Lauren Anderson
Houston Ballet
Ms. Anderson trained at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy from the age of 7. She joined Houston Ballet in 1983 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1990. Ms. Anderson was the first African-American principal dancer at Houston Ballet and one of the few African-American ballerinas at the head of a major ballet company anywhere in the world. She has danced leading roles in all of the classical ballets and received critical acclaim across the world. Some of her accomplishments; Dance Magazine, People magazine, Pointe magazine, A&E Breakfast w/Arts, CBS Sunday Morning, and the game show “To Tell the Truth.” Lauren is very excited to be a part of the 2008 summer ballet faculty at The Link and so are we!
Caleb Mitchell
Caleb Mitchell’s early ballet training was under Rosemarie Floyd in Royal Oak, MI. After studying in England with the Cecchetti Society, he received the first-ever Rita Emerson Award for Outstanding Talent and was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Arizona under Melissa Lowe and Jory Hancock. Graduating cum laude (BFA) he received the 1998 Creative Achievement Award for Outstanding Talent and joined the Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson. Mr. Mitchell has performed many featured classical and contemporary roles with world-renowned choreographers. Caleb’s choreographic projects are 9 by 4,Testament; (2005) Mourning’s Comfort, Truth or Consequences (2006) The Infallible Vow (Dvorzak Masterworks) Joy (Bach-Masterworks); and (2007) The Living Stone. Pursuing his MFA at UC-Irvine, he is a member of the Summit Church in Irvine, CA.
Judy Milner
Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre
Judy Milner began studying dance at the age of 10 under Clifford Fears. At age 17, she was a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York for nine years. Judy has performed with many world-renowned professional performers and instructors, including Carol Morisseau, Tommy Gomez, Judith Jamison and Katherine Dunham. Judy has worked with many notable artists in the secular and Christian/gospel worlds such as Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, and Marvin L. Winans. She is a recent graduate of Marygrove College where she received the Mary Ellen Riordan Outstanding Future Educator Award. She is currently Dance Director of Vision Arts Ministries and a member of Perfecting Church in Detroit with Marvin Winans, Sr. Pastor.
Steven Rooks
Martha Graham Dance Company
Steve Rooks began his dance training in Washington D.C. with Jan Van Dyke and Greg Reynolds, after graduating with honors from Dartmouth College. He continued his training in New York City as a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in the summer of 1981, and was a Principal Dancer with the company until 1991. He portrayed Joseph in the 1996 International Christmas Television Special of Billy Graham Ministries and in May 1997 appeared as a guest artist with the Great Day Chorale in their performance at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Rooks is currently Resident Choreographer and Associate Professor of Dance at Vassar College, and was a founding faculty member of the Dance Degree Program at Howard University. Mr. Rooks would like to thank Jesus Christ for all that has happened to him.
Anna Williams
Alabama Ballet
Anna Williams is from Tuscaloosa, AL, where she trained under Rebecca Tingle, Wes Chapman and Roger Van Fleteran. She joined the Alabama Ballet where she was featured as soloist and principal in many classical roles. She received a scholarship from New York City Dance Alliance and the Druid Arts Award for Dance in 1999. While at the University of Alabama, she received the Outstanding Dancer of the Year award in 2001. Anna taught at The Link from 2003 to 2007 while attending Wayne State University pursuing her goal of becoming a physical therapist. She now attends the University of Alabama and currently teaches ballet, tap and jazz at the Dance Centre. She will be attending graduate school in 2009 to receive her doctorate, but still plans on teaching for many years to come.
