Today we’d like to introduce you to Nena Gilreath.
Hi Nena, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a lifelong dancer. Currently, I am the Cofounding Director of Ballethnic Dance Company located in East Point GA on our street named Ballethnic Way and the Facility and Program Supervisor at East Athens Educational Dance Center in Athens GA. I love to connect with people through movement, especially dance. I grew up in a time where there were only 3 channels on TV and I loved to watched dance. The problem was there were few to no black dancers on TV. I dreamed of being a dancer and was always moving. I am from a small town North Wilkesboro NC. This is a very creative place where people were crafty and artistic but no professional dancers. My dream seemed far fetched. However after being obsessed with dance and watching it at every chance on TV someone moved to our little town and set up a small studio down the street from my house. The problem is she stayed for only a couple of classes and moved. Some months later I discovered from a newspaper article a young dancer Deneen Graham took dance across town at Canipe School of Dance. I talked my parents into enrolling me. That is where my training began officially. I always danced in my basement and my younger Brother would bring me water and start my music. Eventually he helped me at my own dance company.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not been smooth. It is tough to learn so much in a short amount of time. I officially started dancing at 13 but I looked far younger. I had so much to catch up to be in a place to become a professional. I determined that I needed more rigorous training and wanted to attend the school that my friend Deneen was attending which was the NC School of the Arts in Winston Salem NC. My Dad was not in support of it because he did not understand that dancing was a profession and thought it was just a frivolous hobby. He was not going to pay for me to attend the High School program and pay for it and it was an hour away from where I lived. So after dancer for 3 years I determined that I would have to graduate High School early to attend and I did. I graduated High School at 17 so that I could attend in college. The struggles at first were financial and also the feeling of not knowing and understanding everything that I needed to know. At that time I had trained for a very short amount of time and was not proficient technically. Luckily when I auditioned my love of dance, joy of movement and flexibility stood out. I was accept by the Dean Lindgren into the program. The struggle was working to persist and not give up when often I had the least amount of knowledge in class.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I spent most of my life on the stage as a dancer. After graduating from UNCSA, I danced at the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre, before moving to NY and dancing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem for three Years. After leaving NY, I danced with the Atlanta Ballet and then performed in HeartStrings -the touring show that raised money for AIDS research. After that stint, my Partner then and now my Husband, Waverly Lucas II, Cofounded Ballethnic Dance Company. Ballethnic fuses ballet with African dance concepts placed sur la pointe, creating a powerful and unmistakable style that celebrates the African diaspora while expanding the reach of classical dance. This style we began to create while at The Atlanta Ballet while performing the classics such as Giselle. In a long, tiring rehearsal, I would add a little ungulation to a classic move and some of these moves are the roots of our style today.
Ballethnic’s mission is to be a global catalyst for social change through ballet fused with African dance concepts placed on pointe.
Located on Ballethnic Way in East Point, we are adjacent to the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson. Ballethnic is positioned to become one of the most desired cultural arts destinations in the world.
I am proud of our unique productions, which include The Leopard Tale, Jazzin’ Memoirs in Jazz, Flyin’ West: The Ballet, and The Soul Music Show.
What sets me apart from others is my energy and drive. I love what I do and want to share it. I have also worked and led the East Athens Educational Dance Center for nine years. It has been a joy to expand my love of dance to Athens Ga and work with another community and provide access to world-class training. The pipeline of artists from Athens to Atlanta and vice versus has enhanced dance training and provided shared leadership, choreography, and other resources. EAEDC has a beautiful building in which we have shared with the Metro Atlanta dancers during our Day of Dance, and many of the EAEDC students have performed in Ballethnic productions such as The Leopard Tale on the Alliance Theatre Stage. I love spreading the Gospel of dance and how it can create a collective positive community.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I have enjoyed working on archiving the Ballethnic story under the guidance of our Archivist, Dr. Shady Radical, which is being held at Emory University. I also love the opportunities to travel internationally to teach and perform. I was honored to teach as part of an International Cohort at Assemblée Internationale (A123) in Toronto, hosted by Canada’s National Ballet School, and to return with company members to perform at its Dream Big Gala fundraiser and retirement Gala for Mavis Staines. Additionally, I have taught at the summer intensive for the Dutch National Ballet Academy and in Bwagamoya, Tanzania, for the Africulture dancers. It is a living dream to share what I have learned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ballethnic.org
- Instagram: @nenaleopardess
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/nena.gilreath
- Youtube: @ballethnicDance
Image Credits
Sirk Photography
Keiko Guest Photography
Aric Thompson
