MERIDIAN BALLET
OUR TEAM
Justine Hook, a native of New Albany, received her early ballet training with Sharon Long and danced with the Tupelo Ballet Company for 9 years where she also began her teaching career. She spent two seasons with Ballet Magnificat and performed with Ballet Mississippi. She has danced & studied extensively with various professional companies and world renowned teachers such as: Anne Burton Avery (Atlanta Ballet), Linda Divin and Steven Mills (Ballet Austin), Finis Young (Joffrey Ballet), David Howard (Royal Ballet), Bob Rizzo, and Mia Michaels-choreographer (“So You Think You Can Dance”) to name a few.
JUSTINE HOOK
Owner, Lead Instructor and Choreographer
John Mingle is a former Company Dancer with the Alabama Ballet in Birmingham. John trained on scholarship with the San Francisco Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Frontier of Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Alabama Ballet, he danced professionally with the Cincinnati Ballet and Dayton Ballet. Since joining Alabama Ballet, John has danced principal and soloist roles such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, Cavalier in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Big Boss Man in Blue Suede Shoes, Von Rothbart in Swan Lake, Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle, and Madge in La Sylphide. John currently teaches ballet at Samford University and is a traveling guest artist throughout the US.
JOHN MINGLE
Professional Dancer - Instructor and Asst Choreographer
Having danced since the age of three, Brianna developed a lifelong passion for sharing the joy of dance with others. She began her training at Alamogordo Academy of Ballet, and started teaching primary-level classes at just 16 years old at Las Cruces School of Dance and Music, where she continued training under ABT Certified teacher, Monique Foster. She was later selected to represent her home state of New Mexico in the Dance Across the USA book. After marrying her husband, she moved to rural Alabama, where they enjoy life on their small farm. She is passionate about creating an encouraging environment where dancers build confidence, develop strong technique, and discover a lifelong love of dance.
BRIANNA POSTLES
Ballet Mistress
David Odenwelder, originally from Haverhill, Massachusetts, began his training at The Dance Works and New England Civic Ballet. In 2011, David earned a B.F.A in Ballet Performance from the University of Cincinnati. He has performed and toured with Cincinnati Ballet and Neos Dance Theatre. This is David’s 15th season with the Alabama Ballet. Some of his favorite roles have included the Roper in Agnes De Mille’s Rodeo, Painted Black in Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, Cavalier in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty, Gurn in La Sylphide and Bossa Nova in Blue Suede Shoes. He has also been seen in Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Jiri Kylián’s Sechs Tänze, Frederick Ashtons’s Les Patineurs, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and Micheal Fothergill’s Chiaroscuro.
DA VID ODENWELDER
Guest Artist - Alabama Ballet
Rani Higgins-Dean began her dance training at the age of 3, and transferred to study classical ballet with Justine Hook in New Albany at the age of 8. In 2011 Rani auditioned and became a member of the New Albany Ballet Company where she began dancing principal roles starting with Clara in the Nutcracker and adding many more valuable roles over the years such as: Titania in Mid Summer Night’s Dream, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Enchantress in Beauty and the Beast, The Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, Glinda in Wizard of Oz, and multiple solo and partnering roles in the Nutcracker over the years. Rani has performed in Meridian in the Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. Rani has also studied with Joffrey Ballet during their summer programs and currently is running her own studio and dancewear shop in Saltillo, Dancing in the Rain. She is married to Bryson Dean.
RANI HIGGINS-DEAN