Brenna Hayes began her dance training at Southern Performing Arts Academy in Lawrenceville, Georgia. From the age of 10 to 19, she was a dedicated member of the studio’s nonprofit pre-professional ballet company, Southern Ballet Theatre, where she performed in annual productions of The Nutcracker, Dracula, and various spring shows. During this time, she attended and performed at Regional Dance America’s annual festival. To further refine her dance and choreographic skills, Brenna attended the Dance Canvas summer intensive, DC NEXT, in both 2015 and 2016. Here, she worked with critically awarded choreographers including Daniel Catanach, Juel D. Lane, and Christa Smutek. In 2017, she understudied Angela Harris’ and Vanessa Zabari’s ballet/tap collaboration piece for Dance Canvas.

In the spring of 2019, Brenna transferred to the University of Georgia to pursue their aerial dance program, Core Contemporary & Aerial Dance Company, and K-12 teaching certification. At UGA, she actively engaged in choreography within the Department of Dance. By May 2023, she earned both a BFA in K-12 Dance Education and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management & Leadership through UGA’s DoubleDawg program, becoming the first individual to graduate with this dual degree. She also had the honor of performing as part of the opening act for the Martha Graham Dance Company, alongside other UGA dancers under the direction of Elizabeth Sinclair.

In the spring of 2021, Brenna joined the virtual ballet company, Black Sheep Ballet, where the company met and learned repertoire through video communication. From 2022 to 2024, Brenna was a company member of Gwinnett Dance Project (GDP) and served as Communications Director on their board. Additionally, she led their fundraising committee, contributed choreographic work, and taught company class.

Outside of her own training, Brenna teaches ballet, pointe, contemporary/modern, jazz, tap, and more at various dance studios throughout the metro-Atlanta and Athens areas. Currently, she contributes to the UGA Dance Department's program development and recruitment initiatives and has begun working with Dance Canvas. Brenna still lives in Athens, where she continues her aerial dance training while supporting the expanding dance community across the metro Atlanta region. She is looking forward to all that the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company has to offer this season!