Artistic Director
Jenny collins flatford
Jenny Collins Flatford, artistic director and soloist with ORCBA, made her directorial debut with the 2025 production of "Giselle". She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Tennessee. Jenny performed with the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association for over 30 years before officially joining the artistic staff in the spring of 2021 working alongside Molly Quist, Katrina Rouse and Courtney Quist. She studied under the direction of Molly Quist, Sharon Cousins, Julia Moisseeva, Stacy Calvert, and Buff Edmonds, among many others. She was an annual participant in the former Knoxville City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker under the direction of Marcello Angelini working closely with Moscelyne Larkin as a Party Girl from 1994 to 1999. Over the years, she participated in several 3-week ballet summer intensive workshops, which included the Roanoke Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Roanoke, Virginia; the Tulsa Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and the University of South Carolina Summer Intensive in Columbia, South Carolina.
She has danced the roles of Clara, Spanish Soloist, Arabian Princess, Dew Drop Fairy, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Bluebird and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty; Cinderella in Cinderella; and Black Swan and White Swan in Swan Lake. Some of her favorite variations include the Ribbon Dance from La Fille Mal Gardée, Kitri's 3rd act variation from Don Quixote, and Ramonda's Act III variation six from Ramonda. Her first stage production was ORCBA’s spring 2025 production of Giselle. She has helped to foster the uncompromising artistry of the region's longest existing dance charter in the state of Tennessee, and looks forward to sharing the love for the artistry throughout the community.
She has danced the roles of Clara, Spanish Soloist, Arabian Princess, Dew Drop Fairy, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Bluebird and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty; Cinderella in Cinderella; and Black Swan and White Swan in Swan Lake. Some of her favorite variations include the Ribbon Dance from La Fille Mal Gardée, Kitri's 3rd act variation from Don Quixote, and Ramonda's Act III variation six from Ramonda. Her first stage production was ORCBA’s spring 2025 production of Giselle. She has helped to foster the uncompromising artistry of the region's longest existing dance charter in the state of Tennessee, and looks forward to sharing the love for the artistry throughout the community.
ARTISTIC STAFF
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Elaina Cordray is from Knoxville, TN and grew up dancing with the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association. During her time at ORCBA she performed several classical works including The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. During her high school years, she spent her summers training at the Nashville Ballet, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Boston Ballet. At these intensives she had the opportunity to work with many renowned choreographers and directors including Julia Eisen, Michelle Gifford, and Miranda Weese. She was also a 2022 scholarship recipient of the Anthony Quinn Foundation and the Dancing Angels Foundation. Elaina is enjoying her second season as a company member of the Georgia Ballet, under the direction of Daet Rodriguez, where she has performed in productions of Sleepy Hollow, The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland and Dracula.
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Kaia Johnson is a Knoxville, TN native who was introduced to dance at the age of three. Her early dance education began at the Tennessee Conservatory of Fine Arts under the direction of Gwendolyn Johnson Delaney. Kaia received a well-rounded dance education by being equally exposed to both the concert and commercial sides of the artform. Her passion for dance drove her to train extensively with the Orlando Ballet School, under the direction of Phillip Broomhead, as well as with the Commercial Dance Intensive, under the direction of Casey Noblett. As Kaia’s passion for dance grew, she pursued dance at the highest level, attending Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA as a dance major with a minor in education. At Point Park, Kaia trained with world-renowned faculty including Kiki Lucas, Susan Stowe, Marc
Spaulding, Rocker Verastique, and Girard Holt, before graduating summa cum laude in the spring of 2025. Kaia is passionate about inspiring young dancers and is currently completing her Master of Arts degree in Dance Education through Point Park University. Kaia is eager to return to her beloved home state of Tennessee, where she can impart her expertise and love of dance to the next generation of dancers in East Tennessee. |