Artistic Staff
Brittany Chambers
Brittany Chambers is in Physical Therapy School at Samford University and has been dancing for 19 years. She has danced with Collin County Ballet Theater, Samford Dance Company, and is excited to now be dancing with Magic City Performing Arts. She has also attended Joffrey School of Ballet, performed at Youth America Grand Prix, and performed at Regional Dance America. Her favorite roles have consisted of summer fairy in Cinderella, Puss and Boots in Sleeping Beauty, Jonathan Livingston Seagull in To Soar, and Spanish and Arabian in the Nutcracker.
Jamie Kilgore Foust
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 is an adjunct faculty member of the ASFA Dance Department, and she teaches for ASFA’s Preparatory Dance Program. Photo by Fred Jemison.
Kristen Hunsucker
Kristen Hunsucker majored in Kinesiology and Psychology at the University of Tulsa. She obtained her MS in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Psychology at the University of TN Knoxville. Kristen started gymnastics at the age of 3, was selected for competition team at age 5, and continued for the next 10 years. She was an elite level gymnast and won Junior Olympic titles. In high school she switched to competitive cheer. She cheered collegiately at the University of Tulsa, and was an assistant cheer coach at the University of TN Knoxville until she married her husband, William who moved her to Memphis.
Since then, Kristen has been a lead coach for Iron Tribe Memphis, middle & high school cheer coach, kids coach in various sports and activities, and started her own company focusing on prenatal/postpartum fitness training. Kristen has her certification in Precision Nutrition, Functional Movement Systems, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization.
Kristen recently moved to Birmingham from Memphis, TN with her husband, William, for his job. They have three children and a dog. She is extremely passionate about empowering women throughout their motherhood transition as well as teaching kids functional movements that are the foundation to an overall healthy lifestyle.
Eva Pendleton
Eva Pendleton is originally from Mobile, Alabama but has lived in Birmingham since marrying her husband, Les, in June 1989. She has a bachelor’s degree in Finance with a concentration in Banking from The University of South Alabama and an Accounting degree from UAB. She has worked in accounting at the corporate office of Parisian for four years, Fastix, Inc. for one year, and Oxmoor House, the book division of Southern Progress, for five years. She then decided to be a stay at home mom. Her children, Connor and Allison, are now grown so she has decided to go back to the office. Her daughter, Allison, was a ballerina for eighteen years, so she’s very familiar with the behind the scenes work needed to have a successful ballet studio. Eva enjoys reading, nice walks, all things Disney, and spending time with friends and family.
Leslie Jackson
Fitness has always been a part of Leslie’s life. Starting as a competitive gymnast during her childhood then later moving on to competitive cheerleading in both high school and college, the value of a healthy lifestyle took root in Leslie’s life. Continuing in her love of fitness, after college Leslie became an avid runner completing several half marathons. At the same time Leslie began participating in group fitness classes in order to supplement her existing running regimen. As her love of fitness grew, she developed a passion for helping others reach their own fitness goals. In 2009 Leslie received her primary group fitness certification through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Leslie’s journey of fitness continued to evolve when she discovered the benefits of yoga and introduced it into her exercise routine. She never pictured herself a “yogi,” because the practice seemed boring, foreign and only for the most flexible. After only a few yoga classes, however, she realized the practice of yoga calmed her mind and strengthened her body because it connects breath with movement. Since Leslie became a yoga instructor in 2013, she has discovered that yoga is not just for the flexible but for the willing.
Lenox Jones
Lenox is a junior in Samford University’s DPT Fast-Track program pursuing a major in exercise science and a minor in dance. She grew up in Griffin, GA, and has been dancing for 14 years. Most of her training has been in ballet, pointe, and modern dance, but she also enjoys tap, jazz, and ballroom. Lenox has taught beginner and intermediate ballet and has recently completed the pedagogy portion of her dance minor. Some notable accomplishments include being a 2nd-year member in the Samford Dance Company and placing 1st at National 4H Conference’s dance category with her original choreography. Her most recent performing role was the Ballerina Doll in Birmingham’s Magic City Nutcracker film. Lenox is a current member of IADMS in her effort to stay up to date with the most recent research in dance medicine, and this further facilitates her teaching philosophy: to foster a joyful love of dance and utilize safe technique practices for each unique dancer.
Emma Kelley
Emma Kelley is from Belvidere, NJ majoring in nursing and minoring in dance at Samford University. For three years, Emma studied primarily classical ballet but also modern, jazz, and tap in the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s pre-professional program. She performed in several of PYB’s Nutcracker performances, Coppélia, excerpts from Swan Lake, and some jazz and contemporary pieces. Emma adores the art of dancing and being able to create and share this love with others.
Katie Kimbrough
Katie Kimbrough began her dance training at Vestavia Dance at 4 years old and continued for another 15 years. During this time, Katie was a member of Pizitz Middle School dance team for 2 years, and Vestavia High School Rebelettes for 4 years. Katie was also a cast member of the first ever Magic City Nutcracker in 2013. Since then, Katie has been a performer, rehearsal assistant, and choreographer for Magic City Performing Arts. After graduating from Auburn University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology, Katie attends Samford University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy school and plans to graduate in May of 2023. Katie hopes to one day serve her community as a PT by helping its members optimize their movement and stay strong and healthy. Katie currently lives in Birmingham with her husband, Hardie and their dog, Roux.
Stephanie Frances
Stephanie Frances began her training in Jacksonville, Florida under Mark Spivak. She then continued her tutelage with Beth Marks where she studied ballet, jazz, and modern. She joined Jacksonville Ballet Theatre at the age of 15 where she studied under Dulce Anaya. Shortly after moving to Birmingham, Alabama to attend Samford University, she began her professional career by joining Birmingham Ballet Repertory Company, under direction of Cindy Free and Alfonso Figueroa. While with the company she performed notable roles including Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, Arabian Coffee in The Nutcracker, and the lead in Alfonso Figueroa’s Hues. The Birmingham News referred to the performance in Hues by Rangel and her partner, Cole Companion, as the “highlight” of the ballet. She joined Arova Contemporary Ballet in 2012, under the direction of Alison Page and ballet mistress Therese Laeger. She performed the role of Sorceress in the original ballet, The Snow Queen. Rangel has been teaching ballet, jazz, and contemporary to students of all ages since 2007. After she was married in 2016, she moved to the country of Panamá with her husband David, and taught ballet for Crossroads Bible Church and the Metropolitan School of Panama. She also choreographed and assisted with an annual Christmastime production called “Cantada” that involved over 150 singers, dancers, and actors. After returning to the states, she continued to teach at local dance studios in Florida. She has the honor of serving on the board of directors for the Community Nutcracker of Jacksonville. She is currently the Artistic Director and a founder of the Magic City Nutcracker and serves as the President for Magic City Performing Arts. She has a passion for creating opportunities for student and pre-professional dancers while enriching the local dance community. She is committed to creating a safe, loving, and kind environment for anyone who wants to dance and believes everyone is made in the image of God, and that creates the foundation for her teaching method.
Kathryn Gebler Spitzer
Originally from Vestal, New York. Kathryn was a principal dancer with the Alabama Ballet from 1999-2011. She joined the Alabama Ballet, under the artistic direction of Wes Chapman, after graduating from the Boston Ballet School in 1999. She received her early training from Tina Christina-Price in Binghamton, New York; Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Kathryn’s featured roles include the principal roles of Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Lucy in Dracula as well as Le Corsaire, Spring Waters, Flames of Paris, and Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. She has also performed many principal roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Tarantella, Donizetti Variations, Stars and Stripes, and Serenade. Kathryn was a member of the Gotham’s Bluff Residency and on faculty of the Alabama Ballet School from 2006-2011. She was a guest artist with the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers from 2006-2011 and served as Artistic Director from 2012-2016. Kathryn is currently on the artistic faculty at Mt Laurel Ballet and Magic City Performing Arts.
Kathryn has certifications from the Royal Academy of Dancing (RAD) and Revolutionary Principles of Movement (RPM).
Amanda Neece
Amanda Burch Neece, a Birmingham native, trained at Alabama Ballet and ABT. She also studied as a dance major at the University of Alabama. She performed with Alabama Ballet starting at age ten and went on to join the company. Her featured roles include Marie, Dew Drop Fairy, Hot Chocolate Principal in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Big Swan in Swan Lake, and soloist in Paquita. Other performances include Balanchine’s Allergro Brilliante, Stars and Strips, Kissing Girl in Rodeo, Mother in Fall River Legend, and Mercedes in Don Quixote. Amanda is thankful to God for her husband Derek and her two children, Demi and Dusty.
Assistant Student Teachers
Gradie Lowery
Gradie Lowery is from Birmingham, Alabama, and is currently a student at Vestavia Hills High School. She is an apprentice at Vestavia Dance, where she's been training for 11 years. She has performed competitively with Vestavia Dance Performance Company in Jazz, Contemporary, and Ballet. She is also an ensemble member of Magic City Performing Arts where she's spent 8 seasons in the cast of the Magic City Nutcracker. Gradie attended American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive in 2021 and just completed a two-week intensive with Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, Florida, at the Stratz Center for the Performing Arts. She enjoys balancing her own training with teaching young dancers ballet and jazz.
Kate James
Kate James is a sophomore at Spain Park High School and has been dancing since age 3. Kate began her dance training with Dale Serrano Studios, and danced next at Birmingham Academy of Dance before joining Mt Laurel Ballet. Kate danced for the Sparkler Team at Berry Middle School and currently enjoys being a Sapphire, Spain Park High School’s dance team associated with the Pride of the Park Marching Band. Kate enjoyed being a Party Girl in Magic City Ballet’s Swan Lake, and is excited to have been invited to Mt Laurel’s inaugural Contemporary Studio Team as an Emerald.