Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center
2026Mar27Friday10:30 AM
2026Mar28Saturday8:00 PM
2026Mar29Sunday3:00 PM
Director's Note
As Ballethnic continues to engage audiences through impactful programming, the company remains committed to paving the way for future generations to uphold and expand its legacy.
That commitment comes to life on stage with Ballethnic’s newest production, Heritage, Harmony, and the Classics—a powerful celebration of classical ballet, cultural heritage, and unity through dance. The performance re-stages early Ballethnic repertoire while debuting new works that reflect the company’s evolution and enduring vision. Featuring choreography set to live blues and soul music, classical accompaniment, and spoken word, this production offers an experience unlike anything the company has presented in recent years.
A standout moment in the program is Vision, a sweeping, generational work choreographed by co-founder Waverly T. Lucas II and set to Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. Last performed in its entirety in the early 1990s, Vision returns as both a historical anchor and a resonant reflection on continuity, legacy, and forward movement. Audiences are invited to immerse themselves in rhythm, culture, and artistic excellence on March 28 at 8:00 p.m. and March 29 at 3:00 p.m.
Musical Numbers
SaturdayKyle Lewis (Sousaphone), Brian Crawford (Trumpet), Allan Knighton (Saxophone)
SundayTony Bailey (Trumpet), Eugene Russell (Tenor Sax), Isaac Wimberly (Sousaphone)
Bye Bye BluesKarla Tyson, Exodis Ward, Njema Williams
Wedding SongCalvin Gentry
InvictusCalvin Gentry, Charles Grant
Phenomenal WomanKarla Tyson, Exodis Ward, Hadiya Williams, Njema Williams
ChiaroscuroCalvin Gentry, Karla Tyson, Njema Williams
Intermission
God Fearing BoyCharles Grant
I Told JesusHadiya Williams
Musical/Vocal selectionAudience Participation
From Bare Feet to Pointe ShoesCalvin Gentry, Karla Tyson, Exodis Ward, Hadiya Williams, Njema Williams
Second LineAuset Allen, Madison Allen, Tajah Billingsley, Ayana Bohannon, Amira Butler, Ameris Carson, Aria Dewitt, Amayah Davis, Shelby Eccles, Sanaa Enahora, Keilani Enahora, Carlynn Ferebee, Ellen Finch, Suzanne Gordon, Emery Harden, Sheila Harper, Gayle Harris, De’Jyan Horne, Theresa Howard, Jacqueline James, Zariah James, Farah Kennedy, Peyton Lacour, Carmen Lindsey, Cynthia McCoy, Judith McDaniels, Kennedy Dream Medor, Natan Montague, Malinda Newell-Bock, Grace Norwood, Allison Phillips, Windy Radical, Ash Roland, Sophia Robinson, Sofia Sampson, David Sherwood, Pamelia Smith, Diana Stevens, Elle Thompson, Morgan Upshaw, Braylin Welander, Penelope Williams, Ebony Woods
💡 Touch a performer name to read their bio!
Crew Bios
NenaGilreath
(Co-Founder/ Co-Artistic Director)
Nena Gilreath is a ballerina, entrepreneur, and artistic director whose career has been rooted in dance. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she performed with Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre, the Dance Theatre of Harlem—touring internationally—and the Atlanta Ballet. Recognizing the need for greater racial diversity in ballet, she and her husband, choreographer Waverly T. Lucas II, co-founded Ballethnic Dance Company and Academy of Dance in 1990 to provide high-quality training and performance opportunities for underrepresented communities. Together, Gilreath and Lucas have become award-winning artists and leaders whose work continues to shape and diversify the ballet landscape.
Waverly T.Lucas II
(Co-Founder/ Co-Artistic Director)
Mr. Lucas attended Marygrove College in Detroit, where he conceived the name and vision for Ballethnic Dance Company. He has created more than 30 ballets, including the full-length works Urban Nutcracker, The Leopard Tale, Flyin’ West, Epiphany, and Jazzy Sleeping Beauty, which premiered in Cincinnati in 2007. He created Ballethnicize, a dance/fitness technique blending African dance and classical ballet, and founded the Danseur Development Project for young male dancers. His choreography has been featured at the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, the National Black Arts Festival, and with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He has also choreographed for the Atlanta Opera and Aurora Theatre. Lucas has taught internationally in Senegal, Brazil, Portugal, and at IABD.
WillieAnderson
(Company Instructor/Rehearsal Director)
Willie Anderson is an accomplished ballet teacher and choreographer with over 20 years of professional performance experience. He began his training at D.M. Therrell High School and continued at the Ballethnic Academy of Dance, where he refined his technique. Willie performed principal roles with the Ballethnic Dance Company and was invited to dance with Cleveland San Jose Ballet and Ballet San Jose. After his performance career, he transitioned into education, teaching at Guangxi University and serving for seven years as Ballet Master of the Chongqing Ballet Company in China. He has since returned to Ballethnic, where he is dedicated to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of dancers.
LydiaAbarca Mitchell
(Ballet, Pointe & Rehearsal Coach)
Ms. Abarca Mitchell has danced leading roles in Agon, Bugaku, Concerto Barocco, Allegro Brillante (George Balanchine), Afternoon of a Faun (Jerome Robbins), Carmen and Jose (Ruth Page), Le Combat (William Dollar), and Rhythmetron, Holberg Suite, Biosfera (Arthur Mitchell) as well as the Swan Queen in the second act of Swan Lake and the lead role of Zobiede in Scheherezade. She appeared as Juliet in Gabrielle Taub-Darvash’s Romeo and Juliet balcony scene at the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park, performed Le Corsaire pas de deux for Marion Anderson’s 75th Birthday at Carnegie Hall, and guested as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Chicago Ballet’s production of Nutcracker Suite.
ChantalBartley
(Academy Administrator)
Chantal Bartley first came to Ballethnic in 2007 when she enrolled her daughter for Ballet VI. As a trained elementary educator with no dance background, she immediately saw the well thought out teaching process at Ballethnic. Ballethnic has been home ever since. Although she came to Ballethnic because of her daughter, she has consistently stayed and donated her time because she believes and has seen evidence of Ballethnic’s commitment to the whole child and the greater community.
“I had the pleasure to be the academy administrator from 2014-2018. I left to return to full time teaching, continuing to volunteer for productions and other events. My wish was to be able to return in a more active capacity once I ended my teaching career. My wish has come true.” …..Chantal Bartley.
TaylorBenion
(Office & Program Coordinator)
Taylor Benion’s began dancing at Ballethnic Academy of Dance, where she grew up performing in productions such as Urban Nutcracker and The Leopard Tale while participating in the Ballethnic Youth Ensemble (BYE). Her time at Ballethnic fostered a profound love for dance and the arts, shaping her passion and dedication to the craft.
Taylor pursued her studies at the University of South Carolina, earning a degree in Dance Education with K-12 certification and Exercise Science. After college, she embarked on a professional dance career, performing with companies including Ballethnic Dance Company, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2, and Washington Reflections Dance Company.
Following her performing career, Taylor earned her 200-hour yoga certification and transitioned into the education sector. She has worked in school systems as a teaching and advocating for dance education.
Adam L. McKnight
(Associate Artistic Director)
Adam McKnight is a vocalist, recording artist, and sound technician with Ballethnic Dance Company. Performing since age 13, his artistry spans R&B, Gospel, Pop, and Opera. He has performed as a soloist, with ensembles, and as a background vocalist for stage, screen, and radio. McKnight has worked with artists such as Coy Bowles, Diane Durrett, Scooter Lee, and Cee-Lo Green, and recorded with Grammy winners Train and producers Ed Roland and Phil Tan. He has appeared on stage with Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, B.B. King, Gloria Estefan, and more, and performed with bands including Party Nation and Emerald Empire. His choir, Voice of Atlanta, is featured on the film Till, in the 2019 Super Bowl with Maroon 5, and on Sir Elton John’s Peachtree Road tour.
Theresa Howard
(Rehearsal Director/Guest Artist)
Theresa Howard is a dedicated professional with over 40 years of experience in Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Prevention, Aging Services, Dance, and Education. Blending the arts with human services, she has worked across healthcare, government, and educational settings. A New York native, she holds a BFA from Lehman College, an MS in Dance Movement Therapy from Hunter College, and an Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University. A certified Dance Movement Therapist, Addiction Counselor, Preventionist, and yoga instructor, she has performed widely in African, modern, ballet, jazz, and tap with renowned companies including Chuck Davis, Rod Rogers, Giwayen Mata, and Ballethnic. She teaches at Kennesaw State University, Emory University, and multiple arts institutions.
Laila Howard
(Production Director)
Movement and wellness have always been Laila’s passion. A Spelman College dance graduate, she danced professionally with Ballethnic Dance Company, performing principal roles and training young Black ballerinas, and now serves as Production Director and Artistic Liaison. After a seven-year dance career, she began her yoga journey and has spent nearly seven years as a leader in the wellness space. Her mission is to inspire healing and self-empowerment. She is the author of The Fairy Tale Within: Understanding Your Creative Power and the founder of Fade To Yoga, offering healing through breathwork, mindfulness, and movement. Laila continues to inspire others through dance, yoga, and creative movement.
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Cast Bios
KarlaTyson
(Bye Bye Blues, Phenomenal Woman, From Bare Feet to Pointe Shoes,)
Karla Tyson began dancing at age five at Ballethnic Academy of Dance in East Point, GA, under the direction of Nena Gilreath and Waverly T. Lucas II. She specializes in classical ballet, pointe, and partnering, and is also trained in jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, African, and hip hop. Tyson has performed in Ballethnic’s signature productions, The Urban Nutcracker and The Leopard Tale. In 2009, she was featured as the first Quick Gem in the premiere of Jazzy Sleeping Beauty. Before becoming a professional, she spent two years as a Ballethnic apprentice, performing roles such as Brown Sugar (the Company Member Sugar Plum Fairy) in The Urban Nutcracker at just 16, along with other notable company roles.
CalvinGentry
(Wedding Song, Invictus, Chiaroscuro)
Calvin Gentry, an Atlanta native, began his training at Atlanta DanceWorks in Stone Mountain before continuing on full scholarship at Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, the School of American Ballet in New York City, and Houston Ballet Academy. He started his professional career with Atlanta Ballet, dancing for two seasons, and joined Ballethnic Dance Company in 2002, performing throughout the metro Atlanta area and the U.S. In 2006, he danced with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, touring nationally and internationally. Returning to Ballethnic in 2010, he began teaching across the region at schools including Ballethnic, Dancemakers of Atlanta, Georgia Dance Conservatory, Phusion, and the British Academy of Performing Arts.
HadiyaWilliams
(Phenomenal Woman, From Bare Feet to Pointe Shoes, I Told Jesus)
Hadiya Williams is a company member and instructor with Ballethnic Dance Company. She began dancing at age three and received most of her training at Eagles Landing Dance Center under Vanessa Gibson. Williams holds B.A. degrees in Dance and Journalism from the University of Georgia. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, Horton, majorette, aerial, and West African dance. At UGA, she choreographed and performed in the Young Choreographers Showcase and Black History Month productions, and in 2023 opened for the Martha Graham Dance Company in Steps in the Street. With Ballethnic, she has performed in works including The Urban Nutcracker. Williams has taught throughout Georgia and in Liberia, and believes dance is her gift to uplift her community.
NjemaWilliams
(Vision, Bye Bye Blues, Phenomenal Woman, From Bare Feet to Pointe Shoes)
Njema Williams, a Stone Mountain native, began dancing at age three at Academy of the Arts and later Susan’s Dance Studio. At 12, she began serious ballet training at the City Gate School under Robert Mason and Jennifer Davis, competing at Youth America Grand Prix in 2015. She continued at Ballet Institute of Atlanta, dancing roles including the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. Williams has attended summer programs at Ballet Austin, Next Generation Ballet, and Nashville Ballet, and performed in Dance Canvas’ Cocktails and Choreography in 2018. She danced with Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s Professional Ensemble in 2019–2020 and again performed Snow Queen. A 2022 graduate of Agnes Scott College with degrees in Dance and History, she danced with Studio Dance Theatre and earned the Dance Department Award for Creative Excellence. She is now pursuing a master’s in Public History while freelancing as a dancer.
CharlesGrant
(Invictus, God Fearing Boy)
Charles Grant started dancing in the Bay Area, California, with tap at the young age of 8. He expanded his dance experiences at the ODC School, The Rites of Passage Program under Dimensions Dance Theater and, after finishing high school, Howard University in Washington, DC. Upon receiving his BA from Fisk University; Charles attended The Ailey School where he had the opportunity to join the ensemble cast of Alvin Ailey's Memoria with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as well as in The Ailey Spirit Gala Performances (2017-2019). Since finishing his studies, he has danced with Ronald K Brown's: EVIDENCE/Dance Co., Dance Iquail, and has guested with iKada Contemporary Dance Company, Benjamin Briones Ballet, The Black Iris Project, and Ballethnic. Charles has performed in the Bessie Award winning art-installation performance of Nick Cave's The Let Go, the Emmy, Award winning show WILD by The Black Iris Project, and is featured as a dance extra in the FX Series: POSE.
ExodisWard
(Vision, Bye Bye Blues, Phenomenal Woman, From Bare Feet to Pointe Shoes)
Exodis Ward is a dancer from El Paso, Texas. She was first introduced to the dance world at age 11, when she took her first ballet class at Champion Dance Studio. She trained under the direction of Andrée Harper and Ouisa Davis.
Special Thanks
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, & INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS
$25,000 and above:
Fulton County Arts Council
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
The International Association of Blacks in Dance
WSB TV Channel 2 Family2Family
The Zeist Foundation, Inc.
Transformational Gift:
Chestnut Family Foundation
$5000- $10,000:
Paul R Jones Heritage Fund
Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund
Dr. Kevin Carson, Georgia Vascular Institute
Georgia Council for The Arts
South Arts
Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta
$0- $2500:
The Allstate Foundation
The City of East Point
Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition
Individual Donors Under $2,000:
Adam L. McKnight
Alana Whitaker
Alice Lovelace
Angela McWilliams
Anthony Blanchard
Baron Doss
Chantal Bartley
Charyl Nornoo
Donzell T. Floyd
Edward Stallworth
Felicia McCullough
Felicia Momon
Fernie Eustache
Harry Mcknight
Imara Canady
James Cunningham
James Stotts
James W Adamson
Jannie Covington
Janquenetta Parker
Jason Montague
Karen Idlett
Laila Howard
Malcom Williams
Michele Harold
Monica English
Nelson Adamson
Nena Gilreath
Olivia Fuller
Onetta Thomas
Paul Savidge
Rachel Bar
Rahman Howard
Redonia Thomas
Reginald Thompson
Shadrach Sterling
Stephen Barnes
Tarana Baetar
Taylor Benion
Theresa Howard
Velma Spates
Walter Peoples
Waverly T. Lucas II
William Gordon
William Mcknight
Renia Clay
Wanda Patterson
Evelyn Patterson
Candace Tabbs
Tayloir Thompson
Carmen Holman
Stephanie Thompson
Erik Coleman
Carl Bartley
Beverly Dinkins Learmont
Odessa Archibald
Fawn Shelton
Karen Lucas
PayPal Charitable Giving Fund
Benevity Fund
Corporate & Foundation Donations:
A Dancers Heart
Communiqué USA Inc.
Georgia Certified Development Corp.
Out of the Box Remedies LLC.
South Metro Development Outlook
Ballethnic Dance Company Board of Directors:
Onetta Thomas
Dr. Sumayah Taliafero
Jennifer Thomas
Nena Gilreath
Waverly T. Lucas II
Adam L. McKnight
Dr. Nicola Chin
Karen Lucas
Mark E. White
Tayloir Thompson
Martinique Mix
Ashia Ajani
B-Well Contributors:
Willie Anderson
Dr. Theresa Howard
Dr. Jihan Nabillah Howard
David Holland
Ms. Ellen Finch
Maya Howard
Dr. shady Radical
Barago Hayes
Advisory Board:
Swain Watters
Marva Bryan
Lifetime Achievement Award Winners:
Ms. Cathy Clarke
Dr. Theresa Howard
Mrs. Chantal Bartley
Ms. Felicia McCullough
Dr. Karen M. Lucas
Lifetime Honorary Board:
Mozel Spriggs
Dr. Naim Shaheed
Production Staff:
Production Manager: Mary Parker
Lighting Design: Mary Parker
Technical Director: Brett Rogers
Stage Manager: Tracy Thomas
Assistant Stage Manager: Alanna Gordon
Sound Design : Baily Gafney
Wardrobe: Cathy Clarke
Wardrobe: Shady Radical
Additional Costumes: Jean Yorke, April Ely
Prop Coordinator: Anna Belle Sapp
Asst. Prop Coordinator: Mona Scott
Crew: Brandon Billlups, Jaylin Waters, and Justice O'Bryant
VIP Reception Coordinator: Dr. Nicola Chin
Administrative/Operational Support: Out of the Box Remedies
Company Videographer: Greg Kerns
Company Photographer: Kris Roberts
Studio Documentation Videography: Joe Jones
Boutique Support: Parents and Volunteers
FOH Support: Vivian Reid
Company Coach: Lydia Mitchell
Rigging Specialists: Randy Dempsey
Lighting and Sound: Paul Evans, Russell Terrell
Tech Crew: Good Foot Productions
Special Thanks:
Porter Sanford III Leadership & Staff
Georgia Tech ( Marketing Support)
City of College Park
City of East Point
Fulton County Commissioner
Ballethnic Parent Organization
Vanguard Leadership Academy Youth Volunteers
Technology Support: John Jones (Owner - Latitude Tech)
Microsoft Grant Services: Tech Impact
Sabrina Holmes (IT Business Analyst)
Claire Billington (Implementation Services)
Simon Robinson (Simon Sign Systems)
Rachel Humphrey (MRM Resources)
Dr. Rosa M. Pasculli
