Lauren Hernandez
Chief Executive Officer
Lauren Hernandez recently returned to The Tallahassee Ballet (TTB) in 2022 and quickly rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This reflects Hernandez's outstanding contributions and dedication to The Tallahassee Ballet and her unwavering commitment to the arts. As CEO, Hernandez works closely with the Board of Directors, artistic faculty, and staff. She actively works to strengthen the Company's presence in the Tallahassee community and has nurtured support from TTB’s many supporters and sponsors.
She began her initial dance training at the age of four, and after completing high school at Virginia School of the Arts, a pre-professional high school for dance, she pursued her professional ballet career and became a trainee with the Richmond Ballet.
Hernandez received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Florida State University in 2011 and was a soloist with TTB company for 8+ years. Throughout her 15 years of performing, she has had numerous lead roles in mainstage productions, performed as a Corps de Ballet member for a world-renowned ballet company, and danced in several pieces choreographed by successful professors and instructors.
Over the years, Hernandez's versatility and dedication have led her to take on various pivotal roles within TTB. Hernandez has held positions of faculty member, school director, ballet mistress, and artistic associate for the organization. Hernandez’s choreographic achievements include Spanish, Arabian, and the Battle Scene from TTB’s The Nutcracker, as well as pieces from the 2014-2016 performances of An Evening of Music and Dance. Hernandez was the Director of Ballet at North Georgia Dance Arts (NGDA) and Director/Choreographer for the 2017-2019 productions of NGDA’s The Nutcracker. In 2019, Hernandez became an adjunct faculty member at Young Harris College (YHC); for three years, she taught a variety of dance styles for their Musical Theater department. Hernandez is also an ABT® Certified Teacher who successfully completed the entire ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Hernandez began her career in Higher-Ed Development in the fall of 2019 after becoming Advancement Coordinator for the Office of Advancement at Young Harris College. In 2021 Hernandez was promoted to Director of Development and Leadership Giving at YHC, where she raised more than $200,000 in unrestricted giving and exceeded expectations in her donor relations and management role. Returning to Tallahassee in 2022, she served as Development Director for TTB where she has expanded fundraising efforts for the ballet, including TTB’s first-ever Giving Day, which raised over $13,000 in 24 hours. With her outstanding leadership skills, strategic vision, and an innate understanding of the ballet's mission and values. Hernandez is excited to assume broader responsibilities and drive TTB forward on its artistic journey.
