FACULTY
Regine Metayer, Academy Director
Regine has an impressive background in dance, starting her training in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, at the Haitian-American Academy of Ballet & Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Florida State University and has performed extensively with various notable dance companies in Florida and New York City.
Her dance education spans Classical Ballet, Horton, Graham, Jazz, Contemporary, and African-based dance studies. After her time at FSU, she further honed her skills at Ballet Hispanico in NYC and performed with several esteemed companies including Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre, Boracha Dance Ministry, Tallahassee Ballet Company, Dance Continuum, Albano Ballet, Ballet NY, Brooklyn Ballet Company, and Staten Island Ballet.
Regine's career continued to flourish when she joined Ballethnic Dance Company in East Point, Georgia, performing there for seven seasons. She also contributed as a Guest dancer with Collage Dance Collective in Memphis, Tennessee, and performed as a principal dancer with World Ballet under Henry Hernandez and Dr. Elizabeth Delancy in Tallahassee, FL. Her journey also includes roles as a soloist with City Gate Dance Theater starting in 2012.
Regine Metayer's influence in the dance community extends far beyond her performance career. As the Artistic Director and founder of Metayer Conservatory for the Arts, she has established a platform dedicated to nurturing young talent and promoting artistic growth. Her role as Ballet Mistress spans multiple prestigious organizations including Fusion Dance Company, City Gate Dance Theater and Gwinnett Ballet Theatre. She plays a pivotal role in guiding these companies, ensuring high standards of dance education and performance.
In 2017, Regine Metayer was recognized as one of five national Visiting Fellows at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City. During her fellowship, she contributed to diversity initiatives within the school, emphasizing her commitment to promoting inclusivity and expanding opportunities within the ballet community. This role highlights her advocacy for diversity in dance education and her active involvement in shaping the future of ballet training in America.
In addition to her leadership roles, Regine is a certified Pilates, Progressing Ballet Training and fitness instructor, as well as a personal trainer, emphasizing holistic physical conditioning for dancers and individuals alike. Her versatility is further demonstrated through her teaching and choreography engagements both domestically and internationally, collaborating with various studios and dance companies worldwide.
Regine Metayer's multifaceted contributions underscore her dedication to fostering dance excellence, promoting fitness and wellness, and enriching the cultural landscape through her artistic endeavors. Her impact resonates deeply within the dance community, inspiring aspiring dancers and professionals alike.
Zoey Banell
Zoey is a devoted dancer, educator, and visionary leader with a lifelong passion for the art of dance. From the age of three, she immersed herself in the world of dance, mastering multiple genres with a profound dedication to classical ballet. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Zoey’s journey has been shaped by prestigious institutions such as Mobile Ballet and Watershed Dance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, where she refined her artistry and technical expertise.
Her commitment to dance extends beyond performance—Zoey has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of artists. She has shared her knowledge across various studios and programs within the MCPSS school system, leaving a lasting impact on the local dance community. As the director and ballet instructor at Bayshore Ballet Academy in Fairhope, Alabama, she has elevated the academy’s artistic vision, leading stunning productions of beloved classics like The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty with creativity, precision, and grace.
Beyond the studio, Zoey is deeply committed to cultivating a thriving arts community—one where dance is not just taught but cherished as a vehicle for discipline, self-expression, and empowerment. Through her teaching, directing, and advocacy, she continues to inspire dancers of all backgrounds, fostering a legacy of passion, excellence, and artistic integrity.
Tyra Jackson
Ike-Asogwa
Tyra is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of INNERGY, a Black woman–led dance company dedicated to amplifying Black voices and bringing transformative dance to underserved communities. A Mobile, Alabama native, Tyra is a visionary choreographer, educator, and curator whose work bridges cultural preservation and contemporary performance with over 15 years of professional experience. A graduate of NYU Tish Dance and The University of Alabama, Tyra has trained, performed, created and directed with leading industry professionals from The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre to the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.
As Co-Artistic Director, Tyra has led INNERGY to receive more than $100,000 in grants and awards, touring their celebrated evening-length work New Moon across Alabama and producing programs that create professional opportunities for rising artists in the South. Under her leadership, INNERGY has become a vital force in cultivating innovative dance experiences and illuminating pathways for Black and marginalized dancers in Alabama and beyond.
A 2023 Alabama Dance Fellow and Dance/USA National Dance Fellow Finalist, Tyra is also the founding director of the dance program at the Floretta P. Carson School of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy, Alabama’s first and only tuition-free performing arts school. She holds an MFA in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, has completed all levels of the Horton Pedagogy Training Program and Progressing Ballet Technique, and earned her undergraduate degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of Alabama, where she performed and with the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and choreographed with Dance Alabama where she received the Eddie Barnes Award for Choreography.
Her choreographic voice has been featured internationally—most notably in Italy, where she toured with Toscana Dance Hub and premiered Solitary Constraints at the Florence Dance Festival. Tyra has performed with Philadanco! DII, ClancyWorks Dance Company, Jocelyn Isaac’s UP! Project, and Dayo n Dance, and has trained with renowned artists including Princess Mhoon, Hope Boykin, Milton Myers, Joan Myers Brown, Sean Curran, and Bill T. Jones.
Praised by BringItBlack.com for her stage presence —“She commits to each moment… a face that could’ve put a hurricane in its place” (Cleavon Meabon)—Tyra continues to bring her passion for storytelling and movement to the forefront of American dance. Through INNERGY, she is shaping a bold future for dance that honors cultural legacy while propelling the art form forward.
Veronica Ramirez Casanova
Veronica was born in Cali, Colombia, where she began her dance training at the age of 10 at the Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet (INCOLBALLET) under the artistic direction of Gloria Castro Martinez. In 2007, she graduated as a professional ballet dancer and launched her career with the Compañía Colombiana de Ballet (CCB), where she danced as a soloist for a decade.
Throughout her career, Veronica has performed a variety of principal roles in ballets such as Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Paquita, Carmina Burana, and many others. Her versatility extends to modern and contemporary works, collaborating with renowned choreographers like Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Jorge Amarante.
In addition, Veronica has toured internationally, performing in Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras. She has also danced at international festivals in Cali and Bogotá (Colombia) as well as Tabasco and Campeche (Mexico), sharing the stage with internationally recognized dancers such as Viengsay Valdés.
In 2017, Veronica transitioned into a teaching role at the Compañía Colombiana de Danza Contemporánea, where she began mentoring the next generation of dancers. Her journey led her to Orlando, Florida, in 2018, where she joined Emotions Dance Company for two seasons.
Veronica became part of Ballet Pensacola in 2020, when she was promoted to principal dancer of the professional company, performing leading roles. She also participated in Pensacola Opera’s musical theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. Since 2023, Veronica has been an integral part of Ballet Pensacola’s artistic staff, serving as Assistant to the Artistic Director and Rehearsal Assistant for the Professional Company for two seasons.
In 2025, she was appointed Company Director of the Professional Company and staged Don Quixote for the spring production to conclude the 2024/2025 season. Alongside her leadership responsibilities, Veronica is a dedicated teacher for advanced students at the Ballet Pensacola Academy and manages the Pre-Professional Program division.
Veronica complements her experience with certifications in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and Cuban Ballet School methodology. She also attended the CPYB teachers’ workshops at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet during the summers of 2023 and 2024. Most recently, Veronica was selected as a 2025–2026 National Visiting Fellow with the School of American Ballet (SAB).
Audrey Martin
Audrey studied many forms of dance from ages 3 to 11 at Debbie’s School of Dance and was on the competition team. At age 11 she moved to Mobile Ballet in order to put more focus on ballet and joined the studio company at age 16 and was a member until she graduated high school. She studied ballet, jazz, and modern from ages 12-18 at Dunbar Creative and Performing Arts Magnet School and WP Davidson High School under the direction of Lori Bilbrey Vaghefi, Sheila Goodrich, and Angela Dussoy. She was accepted into Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and was 17 when she spent her first summer training there.
In January of 2013, Audrey moved to NYC to train full time at Joffrey Ballet School where she graduated with a certificate of dance. She has taught jazz and ballet classes at Dunbar and WP Davidson High School. She has performed in several musicals, such as Beauty and the Beast (Playhouse in the Park), High School Musical 2 (Playhouse in the Park), and Give My Regards to Broadway (WP Davidson), and Nunsense (Chickasaw Community Theater) and many classical ballet works, such as The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and Viva Vivaldi, a Cunningham Event,
Le Corsaire, Le Sylphide, Don Quixote and many other small works.
Audrey danced with Ballet Theater of Maryland for six seasons and finished her last year of professional career dancing with Full Circle Dance Company and Misako Ballet Company. She has been teaching for nine years, four of which were at Ballet Theater of Maryland teaching all ages and all styles of dance.
Maggie Boudreaux
Magdalene began her ballet training with Broadway South in Mobile, Alabama at the age of three. The following year, she moved to Mobile Ballet where she performed in two productions of The Nutcracker as a baby mouse and a doll. In 2017, Magdalene joined Classical Ballet of Mobile in its opening year, where she has since continued to learn and perform under the guidance of Pamela Thompson, Jacqueline Bodet-Stepan, Oksana Kozhanova, Jeffrey Cain, Rebecca Davis Brown, Brennan Smith, and Lilli Etheredge. She was accepted into the Classical Ballet of Mobile Company at the age of 12, and has performed in numerous productions, including roles as Cleopatra (Walpurgis Night), Autumn Fairy (Cinderella), Candide Fairy (Sleeping Beauty), Columbine Doll (The Nutcracker), Lead Trepak (The Nutcracker), Sorceress and Town Girl in Mobile Opera’s Le Villi, and many roles as a core dancer, which she is especially fond of. She has attended several summer intensives at CPYB and Classical Ballet of Mobile. Magdalene has enjoyed working with young dancers since she began serving as a teacher’s assistant in pre-ballet and summer camp classes at the age of 11.
Chelle Ferguson
Chelle has dedicated her life to a sport that was ignited as a passion at a young age. With over 30 years of experience as a gymnastics coach, she began her journey as a gymnast, transitioning to coaching at the age of 15. She also embraced cheerleading and dance during high school, maintaining a commitment to gymnastics throughout her life.
Chelle’s career evolved into fitness and wellness, where she served as a group fitness coordinator and personal trainer for over 15 years, all while continuing to coach gymnastics. This dual focus on gymnastics and fitness has allowed her to develop a comprehensive approach to training.
Inspired by her daughter, who followed in her footsteps to become a competitive gymnast, Chelle traveled along the Gulf Coast, supporting journey in various gyms across the Eastern Shore and Mobile, Alabama. This experience led her to establish her own small competitive gymnastics team in Mobile, designed to allow multi-sport athletes to compete while pursuing their diverse interests.
In addition to gymnastics, she is also a certified yoga instructor. She integrates yoga practices into her training regimen across all sports, believing it enhances flexibility, focus, and overall well-being for athletes of all ages.
The mission of Classical Ballet of Mobile, Inc., is to inspire a lasting love and appreciation for ballet through superb training, artistic excellence, and performance opportunities, while adhering to the highest ethical standards and practices.” CBM’s students will have opportunities to train at a high level, to gain performance experience, to participate in outreach service within our community, and to become eligible to dance with the company in the future. CBM’s faculty represents many years of training at high levels, performance experience, and teaching.