 At the Jackson Ballet School (later Ballet Mississippi), Kathy studied under American Ballet Theatre’s Albia Kavan and Rex Cooper.When the Jackson Ballet Company turned professional in 1978 under the direction of Thalia Mara, Kathy became one of the first dancers to be contracted, soon soaring to the highest levels of the company and becoming a Principal Dancer, a position she held until 1986.Kathy stepped into the spotlight of the international dance world in 1982, winning a Silver Medal at the II USA International Ballet Competition which rotates between Jackson and Russia, Finland and Bulgaria.