COLIN J. NEEL, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

 

Colin J. Neel serves as Director of Production for Ballet Arkansas, bringing a multifaceted background as a professional dancer, character actor, stage manager, designer, and production leader. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Colin began his dance training at The Alabama School of Fine Arts before continuing his studies at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The HARID Conservatory, and Bossov Ballet Theatre. He also performed as a soloist at the International Dance Open in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2012.

Colin returned home to dance with Alabama Ballet, where he performed as an apprentice, company dancer, and resident company character actor before later serving as Assistant Stage Manager. His professional performance repertory includes Romeo and Juliet, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo and Fall River Legend, Coppélia, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, and Cinderella. His time at Alabama Ballet gave him a rare understanding of both the artistic and operational sides of professional dance, shaping the collaborative approach he brings to every production.

Following his time with Alabama Ballet, Colin earned his Individualized B.A. in Production Design from Birmingham-Southern College in December 2020. While at BSC, he deepened his work in stage management, production design, technical theatre, and theatrical operations, with credits including Fiddler on the Roof, Noises Off, Emotional Creature, Tick, Tick… BOOM!, Pippin, Sunday in the Park with George, These Shining Lives, Silent Sky, and Made in America. His college work expanded his practical experience across musicals, plays, dance productions, and new theatrical projects.

Colin joined Ballet Arkansas in 2021, continuing a professional relationship that began years earlier when he, Michael Fothergill, and Catherine Fothergill first met as dancers at Alabama Ballet in 2013. He was named Director of Production in 2025. In this role, he supports the company’s artists, creative teams, venues, and the Ballet Arkansas School for Dance through thoughtful planning, technical precision, and a deep respect for live performance. 

Outside of his work in the arts, Colin is a Master Mason of the Free & Accepted Masons in Arkansas, a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and currently serves Western Star Lodge #2 as a seated officer of the lodge.