Tennessee
ballet
theater
COMPANY dancers
Alyssa Abbas
Alyssa is a seasoned, veteran TBT company dancer and choreographer since 2013. She has a passion for classical ballet, contemporary, ballroom, and musical theater. Some of her highlighted roles include: Dewdrop Fairy, Snow Queen, Arabian Princess, Cinderella, Giselle, and Princess Flourine. She has also appeared as a featured lead dancer in various musicals at Theatre Memphis and Harrell Theater. “Miss Alyssa” is also a beloved teacher for the Children’s Ballet Theater School since 2009 specializing in intermediate and advanced ballet and is the artist director of Memphis Youth Musical Theater.
BRANDON KING
Brandon G. King, known simply as B.K., a native of Memphis, TN and a graduate from CBU with an Electrical engineering degree. This amazing Talent is known as one of the Premier JOOKERS in the Memphis Community and world-wide having shared the stage with such greats as Yolanda Adams, Tye Tribbet, Grizzlies NBA half-time entertainment and more.
He is a protege of Howard PHeelgooD who has personally trained and produced his staged performances such as Memphis MorphTWINS, More Than I Expected, and more.
Not only is BK an incredible Dancer/Jooker, but a busy choreographer and Tapper.
A well versed entertainer, BK, is thrilled to be joining the ranks of TBT's esteemed dancers!
Liz Sueing
Liz Sueing is a native of Memphis, TN and a graduate of the University of Tennessee
Health Science Center where she obtained a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. In
addition to being a full time pediatric physical therapist, Liz has been deeply ingrained in the
Memphis dance community since her start at the age of 7 years old. She has danced in
Umoja Kumaru/Umoja: Heritage Sunday productions for the at Mississippi Boulevard
Christian Church for 8 years and also served as Choreographer, Assistant Creative
Director and Dance Technician for the past 3 years. Liz also had the honor of serving as the Creative Director, a Choreographer, and a Dancer for Strange Fruit Dance Company, at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, during the 2013-2014 season. Liz has performed around the world in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Andorra. Liz is a protégé of Denita
Hedgeman who first introduced her to dance as well as a student of Howard PHeelgooD whom she performed for in More Than I Expected, PHeelgooD About Dance, and more. Liz
is a well-versed, triple threat entertainer who has been singing, dancing, and acting for
over 20 years and is beyond honored to share her gifts as a Tennessee Ballet Theater
company member.
Rachael Arnwine
Rachael Arnwine is an adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance. A Memphis native and graduate of The University of Memphis, she holds an MS in Exercise, Sport, & Movement Sciences, a BFA in Theater Performance with a concentration in Dance, and a BS in Exercise, Sport, & Movement Sciences. Rachael has performed with Tennessee Ballet Theater, Opera Memphis, Hot Foot Honeys, Racine + Southern Dance Exchange, the Moscow Ballet, and Carnival Cruise Lines, and has performed in music videos for artists such as Julien Baker and Brennan Villines. She is a certified board member of the Southern Association of Dance Masters as well as the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science where she is a published author in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. In addition to being an adjunct professor she is a dance instructor at local dance studios in the Memphis community & company dancer with Tennessee Ballet Theater. Rachael is grateful for the opportunity to work with this amazing team of artists and will forever cherish the experience.
Ashley Hannah Davis
Ashley Hannah, a native of Memphis Tennessee, began her training at Classical Ballet under Pat Gillespie at the age of 2. She then went on to train with Ballet Memphis for 6 years before joining the company and dancing professionally for 9 seasons. There she danced in classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Giselle. She also preformed in many contemporary works including Mark Godden’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gabrielle Lamb’s I Am a Woman, and many others. Ashley Hannah also attended summer training programs with Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Charlotte Ballet.
Rachel Davis
Born and raised in Memphis, Rachel began her dance training at Classical Ballet at the age of 2, under the tutelage of Pat Gillespie. At the age of ten, she began her formative training with Ballet Memphis under director Janet Parke. Rachel also attended summer training programs with Boston Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. Rachel danced with both Oklahoma City Ballet and Georgia Ballet as a trainee before coming to dance with Tennessee Ballet Theater.
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JD Bryant
With a background in all-star cheerleading and competitive dance, JD is Co-Owner and instructor at Esprit de Corps Dance Company. He is also a Certified Teacher with Southern Association of Dance Masters (SADM). This is his second year performing with Tennessee Ballet Theater.
MARY VAN DYKE, FOUNDING DIRECTOR
Mary Van Dyke trained in classical ballet for 10 years with Pat German, Memphis Ballet under Michael and Judy Tevlin, and at the Alabama School of Fine Arts under Nureyev’s former dancer partner Dame Sonia Arova. Mary had extensive summer training in ballet, jazz and modern including four summers at the Boston Ballet School, at Joffery in NYC, Stanley Holden in LA, and in the Russian Vaganova training in Belgium with ballerina Irina Kolpakova. Mary danced professionally with Tennessee Ballet and Ballet Memphis. Her principal roles have included Tatiana in Midsummer's Nights Dream, the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker and the Swan Queen Odette in Swan Lake. During her years with the former Tennessee Ballet, Mary designed a ballet program for the Memphis City School’s for the visually impaired.
ERIN WALTER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Erin Kenny Walter began her ballet training with Judy and Michael Tevlin at Memphis Ballet. She performed with Youth Concert Ballet and the former Tennessee Ballet. She attended intensive summer sessions at Ft. Wayne Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theater in Vermont and at the San Francisco Ballet School. She graduated from Briarcrest High School and earned a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. Her roles include Arabian, lead Mirleton and the Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, and solos in Les Sylphides, Raymonda and The Colors of Mozart. Erin is on faculty for ballet at St. Mary's School and teaches for Roudnev Youth Ballet.
McKenzie Day
McKenzie Day is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Memphis, TN. In 2022, she co-directed The Secret World of Jack Robinson alongside Erin Walter for the Tennessee Ballet Theater, and in 2018, she stage managed These Walls: Tales from Annesdale Mansion. Her experience as a K-5 and high school dance educator in the public school system has refined her focus as a choreographer: to explore collaborative works as a means to celebrate dancers as valuable individuals. This season as a co-director and choreographer, she is excited to collaborate with so many talented artists to illuminate the rich history and vibrant culture of Memphis through dance.