Our Team
Laura-Catherine Dawson
Co-Founder, Director
Laura-Catherine Dawson grew up dancing tap, jazz, and ballet until age 12 when she began training exclusively in classical ballet under the direction of Jill Pelhan and Katya and Arkaidy Orohovsky. Her training includes Joffrey Ballet Theater’s intensive in NYC, American Ballet Theater’s intensive in Austin, Texas, and International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS.
Her dance teaching career began in 2012 at a local dance studio. Later, in 2015, she partnered with a local not-for-profit food pantry community center to start free ballet classes for the children. That class, which she called Leaps of Faith, shifted her previously set-in-stone career path for one which required much more risk and dependence on God. After she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi she moved to Dallas, and the ballet program ended. Then in 2019, Laura-Catherine moved back to Mississippi and restarted the ballet program, but this time as its own independent nonprofit.
Halle-Brooke Barnard
Chief Executive Assistant
Halle-Brooke Barnard began dancing ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap at age 9 in Purvis, MS under the direction of Lori Breaux and Markos Williams. At 15 years old, she decided to train pre-professionally at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama. There she trained heavily in classical ballet, pointe, and limon modern dance. She was under the direction of Wes Chapman, Teri Weksler, Martha Faesi, and Germaul Barnes. During her time there she performed works choreographed by Robert Battle, Mark Morris, Nadine Bartman, Margi Cole, and Susan Shields. Her training includes American Ballet Theater’s intensive in Austin TX, Joffery Ballet Intensive in New York, and Point Park University International intensive in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated in 2020, and furthered her dance education at Point Park University’s COPA program in Pittsburg, PA. There she majored in dance with a consentration in modern dance techniques, under the direction of Garfield Lemonius. She studied classical ballet, Chinese dance, Hortan Technique, Martha Graham Technique, Limon Technique, jazz, and improv dance. After a dance injury in college, she moved back to Hattiesburg and began volunteering at Leaps of Faith in 2022. In 2023, she became full time at Leaps of Faith as the Chief Executive Assistant.
At the age of 2, Jariel began dancing at Robin Adams Performing Arts Center, where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and gymnastics. Throughout her dance career she competed nationally on the Southern Exposure Dance Company.
In addition to dance, Jariel cheered at the high school and collegiate levels.
While attending the University of Southern Mississippi to obtain her bachelors in Elementary Education, Jariel was also a cheerleader. During her time as a student athlete, she lettered, became a member of the M Club and competed nationally.
Jariel Davis
Co-Founder, President