Meet SDC

MEET SDC

Anna Foshee (Artistic Director) , graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in dance from the University of Alabama. After UA, Anna joined Sanspointe Dance Company (SDC) and has been working with the company since 2009. After performing with the company in multiple site-specific works, company tours and concert projects, Anna was named Artistic Director of SDC in 2015. Since 2015, Anna has led the company in three state tours, a site specific performance in collaboration with the metal arts residents at Sloss Furnace, SDC's first professional summer intensive and co-directed SDC's first dance for film, Things We Carry. Anna is a working dancer, teacher and choreographer throughout the state of Alabama. She is an adjunct professor in the theatre departments at Samford University and The University of Alabama at Birmingham and a teaching artist at The Dance Foundation. Anna lives in the Birmingham area with her husband and three awesome little boys.

Sara Wallace (Assistant Director) is from Toney, AL. She holds a BA in English and Dance from The University of Alabama. While at UA, she received the Edith Barnes Choreography Award and performed with the pre-professional company, Alabama Repertory Dance Theater, and the student-produced organization, Dance Alabama!. Sara is in her eighth season as a company member of Sanspointe Dance Company, where she regularly performs and choreographs. She was made the company’s Interim Artistic Director in August, 2015 and is now the Assistant Director. She has been a teacher with The Dance Foundation since 2012.

Meredith K. Cox, a native of Athens, Alabama, began dancing at age nine under the tutelage of Susan Fisher Nesbitt and Deborah Bailey. Upon graduating high school, she attended the University of Alabama receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Dance in 2009. While attending the university, she performed as a company member of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and choreographed and performed for the student organized Dance Alabama. Meredith received the honor of the Edith Barnes Award for choreography during her time at Alabama. She has attended the American Dance Festival and participated in summer intensives with Margi Cole and the Florida Youth Ballet. Meredith last performed with Sanspointe in 2009 and is excited to be back with the company!

Audrey Douglas grew up in Jackson, Mississippi where, after high school, she completed Ballet Magnificat’s Trainee Program. As a trainee, she had the opportunity to perform all over the Southeast as well as in Mexico and Honduras. Also in Jackson, she had the pleasure of dancing with Front Porch Dance Company and Kinetic Etchings Dance Project. In 2017, Audrey relocated with her husband Tyler to Birmingham to dance with Arova Contemporary Ballet. Today, in addition to Sanspointe, Audrey performs locally with Formations Dance Company, Swallowtail Dance, and various theatre companies.

Ashley Gilliam is an Alabama native originating from Tuscaloosa where she attended the University of Alabama. There she simultaneously received her B.A. in Dance, B.Ch. in Biochemistry and Masters of Organic Chemistry through the accelerated Master's program. Ashley has a very diverse background in dance with a compilation of teaching, choreographing and performing as well as collaborative projects. She grew up as a competition dancer from the age of three, but fell in love with academic dance during college. She has performed and/or choreographed for numerous organizations with UA such as Dance Collection, Dance Alabama, Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, and the Dance Alabama Film Festival. She was also part of an original student choreographed performance called “Carousel” by Grace Kurosaka. She is excited to continue to grow as a dancer and a professional artist with her new Sanspointe Dance Company family.

Stephanie Murphy is from Gadsden, Alabama where she started dancing at age 10 under Rachael Inman. She then attended Alabama School of Fine Arts for highschool continuing her training as a dance major under then director Therese Laeger. In 2017 she began her role as a teaching artist at The Dance Foundation. Throughout her dance career she has been a part of the local hip hop community which has inspired her to be an advocate for the inclusion of hip hop in dance curriculums. In 2019 she initiated local Open Cyphers and Breaking Fundamental classes alongside bboy Kuni from the crew Kids in the Cypher. She has enjoyed the freedom and experience of being a freelance dancer and choreographer, but is excited to start this new adventure as a Sanspointe Dance Company member!

Ariana Pellegra grew up traveling the world as an army brat. Her foundation was paved at Alabama Dance Academy under the direction of Pamela Merkel. Ariana is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College with a B.A. in Dance (performance emphasis). Before transferring to BSC, she had the pleasure of training at Columbia College of Chicago where she studied under Margie Cole, Carrie Hanson, and Ariel Cisneros. She is a former dancer of Philadance!, the Philadelphia Dance Company. In 2013, she returned to Birmingham as a freelance artist. Ariana worked with Arova Contemporary Ballet and served as their Marketing Director before getting married in 2017. Ariana received her certification in Progressive Ballet Technique and teaches throughout the community. This is her first season at SDC.

Jordan Prough initially began dancing in studios and in church, at a young age. In 2011 she was accepted into the Alabama school of Fine Arts as a dance major, where she had the opportunity to train and perform extensively under Terri Weksler, Martha Faesi, David Keener and several prominent guest artists. While in high school, Jordan frequently attended the Alabama Dance Festival, as well as the American Dance Festival, The National High School Dance Festival, and The Regional High School Dance Festival. She graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in 2016 and was accepted, on scholarship, intoTroy University’s Dance program. While in College, Jordan traveled abroad to Pietrasanta, Italy where she trained and performed in works by Kevin Stea and The Richard Alston Dance Company, at the DAP Festival. The summer of 2019, she traveled to Orlando, Florida to perform in two of her colleagues' original works at the CDC Festival. Jordan has choreographed and premiered several original pieces during her time at Troy, including “Cultivation,” which was also showcased at the 2020 Alabama Dance Festival. In May of this year, Jordan graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance from Troy University. She is currently teaching dance and launching her first season with SDC.

Sara Pulmano is a recent graduate of Samford University where she studied Human Development and Dance. In her time at Samford, Sara was a member of the Samford Dance Company and performed with them for four years. This is Sara’s first year as a member of Sanspointe. She thanks all of her dance mentors, parents and husband for the support she has received over the years.

Sarah Smoot has been dancing with Sanspointe since the fall of 2016. While achieving a Bachelor of Arts at Sewanee: The University of the South, Sarah studied ballet, jazz, and modern, while also performing and choreographing a wide range of styles in the student dance organization Perpetual Motion. Sarah spent several summer and winter breaks training in intensives of Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, and Amy Marshall. She attended seminary at Duke University. Sarah is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, and she enjoys using dance in ministry through performance, teaching, and guided meditations. She lives in Tuscaloosa with her husband Tyler and their son James.

Justin Wallace (Music Director) graduated from UAB with a Bachelor’s in Music Technology and a specialization in percussion. He is the co-founder/director of Iron Giant Percussion, a contemporary quartet focused on bringing percussion music to a wider audience. Justin began working with Sanspointe Dance Company in 2009 as a company artist before becoming the company’s music director in 2011.