Caroline is a Jackson native and a Ballet Arts alumna. From the young age of four years old, Caroline began dancing, wanting to be trained in all forms of dance offered. She was trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre. She received other training with Joffery Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Orlando Ballet, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the Radio City Rockettes. Wanting to immerse herself more in the art of dance, she attended the conservatory at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography in 2017.

While at UMKC Caroline was blessed to be a part of many professional opportunities as a dancer, such as her performance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City. Caroline has performed many lead roles in The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Paquita, Dorothy in the Emerald City, Sweet Lips, Pas de Quatre, Deanna Hiett’s 3 Play 4 Play, Madison Cannon’s And Then There Were Five, Ronald Tice’s Mata Hari, and many more.

Caroline has continued her love for dance by performing professionally, choreographing, and teaching. As a teacher Caroline trained dancers and choreographed pieces for the Youth American Grand Prix. There, her contemporary choreography qualified for the finals in NYC. Caroline is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Reese Davis grew up in Jackson, Tennessee, and has
been dancing for 15 years. She performed with Ballet Arts from 2014 to 2022. Some of her favorite roles in The Nutcracker included Clara, Dew Drop Fairy, and Arabian on silks. She has also enjoyed playing the roles of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland (2021) and Peter Pan in Peter Pan (2022). She has attended summer training with Ballet Memphis, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballet West’s ArtEmotion. Reese is certified in personal training,
Nan Giordano Jazz Technique, and is an instructor at The Academy of Ballet Arts. Beyond the studio, Reese was crowned Miss Hub City Volunteer 2024 and Miss West Tennessee Volunteer 2025, and now proudly serves as Miss Heart of the South Volunteer 2026. She is an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity Beta Omega Chapter, where she has held leadership positions including Vice President of Finance and Director for Union University’s Variety Show 2025. Reese graduated from Union University in 2026 and is pursuing a degree in Exercise Science and will begin her Doctorate of Physical Therapy.

Our Primary Program Director, Kim Borden, received dance training from Pat Brown School of Dancing during her youth and began her love for Ballet Arts during its founding year in 1972 as one of the company’s first members. As an adult, she reconnected with Pat Brown’s studio after enrolling her daughter, and later accepted a position as dance instructor in 2001. In 2002, she rejoined Ballet Arts as a parent and rehearsal assistant. She has since served on the Ballet Arts Board, on production committees, as director and choreographer of Ballet Rejoice, as creator and director of Ballet Arts Primary Program, and as an Assistant Director.

Kim experienced great pleasure watching her daughters perform with Ballet Arts throughout 2002-2015 and enjoyed her own stage opportunities with the character roles of “mother” in Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker. In 2016, she was the recipient of Ballet Arts Encore Recognition Award for volunteer support. She values the mentorship she had with Pat Brown during those years and strives to carry that experience forward. 

Kim is a member of the Tennessee Association of Dance. She has studied Brain-Compatible Dance Education with creator Anne Green Gilbert in Seattle, as well as ballroom dancing with Jackson Ballroom Dance Club.

Shelley Plunk grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and danced for over 20 years.  She trained at Ballet Memphis where she was a member of the Junior Company. Her favorite role was Clara in the Nutcracker. She was in many other shows including, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Carmen, and At the Peabody. She continued her training at Texas Christian University where she received a bachelor of fine arts degree in ballet in 2004. It was there she was privileged to dance for choreographers such as Fernando Bujones and Li Chou Cheng.

She was given the honor of the best choreography award by the TCU faculty. Upon graduating, she taught ballet for the Performing Arts of Germantown and received a masters of education degree in special education. Her daughter is now a dancer with Ballet Arts and a student at the Academy of Ballet Arts. Shelley began teaching at the Academy in 2024, teaching the Pre-Primary ballet students.  She is so grateful to be a part of the Ballet Arts community. 

Rachel LaFont is a Jackson, Tennessee native and an alumna of Ballet Arts. She received ten years of dance education from Pat Brown School of Dancing in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, lyrical, and acrobatics. She also received additional training with the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. Throughout her years with the company, Rachel performed roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Beauty & the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, and many more. In 2023, she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Belmont University.

After college, she returned to her hometown and has continued her love for dance by serving on the Ballet Arts Board of Directors and has recently been enjoying performing the role of Clara’s mother in The Nutcracker. Rachel is thrilled and honored to join the teaching staff at The Academy of Ballet Arts and looks forward to fostering the love of dance in new generations.

Rachel is teaching Pre-Primary Ballet, Primary A Ballet, and Primary B Ballet. She is also a rehearsal assistant for the company of Ballet Arts.

Born and raised in Southern California, Megan developed a lifelong love of dance as a tap student at The Dance Factory located in Long Beach, CA, where she trained for nine years. She also performed with the musical theater company MYART (Musical Youth Artist Repertory Theater), later serving as Assistant Director for its main stage productions.

In addition to her passion for the arts, she was an active soccer player in high school. In 2004, she relocated to Tennessee to attend Freed-Hardeman University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education in 2006. She began her teaching career working with students with severe and profound disabilities, fostering a deep commitment to inclusion and individualized education.

After marrying her husband, Eric, in 2008, the couple welcomed two children, Riley (14) and Peyton (11). In 2013, they moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where she completed additional coursework to become a Certified Autism Specialist. The family returned to Jackson in 2016, where they continue to reside.

In January 2025, Megan joined the Academy of Ballet Arts as a tap instructor. She also began teaching "Movement Counts," a program that combines her love for dance and movement with her dedication to supporting individuals with special needs through inclusive instruction.   As an Academy instructor, she believes that every student, no matter their ability, deserves the chance to experience the joy and confidence that movement brings!