Teaching Artists & Apprentices

Katie Smythe (she/her)

After graduating from Central High School in Memphis, Katie began her professional career with the Minnesota Dance Theatre where she first discovered her passion for arts education. Later, as a performing and teaching artist for the Los Angeles Music Center under Jodi Wintz, she toured extensively within the Los Angeles County School Districts. Through these experiences and active volunteering at PS 199 in New York City, she dreamed of a new program that would develop dancers as opposed to future audience members (as was the “outreach” practice at the time).

She returned to Memphis in 1997 with that vision in mind, founding New Ballet Ensemble and School to offer a professional standard of dance training for children, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

Katie has choreographed numerous works for New Ballet, most notably NutRemix™; Harlem, a commissioned work for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in collaboration with the performing artists; and The Swan, created in collaboration with international star and New Ballet alumnus Charles “Lil Buck” Riley.

Katie serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Guild for Community Arts Education, as a panelist for the Tennessee Arts Commission and as an active member of Americans for the Arts. She was selected as a Scholar of the Aspen Institute in 2016. Katie is also a founding member of the Overton Park Shell and has served on the City of Memphis Youth Guidance Commission and the Cooper-Young Business Association. Katie was awarded the Tennessee Governor’s School award for excellence in teaching as Teacher of the Year in 2019 and the Thomas W. Briggs Foundation Community Service Award in 2020.

Catherine Barkley-Prado (she/her)

From the age of three, Catherine has had a deep passion for dance. She has trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and modern and utilizes her skills in each of these genres to prepare New Ballet students for their future artistic careers.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre with a concentration in dance from the University of Memphis in 2020. While there, she studied ballet, improvisation, dance composition, dance teaching methods, dance science and the Horton technique. Some of her previous stage credits with the University of Memphis include Momentum, Falling/Up, Lest We Forget and 5×5.

Crystal Brothers (she/her)

Crystal has performed on multiple stages, bi-coastal and internationally, and recently retired from a 25-year  professional career as a ballerina, 23 of those years with Ballet Memphis. Crystal won the Individual Artist Award from the Tennessee Arts Commission, was named one of the Top 8 Dancers in the World to Watch by Pointe Magazine, and won an Ostrander Award for her performance as Victoria (the white cat) in Theatre Memphis’ 2019 production of Cats. Crystal performed in Hello Dolly! and was Phaedra, a Cagelle, and Dance Captain in La Cage aux Folles at Theatre Memphis, and was an ensemble member and Dance Captain in Playhouse on the Square’s 2022 production of Something Rotten. In addition to teaching ballet and Stott Pilates for over two decades, in 2019  Crystal became a teaching artist at New Ballet Ensemble both for the school and company, and  in 2020, Crystal became a Licensed Massage Therapist and opened up her own business, Crystal’s Body Shop. In 2021 Crystal was voted 2nd Best Massage Therapist in Memphis by Memphis Health and Fitness Magazine. Crystal loves her sweet fur babies and her loving and supportive community!

Mary Frances Massey

Mary Frances Massey is excited to be joining the New Ballet Team this year teaching in the Pathways program & leading the Tap Program at NBE. Mary Frances started dancing at the young age of three under her mother, Sarah Karrant, at their dance studio, North Mississippi Dance Centre in Tupelo, MS. Mary Frances trained in various forms of dance, her favorites including Jazz & Tap where she trained under Frank Hatchett, Mike Weaver & Luigi just to name a few. She attended Mississippi State University on a voice scholarship and majored in Elementary Education. She finished up at Columbia State Community College in Commercial Entertainment and began her stage career in Singing & Dancing in 2006. She has starred as a Lead Production Singer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines in six of their Broadway style production shows, a singer/dancer in Matt Davenports Christmas production “Christmas in Choclotetown” in Hershey, PA & has worked as a background singer in Nashville in the recording industry. Massey released her first Album, Movin’ On, in 2015 to budding reviews. She continues to sing in the North Mississippi/Memphis area with her Partner, Paul Tate, in their band Massey/Tate. Mary Frances is a teaching artist with the Mississippi Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission where she creates lesson plans with dance and education standards. She has visited over thirty schools where she has created productions based on favorite children’s novels and taught her famous dance program, Math & Hip Hop ©. Mary Frances is excited to be a part of the Memphis Arts Community where she hopes to make a lasting mark on the Children & Schools of Shelby County

Tamara Hoffmann

Trained as a young artist at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet professional division, Tamara has danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (retired as a soloist in 1998) and Ballet du Nord in France. In her 18-year career, she danced a wide variety of repertoire, including one of her favorite lead roles, Maria in John Neumier’s The Nutcracker. Tamara toured extensively throughout her career, dancing in Asia, Europe and South America, averaging 150 performances per year.

She entered Memphis’ dance scene as ballet mistress at Ballet Memphis in 1999, staging many works, including Swan Lake, Giselle, and Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture. Tamara is also a STOTT Pilates certified instructor and trainer, and she teaches pilates at Rehab etc., located in East Memphis.

Michael Medcalf (he/him)

As a professional dancer, Michael has been a member and guest artist with numerous professional companies, including Alfred Gallman’s Newark Dance Theatre, Ballethnic Dance Company in Atlanta, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver, Dancing Wheels in Cleveland, Lula Elzy Dance Theatre in New Orleans and Ohio Dance Theatre in Oberlin, among others. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre and the Greene/Medcalf Movement Project, which is also in Cleveland. Currently, Michael develops solo and duet projects for the stage and camera for Michael Medcalf/INVENTIONS. Michael is also an assistant professor at the University of Memphis’ department of theatre and dance.

Maxx Reed

Maxx Reed is a professional dancer and choreographer based in New York. At age 14, he received a scholarship to New Ballet, where he received extensive training in classical ballet and modern styles including Horton, Graham and Forsythe. Growing up in Memphis, he danced with many local hip-hop crews, molding his abilities as a street dancer. Reed gained a place in New Ballet as a Teaching Artist in 2006, creating and debuting roles in ballets such as Romeo in our version of Romeo and Juliet, as well as the Rat King, The Hero and The Cavalier in NutRemix™.

Professionally, Maxx has appeared in the ABC primetime special “Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann” and in staged productions of Cats, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Beetlejuice. He has also performed live with Usher in the 2011 American Music Awards and has appeared in Michael Jackson’s biopic “This Is It”, and his music video “Hold My Hand.” Other credits include commercials for Knott’s Berry Farm and Virgin Mobile and the music videos for Beyonce’s “Who Run the World (Girls)” and The Saturdays’ “Notorious.”

Today, his choreography can be seen in ballet companies, award-winning competition studios and music videos. Maxx is on the teaching staff of STEPS in New York City and continues to return to New Ballet as a visiting Master Teacher.

Florien Alexander Sherrod Bruce (he/they)

Florien Alexander Sherrod Bruce, also known as Asher, is a Black, non-binary dancer living in Memphis, TN. Florien began their dance training at the age of three and became a student at New Ballet Ensemble & School at the age of eight. Their skill set includes ballet, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, West African dance, and flamenco. They have been featured in New Ballet productions such as NutRemix™, Memphis Renaissance, Springloaded and iJose!, as well as in local productions such as The Princess and the Pea (Theatre Memphis), Where the Wild Things Are (Bruce Institute of Higher Learning), and Mahalia (Hattiloo Theater). Florien also has experience choreographing dances for their high school productions, Takeover Dance Krew, and various New Ballet summer camps.

Florien’s goal as a teaching artist at New Ballet is to foster an environment where young dancers feel safe to be who they are. They believe that a learning environment where students are accepted and feel seen is essential for retention, and that meeting students where they are is a confidence builder that applies to every aspect of a child’s life.

Chloé Slade-Charles (she/her)

As a young dancer, Chloé was selected to train at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities under Nijinski awardee Stanislav Issaev. Her skills were nationally recognized when she ranked among the top 12 in the 2003-05 Regional Youth American Grand Prix competition, progressing to the finals in New York City. She later earned a BFA from SUNY Purchase College in 2009.

She has been featured with the Connecticut Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Island Moving Company, Battery Dance Company, Ballet Inc., Miami Contemporary Dance Company, New York Theatre Ballet, Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, Oakland Ballet and Nimbus Dance Works. She was also selected to perform at the International Ballet Festival of Miami from 2015 to 2020. Chloé is an American Ballet Theatre-certified ballet teacher from pre-ballet to Level 7.

John Washington (he/him)

As the former music director of the Nubian Theatre Company and with years of experience, John Washington champions West African dance and drumming at New Ballet. He holds a master’s degree in education from Tennessee State University and was a teacher with Memphis City/Shelby County Schools for 27 years. John is a professional musician trained in voice, keyboard, saxophone and African/world drumming. When he’s not playing instruments, he arranges and composes his own music. John has performed in Orlando at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, in Tokyo at Japan’s Mitsubishi Mirage Bowl and in the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He has also played with notable jazz musicians such as Frank Foster, Dizzy Gillespie and Dr. Clark Terry.

Candy’ce Washington (she/her)

As the former coordinator for Mississippi Boulevard Dance Ministry and a former lead dancer for the Nubian Theatre Company, Candy’ce brings a depth of knowledge and experience to her role at New Ballet. Since 2007, she has led African dance classes at New Ballet and choreography for NutRemix™. Candy’ce is also the choreographer for the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.’s debutante cotillions.

Lauryn Adair

Leaving a positive impact on students through the art of dance is what inspires Lauryn to teach at New Ballet. She strives to create a safe space for children to move freely and creatively and finish a class with a sense of confidence. Teaching dance to the next generation of creatives in her hometown of Memphis makes it even more personally rewarding to Lauryn.

As an apprentice, Lauryn leads creative movement classes at the studio, as well as at Dunbar Elementary School and Grace St. Luke’s. She says creative movement is her favorite dance genre because of its fluidity to discover new ways to move the body.

Lauryn is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in theater with a concentration in dance at the University of Memphis.

Makayla Balfour (she/her)

A native of Brandon, Mississippi, Makayla joins New Ballet with 19 years of experience in dance training, performance and education. In 2022, she was a dance educator at the Youth Actors Guild in Southaven, Mississippi, and at the Center of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, where she taught hip-hop, ballet and jazz for its Summer Intensive. At New Ballet, she teaches hip-hop at the studio and in Memphis-Shelby County Schools through our Pathways program. Makayla is currently enrolled at the University of Memphis where she is anticipated to graduate in Fall 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Her education honors include the U of M’s Dean’s List, Black Scholar Unlimited nominee and Distinguished Young Women award recipient. She is a member of the U of M Rising Health Professionals, a club to help young students in the medical field give back to the community, and regularly returns to Brandon to volunteer at The Black Rose Theatre Company. At New Ballet, she hopes to reach as many young dancers as possible to keep them on the right path and show that even if they do not pursue dance as a career, the art form has many benefits applicable to everyday life.

Jeremy Bowers (he/him)

Jeremy’s love for dance began in the 3rd grade with an interest in animation and dubstep dance styles. He first learned about the dance culture of Memphis Jookin through experience in his North Memphis neighborhood. Jeremy was introduced to New Ballet Ensemble & School in the 6th grade when he participated in CityDance. Through CityDance, he learned how to work with choreographers and was given the opportunity to perform in his first production. Jeremy returned to New Ballet in the 11th grade and began serious training in ballet, hip hop and various other dance styles. He has been a part of many of New Ballet’s productions such as, NutRemix, Springloaded, The Dying Swan and in school productions of Peter and the Wolf, Anansi and the Sky God, ¡Jose! and more. He graduated from high school in 2019 and has continued his dance training with New Ballet as a Teaching and Performing Artist Apprentice while attending the University of Memphis.

Rhaniyah Chism (she/her)

Little Rock native Rhaniyah Chism began studying dance at the age of 4 with the Centre of Dance Arts with Michael Tidwell, where she studied ballet, jazz and tap. She attended Parkview Arts and Science Magnet School with a concentration in dance while working as a fitness instructor at WOW Fitness where she led classes in hip-hop, Zumba, kids fitness and yoga. Her experience also includes studying and performing under Robin Sanders of Outloud Artistry. Rhaniyah is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in theater with a concentration in dance.

Larray Curry

Larray Curry started dancing at the age of 13, training in Hip-Hop and Memphis Jookin in Memphis, TN, and has been dancing for 8 years. He has worked with rap artists such as NLE Choppa, Lil Baby, Big Boogie, and many more. His notable appearances include MTV TRL, the 2023 B.E.T. Awards, Quibi’s “The Sauce” (executive produced by Usher Raymond), and touring with Memphis Jookin the Show featuring Lil Buck, powered by Nike. As an up-and-coming artist, Larray strives to pursue a successful career in dance—not just to build an impressive portfolio, but to make a positive impact on the world by showing how street dance is a credible art form.

Sam Martin (he/him)

Sam joined the New Ballet family with eight years of dance training and 14 years of experience in the performing arts. Hailing from Lebanon, Tennessee, his training began in musical theater. He is currently a junior at the University of Memphis studying a double major in dance and film. Sam teaches and assists with tap classes at the New Ballet studios and ballet and creative movement at our Pathways partner schools. Contemporary is his favorite style of dance as it can take the appearance of many forms to express unique and experimental ideas. Through his work at New Ballet, he hopes to create a fun learning environment for others to explore why dance matters to them.

Lily Reynolds

Lily is a Memphis native with 16 years of dance experience with a concentration in ballet. During her training at New Ballet, she served on the student board. Driven to empower the next generation of young dancers, she joined the New Ballet staff as a performing artist and Level 3 teaching assistant. In her role as a mentor, Lily hopes to inspire younger girls to prosper in dance.

DeAndre Underwood

DeAndre Underwood entered New Ballet Ensemble & School as a student after participating in our Streets Ministries partnership, “NBEDanceLab” (supported by the Women’s Foundation). After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, DeAndre attended Coahoma Community College on a band scholarship. Moving home to Memphis, he began performing in the annual NutRemix and some school performances before joining the Professional Apprenticeship Program in January 2024. His turn in the opening of NutRemix this past season (2023) as an advocate for ArtsEducation earned the very first applause of the evening as he led a sign over his head reading, “Dance for Every Child”. We are proud to welcome this talented and caring young artist into the organization as an emerging professional!