Back ground of the founders ...

basic points

• There are two founders in to the ballethnic company, name Nena Gilreath and Waverly T. Lucas II
• The two founders are married .
• They are both very successful in their endeavors in the dance world.

Nena Gilreath :

• Graduate form the North Carolina School of Arts , where she received a bachelor of fine arts in dance.
• She began her career by moving to ATL and joining the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater.
• She later joined DTH , then returned to ATL in 1988.

Waverly T. Lucas II :

• former dance member of DTH
• attended Mary Grove College in Detroit
• recipient of Princess Grace scholarship
• his choreography has been performed in the 1996 Olympic arts festival , the National Black Arts Festivals , MLK's ( 93rd ) birthday celebration , and the ATL symphony orchestra's outreach program

....and many more

Company Background

The Academy

The organization is composed of two component Ballethnic Dance Company and Ballethnic Academy of Dance. The company is classically trained, while the academy provides professional training for children and adults. They make it their mission to involve the community, especially youth and those who are financially disadvantaged, in an appreciation of their unique form of art. They instill in children the interest of the culture of dance and offer them new outlets for expression.

Since they are a family oriented school BADs education approach stresses discipline lives, sound bodies, and focused minds. Students keep journals to enhance their craft and concentrate on learning dance terminology as a part of their training through reading, writing, and spelling skills.

Ballethnic Academy of dance provides a unique education through the art of dance techniques including:

• ballet
• pointe
• pre-pointe
• pas de deux
• modern
• jazz
• hip-hop
• tap
• african
• ballethnicize ( orginal style by waverly )

Company Star Dancers

• Amber Bates
• Rodney Bridges
• Brandy Carwile
• Shawn Evangelista
• Chad Jones
• Laila Hower
• Gretchen Hughes
• Terrell Venn ( apprentice )

Company Sponsors

• Kroger
• Georgia council of the arts
• Scana energy
• American signature furniture
• savanada
• fulton county
• northside hospital
• southwest.com
• family 2 family (wsb-tv)
• grants to green
• community foundation for greater atlanta
• artworks - national endowment for the arts