Born to a family of musicians, Elizabeth Francis, SVB’s Executive Producer, started dancing even before she could walk. Her formal training began at the age of six at the Meredith Gravely School of Dance in Danville, Virginia, where she studied Ballet, Tap and Jazz through her senior year of high school. Following graduation, Elizabeth continued her dance education earning a B.A. in Dance from Hollins University. While in college, Elizabeth had the opportunity to be trained by renowned artists HeJin Jang, Jesse Zaritt, Nicholas Lecter, and John Jasperse. Furthermore, Elizabeth was a member of the Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honors Society at Hollins University where she had endless opportunities to participate in theatre events, festivals, and performances including the The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, original student works, Little Women and Decision Height.

Following her higher education, Elizabeth immediately connected with local theatres in Roanoke, Virginia, and performed in Cabaret (Showtimers Community Theatre), Goodnight, Moon! (Hollins University) and 42nd Street (Mill Mountain Theatre). Elizabeth returned to Showtimers Community Theatre as choreographer for Rent and later joined Logos Theatricus as their stage manager for Song of Mark and Feast of Life. She was called back by Hollins University Theatre to be the House Manager for Starcropolis, a special collaboration between Hollins Theatre Institute, Hollins University, the City of Roanoke and Mill Mountain Theatre celebrating live theatre. Elizabeth was recruited as a jazz and cardio dance teacher first for U Can Dance, LLC, and later joined Star City School of Ballet as a jazz, tap, and musical theatre teacher. She furthered her stage management experience with SVB’s own productions of The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Romeo & Juliet. Elizabeth continues to seek out opportunities to continue dancing and supporting the creative movement arts be it on the stage or in her tech-blacks.

Maintaining her strong passion for serving the community, Elizabeth worked as a barista at Mill Mountain Coffee and afterwards as a server at Cafe Asia 2 before starting her administrative profession at Stage Sound, Inc, Roanoke’s largest professional audio-visual production and design company. She currently maintains her administrative support career at Virginia Title Center, LLC, where she works with the local real estate industry. Elizabeth is well versed on providing excellent customer service, maintaining composure under pressure, communicating clearly, streamlining processes, and adhering to strict project deadlines. Throughout both her dance and administrative careers, Elizabeth has learned the value of adaptability and teamwork. She is confident that these skills she has accumulated thus far will serve her well in her new capacity as SVB’s Executive Producer as she continues to grow and learn new skills for non-profit leadership.

William Smith, SVB’s Senior Company Rehearsal Assistant, trained at The Post School of Ballet before joining the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. His international performances span across Austria, China, Africa, and the UK, and he spent a decade dancing with the Scottish Ballet as a “Coryphee,” working with renowned choreographers like Geoffrey Holder, Richard Alston, and Patricia Neary.

Keeley Slaughter, SVB’s Junior Company Rehearsal Assistant, began her ballet journey at Southwest Virginia Ballet at the age of 12. Her diverse repertoire includes Coppelia, Firebird, Peter and the Wolf, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, excerpts of Swan Lake, and Carmina Burana, along with performances at the International Prague Festival and the Richmond Ballet.