Matthew was born and raised in Homewood, AL. He graduated from The University of Alabama, where he studied dance and marketing. While studying at The University of Alabama, Matthew performed with student organizations such as Dance Alabama!, Dance Honor Society of Alabama, and RipTide Dance Crew. Since returning to Birmingham, Matthew has performed the role of The Nutcracker Prince in the 2021 Magic City Performing Arts Production of The Nutcracker. Matthew performed in the 2022 Alabama Dance Festival as a dancer and percussionist with African dance company Nathifa Dance Company. Matthew performed the roles of Royal Courtier and Puss in Boots in the 2022 Magic City Performing Arts Production of Ballet In The Park

Jamie Kilgore Foust is a founding company member and ballet mistress of the AROVA Contemporary Ballet. Jamie has been featured in works by international choreographers, such as Thor Sutowski and Jorden Morris, in AROVA productions of Pointe / Counterpointe, Signature Blend, and Star-Crossed. She began her ballet training under the guidance of Margaret Galloway. Later she continued to train at the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) under Dame Sonia Arova, Thor Sutowski and Therese Laeger. As a student, Jamie had the opportunity to work professionally with the Alabama Ballet in productions of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. She also performed with the Alabama Dance Theatre as a soloist in La Bayadere, Cinderella, and Crystal Edge. She graduated from ASFA with the Prix D’Excellence de Danse Award in 1998 and immediately joined the San Diego Ballet. There she was best known for her role as lead Arabian in the Nutcracker and as a soloist in many of Javier Velasco’s contemporary works. Jamie teaches for The Dance Foundation and Mt. Laurel Ballet.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Patricia Colón (she/they) began dancing in 2008 under Sophy Sanfiorenzo and Joey Chevres’s guidance. In 2012, she joined the school of “Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico (BNPR)” to further her dance education, specializing in ballet. In 2013, they are promoted to the advanced level. That same year, they traveled to Rhode Island, Connecticut to represent Puerto Rico in the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) semifinals, with a classical solo from "Paquita" and a contemporary solo choreographed by Rodney Rivera. They later became a member of the professional company of “Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico” in 2015 where she performed in numerous full-length classical and neoclassical ballets.

They participated in several photographic projects by Omar Z. Robles, such as “Pintando Santurce,” and later in New York. In 2016, Colón auditioned and was accepted into the American Ballet Theater (ABT) summer dance intensive in NY, training with prima ballerina Julie Kent. That same year they had the opportunity, alongside Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico, to participate in the opening of “Race for the Cure” by Susan G. Komen, interpreting the main role in the piece “Transformados” by Laura Valentin.

In 2018, while dancing with Centro Danza, directed by Laura Valentin, Colón danced and choreographed for the Twenty-First International Dance Festival in Habana, Cuba where she obtained an honorable mention with her choreography “Sin Ataduras.” That same year Colon traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma alongside a chosen group of dancers to host a Fundraising Gala for the restoration of Vieques, where they premiered Colon’s choreography “The Arena” in a U.S stage.

Patricia began her college education in 2015 at the University of Puerto Rico. In 2018, they transferred to Belhaven University in Jackson, MS to further her dance education. During their time at Belhaven University, she performed various solo works and group pieces at the University’s dance concerts, such as “Rescue to Restore” by Randall Flinn and “Amen” by Vincent Hardy. They graduated in 2021 with a Bachelors of Arts in dance and a minor in Business Administration. Patricia's currently pursuing a Master's in Business Administration.

Colón currently dance with Formations Dance Company directed by Whitney Renfroe and Nell Goza, and guest artists with Magic City Performing Arts and Gradient Dance.

Their repertoire includes roles in the corps of ballet: The Nutcracker, Sylvia, Giselle, Pharaoh’s daughter, Le Corsaire, Opus NO. 1 a Capriccio, Cetic Fire, “Tributo a Rafael Hernandez”, Little Red Riding Hood, Carmen, “El Encanto de Mi Isla”, Lux, Swan Lake, Le Bayadere, among others. Also roles such as: “Ramses” in the Pharaoh’s daughter, Nutcracker Soloist, Little Red Riding Hood’s Mom, and Coppelia.

Among their teachers feature: Joaquin Banegas, Sylvia Marichal, Sophy Sanfiorenzo, Joey Chevres, Laura Valentin, Jose Rodriguez, Lara Berrios, Lourdes Ortega, Osmay Molina, Ana M. Castañon, Carlos Ivan Santos, Lazaro Carreño, among others.

Casey Pippen found dance in his adolescent years or middle school. Casey has studied in multiple styles such as ballet, Jazz, contemporary, modern, African, tumbling, but his main focus is Hip-Hop. During his time with dance, Casey has had the opportunity to show his talents individually and in group settings with a-list celebrities such as Toni Tone Tony!, Omarion, and Diggy Simmons. He was also the 2022 World Games mascot! Casey has danced as a drum major with Illumny Dance Crew, and is currently a dancer, choreographer, DJ, photographer, videographer, and teacher. Casey is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in performing arts at Morehouse

Bio Coming Soon

Grace is a dancer originally from Birmingham,

Alabama. She graduated in May 2018 with dual degrees in Dance and Biology with an English Minor and Pre-Medical Track.

Grace has had the opportunity to perform original and restaged works by Cornelius Carter and Lawrence Jackson of Cleo Parker Robinson, Kavin Grant, Natosha Washington, and Qianping Guo of Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Grace has also had the opportunity to study movement with Staibdance in Italy, Countertechnique at One Body One Career, study choreography with Val Caniparoli of San Francisco Ballet through Regional Dance America Choreographer's Intensive, and study dance for the camera with Rebecca Salzer of Rebecca Salzer Dance Theater.

After Graduating, Grace worked at The Yard as the Technical Production Artist Intern. Recent commissions include a presentation of her work "Carousel" on University of Alabama Dance Department. Grace is currently working with Jellybean Dance Collective under the direction of Victoria Niblett. Grace recently became an instructor with Club Pilates and also teaches at Encore Performance Company in Birmingham.

Christina “C.J.” Wade, a Brookside, Alabama native, is a creative soul. With over 25 years of experience in performing arts, she has represented Alabama domestically and internationally from Canada to France.

C.J. embodies a life mission of empowering others through education and the arts. She is the founder of the creative collective Workmanship Incorporated and the owner, licensed massage therapist, and certified heath coach of You Matter Massage & Wellness, and CEO of the Write Wade Publishing Company, LLC under which she is a published author and public speaker.

She hold a Master of the Arts in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (go Blazers!). C.J. is a proud member of See Jane Write Collective, the Inroads Alabama Alumni Association, Tau Beta Sigma National Band Sorority and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

In addition to co-hosting Birmingham’s faith-based podcast Queensbelike, she enjoys being a champion for self-care and ‘listening at the speed of life’ at www.thewritewade.com