Faculty

Bio

Cassandra Voborsky received training from Pamela Lauer, the Peabody Conservatory, the Hartford Ballet, the Washington School of Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her performing experience includes Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, contemporary modern and jazz works with Hartford Dance Theater, and classical repertoire such as Swan Lake with The Washington Ballet’s Young Dancers. Her final year of high school was spent in Oldenburg, Germany, where she had the opportunity to perform with the ballet company of the Oldenburgishes Staatstheater. In January 1992, Cassandra joined Ballet Magnificat! She became a member of the touring company in 1993 and toured for over twelve years both nationally and internationally. Together with husband Jiri Sebastian, Cassandra served as one of the technical directors on the road. She was promoted to the Assistant Artistic Director to Kathy Thibodeaux in 2000. Cassandra retired from her professional career as a dancer in December 2004 during the annual Christmas gala performances of Ballet Magnificat! in Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. Since the completion of her performing career as an artist of the company, Cassandra has directed the Trainee Program, developing it into an international division of Ballet Magnificat! with students from the United States and many foreign countries, including Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, Macedonia, Canada, and Japan. Cassandra has conducted ballet technique Master classes all over the United States, as well as Singapore, Greece, Belgium, Israel, Mexico, Honduras, the Dance Center Conservatory in Prague, the Czech Republic, and most recently in ballet schools in East London and Cape Town, South Africa. Cassandra was featured in the Braun Buffel world-wide ad campaign, shot in Singapore during the 2003 Ballet Magnificat! tour. Cassandra and Jiri have three beautiful children Benjamin Isaiah, Maya Terezka, and Solomon Jeremiah.

Bio

Ms. Sol Maisonet was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At age 12 she started her training in classical ballet. Ms. Maisonet received many scholarships from the Puerto Rico Institute of Culture to continue training in Cuba and in New York City. Her instructors included Madame Maggie Black, Ramón Segarra, David Howard, Melissa Hayden, Juan Anduze, and José Pares.

For more than 25 years, Ms. Maisonet performed professionally as a Soloist and Principal Dancer with companies such as Ballet Puertorriqueño, Ballet Theatre of San Juan, Ballet Concierto, and Ballets of San Juan. In 1983, she was invited by the government of Colombia to perform as a Principal Dancer with the “Ballet Nacional of Colombia,” under Artistic Director Ramon Segarra. During her time there, she danced as the lead role in several original ballets choreographed especially for her, such as "Val’s of Ravel," Stravinsky’s "Firebird," "Symphony in Three Movements," and "Ciclos."

She performed principal roles in many classical ballets, including "The Nutcracker," "Les Sylphides," "Swan Lake," "Rites of Spring," "Tango Expectro," "The Merry Widow," George Balanchine’s "Rubies," "Serenade," "Who Cares."

In 1990 she was invited to represent Puerto Rico in Barcelona, Spain, at the 5th Iberoamerican Festival. Performing Cuban choreographer Petra Bravo’s piece, “Que Signo Lleva el Amor,” she became a finalist. In 1992, she joined recognized choreographer Gabry Christa from Holland and Gloria Llompart from Puerto Rico to found the dance company "Danzadentro."

In 1994 she once again represented Puerto Rico in Barcelona, this time with her own choreography, "Una Vez al Mes." Ms. Maisonet represented Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, performing in the Latin-American Dance Congress with Bravo's choreography, "Un Solo Dueto," and Gabry Christa's "Matutina.”

Ms. Sol Maisonet has taught classical ballet since 1977. She developed and enhanced the Dance Department Ballet Curriculum for the School of the Arts in Carolina, Puerto Rico and choreographed for several children’s musicals including “Lilipun” and “Aladdin.” She has been the Guest Master Teacher for Summer Intensives at San Augustine Conservatory of Dance in FL, Rejoice Dance Academy in MS, Ballet Aviv in LA, and Ballet 5:8 in IL. She has served as the Ballet Magnificat Trainee Program Director and the Ballet Magnificat II Artistic Director. From 2001-2011 she served at Ballet Magnificat! as the School of the Arts Principal and developed the Upper School Ballet syllabus which is still in use today. From 2011-2016, she served as adjunct Dance Faculty for Belhaven University and was the Dance Ministry Ensemble Artistic Director. In addition, she served as Rehearsal Director for the fall and spring Belhaven dance concerts. She has trained many successful professional dancers during her career.

Currently, Ms. Maisonet is the Ballet Mistress for Ballet Magnificat! Company and School of the Arts, and is a Rehearsal Director and Master Teacher for the Trainee Company.

Bio

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 also 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.

Bio

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", where it 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.

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 and these pieces include: 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 head basketball coach at Vabderbilt 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.

BIO

Cortne Robinson is originally from Long Beach, California. She began her classical ballet training at the age of twelve, at Long Beach Ballet under the directorship of David Wilcox, and danced there for 7 years. When Cortne was 14 she was asked to join His Grace Dance Ministry, under directorship of Shani Englert. Throughout her training She attended Ballet Magnificat!’s Summer dance Intensive. In 2009, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi to join Ballet Magnificat!’s Trainee Program. Cortne was promoted to Apprentice with Ballet Magnificat! Omega in 2011. She went on to be promoted to Senior Apprentice in 2012, Company Artist in 2013, and Asisstant Artistic Director in 2017. Cortne held that position until she retired from the Company in July 2023.

Cortne joined the Trainee Faculty in September 2023, and is using the experience she gained during her career as a professional dancer to instruct the next generation!

Bio

BIO COMING SOON!