Faith Luke of Moultrie is one of eight graduating seniors at South Georgia Ballet.

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — South Georgia Ballet would like to congratulate eight graduating seniors of 2017: Aubrey Brinkley, Madi Bruhn, Alejandra Daniel, Faith Luke, Christina Maggitas, Sydney Ellen Rawlings, Emily White and Katie Wise. Faith Luke is a Moultrie resident.

Luke began her dance career through the South Georgia Ballet Conservatory program offered in Moultrie on the square. She has most recently played the role of the Snow Queen in SGB’s performance of “The Nutcracker” and was cast as Captain Hook in this year’s spring performance of “Peter Pan.” Her funny personality and quick wit was demonstrated perfectly through her portrayal as Captain Hook, according to a press release from the ballet company.

“She has been an integral part of transforming many roles into beautiful productions orchestrated by South Georgia Ballet,” the release said. “Each dancer brings their own unique characteristic value to the roles they perform. From the moment the curtain opens and the music begins, audiences are drawn into the magic and level of professionalism that South Georgia Ballet provides. Countless hours are spent rehearsing to perfect the performance to engulf the audience into the world of the show such as this year’s performance of ‘Peter Pan.’”

Melissa June, artistic director, outreach education director and school director of SGB, commented, “These eight dancers hold a special place in my heart because when I first arrived at SGB, these girls really took me in and made me feel at home. I’m so proud of the dancers they have become but most importantly what fine young ladies they are.”

Founding Director Allison Bundrick contributed, “It has been such a joy to watch this group of talented seniors grow and mature into such poised young ladies. They embody everything that South Georgia Ballet Conservatory strives to teach: responsibility, dedication and the desire to strive for excellence. They have been wonderful role models for our students. I am so proud of them and look forward to all their future accomplishments.”

All of the seniors have traveled away attending various summer intensive programs and received additional training outside of the normal classroom setting. Several dancers will be attending Kennesaw State University in the fall. Out of only 25 dancers accepted as freshmen from the entire country into Kennesaw’s dance program, four are from South Georgia Ballet.

These ladies have been dancing with SGB since they were in fourth grade and some have been dancing with South Georgia Ballet Conservatory since they were 3 years old.

All of the seniors recently graduated with honors and two are Governors’ Honor Program recipients. Only 14 were chosen from the entire state and two — Christina Maggitas and Sydney Ellen Rawlings — were from South Georgia Ballet.

Aubrey Brinkley will become a dance minor at University of Georgia, Madi Bruhn will be a pre-med student at University of Georgia, Alejandra Daniel will become a dance major at Kennesaw State University, Faith Luke will pursue dermatology at Mercer University, Christina Maggitas will become a dance major at Kennesaw University, Sydney Ellen Rawlings will become a dance major at Kennesaw State University, Emily White will become a dance major at Kennesaw State University and Katie Wise will study speech therapy at the University of Georgia.  

Each lady takes with them a memorable show, favorite characters and experiences they have received from being a part of SGB.

Aubrey Brinkley: My most memorable show was being the character of the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz.” I was not expecting to get that role and it was the first time I was a character performer. It opened my eyes to a different kind of dance. I realized how much I loved character driven roles and it pushed me to explore more character driven roles. I take with me the lesson of learning to push yourself to improve every day. As I graduate I realize how much I’ll miss dancing with my SGB family.

Madi Bruhn: I take with me the ability to accept criticism and improve from it. SGB has also taught me the importance of teamwork. Many attributes that are taught through dancing with a large group are attributes that will span many fields in the future.

Alejandra Daniel: I love the hard work and dedication that comes with dancing. My favorite role was the character of Dr. Facilier in “Princess and The Frog.” The experience challenges you to become a character that is outside of your normal personality. I will miss all the dance family and SGB relationships that I have developed over the years.

Faith Luke: Being able to dance at FSU was an outstanding opportunity for me. I have also enjoyed being able to dance with my best friends in the SGB family. I feel that my performance technique has peaked this year through all the training that has been provided. My favorite character was The Snow Queen in SGB’s performance of “The Nutcracker” and the opportunity to dance the duet of Billy Jean with my best friend, Christina in the performance of “Rock On,” was a truly memorable moment.  

Christina Maggitas: South Georgia Ballet has provided a fantastic opportunity to dance with my friends for so many years. It has been influential into to shaping me into the person I have become. A couple of my favorite characters have been “Peter Pan” this year and the challenge of portraying a frog that was a man in the performance of “Princess and The Frog.”

Sydney Ellen Rawlings: I am thankful for the many opportunities that SGB has provided to the dancers. The opportunity to fly during a performance was exciting and I look forward to adding that to my attributes and abilities. My most memorable performance was the opportunity to dance to live music in the “Rock On” performance. The discipline it requires to train for live music performances and flying is a valuable experience.

Emily White: SGB has taught me how to multitask and to strive for something you really want as well as how to take criticism and improve from it. My favorite performances were “The Swan Princess” and the 2016 performance of “The Nutcracker.” Those performances provided an opportunity to experience another side of myself that helped me expand my technique and determination.

Katie Wise: Being a part of the SGB team has taught me that hard work and dedication really does pay off. SGB is a family that welcomes anyone back home and I’m very thankful to have my dance family to come back to when I visit. My favorite performance was this year’s “Peter Pan.” It has been a lot of fun to work towards and perform.

South Georgia Ballet strives to instill valuable characteristics in its dancers that go well beyond the art of dance, the company’s press release said.

“They take with them the skills of leadership, teamwork, discipline, determination and the ability to reach beyond perceived self-boundaries to achieve something magical hidden within. These attributes are portrayed in each performance,” the release said.