Whenever someone asks me whether I think of myself as an actor, singer, or dancer… I’m not sure how to respond. The truth of it is, I am a performer, a storyteller, an artist, and not just the 3 words that casting agents are worried about. If you ask my mom though, she will tell you I came out of the womb dancing. It is the area I would consider myself to have the most training in, but definitely not the normal dance studio education you probably have pictured.

 

Early years

Growing up I had two VHS tapes I watched over and over again; Cats and Riverdance. There are many home videos of little me dancing around the living room, eyes glued to the tv, imitating every cat like move, or Irish dance step I could manage. By some miracle, my mom found a small Irish dance troupe in my hometown, Birmingham, AL, and I started my path to be the next Jean Butler. After a few years, I ended up competing all over the country, going to Oireachtas twice. Then, and this is how 10 year old me remembers it, the coaches told my parents that if I wanted to keep moving up, I’d have to quit school and move to Atlanta. (or drive every other day for classes) Honestly, I was pretty thrilled about the first part… but my parents obviously said no since I am not a world champion Irish dancer today… 
So I tried the “Cats” world instead. I took baby ballet for a few years, but when there were no more colorful dots on the floor and the teacher made us stand at the barre the whole class- the younger version of me who didn’t understand the necessary practice and hard work it takes to succeed at anything was…out. It was around this time that my Grandparents started taking me to shows like Singin’ in the Rain, and Ragtime; I was hooked. So I switched gears to musical theatre. My first role was “preamble solo” in the production Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. at 11 years old. It was clear from a young age that I liked to perform, and I cannot express how grateful I am for parents and family who supported my venture into the Arts. I grew up performing in shows and anywhere I had the chance; at the Birmingham community centers, nursing homes, school, summer camps, Walt Disney World, community theatres, and even one show with “paid adults”. (I remember thinking that was so cool.) Thank you to my mom who drove me to pretty much every rehearsal, show, dinner, cast party, and everything else.

 

Academic Years

In high school, I put theater on hold to focus on dance team. (This is why I mentioned my not so average studio dance training) Before I went into try outs my freshman year I couldn’t do fouettés or pirouettes, I had no technique. The decision to let me on the team changed my life. We had dance during the school day, with after school practice every day. I gained some of my best friends to this day through this dance program and by Senior year, I was on the Varsity team, voted a co-captain, had performed on the Alabama and Auburn football fields (thanks to our state championship football team), won a state championship of our own, competed at UDA and NDA Nationals in Disney and Universal, and had been in the group of extra fouetté turners in the competition dance.
Meanwhile, all of my educators worked with each other to let me do the Spring musicals, choir competitions and concerts, Senior Beauty Walk, voice lessons, National Thespian Festival, Alabama State Trumbauer, and so much more. (Thank you Mrs. Jones, and Ms. Mayhall) I look back on this time and truly don’t know how I did it all.
College, on the other hand, was difficult to say the least. It was my first time seeing that mental health was something that wasn’t just fixed by a big move. I auditioned for only one musical theatre program.. so I’m glad I got into, and went to the University of Central Florida, even if only for a semester. After tearing knee cartilage at dance practice, I withdrew from college and spent the next Spring working as an Attractions Ride Operator in Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (My parents met working at Disney on the Disney college program, so it was only right I ended up there for a bit.) The next Fall I transferred to Auburn University as a Music Education major and was a member of the AU Singers.(I could go on and on about this group, I met my fiancé through Singers, and have performed in Rome, Italy, Montreal, and NYC during my time in the choir.) I had a good community but still felt I was missing something.

 

Professional Career

In 2018 everything changed, I was cast as Roxie Hart in Auburn’s production of Chicago, and I booked my first professional summer stock job with Red Mountain Theatre Company. We learned Beauty and the Beast and Mamma Mia at the same time.. I felt thrown into the deep end, but loved every second of it. The way that high school dance team taught me dance technique, is the way Red Mountain taught me theatrical technique. I’ve spent every summer with them since 2018 (except 2020, of course) and in 2023 I was trusted to be the dance captain for two of their main stage productions; Bright Star (Ensemble/Margo Understudy - dir. and choreo. Roy Lightner), and Shrek the Musical (Ensemble/Fiona Understudy - dir. Roy Lightner, Choreo. Sara Brians).
In between Summers, I’ve been working at professional theatres locally: Birmingham Children’s Theatre and Virginia Samford Theatre; and Regionally: Springer Opera House, and The Legacy Theatre. I also spent a year portraying "Libby Liberty" for schools across the state of Alabama with the Liberty Learning Program. I have found that children's theatre and working with kids are some of the most rewarding, and memorable theatrical expericenes. Tiny humans are our future, and they need theatre!

 

SEC Shorts

​In 2019, I got very lucky while in rehearsals for "A Year with Frog and Toad" at the Birmingham Children's Theatre. My dresser for the show, and good friend, Leah Luker, couldn’t make it to one of her regular shoots with a group called “SEC Shorts” and gave them my name and number. I had seen a few of their videos and knew they were a big deal, but looking back I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I guess I should mention here that I do actually like football. I grew up watching the Alabama Crimson Tide with my Dad (Yes I went to Auburn, it’s complicated), and since I had to be at every football game for dance team, and our football team was good- I liked football! I had enough knowledge to understand most of the jokes for the videos, and I’ve been a member of the team ever since. Through SEC Shorts I’ve gotten to do some of the craziest things I never could’ve dreamt of: being in a National commercial with Kirk Herbstreit, performing in live shows for 2500+ people, portraying a character that ended up signing autographs at the 2021 BCS National Championship, and playing multiple parts in multiple YouTube/Facebook/X videos with millions of views….. about football! Robert Clay and Josh Snead are among the most creative, quick witted, amazing people i've ever met and I'm grateful they've kept me in the family. 
While getting to be in those videos has been extremely cool, there is nothing like performing in a show.. and the SEC boys now know what I mean. Since our first live show in 2022, SEC Shorts LIVE! has had shows in College Station, TX (Texas A&M University) , Athens, GA, (The Morton Theatre, The Classic Center), and Birmingham, AL (The Alabama Theatre). It brings me so much joy to watch my friends make audiences roar (or hiss.. @TAMU), especially the friends I never thought would get to share a stage with.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve recently found my why… as in why I must perform, must continue to see live theatre, and why live theatre must continue to exist. Theatre has the power to transport people to places they can feel safe enough to explore and heal their trauma in ways they might not expect, or have known they needed. It gives people the ability to escape the reality of their own world but also look for, or find parts of themselves in moments of that escape. Before every show I get to be in, when the curtain speech or Overture is playing, I think/pray/meditate/whatever you want to call it on “Please help me tell this story for the one person who needs to hear it tonight” (or “afternoon” but Matinees are the worst and I hate them.) I’ve come to the revelation that we really aren’t just singers, dancers, and actors, we are healers too.
So many things have had to come together in just the right way for me to have had all of these incredible experiences and I’m beyond grateful I get to do what I love for a living, even if I’m not a world championship Irish dancer ;)
 

 

 

 Some of the best advice I’ve recieved was something along the lines of “do everything and anything because you never know what will come of it”. Since 2018, I have tried to live by that, and it has served me well. So on that note.. let's connect! 

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