The Jackson-based professional ballet company Ballet Magnificat! is coming to Meridian in November with the presentation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic “Snow Queen,” featuring Kathy Thibodeaux, the ballet company’s director, in the lead role.

Auditions for local dancers to perform in the production will be held Wednesday at the Temple Theatre in downtown Meridian.

“It is an honor and quite an opportunity for our local children to be able to perform onstage with the caliber of dance that the company brings,” said Leslie Lee, dance coordinator for the Meridian performance and owner of Elegance Ballroom Dance Studio.

There are 97 parts available for local children to dance on stage with the professional dancers. Dancers ages 5-19 are encouraged to audition; ballet experience is recommended, but not required, Lee said. Registration begins at 3 p.m. and auditions will begin at 4. Kathy Temple, director of Ballet Magnificat!, will lead the audition process.

A ballet by Jiri Sebastian Voborsky, “Snow Queen” fantastically dips into the beauty of storytelling through the art of dance. The audience is taken on a journey with a young girl who fearlessly faces the fury of the Snow Queen with boldness, bravery and love. This fast moving production stands strong on the cast of 75 professional dancers, enhanced by powerful choreography, creative costuming and bigger-than-life sets and scenery. Thibodeaux shares choreography duties with Voborsky in the production.

Students from local dance schools will work with those selected at the audition. Participating schools are Carol Merrill Academy of Dance, Encore Dance Company, Susie McGraw School of Dance, Elegance Ball Dance Studio and Ms. Tina’s School of Dance in Philadelphia.

Ballet Magnificat! tours “Snow Queen” in Nashville each year, as well as other selected cities. Lee said the ballet company’s world-recognized professionalism was of leading factor in bringing it to local audiences.

“We looked at many national and international touring companies and selected Ballet Magnificat! due to their high quality of production and positive message that they bring to the children,” Lee said. “Meridian does not have much opportunity to see classical ballet so this is quite a treat for all involved.” 

And because Ballet Magnificat! is a teaching company, local children will have the opportunity to watch their master class and will see what it takes to become a professional dancer.

“And maybe even move on to dance with them in the future,” Lee said. “Snow Queen” will be presented in Meridian Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Temple Theatre. Tickets go on sale at the end of October and will be $30 and $20, reserved seats; $10 for general admission.

About Ballet Magnificat!

Ballet Magnificat! was founded in 1986 by Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux. 

Kathy Thibodeaux was born in Memphis, Tennessee but trained and has lived in Jackson most of her life. She went on to become one of the first contracted dancers for the Jackson Ballet Company (Ballet Mississippi), dancing as principal until 1986.  Keith Thibodeaux is the former child entertainer best known as “Little Ricky” on the “I Love Lucy” television series and Johnny Paul on The Andy Griffith Show. He was a drummer for the rock band David and the Giants which later became a groundbreaking Christian rock band, with Keith becoming a Christian in 1974.  Keith and Kathy married in October 1976, and together live out the mission that God put before them. In 1985, a prophetic word was given to Keith and Kathy. They did not understand everything that was said at the time, but they did take it seriously and trusted God to direct them and to unfold His perfect plan for their lives. The prophecy said that their lives would be changing course, and that they would begin to see greater days and greater ways to use their testimonies for Him. The prophecy noted that God had set them apart for a special purpose, not only individually but as a team, and predicted that God would use Kathy as a pioneer in the arts to bring glory to Jesus. Another part of the prophecy was directed at Keith and said that he would have his past come to the forefront and that he should use that door of influence to have further opportunities for ministry. The beginning of the prophecy began to take shape in 1986.  After becoming a Christian in 1979, Kathy’s desire was to serve and honor her Lord Jesus with the gifts He had given her. She began to see dance as a way to express worship and praise to God. God gave her a greater joy in her dancing, and her motivation for dancing – worship – began to manifest itself in her performances. When people often could not put their finger on what was “different” about Kathy, she knew it was very simple: The reality of Jesus had changed her life.  Kathy stepped into the spotlight of the international dance world in 1982, winning a silver medal at the II USA International Ballet Competition which rotates between Russia, Finland, Bulgaria, and Jackson, MS. For the third contemporary round in that competition, against the advice of many, Kathy chose to express her faith in a dance to Sandi Patty’s We Shall Behold Him.  Longing to see the art of dance restored to the church for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ, in 1986, Keith and Kathy founded the Ballet Magnificat! Tour Company. Kathy had a vision for something totally unheard of – a touring Christian ballet troupe that would dance to the glory of God. She envisioned Christian dancers coming together for the purpose of glorifying God in dance. In addition to bringing people into worship, Kathy wanted the group to be an outreach ministry in which dancers would share the love of Jesus with their audiences.  With space donated by Belhaven College, and the help of Kathy’s friend and choreographer Gregory Smith, the fledgling company — the world’s first professional Christian ballet company — was soon dancing and touring across the country.  Since its start in 1986, the company has attracted dancers from professional companies around the world and now also from within Ballet Magnificat’s own professional training program.  In 1989, the ministry opened a School of the Arts which offers dance classes to area students ages 3 through adult. The school’s student companies – Magnificat! Youth Ballet and MiniMag! – are frequent guests at local nursing homes, schools, and churches. That same year, the Summer Dance Intensive and Teachers Workshop were started, and now brings hundreds of students annually from around the world to Jackson, MS, for a unique technical and spiritual experience.  Keith, who had been touring with bands for most of their marriage, left the world of music and, in 1991, joined Kathy and Ballet Magnificat! He started as the “all-purpose worker”, doing whatever was necessary to help, from driving the bus to operating light and sound equipment to office work. Over time his responsibilities grew and, in 1993, Keith became the Executive Director of Ballet Magnificat! and walks side-by-side with Kathy as they follow God’s call on their lives.

In 1994, Ballet Magnificat! started the Dance Program at Belhaven University, providing curriculum, faculty, and facilities to this program that has now grown into a full Dance Major, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). The Pre-Professional Training Program began in 1996 with three dancers, and today has grown to two levels with approximately 40 dancers. This Trainee Program feeds dancers into our touring companies who are trained in the Ballet Magnificat! style, trains dancers for positions with other dance companies, and prepares individuals for work with other ministries. The Trainee Program is recognized by the U. S. Immigration Service as a vocational school and yearly draws students from across the U.S. and many foreign countries. 

In 2004, a second professional touring company was added, Ballet Magnificat! Omega. This company tours the United States with its thought-provoking and ministering repertoire. Since its formation, Omega has been breaking ground in Europe each spring with performances in sold out theaters in Paris, Macedonia, Germany, Czech Republic and Italy, to name just a few.  Ballet Magnificat! Brasil was launched in February 2017. Headquartered in Curitiba, Brazil, the program includes a trainee program and performance company. Dancers from all over South and Central America joined with an international staff to proudly serve as Ballet Magnificat’s first satellite campus.