School Staff & Faculty

KATHY THIBODEAUX

Artistic Director

  • Kathy Thibodeaux began her dance training at the age of six with the Jackson Ballet School under the direction of Albia Kavan and Rex Cooper. When the Jackson Ballet Company turned professional in 1978, Kathy was one of the first dancers to be contracted. Soon after being a contracted dancer, Kathy soared to the highest levels of the company, becoming a Principal Dancer, a position she held successfully until 1986.

    During her tenure with the Jackson Ballet (later Ballet Mississippi), she appeared as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, the Pigtail Girl in Graduation Ball, Odette in Swan Lake - Act II, Taglioni in Pas de Quatre, and had leading roles in Les Sylphides and La Bayadere - Act II. She has danced principal roles in John Butler’s Othello, Todd Bolendar’s Stillpoint, Jean-Paul Comelin’s Daughter of Morning, and William Christensen’s Bravura, as well as such traditional grand pas de deux as Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, and Raymonda.

    In 1982, Kathy was awarded a silver medal for her performance at the II USA International Ballet Competition (IBC), where she premiered her solo piece, “We Shall Behold Him.” She was featured in the 90-minute ABC/PBS documentary, “To Dance for Gold," which documented her progress through the II USA IBC and her silver medal win. She has been a guest instructor at several of the USA International Ballet Competitions and has performed for their Gala in Jackson, Mississippi.

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    Her desire to use her God-given talent of dance to share her faith in Jesus Christ led Kathy to resign from Ballet Mississippi and found her own company, Ballet Magnificat!, in 1986.

    Through the creation of Ballet Magnificat, Kathy has performed many ensemble, solo, and principal roles, as well as choreographed several works for the company, including Creation (1987), Regathering (1988), Light Eternal (1989), Joy (1989), Thy Kingdom Come (1989), A Christmas Festival (1991), Praise Magnificat (1992), Sanctuary (1992), sections of Savior (1996), Unveiled Hope (1997), Freedom (2002), A Christmas Dream (2006) sans the “Battle Scene”, and sections of Snow Queen (2011).

    In 2006, Kathy authored a children's book based on the ballet A Christmas Dream which she choreographed in honor of Ballet Magnificat!'s 20 anniversary.

    In 1983, “Kathy Thibodeaux Day” was proclaimed by order of Mississippi Governor William Winter, a commendation by Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus was issued in 1989, and a resolution commending Kathy was given by the Alabama Senate in 1998. In 2008, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, along with Peavey Music Founder Hartley Peavey, presented Kathy with the annual Hartley D. Peavey Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

    In February 2017, Kathy and Keith pioneered Ballet Magnificat! Brasil, a professional trainee program and performance company headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil. Later in 2017 Kathy transitioned from full time touring with the Alpha Company to oversee more of the day-to-day operations of the companies, Trainee Program and School of the Arts in the Jackson, MS office. She and Keith travel to Brazil several times each year to direct and build the Ballet Magnificat! Brasil program.

    Kathy’s passion for the Lord is so evident and she pours herself into serving God and His people through praising Him with the dance. She feels very grateful to be living this life of service and working with her husband, Keith Thibodeaux.

    Kathy and Keith have one daughter, Tara Drew, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, who is married to Bryce Drew, former player in the NBA and former head basketball coach at Valparaiso and Vanderbilt University. Tara trained at Ballet Magnificat!, performed with the company for several years, and has set many works on the companies including The Arrival and Stratagem. Tara and Bryce Drew have one son, Bryson.

CASSANDRA DAVIS

School of The Arts Administrator & School Faculty

  • Cassandra was born and raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has been dancing since the age of eight. The majority of her training took place at Delaware Valley Dance Academy, under the teaching of Lisa Wasserman. During this time, she had the privilege of performing as a soloist in The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, and Paquita.

    Cassandra attended five Summer Dance Intensives and three Fall Dance Intensives with Ballet Magnificat! She was selected to participate in the Pre-Professional level for four summers, and had the honor of performing the ballets Ruth, Scarlet Cord, Not Abandoned, and Unveiled Hope.

    In March 2023, Cassandra received her bachelor’s degree in Christian Leadership and Management from Liberty University. In August 2023, she moved to Mississippi to dance at Ballet Magnificat! She was part of Trainee II for two years.

    Cassandra has been teaching dance since 2016. She loves teaching and encouraging her students to dance excellently and joyfully for the glory of God!

    In June 2025, Cassandra stepped into the position of School of the Arts Administrator. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the ministry of Ballet Magnificat’s School of the Arts. Pouring into the lives of students and witnessing their growth are some of her favorite things!

MARCIE ROBERTSON

School Faculty

  • Marcie was born in Vicksburg, MS. She began training at age five with Debra Franco in Vicksburg and later with Lisa Howell at Ballet Mississippi in Jackson. Marcie was a student teacher and choreographer, and she attended numerous advanced study workshops with artists such as Anna Fowler (Berlin Ballet Company), Eugene "Luigi" Louis, Joe Tremaine, Gus Giordana and Jo Rowan.

    Marcie received a four-year ballet scholarship to the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Cum Laude) in Dance and French, and a Master of Arts in Education in Exercise Physiology/Cardiac Rehabilitation. She attended the University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France, where she completed a UAB International Studies Program. Marcie was named "Outstanding Undergraduate Student in UAB's Department of Theatre and Dance" for two years and "Outstanding Dance Major" by the National Dance Association.

    At UAB, Marcie trained extensively with Stevan Grebel, Melanie Grebel, and Marcus Alford. She performed with UAB Ballet for seven years and BAD & Company (Ballet Against Drugs) for two years. Marcie danced many principal roles in her repertoire of more than twenty productions, including Miss Sarah Lennox in George III, A Mad King, Esmeralda in Esmeralda, Cerrito in Steps For Four Plus One, and Lost Child in Ancient Voices Of Children. She was a ballet instructor for Birmingham Dance Theatre and Birmingham Ballet Academy.

    Upon completing her Master's degree, Marcie worked for St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham as an exercise physiologist in the cardiac rehabilitation unit. She was Principal Instructor of UAB Youth Ballet and an instructor in UAB'S Department of Theatre and Dance. She choreographed and directed two original productions at UAB, designed costumes, and has choreographed numerous ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatic pieces.

    In 1997, Marcie returned to Mississippi. Her love for the Lord and desire to share her talent with young dancers led her to join the ministry of Ballet Magnificat!, where she has the privilege of nurturing the hearts and talents of even the youngest of our precious students.

    Marcie currently teaches in the Upper and Lower Schools at Ballet Magnificat! and is an Instructor of Dance in Belhaven's Dance Department.

NATALIE HEARD

School Faculty

  • Natalie Heard, born and raised in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia (Canada) finds great fulfillment in sharing her passion for dance and professional expertise to eager and willing students.

    Natalie became an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) at the age of 18, after completing the RAD vocational examinations under the instruction of Janet Gittens. While Natalie’s student and teacher training was primarily RAD, and having received excellent results in all grade, vocational, and teacher examinations, she ventured to find her love and exuberance for the performing arts later after graduating high school, working with various coaches (Tania Brossoit, Annette Jakubowski, Suzanne Ouellette, and Beverley Bagg, to name the most influential), choreographers, and fellow artists across the world. Curious and excited to learn how to use professional ballet as a way to worship and glorify God, Natalie moved to Jackson, MS in the Fall of 2008, to continue pre-professional training with Ballet Magnificat’s Trainee Program. Her relationship with Ballet Magnificat has continued ever since in various degrees. After retiring from the Alpha Company in 2017, Natalie moved back to Canada to teach for several years, and in the meantime has set choreography for Ballet Magnificat’s Events Company. In May of 2023, she was invited back to be a full time teacher and choreographer in the School of the Arts! Natalie is overjoyed, and praises God for the opportunity to serve once again at Ballet Magnificat!

PAM HINDALL

School Faculty

  • Pam Hindall started her training in ballet, tap, and jazz under Mary Blake at Blake’s Studio of Dancing in Marine City, MI.

    Pam has performed in La Sylphide on Canadian Television and danced with Shekinah (a group of professional Christian dancers from around the world) in Toronto, Canada. In 1970, she was mentored by Bernice Harper RAAD (Dual Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dancing in London).

    Pam became a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance, London, England, and owned, operated, and taught in three dance studios in Algonac, MI (1970-73), Pontiac, MI (1978-85), and The Classical Academy of Dance in Bay Village, OH (1986-2005), where she produced an annual Nutcracker ballet, held top-rated student recitals, directed two competition teams and prepared her students for the yearly RAD Examinations. During her time as a studio owner, Pam brought many students to Ballet Magnificat!’s Summer Dance Intensive, including her 3 daughters, 2 of which became part of the ministry of Ballet Magnificat!: Jessica Hindall Brock, Alpha Company Member and Angela Hindall Ewing, Trainee Program.

    Pam sold her studio of 435 students in 2004 and moved to Brandon, MS, with her husband Gary to be with their 3 daughters and families. Pam and Gary are blessed with those 3 daughters and their husbands, a son and daughter-in-law in Ohio, 5 granddaughters, and 5 grandsons.

JENNIFER TYNDALL

School Faculty

  • Jennifer, from Rochester, New York, trained and performed with the School of Classical Ballet of Rochester and the Flower City Ballet, and also earned a degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

    Jennifer moved to Jackson to participate in the Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Program and performed with Ballet Magnificat! II. She toured with Ballet Magnificat!'s professional company throughout the United States and internationally.

    Jennifer has been teaching since 1997 and currently teaches ballet in our School of the Arts, as well as ballet and conditioning classes in the Trainee Program, bringing her combined experience in art and science to the classroom. Jennifer is married to William, and is the mother of three boys, Dante, Kaden and Rylan, and a daughter Layla.

JOY TRIPP

School Faculty

  • BIO COMING SOON

EMMA GRACE HYCHE

School Faculty

  • Emma Grace started taking Jazz, Lyrical, Tap and Ballet at the age of 3 at a community dance center, The Studio, near Tuscaloosa, AL. Her family moved to Phoenix City, AL where she began her dance journey with the Youth Dance Conservatory at age 10. During her time at the YDC, she played multiple roles in The Columbus Ballet's production of The Nutcracker, including Lead Spanish, Marzipan, Snow Queen and Older Clara. She has also performed in productions of The Sleeping Beauty, The Carnival of the Animals, multiple collaborations with the Schwob School of Music and Percussion Ensemble, Schwob School of Opera Theatre in Hansel & Gretel, as well as performing Cinderella with Rainey McCuller School of the Arts.

    She has presented ballet and contemporary variations such as Cupid, Lilac Fairy, and Don Quixote Swanhilda at the Youth America Grand Prix and Universal Ballet Competitions in Atlanta. One of her favorite roles while at the YDC was the role of teaching Ballet technique to her level one class each week.

    Her love for teaching younger students grew as well as her love for Ballet Magnificat! over the past five years during Summer & Fall Dance Intensives. Emma Grace began to develop a deeper love for the Lord and the giving of her talents back to glorify him in her dance journey while sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In January 0f 2024, she auditioned for the Trainee Program, was accepted, and is very excited to continue teaching the beginner contemporary classes and ballet classes in the Upper School. While training with Ballet Magnificat!, she will be pursuing her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Liberty University.

Miranda Maas

Office Assistant

  • Miranda Maas was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. Miranda started ballet at the age of 13 at a local competition studio. Miranda attended her first SDI at Ballet Magnificat in 2017. At the age of 16 Miranda began studying ballet full time at Gloria Deo School of the Arts under the direction of Sarah Henderson. Miranda was accepted into Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, NC where she did one year post high school training under the direction of Mariaelena Ruiz. Miranda was a member of the conservatory’s pre-professional company, Cary Ballet Company. Miranda participated at YAGP in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Miranda joined United Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Joseph Gatti, as a trainee for their 2021-22 season. Miranda also danced with Kentucky Ballet Theatre under the direction of Norbe Risco as a student trainee for their 2022-23 season. Miranda attended SDI in 2024 as a PPL student she performed Deliver Us. Miranda joined Ballet Magnificat! Trainee program in 2024-2025. Miranda is excited to continue training as a trainee at Ballet Magnificat for the 2025-2026 season!

Ella Joyner

Office Assistant

  • Ella Joyner was born and raised in Madison, Mississippi. She began her training at Ballet Magnificat!’s School of the Arts at the age of 5. She continued her training in the School of the Arts for 12 years, under the direction of Anna Joyner, Natalie Heard, Jennifer Tyndall, Catherine Martin, Leah Gray, and Pam Hindall. During her time in the School of the Arts, Ella had the pleasure of performing in both MiniMag and Magnificat Youth Ballet! These groups gave her the opportunity to experience dancing and sharing the gospel to an audience on a more personal scale. This spurred her desire to audition for Ballet Magnificat!’s Trainee Program. Auditioning in 2024, Ella was accepted to the Trainee Program. 

    While continuing her training in the Trainee Program, Ella is excited to work for, and pour in the School of the Arts! The School has and always will hold a special place in her heart. She is excited, and expectant to see how the Lord will work among herself, and the School in this new position!