Anna Wiley

Anna originally hails from rural Georgia, where she began her dance training at the age of six. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Samford University, and since her graduation, she has taught and performed in Georgia, Maryland, and here in Lancaster. In high school, she studied at Lafayette Center for Dance, under Amy Carter Orr and master teacher Terrell Paulk. She has performed principal and soloist roles in full-length classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as original ballets such as The Wizard of Oz. She takes a keen interest in dance history, and as a part of her senior capstone project in college, she wrote, choreographed, and performed in an original play based on the life of Anna Pavlova. For this production, she was granted permission by the Mikhail Fokine Estate Archive to stage “The Dying Swan,” reconstructed from surviving footage of Pavlova’s performances in the 1920s. Anna has previously taught dance and acting classes with Lafayette Center for Dance and the Springer Theatre Academy in Columbus, Georgia. Anna believes that artists have a responsibility to pass on their knowledge to the next generation, and is passionate about sharing the joy of dance, and encouraging young artists in their abilities. She hopes to teach her students not only to love ballet, but to believe in themselves, and to use their gifts and talents to serve others, for the glory of the Lord.