A Legacy of Dance

Brian McSween is the CEO/Artistic Director for Chattanooga Ballet (CHA Ballet). With his leadership the organization has shown growth in its professional company, school and community enrichment programs and he has helped to define the mission, “CHA Ballet serves through the power of dance.” Prior to CHA Ballet, Brian was the Ballet Master for Ballet Memphis under the direction of Dorothy Gunther Pugh where he was also commissioned for three works for the company. He has also served as a teacher for Grand Rapids Ballet School, an adjunct professor for GVSU and was the Associate Artistic Director for Joffrey Concert Group. His professional dance career was with Joffrey Ballet, Complexions and Aspen Ballet. He has also taught, coached and judged internationally. His wife Meg, also an artist with Joffrey Ballet, and he have three kids; Connor, Micah and Madelyn.

With over 15 years of experience in Arts Administration, Aly has enjoyed a rewarding career with major arts organizations, including Atlanta Ballet and the Hunter Museum of American Art, managing corporate, foundation and public funding initiatives, and two successful capital campaigns. Now with CHA Ballet, she seeks to coordinate funding efforts that will accelerate the company’s trajectory of artistic growth, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement. Aly has served on many industry boards and was a co-founder of DanceATL. Aly is deeply engaged in the local arts community, mom of two young aspiring ballerinas, and a yoga and barre teacher.

Ryland Acree III is a dedicated teacher, choreographer, and international performing artist with a deep passion for integrating the arts into daily life. Originally from Floyd, Virginia, Ryland began his dance education at the age of nine, going on to train with instructors such as Peter Boal, Olivier Muñoz, Le Yin, Alexei Kremnev, Michele Plescia, and Sandra Meythaler. His early dedication and talent earned him full scholarships to attend summer intensives at prestigious institutions including Boston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he graduated from the Professional Division. Throughout his career, Ryland has performed with companies such as the Oklahoma City Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and Ballet San Antonio. His repertoire includes works by renowned choreographers such as Gerald Arpino, Septime Webre, Edwaard Liang, Jessica Lang, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Stephen Mills, Bruce Wells, Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye, Brian Enos, Val Caniparoli, Twyla Tharp, and George Balanchine. Beyond his career in dance, Ryland has explored various artistic avenues, including music and fine woodworking. Additionally, he has showcased his versatile talent in professional theatre, completing contracts with The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Barter Theater, and San Pedro Playhouse. As a choreographer, he has created new works for three professional ballet companies in addition to crafting pieces for fundraising events, competition solos, and ensembles. He was invited to compete in the prestigious XII USA International Ballet Competition. Ryland's passion for education was ignited during his participation in the S.T.E.P.S. outreach program at Orlando Ballet under the guidance of Olivier Muñoz and Gonzalo Espinoza. While a student at Pacific Northwest Ballet, he served as a teaching assistant for the Dance Chance men's division class under Kiyon Gaines. He later went on to teach for the School of Ballet San Antonio and Oklahoma City Ballet's Yvonne Chouteau School. With his extensive background in both performance and education, Ryland Acree III brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to fostering the next generation of dancers as the Director of School and Education. He is honored to share his expertise and love for dance, inspiring students to embrace the transformative power of the arts in their lives.

Sam grew up in Tallahassee Florida and began her professional career with The Tallahassee Ballet while receiving a B.A. in Studio Art and Art History from Florida State University. As a soloist with The Tallahassee Ballet, Sam performed roles such as Paquita, Silver Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Snow Queen, and Lead Coffee under the direction of Tyrone Brooks. Post-graduation Sam joined Chattanooga Ballet, and for five seasons instructed in the school and danced principal roles such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Sugar Plum. She premiered in contemporary works such as Andrew Parker’s ‘Carmina Burana’ & ‘Soldiers Tale’, Alia Kache’s ‘Click Bate’, and Brian McSween’s ‘Three Muses for Apollo’. Special moments in her career include dancing background for Weird Al Yankovich, joining UTC's Theater Company in 'CATS', and appearing in music videos for artists such as George Clinton. During the pandemic Sam moved to Asheville NC, and from 2020-2023 she choreographed, instructed and danced with The Asheville Ballet, began her own contemporary dance program at Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and taught kindergarten. Sam is a freelance graphic designer and painter and has had art works in galleries across TN, NC, and FL. She is thrilled to be back at Chattanooga Ballet merging her love for dance, music, education, and humor.

Originally from Detroit, Haley studied ballet for 14 years before graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy. She then went on to receive a dual BFA degree in Costume Design and Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts. After a season with City Ballet of Los Angeles, Haley moved to Tennessee where she worked with Ballet Memphis for 8 years. During that time, she was a costumer for many other live productions and IATSE film projects, including Tennessee Shakespeare company, Netflix, ABC, Tennessee Ballet Theatre, Collage Dance Collective, and Theatre Memphis. She is thrilled to be joining the Chattanooga Ballet team this season.

Monica Alicia (Coates) Ellison was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. She earned a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. Her professional credits include ensemble work with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2 (Dayton, OH), principal work with Balance Dance Theatre (Brooklyn, NY), and guest work with Sudden Enlightenment Theatre (Queens, NY), including a performance in Seoul, Korea. Her last work before heading south was at the North Shore Music Theatre Company (Beverly, MA) and as an ensemble dancer in the off-Broadway production of Susan Stroman's Contact, directed by Tomé Cousin. Ellison’s teaching career began in Chattanooga, TN, and has included ballet, pointe, modern and jazz for beginner-through-advanced levels, at various dance studios throughout the Chattanooga area. She has danced and choreographed widely in Chattanooga, including choreographing for two operas at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Treemonisha, and The Gondoliers, for Scenic City Shakespeare and dancing with Ann Law. She loves to share her dance and movement knowledge with children and co-founded Move N Groove Kidz and Capoeira Chattanooga. Since 2021 she has taught for Chattanooga Ballet at the Boys and Girls Club and is excited to continue as she steps into her new role as Making Moves Coordinator.