Faculty
 Andrea Faulkner’s ballet training includes Corpus Christi Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Pittsburg Youth Ballet, and the Tuzerdancenter in Dallas, TX. She was a recipient of a dance scholarship at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Andrea is a former professional dancer with Ballet Magnificat and also served as the lower school director at Ballet Magnificat. She is a former faculty member of The Northshores School of Dance in Covington, LA and The Springs City Ballet School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Andrea is currently the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company’s Apprentice teacher. |
 Sarah Medawar grew up in North Alabama, and started her ballet training at Huntsville Ballet School. She attended summer intensive programs at Nashville Ballet, ABT North Carolina, the Rock School for Dance Education and Richmond Ballet. Upon graduating from high school, Sarah started as a trainee with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia. While there, she performed in Stoner Winslett’s Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sleeping Beauty. Sarah’s career then shifted as she accepted a position at Louisville Ballet in Kentucky as part of their studio company. She had opportunities in productions such as Val Caniparoli’s Brown-Forman Nutcracker, Alun Jones’s Cinderella, Ronald Hynd’s Merry Widow and Robert Curran’s Giselle. Sarah returned to Huntsville Ballet Company to dance professionally. She danced and taught in the school for 3 seasons. She retired performing the Fairy Godmother in Phillip Otto’s Cinderella in 2023. Sarah is now married and moved to Jackson where she is excited to be back in the studio! |
 Lisa Hess Jones was born in Amarillo, Texas. She received her early training from her parents, Neil and Camille Hess.
At the age of 10 years old she was the youngest dancer to receive a scholarship to study at The San Francisco Ballet School. She trained with Harold Christiansen, Anatole Vilzak, and Ludmilla Schollar. She also received scholarships to study at Harkness Ballet School working with David Howard and Ben Stevenson, American Ballet Theatre School, and School of American Ballet. At School of American Ballet, she trained with Alexandra Danilova, Felia Doubrovska, Stanley Williams, and Suki Schorer. While a student at SAB Miss Hess was chosen to perform with Rudolph Nureyev at the Uris Theatre in George Balanchine’s “ Apollo “! In 1975 she was invited by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet. While a member of the corps de ballet, Miss Hess was chosen by Mr. Balanchine to dance the role of The Sugar Plum Fairy and The Dewdrop Fairy in the production of “ The Nutcracker. “ She was promoted to soloist in 1983 and danced principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Bart Cook, and Peter Martins. She also appeared as a soloist in the filming of Bournonville Divertissements, staged by Stanley Williams. She appeared with Peter Martins and Patricia McBride in Ruth Page’s The Merry Widow. Ms. Hess-Jones also toured with Peter Martins and Mikhail Baryshnikov. As a Guest Artist, she appeared throughout the United States, Australia, and Asia. In 1987 she followed her husband to Texas where she joined the Fort Worth Ballet as Principal Dancer under the direction of Nannette Glushak and Michele Rand. After leaving her career as a dancer in order to start a family, Mrs. Hess focused on her interest in choreography. She received an invitation to participate in the Carlisle Project directed by Barbara Weisberger, founder of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Her work with the project was showcased in Philadelphia and Aspen, Colorado. Mrs. Hess has created works for The San Antonio Symphony, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Brigham Young University, West Texas State University, Ballet Theatre of Annapolis, Cumberland Dance Company, The Lonestar Ballet, Chamberlain Dance Company, and Lake Cities Ballet. Recently two of her ballets were chosen by the judges at the Youth America Grand Prix to be performed at the New York Finals. Currently Mrs. Hess freelances as a choreographer, ballet teacher, and competition coach. She and her husband, Wayne Jones, are active in their community and church congregation, and the lives of their two adult sons and one wonderful daughter in law. |
 Ellie Saget began her dance training at MMB/MMDA where she first fell in love with ballet. She later moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and began training at Mobile Ballet under the direction of Winthrop Corey. During her time there, she performed in leading roles in numerous classical ballets, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia, and Dracula. Throughout high school years, Ellie furthered her training by attending summer intensive programs with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Alabama Ballet. She then attended Mississippi State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering. While in college, she continued sharing her passion for dance as a ballet instructor at Classical Ballet of Mobile and Boardtown Dance of Starkville. After returning to the Jackson area, Ellie works as a Senior Clinical Specialist with Abbott Electrophysiology. She is thrilled to be back at MMB, where her love for dance first began, and looks forward to sharing the artistry, discipline, and joy that dance has brought to her life. |
 Hallie Young‘s love for dance began at just three years old when she started training at Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy. At eight years old, she joined the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company, where she trained for many years, performed in a variety of classical and contemporary productions, and had the opportunity to dance as a soloist. Hallie’s favorite role while performing with MMB was the role of Dorothy in Charles Maple’s production The Wizard Of Oz which she performed her senior year.Hallie is a recent graduate of Mississippi State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with minors in Marketing and Chemistry. While at Mississippi State, she was a member of the Mississippi State Dance Team for three years, performing at football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball games and representing the university at national competitions.In addition to performing, Hallie has a passion for teaching and mentoring young dancers. Through the Mississippi State Dance Team, she helped lead clinics for dancers of all ages, teaching technique, choreography, and performance skills, and helping young dancers build confidence both on and off the dance floor. She is so excited to be back at MMDA, where her love for dance first began, and looks forward to sharing that same joy with the next generation of dancers. |
  Professional hip-hop dancer/choreographer Roger L. Long and dancer/vocalist Tena Long, also known as the power-duo of hip-hop, have been collaborating for over seven years. They are known as the innovators behind the Choreorobics Dance-Off! Dance athletics training program that was started in 2001 as the first, and now is the longest-running, hip-hop training program in the state. Both have been certified as group fitness instructors through Interactive Fitness Trainers of America (IFTA). |