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 went to 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 also 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 the 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 at Shreveport Dance Academy.
She 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.
Kathryn Harris, Assistant Artistic Director
Kathryn Harris is a native of Elysian Fields, Texas, and a former company dancer with the Longview Ballet Theatre (LBT). While a member of LBT, Kathryn performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker, where she twice performed the role of “Clara,” Cinderella, Stars and Stripes, and Peter Pan. She also had the opportunity to perform alongside professional dancers from Utah’s Ballet West II in several collaborations between the two companies, including Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. During her career with LBT, Kathryn furthered her classical ballet training through summer intensive workshops with the Joffrey Ballet and Ballet West, where she was a scholarship student.
After graduating from high school, Kathryn began serving as an assistant to Longview Ballet Theatre artistic director Pat George Mitchell, gaining experience in leading rehearsals and setting choreography. She also worked closely with Ballet West’s Ballet Master Pamela Robinson and Ballet West II Associate Director Peggy Dolkas during the LBT/Ballet West II collaborations and has continued to expand her skills as a teacher and director. Kathryn graduated from LSU-Shreveport with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in May 2022.
