Lacey Pailes

Trainee

Lacey is originally from Virginia, where she first began ballet when she was three years old at Swan Ballet Dance Schools in Fairfax and Sterling, Virginia under the direction of Lilie K. Pour. Following her family’s move to Mexia, Texas in 2000, Lacey continued her dance training at Joy’s School of Dance in Waco, Texas under the instruction of Joy Burkhart, Meredith Sutton, and Natalie George. In 2007, Lacey attended Ballet Magnificat!’s Summer Intensive and, while there, felt God calling her to use her gifts as a dancer to glorify and serve Him. On return from Ballet Magnificat!’s Intensive that summer, she was asked to be a part of several dances her church would be using as creative worship aids during upcoming services, and felt this was added confirmation that God wanted her to serve Him through dance. She began to pursue ballet more seriously and was blessed that fall with the opportunity to receive private instruction from Stephanie Ulmer, a former Trainee with the San Francisco Ballet. One of the most influential periods of her training was between the fall of 2008 and Summer of 2011, during which time, Lacey received extensive training including both private and group instruction under former Ballet Magnificat! Omega Company Member and Instructor, Lydia Spano, who supported and encouraged Lacey in her pursuit of using dance to serve Christ. As a supplement to her training, she also continued to attend Ballet Magnificat!’s Summer Intensives from 2008 to 2010. In 2011, after auditioning for Petra Ballet Company, she was accepted as a Trainee with the company and subsequently moved to Springfield, Missouri.