Alabama Ballet Staff
Alabama ballet
CHRISTOPHER STUART
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Christopher Stuart, originally from Sandy Hook, CT, was first introduced to the Arts by his grandmother, who frequently took him to see performances of all types of ballet and musical theatre. This was where Christopher first fell in love with the stage. He began his formal training with Steve Sirico, Angela D’valda Sirico, Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens, and now with a child of his own, he understands why the arts are so important to enriching our community, especially its children.
JENNY MANN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Jenny Mann, Executive Director, joined the Alabama Ballet in November of 2024. Before joining AB, she served as President and Executive Director of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Executive Director of Tuscaloosa Symphony, and enjoyed a 15-year career with The University of Alabama as Associate Professor of Bassoon, Chamber Music, and Arts Administration. A passionate educator and administrator, Jenny has over 30 years of experience in teaching and developing education/outreach programs. She specializes in fundraising, organizational capacity building, and collaborative engagement. In addition to her career in leadership, Jenny also published the text, "Teaching Woodwinds: Bassoon" with Mountain Peak Music and three recordings with the renowned Cavell Trio. Jenny holds a BMA from Baylor with a PK-12 Teaching Certification, MM and DMA degrees from The University of Texas at Austin.
Roger VanFleteren
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Roger VanFleteren, Associate Artistic Director, is a native of Michigan where he began his training at the age of twelve with Charmaine Shick. VanFleteren is a former American Ballet Theater soloist and also performed as a principal dancer with the London City Ballet. VanFleteren has performed in repertoire by Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and danced the title role in Agnes De Mille’s last ballet, “The Other”.
jon upleger
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Jon Upleger began his formal training under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener at the Virginia School of the Arts. Upon graduation, he joined Nashville Ballet in 2000. During his time at Nashville Ballet, Upleger has performed roles from such varied repertoire as Romeo inRomeo & Juliet, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming in Cinderella, the Sugar Plum Cavalier in Nashville’s Nutcracker and Dracula in Paul Vasterling’s Dracula.
NATALIE HUNT
ALABAMA BALLET SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Roger VanFleteren, Associate Artistic Director, is a native of Michigan where he began his training at the age of twelve with Charmaine Shick. VanFleteren is a former American Ballet Theater soloist and also performed as a principal dancer with the London City Ballet. VanFleteren has performed in repertoire by Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and danced the title role in Agnes De Mille’s last ballet, “The Other”.
CHLOE BOWEN
PR & MARKETING MANAGER
A Birmingham native, Chloe Bowen joined Alabama Ballet in 2021 as PR & Marketing Manager. She attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and graduated from The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Before finding her place in the arts, Chloe worked in marketing for a global company, but she was drawn to the non-profit world in search of more meaningful, people-centered work. At Alabama Ballet, she oversees public relations and marketing initiatives, working to grow audiences, strengthen community engagement, and share the company’s story. Chloe is passionate about making ballet accessible across Alabama and loves contributing to the vibrant cultural life of her hometown.
david page
PRODUCTION MANAGER
David Page is an award winning Lighting Designer and multi-disciplinary Creative Artist with 20+ years of experience in the theatre and over 80 design credits throughout the course of his career. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Alabama and currently serves as the Stage Electrics Coordinator for the Department of Theatre at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as well as the Production Manager for the Alabama Ballet. His extremely versatile experience includes a unique blend of design, programming, and technical expertise that spans across the country, including regional theatre, summerstock, concert venues, arenas, universities, Off-Broadway, and Broadway productions. Lately David has channeled his experience into the classroom. He has taught workshops, guest lectures, and full courses at The University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and other schools and non-profits on the subjects of Lighting Design, Principles of Design, Stagecraft, Sound Design, Scenic Design, Production Practicum, and Introduction to Automated Lighting and Programming. David is a member of IATSE Local 78 and also worked regularly with Local 1 before moving to Birmingham, Alabama where he currently lives with his incredible wife of 17 years and their amazing 9 year old son.
ALEXANDRA UPLEGER
day program coordinator company teacher & coach
Alexandra Upleger trained in Ohio under Ana Lobe until 2008 when she joined Nashville Ballet. She danced with the company until 2018, during which time she performed principal roles in Nashville’s Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Dracula, Peter Pan, Cinderella and Western Symphony. She also performed leading rolesin ballets by Christopher Bruce and Jiri Kylian and had the pleasure of working with Christopher Wheeldon, Brian Enos, Darrell Moultrie, Gina Patterson, James Sewell and Christopher Stuart.
isabella cowles
school director of curriculum
Isabella began her classical ballet training through the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and under the direction of Arlene Larson in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has taken and earned Distinction on every RAD examination which led to her competing as a semi-finalist in the 2014 Genée International Ballet Competition, held in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2015, she earned her Solo Seal Award in Toronto, Canada, this being the highest recognized dance award in the RAD community. Isabella has been teaching ballet for nine years. Early in her teaching career, she earned her RAD Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies upon completing a two-year program with intense syllabus and teaching mentorship. As a registered RAD teacher, Isabella is now honored to become the Director of Curriculum at the Alabama Ballet School.