ALLIE LENOX DYLESKI
Artistic Director
Allie began her classical dance training at Community Ballet School in Huntsville, Alabama. From there she joined the Huntsville Ballet Company and Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre, both under the direction of David Herriott and Keren Gibb-Hilliard. While a member of AYBT’s Senior Company, Allie performed various principal roles such as the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.​
Allie then went on to attend Auburn University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English- literature and minored in dance. As a member of the Auburn University Dance Ensemble, Allie performed principal roles in pieces choreographed by Adrienne Wilson, Jeri Dickey, and Karola Luttringhaus. She also choreographed an original modern piece for the annual dance showcase.​While in Auburn, Allie worked on East Alabama Community Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. She performed as the Snow Queen and choreographed several roles.
After graduating from Auburn, Allie moved to New York where she worked as the George Balanchine Trust and New York Choreographic Institute intern at New York City Ballet.
Upon completion of her internship with New York City Ballet, Allie then returned to her alma mater, Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre, to choreograph a new contemporary ballet for their spring production.​Allie then returned to Auburn, where she now serves as the Artistic Director for East Alabama Community Ballet and works closely with the Auburn University Department of Theatre’s Dance Ensemble where she served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the American College Dance Association South Conference; and as a guest choreographer. Allie is also a rehearsal coach for Columbus Youth Dance Conservatory's Youth American Grand Prix and Universal Ballet Competition dancers.
KYLIE CASINO
Assistant Artistic Director
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Kylie Casino is originally from Akron, Ohio, where she trained pre-professionally with Northeast Ohio Dance under Brenda and Christopher Styger and the Dance Institute of The University of Akron under Christina Foise and Andrew Carroll. During her early years, she performed featured roles including Kitri in the Don Quixote Wedding Pas De Deux, Arabian in The Nutcracker and a Firebird in The Snow Maiden. She continued her training with The University of Akron’s dance department, where she was given the opportunity to perform choreography by noted dance professionals, such as Amy Miller’s (of Gibney Dance) Spirare, MaryAnn Black’s (former Broadway professional) Dancin’ and the Falling Girl Solo in Paul Taylor’s Esplanade.
Amidst her dance training, she made her mark in the theatre world, holding featured dancing roles in productions of Pippin and Damn Yankees, and acting as a Storyteller and Older Karana in Island of The Blue Dolphins, as well as serving as a choreographer for productions of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Music Man. She went on to become an original member of the professional modern dance company, R.E.D.real.edge.dance.
After graduating with her BA in Dance and dancing professionally for one year, Kylie realized she wished to continue her education as a teacher and choreographer. She went on to be the youngest in her class to graduate with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts with a focus in Dance from Goddard College in 2016. Since moving to Columbus in 2014, she's had the pleasure of choreographing and directing for multiple productions for The Columbus Ballet, including The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and collaborations with Schwob Percussion Ensemble, staging her own versions of Paquita, The Firebird and La Boutique fantasque on students from Rising Starz in Auburn, AL and choreographing for multiple productions of East Alabama Community Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
In 2019, Kylie received a LocaL Choice Award nomination for "Favorite Choreographer." She currently teaches at Columbus State University Youth Dance Conservatory and Rising Starz Studios, having multiple students secure spots in pre-professional dance programs and accept awards at Youth American Grand Prix and Universal Ballet Competition. She has also received acclaim for her creation of various dance curriculums and lesson plans. Kylie finds complete fulfillment through teaching and choreographing and looks forward to sharing her love of dance with others.
ABBIE HARDIN
Production Manager
Abbie Hardin joined East Alabama Community Ballet in 2005 and danced in The Nutcracker until 2015 before graduating from Auburn High School in 2016. After attending Auburn University and receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Media, she wanted to return to EACB, and has been serving as the company’s production manager since 2021. This is her third year as the production manager and some of her favorite parts of her job include getting to know and spending time with the dancers, being a part of a community arts mission, exercising her theatre production creativity muscles, and being a part of a show and a company that was integral to her time as a dancer. It is a full circle, and she is excited to be a part of this company again in a different capacity. Some of EACB’s dancers, Abbie knew when they were small children, and she has loved watching them continue to grow, here in the company.
One of the driving forces behind Abbie's commitment to the ballet company is their community mission. She believes in the transformative power of the arts, and being part of a company that brings that to diverse audiences is one of her favorite things about her role with EACB.
Abbie works full-time as a filmmaker, videographer, and photographer.