management
Lauren Hernandez
development director
Lauren Hernandez began her initial dance training at the age of 4 and furthered her ballet training with The Centre for Dance Education at Atlanta Ballet. 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 from Florida State University School of Dance in 2011 and was a soloist with The Tallahassee Ballet company for 6+ 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 a span of eight years, Hernandez has held positions of School Director, Ballet Mistress, and Artistic Associate for The Tallahassee Ballet. Hernandez’s choreographic achievements include Spanish, Arabian, and the Battle Scene from The Tallahassee Ballet’s The Nutcracker and pieces from 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 from the 2017-2019 productions of the NGDA The Nutcracker. Hernandez became an adjunct faculty member in 2019 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 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. Within a year and a half, 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. Hernandez is pleased to return to Tallahassee in her new role as Development Director for The Tallahassee Ballet.
Kara Griffin
education programming coordinator
Kara Griffin was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. From the age of four, she trained at a number of studios and in many styles including ballet, contemporary/lyrical, jazz, tap and Martha Graham technique modern. In 2016 she began training under Drey Herron and Adina Tarca in the RAD and Vaganova methods of ballet that shaped her into the dancer and instructor she is today. Master Class and Summer Intensive experiences allowed her the opportunity to train under current and former directors, instructors, and company members of Ballet Magnificat!, The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, Opera House, Bucharest, Theatre of Ballet Classic & Contemporary, Constanta, Romania, Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo, The Radio City Rockettes, and Martha Graham Dance Company.
Ms. Griffin has been instructing younger dancers since the fall of 2016 and loves the reward of seeing her students grow! This will be her second season as both a dancer and instructor with The Tallahassee Ballet.
LDR Design, Inc.
marketing & media specialist
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