Featured Alumni of Bristol Ballet
Studies show that engagement with the arts, especially for young children, has a positive impact on all aspects of a person’s learning and development. Quality dance training can help students grow and excel in all areas, including social, academic, artistic, kinetic, and more.
Dancing with Bristol Ballet can help you or your child achieve your goals, whatever they may be! Bristol Ballet alumni have gone on to become professional dancers and teachers. Others have excelled in a wide variety of fields, including medicine, law, education, business, and more. Being part of the Bristol Ballet family sets you up for success!
OLIVIA MILLWOOD:
Olivia started training with Bristol Ballet in 2010, and was a Bristol Ballet company dancer until her high school graduation in 2020. She is an early career professional in Theatrical Stage Management. She proudly holds a B.A. in Theatre from The University of the South, Sewanee. In her collegiate years, she transferred her passion for the arts from onstage to backstage. At her university, she was given the opportunity to stage manage multiple shows ranging from Urinetown to A Streetcar Named Desire. For the past year, she has been affiliated with the Hippodrome Theatre in Florida as their Assistant Stage Manager. With the Hipp, she has worked on a plethora of productions such as Perfect Arrangement, Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again), Pump Boys & Dinettes, and of course the annual remount of A Christmas Carol. Recently, Olivia has moved to Wisconsin to work as the Assistant Stage Manager for Milwaukee Ballet.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Olivia says, "Ask any one of my former theatre colleagues, and they'll tell you one of the first things they know about me is that I did ballet for nearly 20 years. Training in ballet for a majority of my life, I reveled in the intensity of the constant organizing of thoughts-to-action, and it wasn't until university that I began to explore a world off the stage. I discovered the same passion in ballet, one of always thinking on our feet, translated seamlessly into handling the myriad of responsibilities required of stage management. When I think back to my foundational understanding of the arts, I think of my time at Bristol Ballet. The company helped develop an almost natural sense of professionalism and respect for our fellow artists in and out of the room. We were constantly exposed to an environment where, not unlike theatre, we brought our individual skills to create a beautiful telling of the human experience; every idea was something to try. Undergoing years of rigorous technique honed an attention to detail, strong work ethic, and a love of the arts--a unique combination that, for me, directly translates to my work in theatre. And, I cannot wait to truly blend my past world of ballet and current world of stage management at Milwaukee Ballet! I am forever grateful for Bristol Ballet for not only cultivating my love and work for the arts, but for giving me a home away from home for so many years. Truly, one of the best chapters of my life."
Olivia started training with Bristol Ballet in 2010, and was a Bristol Ballet company dancer until her high school graduation in 2020. She is an early career professional in Theatrical Stage Management. She proudly holds a B.A. in Theatre from The University of the South, Sewanee. In her collegiate years, she transferred her passion for the arts from onstage to backstage. At her university, she was given the opportunity to stage manage multiple shows ranging from Urinetown to A Streetcar Named Desire. For the past year, she has been affiliated with the Hippodrome Theatre in Florida as their Assistant Stage Manager. With the Hipp, she has worked on a plethora of productions such as Perfect Arrangement, Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again), Pump Boys & Dinettes, and of course the annual remount of A Christmas Carol. Recently, Olivia has moved to Wisconsin to work as the Assistant Stage Manager for Milwaukee Ballet.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Olivia says, "Ask any one of my former theatre colleagues, and they'll tell you one of the first things they know about me is that I did ballet for nearly 20 years. Training in ballet for a majority of my life, I reveled in the intensity of the constant organizing of thoughts-to-action, and it wasn't until university that I began to explore a world off the stage. I discovered the same passion in ballet, one of always thinking on our feet, translated seamlessly into handling the myriad of responsibilities required of stage management. When I think back to my foundational understanding of the arts, I think of my time at Bristol Ballet. The company helped develop an almost natural sense of professionalism and respect for our fellow artists in and out of the room. We were constantly exposed to an environment where, not unlike theatre, we brought our individual skills to create a beautiful telling of the human experience; every idea was something to try. Undergoing years of rigorous technique honed an attention to detail, strong work ethic, and a love of the arts--a unique combination that, for me, directly translates to my work in theatre. And, I cannot wait to truly blend my past world of ballet and current world of stage management at Milwaukee Ballet! I am forever grateful for Bristol Ballet for not only cultivating my love and work for the arts, but for giving me a home away from home for so many years. Truly, one of the best chapters of my life."
KIELYN MINTON:
Kielyn graduated from Holston High School in May 2025. This fall, she will be attending the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet, with plans to pursue a professional ballet career. Kielyn began dancing at 4 years old and has trained in several styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, character, and Latin ballroom. Kielyn has grown under the amazing instruction of Amanda, Moira, and Michele and she is very thankful for their support and investment in her, her goals, and her passion for ballet. In the summer of 2023, Kielyn attended the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts and Humanities at Radford University. During the summer of 2024, she attended the Richmond Ballet 5-week summer intensive. Kielyn plans to pursue a performance career in ballet after college and is excited for what the future holds.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Kielyn says, “It’s not just about learning ballet; it’s about building confidence, discipline, and friendships that last beyond the studio. Moira, Amanda, Beth, and Michele are incredibly dedicated to creating an environment that fosters a deep appreciation for the beauty of ballet. They graciously dedicated time outside of class hours to help me refine my college search and supported my dreams in many ways. I have grown so much as a dancer and as a person during my time here.”
Kielyn graduated from Holston High School in May 2025. This fall, she will be attending the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet, with plans to pursue a professional ballet career. Kielyn began dancing at 4 years old and has trained in several styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, character, and Latin ballroom. Kielyn has grown under the amazing instruction of Amanda, Moira, and Michele and she is very thankful for their support and investment in her, her goals, and her passion for ballet. In the summer of 2023, Kielyn attended the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts and Humanities at Radford University. During the summer of 2024, she attended the Richmond Ballet 5-week summer intensive. Kielyn plans to pursue a performance career in ballet after college and is excited for what the future holds.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Kielyn says, “It’s not just about learning ballet; it’s about building confidence, discipline, and friendships that last beyond the studio. Moira, Amanda, Beth, and Michele are incredibly dedicated to creating an environment that fosters a deep appreciation for the beauty of ballet. They graciously dedicated time outside of class hours to help me refine my college search and supported my dreams in many ways. I have grown so much as a dancer and as a person during my time here.”
COLLIN WHITE:
Collin White danced with Bristol Ballet from the age of three until she graduated high school. Some of her favorite roles include Clara and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty. While dancing with Bristol Ballet, she attended the South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory and the Nashville Ballet summer intensive.
Collin is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia and majored in Government with minors in Dance and Spanish. While at the University of Virginia, she was a Miller Arts Scholar and received a scholarship to attend the Joffrey Ballet School summer dance intensive in San Fransisco. She is currently in her second year at the Liberty University School of Law.
“Dancing with Bristol Ballet was one of my favorite childhood memories and the highlight of each day. I was fortunate to make wonderful friends, many of whom I remain close with to this day. Ballet not only gave me a creative outlet for self-expression, but it helped me develop self-discipline and time management skills that have been essential to achieving my goals.”
Collin White danced with Bristol Ballet from the age of three until she graduated high school. Some of her favorite roles include Clara and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty. While dancing with Bristol Ballet, she attended the South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory and the Nashville Ballet summer intensive.
Collin is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia and majored in Government with minors in Dance and Spanish. While at the University of Virginia, she was a Miller Arts Scholar and received a scholarship to attend the Joffrey Ballet School summer dance intensive in San Fransisco. She is currently in her second year at the Liberty University School of Law.
“Dancing with Bristol Ballet was one of my favorite childhood memories and the highlight of each day. I was fortunate to make wonderful friends, many of whom I remain close with to this day. Ballet not only gave me a creative outlet for self-expression, but it helped me develop self-discipline and time management skills that have been essential to achieving my goals.”
EMERSON GILLISPIE
Emerson Gillispie is a junior political science major at Virginia Tech, in a concentration of legal studies. She has been with Bristol Ballet for 11 years. Some of her favorite roles include Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Clara, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Little Sister in Mountain Ballad, and Young Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She plans to attend law school and practice criminal law. She thanks past and present Bristol Ballet instructors for their support and guidance.
Emerson says, “Bristol Ballet has enriched my life, both academic and personal, in numerous ways. From developing valuable time management to interpersonal skills. Most importantly, Bristol Ballet has gifted me the confidence to aim for my goals because of the constant support and encouragement from my instructors, fellow dancers, and members involved with the Bristol Ballet community.”
Emerson Gillispie is a junior political science major at Virginia Tech, in a concentration of legal studies. She has been with Bristol Ballet for 11 years. Some of her favorite roles include Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Clara, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Little Sister in Mountain Ballad, and Young Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She plans to attend law school and practice criminal law. She thanks past and present Bristol Ballet instructors for their support and guidance.
Emerson says, “Bristol Ballet has enriched my life, both academic and personal, in numerous ways. From developing valuable time management to interpersonal skills. Most importantly, Bristol Ballet has gifted me the confidence to aim for my goals because of the constant support and encouragement from my instructors, fellow dancers, and members involved with the Bristol Ballet community.”
ANNE VAN GELDER
Anne Van Gelder is on the faculty of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Director of Dance at the University of Richmond. She is artistic director of University Dancers, the student company in the Department of Theatre & Dance. She holds a B.A. from Virginia Intermont College and an M.F.A. from the University of Utah, both in Choreography and Pedagogy. Ms. Van Gelder was a performer and ballet master in companies in Virginia and Utah. Ms. Van Gelder has worked with a variety of educators and choreographers including Li-Chou Cheng, Alun Jones, Conrad Ludlow, Richard Munro, Tom Pazik, and Stanley Zompakos. At the University of Richmond, Ms. Van Gelder has worked with choreographers Francesca Harper, Stefanie Batten Bland, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Alexandra Damiani, Kanji Segawa, Jacqulyn Buglisi, and Billy Siegenfeld, among others. Her choreography has been performed in collaboration with the Grammy-award winning sextet, Eighth Blackbird. She has taught all levels of ballet at the University of Richmond, the University of Utah, Virginia Intermont College, and the Willam F. Christensen Center for Dance. Ms. Van Gelder was dance instructor and choreographer for gymnasts who were members of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. She created or re-staged choreography for the Saratov Academic Youth Theatre, W&L Repertory Dance Company, Theatre Bristol, Park City Shakespeare Festival, and the Ogden Symphony. Ms. Van Gelder has created works for Department of Theatre & Dance productions including the department’s dance concerts, The Tempest, Wings, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and The Chairs and The Bald Soprano directed by Italian director and filmmaker, Paolo Landi. She has been invited to lecture on dance history at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and regularly teaches master classes at the American College Dance Association annual conference. Her study of dance is ongoing, including professional conferences in Italy, Boston, and New York City, where she enjoys studying historic dance. Ms. Van Gelder serves on the advisory board of Conflux Dance Theater, a professional contemporary dance company in Richmond, Va. She has been a member of CORPS de Ballet International since 2017 and is also a member of the Membership and Outreach committee.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Anne says, "During my early childhood, my family lived in Bristol for about four years, and I was fortunate that my mother enrolled me in ballet classes at the Constance Hardinge School of Ballet, then located at the Cumberland Avenue studio. I loved every minute of ballet class. My mother also took my sister and me to see The Nutcracker performed by the Bristol Concert Ballet, as BBC was known at that time. I still have the concert program(!), and I will never forget how mesmerized I felt sitting in the audience. From that moment on, I told everyone I was going to be a ballet dancer. After high school, I knew I wanted to attend a college that offered a BA in Ballet. I chose Virginia Intermont College, where I majored in Ballet and became a member of the Bristol Ballet Company. BBC offered me countless opportunities to learn through company classes, rehearsals, performances, and work on the production crew. I had the privilege of learning from esteemed choreographers and educators such as Tom Pazik, Robert Barnett, Richard Munro, Alun Jones, and Robert Joffrey, Gus Giordano, and others through BBC’s participation in SERBA, now RDA. I was fortunate to perform in productions of The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Graduation Ball, In a Summer Garden, American Sampler, Dance Divertimento, and more.
Participation in dance certainly builds technical ability—but it also demands much more. The study of dance cultivates creativity, intrinsic motivation, and perseverance. As performers, we learn to welcome and apply daily feedback, which fosters adaptability, resilience, and self-awareness. Dancers develop a strong capacity to receive and process criticism. We are also problem-solvers. Each exercise or phrase an instructor gives the class presents challenges to be solved. We may not consciously think in those terms while executing our brisé volés, but that’s precisely what we’re doing—solving problems. The study of dance provides a foundation for success in any discipline because in class and performance we learn and apply problem-solving, collaboration, creative-thinking skills—constantly.
Many years have passed since those formative experiences, and I am happy to report that I have built a fulfilling career in Ballet and Dance. My dream came true—the dream that began at the Constance Hardinge School of Ballet, with that first performance of The Nutcracker, and grew through my own journey with the Bristol Ballet Company."
Anne Van Gelder is on the faculty of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Director of Dance at the University of Richmond. She is artistic director of University Dancers, the student company in the Department of Theatre & Dance. She holds a B.A. from Virginia Intermont College and an M.F.A. from the University of Utah, both in Choreography and Pedagogy. Ms. Van Gelder was a performer and ballet master in companies in Virginia and Utah. Ms. Van Gelder has worked with a variety of educators and choreographers including Li-Chou Cheng, Alun Jones, Conrad Ludlow, Richard Munro, Tom Pazik, and Stanley Zompakos. At the University of Richmond, Ms. Van Gelder has worked with choreographers Francesca Harper, Stefanie Batten Bland, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Alexandra Damiani, Kanji Segawa, Jacqulyn Buglisi, and Billy Siegenfeld, among others. Her choreography has been performed in collaboration with the Grammy-award winning sextet, Eighth Blackbird. She has taught all levels of ballet at the University of Richmond, the University of Utah, Virginia Intermont College, and the Willam F. Christensen Center for Dance. Ms. Van Gelder was dance instructor and choreographer for gymnasts who were members of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. She created or re-staged choreography for the Saratov Academic Youth Theatre, W&L Repertory Dance Company, Theatre Bristol, Park City Shakespeare Festival, and the Ogden Symphony. Ms. Van Gelder has created works for Department of Theatre & Dance productions including the department’s dance concerts, The Tempest, Wings, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and The Chairs and The Bald Soprano directed by Italian director and filmmaker, Paolo Landi. She has been invited to lecture on dance history at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and regularly teaches master classes at the American College Dance Association annual conference. Her study of dance is ongoing, including professional conferences in Italy, Boston, and New York City, where she enjoys studying historic dance. Ms. Van Gelder serves on the advisory board of Conflux Dance Theater, a professional contemporary dance company in Richmond, Va. She has been a member of CORPS de Ballet International since 2017 and is also a member of the Membership and Outreach committee.
About her time at Bristol Ballet, Anne says, "During my early childhood, my family lived in Bristol for about four years, and I was fortunate that my mother enrolled me in ballet classes at the Constance Hardinge School of Ballet, then located at the Cumberland Avenue studio. I loved every minute of ballet class. My mother also took my sister and me to see The Nutcracker performed by the Bristol Concert Ballet, as BBC was known at that time. I still have the concert program(!), and I will never forget how mesmerized I felt sitting in the audience. From that moment on, I told everyone I was going to be a ballet dancer. After high school, I knew I wanted to attend a college that offered a BA in Ballet. I chose Virginia Intermont College, where I majored in Ballet and became a member of the Bristol Ballet Company. BBC offered me countless opportunities to learn through company classes, rehearsals, performances, and work on the production crew. I had the privilege of learning from esteemed choreographers and educators such as Tom Pazik, Robert Barnett, Richard Munro, Alun Jones, and Robert Joffrey, Gus Giordano, and others through BBC’s participation in SERBA, now RDA. I was fortunate to perform in productions of The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Graduation Ball, In a Summer Garden, American Sampler, Dance Divertimento, and more.
Participation in dance certainly builds technical ability—but it also demands much more. The study of dance cultivates creativity, intrinsic motivation, and perseverance. As performers, we learn to welcome and apply daily feedback, which fosters adaptability, resilience, and self-awareness. Dancers develop a strong capacity to receive and process criticism. We are also problem-solvers. Each exercise or phrase an instructor gives the class presents challenges to be solved. We may not consciously think in those terms while executing our brisé volés, but that’s precisely what we’re doing—solving problems. The study of dance provides a foundation for success in any discipline because in class and performance we learn and apply problem-solving, collaboration, creative-thinking skills—constantly.
Many years have passed since those formative experiences, and I am happy to report that I have built a fulfilling career in Ballet and Dance. My dream came true—the dream that began at the Constance Hardinge School of Ballet, with that first performance of The Nutcracker, and grew through my own journey with the Bristol Ballet Company."