DEBORAH BAILAY

DIRECTOR AND CREATOR OF CHILDREN’S BALLETS

Miss Bailay received a B.A. degree in Biological Sciences from Indiana University. She has been a professional ballet teacher for 40 years. She was on the faculty of The Washington School of Ballet under Director Mary Day intermittently from 1982-1998 and directed Central Maryland School of Ballet for ten years. In New York City, she was on the faculty at Steps on Broadway and the Chen Dance Center, and also served as an Interim Dance Instructor for the "Say Yes" Program at Columbia University. She is the founder of In Grandma’s Attic dance program and creates original miniature children’s ballets for her students. Her great joy in teaching is guiding the growth of each and every dance student in her classes.

As a dancer she was a company member of Indiana University Ballet Theater, Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater, Joan Miller’s Dance Players, Momentum Dance Theatre, and a soloist and principal dancer with the Greg Reynolds Dance Quintet. She danced in the original cast of Dianne McIntyre’s reconstruction of Helen Tamiris’ modern dance, “How Long Brethren”.

Her choreography on professional dancers has been favorably reviewed by dance critics. Miss Bailay has been privileged to work with guest artists from such prominent ballet companies like The Washington Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York City Opera Ballet, Basel Ballet, and the Royal Swedish Ballet in her independent choreography projects.

Her students have joined ballet and modern companies including Ballet Tech, Joffrey II, the Juilliard School, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. Miss Bailay has many, many artistic daughters and now is enjoying a new generation of artistic granddaughters.

“Her interest and devotion to each and every student are truly great qualities in her teaching.”

– Miss Mary Day, 1986, Founder of The Washington School of Ballet.

ASHLEY BANKS

MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Ashley graduated cum laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in French and Romance Philology. She has done marketing, events management, administration, and cultural programming for many prominent NY cultural organizations including the French Institute Alliance Française, the French American Foundation, the Metropolitan Opera, Women’s Expressive Theatre Company, and the Bronx Arts Ensemble. In bringing her many talents and expertise to IGA, she will have a direct hand in email and online marketing, creation and dissemination of promotional materials, partnership proposals, administration, and development paving the way towards educational, artistic and cultural contributions. She has shown genuine interest in all aspects of IGA’s vision, current activities, and future interests, and Miss Bailay is very pleased to welcome Ashley and to have a first-rate arts marketing associate and true arts lover at her side.