Bailey Heffernan

About Bailey Heffernan

Bailey Heffernan is a performer, teacher, and choreographer from Beckley, WV. A current dancer with the West Virginia Dance Company under the direction of Toneta Akers-Toler, she began her training at Beckley Dance Theatre School, under the direction of Jerry Rose, where she studied ballet, jazz, modern, musical theatre, and tap. She then continued her training at Brenau University, expanding her skills in styles such as West African and Ballroom, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Dance/Movement Therapy in December 2024. While in school, Bailey danced with the Gainesville Ballet Company, performing some of her favorite roles, such as Dewdrop and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. She also worked as the costume mistress for the company, where she designed and costumed both The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland. She began her professional career with Theatre West Virginia in Grandview National Park in the summer of 2023. She has performed with the company as a principal dancer, dance captain, assistant choreographer, costume assistant, Mary Butcher in Hatfield’s and McCoy’s, and understudy for the roles of Nancy McCoy in Hatfield’s and McCoy’s and Cora in Honey in the Rock. Bailey’s involvement in the dance field also includes teaching. Her teaching expertise encompasses pointe, ballet, musical theatre, jazz, modern, and contemporary dance. She has taught with the Theatre West Virginia Academy for the past two terms, the Gainesville Ballet Company (Gainesville, GA), Rhythms Academy Dance and Cheer in (Toccoa, GA), Beckley Dance Theatre School (Beckley, WV), and various masterclasses around West Virginia.

Artist Statement

The work I create as a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist is centered on elevating the voices and history of Appalachia, specifically focusing on my home state of West Virginia. The mountains of Appalachia have been an inspiration to me my entire life. However, from my personal experience growing up in West Virginia, it is apparent that the culture and art, especially dance, of the Appalachian mountains are easily forgotten and ignored by those outside of the region. Experiencing this firsthand is what drives me as an artist, intentionally using my career to share the love and joy that Appalachia has to offer. As a dancer, I seek out work with those who share the stories of West Virginia and Appalachia. Whether it is done through codified Western techniques, such as modern and ballet, or through Appalachian folk dance styles, as this is the work that truly inspires me. Through my choreography, I choose to tell stories about my own experiences growing up in West Virginia, focusing on the beauty of community and kinship. As a teaching artist, I strive to inspire and empower my students through their unique experiences. Often, dancers feel discouraged growing up in a rural area. So I choose to be who I needed as an adolescent, a teacher who does not encourage students to leave their home to find success, but rather one who shares the importance of our young artists recognizing the opportunity they have in their own backyard.