Ashley Barnes is the founder, owner, and artistic director of The Dance Element and Element Productions in Wilmington, NC. A lifelong dancer and multimedia artist, she holds a BFA in Fine Art & Dance Performance from East Carolina University and is certified in the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet. With over 20 years of experience, Ashley teaches ballet, tap, and contemporary dance to students of all ages, and her choreography and costume designs—often handcrafted from her original sketches—have been celebrated locally. She’s received multiple honors, including the 2018 Arts In Wilmington “Individual Artist” Award, the 2016 Lower Cape Fear Women of Achievement Award in the Arts, and a Regional Artist Grant in 2015—all affirming her reputation as a “creative force” in the community.
Arts reporting for WHQR is made possible in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Wilmington and The Endowment.
