Keith Thibodeaux, Executive Director of Ballet Magnificat since 1993, came to America's attention as the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on the classic television show “I Love Lucy.” Hailed as a child prodigy, Keith began playing drums at the age of two in Lafayette, Louisiana. His skills took him to a national tour, with the lead role of “Little Ricky Ricardo” and several television performances, including The Andy Griffith Show, Route 66, The Shirley Temple Playhouse, Hazel and many others. While studying at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Keith joined and recorded with the then rock band “David and the Giants”. He left the group after several years, but, after his conversion to Christianity (along with the other band members), the group resumed work under the same name and became one of the main contemporary Christian music bands in the country. . As drummer, singer and songwriter for the band David and the Giants, Keith toured extensively for 10 years in the United States, Canada, Jamaica and England, recording 9 albums before leaving the group in 1989 to pursue other goals. He has been featured in publications including Newsweek, People, Saturday Evening Post, Modern Drummer, CCM, and Classic Drummer Magazine. He has also been a guest on Newsweek, People, Saturday Evening Post, Modern Drummer, CCM, and Classic Drummer Magazine, NBC’s The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, CBS’s Good Morning America, and The O’Reilly Show. In January 1991, he joined his wife Kathy in contributing to Ballet Magnificat, and in 1993, Keith became the Company's Executive Director. In addition to his current responsibilities at Ballet Magnificat!, Keith still finds time to play drums and record. Keith's book, “Life After Lucy,” tells the story of his life as the character “Little Ricky” on the show “I Love Lucy” and his encounter with Jesus Christ as his Savior. Life After Lucy is sold in US bookstores and in the Gift Shop on this site. Keith and Kathy have a daughter, Tara, who is a dancer and choreographer, married to Bryce Drew, a former NBA player and now the head coach of the Valparaiso University basketball team.

Kathy Thibodeaux began her dance training at the age of six at Jackson Ballet School under the direction of Albia Kavan and Rex Cooper. When the Jackson Ballet Company went professional in 1978, Kathy was one of the first ballerinas to be hired. Soon after being hired, she rose to the highest positions within the Company, becoming the principal dancer, a position she successfully maintained until 1986. During her time with the Jackson Ballet (later Ballet Mississippi), she performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Pigtail Girl in Graduation Ball, Odette in Swan Lake – Act II, Taglioni in Pas de Quatre, and headlined important roles in Les Sylphides and La Bayadere – Act II. He danced the title role in John Butler's Othello, Todd Bolendar's Stillpoint, Jean-Paul Comelin's Daughter of the Morning and William Christensen's Bravura, as well as in the traditional Grand Pas de Deux, Don Quixote, The Corsair and Raymonda. In 1982, Kathy received a silver medal for her performance at the II International Ballet Competition (IBC), where she debuted her solo piece We Shall Behold Him. She was featured in the 90-minute ABC/PBS documentary, “To Dance for Gold,” documenting her progress through the US II IBC and achieving her silver medal. Kathy is frequently called upon as a guest teacher/instructor at several US International Ballet competitions and has performed at the Gala presentation in Jackson, Mississippi. Her desire to use her gift in dance to share her faith in Jesus Christ led Kathy to resign from Ballet Mississippi and found her own company, Ballet Magnificat!, in 1986. Through the creation of Ballet Magnificat, Kathy has played many leading roles, solo and together, as well as choreographing several works for the company; these plays include: Creation (1987), Regathering (1988), Light Eternal (1989), Joy (1989), Thy Kingdom Come(1989), A Christmas Festival (1991), Praise Magnificat (1992), Sanctuary (1992), sections of Savior (1996), Unveiled Hope (1997), Freedom (2002), A Christmas Dream (2006) as well as “Battle Scene“, and parts of Snow Queen (2011). In 2006, Kathy wrote a children's book based on the ballet “A Christmas Dream,” which she choreographed in honor of Ballet Magnificat's 20th anniversary! In 1983, “Kathy Thibodeaux Day” was proclaimed by order of then-Mississippi Governor William Winter. A public commendation of Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus from 1989 was also published, and a resolution praising Kathy given by the Alabama Senate in 1998. In 2008, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, along with the founder of Peavey Music , Hartley Peavey, presented Kathy with the annual Hartley D. Peavey Award for Business Excellence. Kathy's passion for the Lord is so evident that she has given her life to serving God and His people, praising Him with dance. She is so grateful to live this life of service and work with her husband, Keith Thibodeaux. Kathy and Keith have a daughter, Tara Drew, who is a dancer, teacher and choreographer, married to Bryce Drew, a former NBA player and head basketball coach at Valparaiso University. Tara also danced in Ballet Magnificat!

Melanie Seeger Plassmann was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she began her dance training at the age of 4. She began her professional dancing at age 14 at the National School of Arts and completed the Royal Academy of Dancing Advanced 2 with Sandra Castens. In 2001, Melanie was invited to dance with the South African Ballet Theatre. In 2003, she moved to Cape Town to study at the University of Cape Town. While at UCT, she also completed the RAD Teachers Certificate and was awarded the RAD Solo Seal Award, which is the RAD highest performing award. At the end of 2004, Melanie joined the Cape Town City Ballet. While in this ballet company, Melanie performed in many of the classical and contemporary ballets such as: La Sylphides, Carmen, Camille, The Merry Widow, the Peasant Girl in Giselle, two of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, Winter Fairy in Cinderella, the Ballerina Doll in The Nutcracker, Solo Waltz in Les Sylph ides, and Swanilda in Coppélia. Melanie has also performed on many national tours as well as an international tour in Dublin, Ireland. In 2008, Melanie moved to Jackson, Mississippi, USA to study and dance with Ballet Magnificat! on the Trainee Program, Level 2. Upon returning to South Africa, she rejoined Cape Town City Ballet. During her time at UCT and CTCB, she was involved with teaching on the CTCB Boys Development program. In 2011, Melanie left Cape Town City Ballet to try teaching full time. Melanie ran her own studio for 4 years, at the same time she was also on the full-time faculty at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts. In 2015, Melanie returned to UCT to obtain her undergraduate degree in Dance Education. She also taught classical ballet at the UCT School of Dance, was deputy director of the Cape Junior Ballet School and assistant ballet teacher at the Cape Junior Ballet Company. Melanie aims to provide quality teaching and excellence in an informative and enjoyable environment.

Brenda began her involvement with Ballet Magnificat! like a “ballerina mother”. She eventually became a volunteer at the office, using her experience working in law firms and the mortgage banking industry to help when needed. Brenda also homeschooled her two children, led Organization Equals Happiness time management seminars, Good For You cooking and food co-op classes, and helped her daughter with her Cross-Tied Ministries productions and outreach classes. From 2002 to 2018, Brenda held the position of Operations Manager at the ministry. She now serves as Assistant to the Board and works on expansion in Brazil. Brenda and her husband John have two grown children, Ben and Abigail, and a granddaughter, Elliana.

Noanna Bortoluzzi Vilela Martins was born in Laranjeiras do Sul-PR and began her ballet studies at the age of 8 at Ballerina Studio de Dança where she also worked as a teacher. Over time, she took several improvement courses as a dancer. As a teacher, she took courses on tip fitting and also a teaching program, especially the vaganova method. She has a degree in Baracharelado and a degree in dance from the State University of Paraná (Unespar-Fap), also a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning and a specialist in Interior Design and Lightning Design both from Universidade Positivo. She worked as a teacher in several schools in Curitiba such as Cecconello dance school, Dom dance and theater school, Della danca and sesc.

Thalisson Wrzesinski, originally from Brasília - DF, began his dance career at the age of 8, dancing in church, and began his professional studies at the age of 16 at the Noara Beltrami Dance School. Between the ages of 16 and 26, he participated in several repertoire ballets and competed in renowned festivals, such as Passo de Arte in Indaiatuba (SP), the International Hip Hop Festival, the Joinville Festival and other local competitions. At the same time, Thalisson built a solid academic background, graduating in Advertising and Marketing from PUCPR, with a double degree, in addition to a postgraduate degree in Strategic Marketing, Branding and Growth Hacking. His career has focused on marketing, advertising, sales and commercial areas, with an emphasis on creating innovative strategies for companies to stand out and achieve effective results. A businessman, Thalisson is the founder of the marketing agency Four Ps and the men's boutique Graham Fashion Forward. He has been married to physician Jessica Wrzesinski Mota since 2018. Throughout his career, he has developed expertise in several areas, such as: • Social media management and content production; • Strategic planning and data analysis; • Organization of events and promotional activities; • Customer loyalty and management of marketing campaigns; • Product development and branding strategies; • Internal marketing and team motivation programs; • Implementation of new sales and marketing channels. In 2024, Thalisson was a trainee at Ballet Magnificat! Brazil and, in 2025, he joined the official team as head of marketing and events. In this role, he provides strategic support to both the Brazilian and North American teams, combining his experience in dance and marketing to strengthen Ballet Magnificat!'s performance in different markets.

Taylor Stewart grew up in Siloam Springs, AR, where she began dancing recreationally at the age of 5. As she continued dancing, she fell in love with the art form of ballet and in 2015 moved to Jackson, MS, to join Ballet Magnificat’s Trainee Program. In 2017, she was promoted and began dancing with the Company as a Student Apprentice. During her time with Ballet Magnificat she has traveled to 11 different countries sharing the Gospel through dance. At the end of July 2024, she retired from touring professionally with the U.S. Company and has recently moved to Curitiba, Brazil where she will be dancing and working with Ballet Magnificat! Brazil. She is excited for this move and as she starts this new season is reminded of Psalms 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Michelle Augusto was born in Ourinhos - SP and began studying classical ballet at the Escola Municipal de Bailados de Ourinhos at the age of 9. Over time, she had the opportunity to improve in courses with Aurea Hammerli, Toshie Kobayashi, Eduardo Bonnis, Rolando Candia, Mayda Lopes and contemporary with Rafael Gomes and Henrique Talmah. Always very skilled in dealing with numbers and expressing herself graphically, Michelle entered the Faculty of Architecture, thus finding the union of her love for mathematics and drawing! In 2014, she joined the Companhia Brasileira de Ballet, artistically directed by Jorge Texeira and Ballet Master Tadheo de Carvalho. As a member of this company, he performed in many classical and contemporary ballet shows, such as: Giselle, Magic Flute, Walpurgis Night, Spanish in The Nutcracker, Spanish in Swan Lake, Pas de trois in Paquita Grand Pas Classique , Grand Pas de Deux de La Fille Mal Gardeè, Gala Paixao by Thiago Soares, Natt, reinterpretation by Van Gogh. In 2017, she began the Ballet Magnificat Trainee Program! Brazil and is currently a dancer at Cia.

Carla Gomes was born in Rio de Janeiro - RJ and began her studies in her pre-teen years at the age of 13 at the Flash Dance dance school. Over time she learned Jazz, tap and contemporary, which had a great influence on her artistic identity, always with a strong and expressive dance. At the age of 17 she continued her studies at the Graciane Azevedo Dance and Culture Center where she later became part of the cast of dancers at Cia.Faces (direction: Graciane Azevedo) who won important awards in her career. With the influence of dance and her love for sports, Carla entered the Physical Education faculty where she was able to fall even more in love with the art of moving. In 2015 she obtained the Dance Professional Registration (DRT) and with a lot of dedication and love for teaching, she served on the teaching staff of many schools that marked her life. She was once a dance ministry leader and a member of Cia. Profética Gerar. With her knowledge, he applied prophetic dance workshops in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. In 2017 she became a Ballet Magnificat Trainee! Brazil, and she has also dedicated herself to teaching dance ministries in some churches, being able to share her testimony and influence lives. She is currently a dancer at Cia.

Christian; Dancer, instructor, choreographer with experience in Artistic Direction, Choreographic Supervision, Set Design, Backstage and Stage Management; Instructor and Technical Coordinator and Artistic Director of the Bethesda Dance Studio; Training in Classical Ballet and Jazz, with experience in Contemporary, Tap and Modern Dance; Training in Professional Training in Classical Ballet, Modern Ballet and Pointe Technique; Postgraduate degree in dance; Specialization in Teaching in dance education from UNIBF (2022); Courses in Creative Dance, Dance Anatomy and Technical Vocabulary of Ballet; Course for Teachers (Belhaven University Mississippi, USA); Bachelor's degree in Law; Graduated in International Bachelor's Degree "Theology with an emphasis on Dance" from Florida Leadership Ministry University (in progress).

Nayara Schlichting was born in Curitiba, Paraná. At the age of 17, she began her professional career working in customer service and administration. In 2012, she graduated in Administration. She gained experience in the sector, working in the administrative area of ​​the most varied segments (sports, real estate, food). In 2021, unique and remarkable experiences with the Lord led her to discover Ballet Magnificat! Brasil, through a friend and dancer at the company. Nayara is married to Bruno and they are the parents of Victor. She currently assists in the administrative sector of the Company.