers opportunity to perform in professionally produced productions. In 2009, she founded the professional Birmingham Ballet Repertory Company as a re-establishment of the original Birmingham Ballet from her heritage. The Repertory Company presents an eclectic repertoire of professional works by Mrs. Free as well Director Emeritus, Alfonso Figueroa and emerging choreographers. The Repertory Company also gives advanced students from the Academy the important opportunity to apprentice next to professional dancers. Mrs. Free has establish an Accelerated Curriculum for intermediate and advanced students at Birmingham Ballet Academy that is based on the model created by Alfonso Figueroa after Richard Thomas and Barbara Falis of the New York School of Ballet. Her students have received numerous honors including acceptance into highly competitive training programs with American Ballet Theatre - NYC, School of American Ballet - NYC, The Rock School, and Bolshoi Ballet Academy - Moscow. Mrs. Free is known for creating visually stimulating productions that are “more than dance.” Her talent has been recognized with various awards including a Birmingham Obelisk nomination. Mrs. Free is a member of the Birmingham Chapter of National Society Arts and Letters serving as Vice President for 2012-2013.

Leigh Burns bio coming soon...

Julie Cobb bio coming soon...

Cole Companion began his training at the Alabama School of Fine Arts under the direction of Therese Laeger. While there, he studied under Thor Sutokowski and Hedi Krusandi. He was awarded dance scholarships to both Butler University and the University of Alabama. He then performed with Alabama Ballet for two seasons. Since joining BBRC he has performed the roles of Cavalier, Florimund, and the principal in Alfonso Figueroa’s “Hues”.

Beth Hughes began her dance training in LaGrange, Georgia under the direction of Cynthia McCranie. She attended summer programs at the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Festival Ballet, International Ballet Rotaru, and the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in the area of Dance. Mrs. Hughes attended Birmingham-Southern College where she studied under Mira Popovich. She received her B. A. in Dance and was awarded the Ballet Women’s Committee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and the prestigious Nina Kirsanova Award for Academic and Creative Excellence in Dance. After graduation, Mrs. Hughes served as the Director of Dance Studies and primary teacher for the Gadsden Community School for the arts from 2001-2003. Mrs. Hughes has been a faculty member of the Birmingham Ballet for the past eight years. She served as the Assistant director until 2007 and continues to teach ballet, pointe, and variations.

Ashley Dawn Powers is a native of Houston, Texas where she trained under Victoria Vittum of the Houston Repertoire Ballet. She then attended the University of Alabama as a dance major in 2008. During that time she danced with the in house company Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre. She performed major roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, Cinderella, La Bayadere, and the Nutcracker. She has also choreographed many pieces for the student organization Dance Alabama! After graduating from the university, Ashley joined Birmingham Ballet in spring 2011.

Whitney Renfroe received her early training from Monica Barnett Smith and Pamela Merkel Sayle. While in school she attended several summer intensives, including the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s program. Mrs. Renfroe holds a degree in Dance from Birmingham-Southern College where she attended on a merit awarded scholarship. While at B-SC Mrs. Renfroe studied under Mira Popovich, Ruth Henry, and Teri Weksler. After graduating with honors Mrs. Renfroe began her professional career as a company member of Atlanta Festival Ballet, under the direction of Nicolas Pacana. She returned to Alabama and joined Birmingham Ballet Repertory Company, where she has most notably been seen in the role of Aurora and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker.

Stephanie Thompson began her training in Jacksonville, Florida under Mark Spivak and Beth Marks. She joined Jacksonville Ballet Theatre at the age of 15 where she studied under Dulce Anaya. She attended notable summer intensive programs including American Ballet Theatre (Irvine), Briansky Saratoga Ballet, and Charleston Ballet Theatre where she trained with the company. She was simultaneously a member of JBT and the Bolles School Repertory Theatre. She moved to Birmingham, Alabama and joined Birmingham Ballet Repertory Company where she has performed roles including Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty, Arabian coffee in The Nutcracker, and the lead in Alfonso Figueroa’s “Hues”.

Katie Welsh, from Memphis TN, began her training with Nora Curran at Allegro Ballet Academy. She accepted a scholarship to study dance at Birmingham Southern College where she received her BA in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. While attending BSC, she studied under renowned teachers including Mira Popovich, Ruth Henry, and Teri Weksler. Upon graduation she returned to Memphis where she taught and trained with Children’s Ballet Theater under Dmitri Roudnev. This is Katie’s first year with Birmingham Ballet’s Repertory Company.