Mary Anna Ball

University of Roehampton Postgraduate Award, University of Roehampton - Dance

Mary Anna, a West Virginia native, graduated from Marshall University in 2019 with a B.A. in Humanities: Classics and Latin, as well as a minor in Ancient Greek. She also has studied classical ballet for 18 years, and performed with the Charleston Ballet in Charleston, West Virginia for 4 years in the corps de ballet and 5 years as a soloist. In 2017 she worked as the Associate Producer of the Emmy-award winning documentary, Andre Van Damme & the Story of the Charleston Ballet, which blended her passions for history and dance, and helped her dive deeper into the history of dance and ballet.

At the University of Roehampton, Mary Anna intends on focusing her research on the changing roles and perceptions of performance and dance through history from classical antiquity, with a special focus on the ballerina in the Romantic Era. While in London, she also plans on establishing a choreographic exchange between local ballet schools and associations and her native Appalachia, as well as enjoy and explore the vibrant arts and dance life across the city.