Ashley Spears

Ashley Spears began her dance training under Ann Brodie and Naomi Calvert, founders of the Columbia City Ballet, SC. She continued her young dance training in Maryland at Towson University’s Children’s Dance Division and The Peabody Institute Preparatory Program, where she studied for and passed The Royal Academy of Dance syllabus examinations for Grades 1-6. Ashley also attended The Baltimore School for the Arts and graduated from the dance department in
1999. Throughout middle school and high school, Ashley studied at The Ailey School, Briansky Ballet Center, The Hartford Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and American Ballet Theater. The summer after high school graduation, she performed as a parade dancer in The Magic Kingdom, Disney World,
before moving to New York City to work with The Ailey II program. While in NYC, she took advantage of various training opportunities including The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, and The Joffrey Ballet School. She also did independent study with Agnes de Mille repetiteur, Gemze de Lappe, and ballet master, David Howard, who helped Mrs. Spears gain an apprenticeship to The Joffrey Ballet. In 2003, Ashley moved to Rouen, France and attended the Institute Nationale a Rouen, studying both French language and culture as well as dance. While there, she was a contracted dancer with the Rouen Opera House. Ashley’s other professional dance experiences include freelance and contracted work through Les Mills, The Smithsonian Institute, The Washington Ballet, and Common Ground Dance Company. Ashley is a college graduate of Towson University with a double major in English and Biology and a minor in French. After gaining her undergraduate degree, Ashley worked as a Physical Therapy Assistant. She later went back to school to earn her A.A.S. in Respiratory Care. It was during her college years, that Ashley started teaching dance and became the dance director at EMC Performing Arts Center, PA, along with the Artistic Director of The Susquehanna Youth Ballet for over 10 years. Currently, Mrs. Ashley teaches ballet, pointe, and modern at The Dance Conservatory of Maryland and The Baltimore School for the Arts, as well as assists with company rehearsals for Ballet Chesapeake. When Mrs. Ashley isn’t teaching dance, she works as a Respiratory Care Practitioner, RRT, for MedStar and University of Maryland.