Meredith
Adcock
Meredith
graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University
with a bachelor's degree in dance in 2005. At SFA,
Meredith was very involved with the dance program.
She is from Abilene and studied dance under Nancy
Gore for six years. She has danced many roles with
Abilene Ballet Theatre in The Nutcracker
and in various other shows. She has moved back to
Abilene to pursue a career and to teach at Ballet
Abilene.
Lindsay
McGill
Lindsay
is honored and thrilled to begin her first season
as the new Associate Artistic Director of Abilene's
one and only regional ballet company, Abilene Ballet
Theatre.
Lindsay
is a native of Abilene and Graduated from Hardin-Simmons
University in the spring of 2007 with a degree in
Graphic Design and Studio Art. While attending HSU
she traveled abroad to study art in Salzburg, Austria,
and attended Salzburg College.
Lindsay
has been dancing for 24 years and began teaching
for Ballet Abilene in the Fall of 2001. Throughout
her training she spent her summers studying with
Ballet Austin Academy, under the direction of Stephen
Mills. As a student and company member of ABT Lindsay
attended many RDA/SW festivals and danced in works
such as Joe Istre's "Bow to Bassey", Raymond
Van Mason's "Luminescent", Lisa Gore-Etter's
"Valse Triste" and "Beyond the Sea",
and Kevin Freeman's Stream Award winning piece "Bolero".
With
roots as a dancer and teacher, Lindsay has naturally
fallen in love with the art of choreography. In
the spring of 2007 her premier work, "Banghara
Fever" was performed on the Paramount stage.
Other staged works by Lindsay have been "Frail",
"Tribal Drums", "Canvas" and
"Woodsprite Symphony". During the 2009
regional festival, in Sugar Land, Texas, Lindsay
was recognized for excellence in emerging choreography
and awarded the Natalie Skelton scholarship for
her piece "Tribal Drums". She recieved
a full scholarship and attended the Craft of Choreography
Conference of which was hosted by Pacific Northwest
Ballet, in Seattle, Washington where she studied
and worked with talented dancers from all over the
nation for two weeks and created new works daily.
The conference was under the directon of PNB's,
Francia Russel Center School principle and former
dancer Nicholas Ade and choreography and music collaborative
team Rob Kitsos and Paul Moore.
In
2010 Lindsay's work "Canvas" was also
selected and performed at Regional Dance America
Southwest's spring festival in San Antonio, Texas.
Lindsay
is thoroughly excited to see what this next year
brings and eager to witness the students and artists
of Ballet Abilene and Abilene Ballet Theatre grow
in to trained knowlageble dancers and wonderful
people.
Lindsay
is going on 4 years of marriage with her husband
and best friend, James McGill of Tifton, Georgia.
Pierce LoPachin
Pierce
LoPachin is thrilled and honored to be a faculty
member at Ballet Abilene. Pierce has been tapping
since the 90s, but focused more on acting onstage
in live theatre. Pierce’s debut acting role
on stage was "Oliver: The Musical" at
McMurry University in the summer of 1990. From then
he was cast in plays and performances such as "The
Grapes of Wrath," "Shadowbox," "The
Seven Year Itch," and was in the original cast
of the award-winning one-act play "Victor"
by James Bransen, "Little Shop of Horrors,"
"Gypsy," "The White Rose," "Into
The Woods," "You're a Good Man Charlie
Brown," "Murder by Natural Causes,"
"A Midsummer’s Nights Dream," "Wit,"
"The Lion In Winter," "You Can't
Take It With You," "The Musical Comedy
Murders of 1940," "Hamlet," "Much
Ado About Nothing," "A West Texas Christmas
Carol," "And Scene!?" and several
other productions spanning three decades.
He
Graduated from McMurry University in 2007 with a
Bachelor of Business Administration. By
the age of nineteen he made a debut into politics.
By 2004, Pierce LoPachin was unanimously elected
to serve as the Presidential Elector for Senate
District 24. He
and his father, Douglas LoPachin, are oilmen and
also have a successful gas pump repair business
called ICE. He is the brother of film actress Paydin
LoPachin and the son of Douglas & Terran LoPachin.
His Dad, Doug is also a professional actor in Ft.
Worth, TX.
Pierce
now teaches tap at Abilene Ballet, with big thanks
to & inspiration by fellow teacher Julia Seiwart.
Julia
Siewert
Julia
is a native of Abilene. She received her BA at McMurry
in communications with a minor in theatre. She is
currently a student at McMurry working toward her
EC-4 teaching certification. Julia has four children:
Nick, Molly, Jackson and Emory. She has taught dance
for over 20 years and still loves to teach students
to love the art and all the advantages that
are learned with it.
Julia
has performed, costumed, directed and choreographed
many productions throughout the years for theatres
and ballet companies in Abilene. She is currently
on the board of the Children's Performing Arts Series.
Amy
Harrison Smith
Amy
Harrison Smith graduated from Hardin-Simmons University
with a Bachelor of Behavioral Science degree in
Elementary Education and a Master of Education degree
in Counseling and Human Development. While at Hardin-Simmons,
Amy earned her Texas Teaching Certification, a graduate
assistantship and was named president of Kappa Delta
Pi, the International Honor Society in Education.
Amy is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has
practiced both in the mental health counseling field
and as a solo practitioner specializing in play
therapy and family counseling.
Amy has spent the last 30 years studying, performing,
and teaching ballet, first at the Becky Payne School
of Dance and then at Ballet Abilene under the artistic
direction of Nancy Gore. Amy danced with Abilene
Ballet Theatre as a member of the regional dance
company, upon completion of graduate studies. She
continues to enjoy performing with ABT, along with
her family, in the productions of The Nutcracker
and Sleeping Beauty and is priviledged to
teach young children the joy and discipline of ballet.
Amy's education and training in both music and dance
have enabled her to also perform in community and
church musical and theatre productions, including
the annual production of Christmas At The Paramount.
Amy is married to Stanley and is the mother of Gracie,
Harrison and Abigail. Amy is a homemaker who enjoys
investing her time into shaping the lives of young
children by helping them to discover their areas
of giftedness.
Erin
Utley
Erin
is currently attending Hardin-Simmons University,
where she is majoring in psychology and minoring
in sociology. She is involved in the Tri Phi social
club. Erin was born and raised in Abilene and has
danced at Ballet Abilene under Nancy Gore for 16
years. Erin has danced many different roles in The
Nutcracker such as Clara as well as the Sugar
Plum Fairy. She has been a member of the Abilene
Ballet Theatre regional dance company for over six
years and has performed in many Spring Flings, Sleeping
Beauty and at numerous RDA Festivals.
Throughout
the years, Erin's love for dance has been immensely
supported by her wonderful family. Erin's favorite
thing about teaching is what she inevitably learns
from her students, especially of their genuine love
for life. Erin's passion for dance has been a consistent
theme in her life, and she looks forward to the
many more things she will continue to learn through
dancing and the indescribable joy she experiences
from performing.
Mary
Elizabeth Walker
Mary
Elizabeth Walker grew up in Stamford, Texas and
began dancing at Ballet Abilene at the age of three.
Over the years, she has performed leading roles
in Abilene Ballet Theatre productions, including
Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Peacock in The
Nutcracker, the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty,
and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Additionally,
she has attended RDA/SW Festivals across the United
States, performing a variety of contemporary and
classical works including Kevin Freeman’s "Bolero,"
Raymond van Mason’s "Luminescent,"
Lisa Gore-Etter’s "Valse Triste,"
and Lindsay McGill’s "Canvas."
Mary
Elizabeth graduated from Hardin-Simmons University
in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in English,
and will earn her Master’s degree, also in
English, from Hardin-Simmons in December 2011. She
is happily engaged to Steven W. McArthur, and they
are planning a beautiful March 2012 wedding.
Mary
Elizabeth has taught ballet classes at Ballet Abilene
for nearly a decade, and finds that working with
her talented, determined students is a constant
blessing. She is constantly encouraged and inspired
by the students and teachers at Ballet Abilene,
and is overjoyed to have the opportunity to pursue
her love for dance while instilling that love in
her wonderful students.
