Anna Gardner Herren

Anna Gardner Herren is a professional dancer and actress based in Birmingham, Alabama, with over 12 years of training and performance experience. She began ballet as a child when her mother enrolled her in a class, and her passion has only grown since. Anna has trained with distinguished instructors including Qianping Guo of Shenyang Conservatory, Ilgiz Galimulin and Yoshie Narisawa of Yoshiko Takagi Ballet of Tokyo, Eldar Aliev of Mariinsky Theatre Primorsky Stage, and others. Her career has taken her across the United States and abroad, including a nine-month residency in Japan, tours in Washington DC, and performances in Greenville, Alabama. Notably, she performed approximately 60 shows with The Logos Theatre in the world premiere of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where she played Older Lucy and served as lead dancer, performing up to ten shows a week at the World Stage theater.

Alongside her performance career, Anna manages a dance studio in Birmingham where she teaches ballet and nurtures the next generation of dancers. She has also directed and choreographed several short films for the Dance Alabama Film Festival, including Hope, Starting Over, and Someone in the Crowd, and has performed in collaborative projects such as Finches and Sickmoves. Her freelance work with companies like Bluebird Uncaged in Atlanta highlights her versatility, and she has been fortunate to receive scholarships and professional offers throughout her career without extensive auditions. Dance has been central to Anna’s life, providing her with physical strength, emotional resilience, and purpose, especially in managing a lifelong physical condition.

Anna is pursuing dual degrees in Dance and Audiology at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa while continuing to advance her artistic career. She is a passionate language learner, speaking several languages including Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, German, and Russian, often studying during her drives between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. As she prepares for her upcoming marriage and an exciting move to San Francisco, Anna continues to embrace new opportunities in the arts while maintaining her dedication to performance, teaching, and personal growth.

• The University of Alabama - BA, Dance

• Outstanding Freshman Award