Artistic Staff
Kathryn Drake McDowell, Artistic Director
Kathryn Drake McDowell grew up in Shreveport and received her initial classical ballet training under Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet founder Marion Mills. After graduating from Caddo Magnet High School, Kathryn attended the University of Oklahoma where she continued her training in classical ballet and other forms of dance under Mary Margaret Holt, Allan Kinzie, Donn Edwards, Kathleen Burnett, Richard Shi, and Denise Vale. While in Oklahoma, Kathryn had the opportunity to perform leading roles in performances with the Oklahoma Festival Ballet, including Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Swanhilda in Coppelia, and principal roles in several original contemporary ballets. She was also chosen as a member of two Oklahoma Festival Ballet international touring companies to France.
After earning a BFA in ballet performance with a math minor from Oklahoma, Kathryn danced professionally with Tulsa Ballet Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lexington Ballet Company in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Universal Ballet Company in Seoul, South Korea. In 2001, she made a special guest appearance with SMB, dancing the title role in Cinderella. In 2003, Kathryn returned to Shreveport as Artist in Residence with SMB, performing in principal roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake Act II, and Sleeping Beauty Act III; and originating the title role in SMB’s original 2003 production of Snow White. Since 2009, Kathryn has appeared as a special guest performer in SMB’s original ballets Wizard of Oz, Aladdin, and Peter Pan, and has delighted many Nutcracker audiences with her lively portrayal of Dr. Drosselmeyer. Kathryn has taught ballet and choreographed in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and most recently in Shreveport.
She is a faculty member at Shreveport Dance Academy and has taught summer intensives at SDA and at Machita Dance Company in Baton Rouge. Serving as SMB’s Artistic Director for the last 4 seasons, she was proud to not only create new productions of The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz, but also to share in returning the Chance to Dance program to our spring production and help to promote a spirit of community among our dancers. Kathryn holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Centenary College and is currently the chair of the math department at her high school alma mater, Caddo Magnet High School, teaching AP Calculus and Statistics. She is married to Miles McDowell, the most supportive and understanding husband imaginable, and they have been blessed with two active and loving children, Moira and Drake.
Grace Matthews, Assistant Artistic Director
Grace Matthews is honored to serve as Assistant Artistic Director for Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, the company that helped shape her love for dance and storytelling. A Shreveport native, Grace trained at Shreveport Dance Academy for sixteen years. She spent ten of those years as a competition team member and eight as a company dancer with SMB, earning the role of soloist in her final two seasons. Her performances with SMB include memorable roles such as Fritz and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker and Glinda in The Wizard of Oz- roles that allowed her to explore both the technical and expressive sides of ballet.
In addition to her performance experience, Grace taught ballet to young dancers ages 2–8 at Shreveport Dance Academy for four years. Through teaching, she developed a deep appreciation for the developmental and emotional impact of early dance education.
Grace graduated from Louisiana State University in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science. During her time at LSU, she worked in the mental health field for over two years, supporting adolescent females in a psychiatric residential treatment facility. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work and is passionate about integrating movement, mentorship, and mental health into her future work with young people.
Since graduating, Grace has returned home and is excited to step into this new role with SMB. She is especially passionate about helping people discover their silent strengths and use their potential to become more than a product of their environment- a mission she hopes to bring into both the company and the community.
Lavender Stripling, Assistant Artistic Director
Lavender Stripling began her dance journey at the age of five, taking ballet classes at Theatre School of Dance. After a brief break, she returned to dance in the fourth grade at Dance Loud Academy, where her passion for ballet continued to grow under the guidance of Gwen Cardone, Paige Vergo, and Tony Neumann. As her training expanded, she explored a variety of dance styles, including hip-hop, jazz, and lyrical, while also serving as an assistant teacher—a role that sparked her love for mentoring young dancers.
Seeking new artistic challenges, Lavender joined the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet as a company apprentice in 2021. At the time, she had only recently begun pointe training, but her dedication and determination quickly became evident. She transitioned to Shreveport Dance Academy in 2022, where she trained under Kathryn McDowell, Kathryn Pruitt, Sofie Ward, Anthony Neumann, Keeley Pratt, and Elaina Guerrero. Through years of focused training and perseverance, she advanced from apprentice to full company member and ultimately achieved the rank of Principal Dancer.
During her time with Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, Lavender performed numerous roles in productions including The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz. Among her favorite performances were the Wicked Witch and the Lion in The Wizard of Oz, roles that allowed her to combine strong technical dancing with expressive storytelling and showcased the breadth of her artistic growth.
Beyond the stage, Lavender is deeply committed to education and leadership. A 2024 graduate of Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy, she earned a full-tuition scholarship to Centenary College of Louisiana, where she is pursuing dual degrees in Biology and Neuroscience. Alongside her academic studies and campus leadership roles, she has been a faculty member at Shreveport Dance Academy since 2024, teaching lyrical, hip-hop, and ballet. She is passionate about helping young dancers build confidence, connect emotionally with movement, and discover the joy of artistic expression in a supportive environment.
Now serving as Assistant Artistic Director for the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, Lavender is honored to continue giving back to the organization that played such a transformative role in her own journey. She looks forward to mentoring the next generation of dancers while helping advance the company's tradition of artistic excellence.