Get excited for the 2024 Walk of Fame Ceremony!
Presented by State Auto Insurance Companies, the Lincoln Theatre Association will host its annual Walk of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, July 27, at 7 pm, to memorialize two icons of Black dance in Columbus who also affirmed for youth the opportunity to pursue dance as a career, Alice Grant and Bettye Robinson.
These local trailblazers will be honored during a ceremony that will include a multi-genre tribute to their lives and work and a performance by dancers Ryan K. Johnson (SOLE Defined), Lori A. Lindsey, Brianna Rhodes, and Ellington Hoffman. The second half of the ceremony will then move outdoors to reveal the new stars on the Walk of Fame.
The visionary team of the Lincoln Theatre would also like to celebrate the revitalization of Long Street. Celebrating our neighbors, new and old, with live music, dance, youth activities, resources, and free prizes. The event will lead right into the Walk of Fame event.
This event is open to the public and FREE with registration.
2024 INDUCTEES
![Alice ( Miss Bronze Ohio )](https://www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Alice-Miss-Bronze-Ohio-.jpg)
Alice Grant
Alice Grant began dancing ballet at an early age. Her fast learning revealed the racism in her studio, which refused to allow her to take advanced level classes. Relentlessly pursuing her dream, she began studying with Vicky Paige at the Vicky Paige Studio.
Grant was crowned Miss Bronze Ohio in 1959, opening doors for more opportunities. She auditioned for Pearl Bailey in Cincinnati and hired as a solo classical dancer. She performed with Bailey in Las Vegas and began touring from the West Coast through the Midwest. She also earned dance work overseas, performing solo work with the USO. When she returned to the U.S., she performed as a dancer in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway.
Grant holds degrees from the University of Southern California, California State University Los Angeles, and the Ohio State University. She owned the Alice Grant Dance Studio in Columbus for 18 years. She is a retired teacher from Columbus School for Girls and Columbus City Schools.
![Bettye Robinson Headshot](https://www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bettye-Robinson-Headshot.jpg)
Bettye Robinson
Bettye Robinson was the founder of the first Black ballet company and school in Columbus, mentor and teacher of Black Dancers in Columbus from 1960-1990. She nurtured Black students who pursued professional dance careers, founded dance schools and companies; two of her students were chosen to study at the School of American Ballet in the 1970s.
“Aunt Bettye,” as she was called, inspired and influenced a generation of young Black women with her passion for art of the dance. She opened her first dance school in 1946 in Philadelphia, later opening studios in Youngstown and Columbus, where shecreated “Les Danseurs Noir,” the first Black ballet dance company in Columbus.
During her career she served as a choreographer for the Columbus Victory Matrons Cotillion, the Youngstown Junior League Cinderella Ball, Youngstown Playhouse Green Pastures, Warren Kenley Players, 1973 Miss Black Teenage Pageant, DST Jabberwock Fiesta Internationale, and served as a judge for the Miss Teenage Cupidette Pageant.She set choreography for musicals at her alma mater, Ohio Dominican College.
She received many awards, including those from the Urban League, Blue Chip, Central Ohio Pioneer of Dance, and Special Education Awards from the Hilliard City Schools and the Ohio State University Department of Education.
2024 PERFORMERS
This year’s Walk of Fame honorees also call attention to the ongoing Lincoln Theatre Dance Initiative, providing opportunities and access to dance training and other experiences for underserved communities. In addition to being graduates of the Lincoln’s Expanding Your Horizons Incubation Program, Lori A. Lindsey and Brianna Rhodes also share a background with the LTDI through the agencies with whom they work –Diane McIntyre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre. Ellington Hoffman is a dancer from Columbus Dance Theatre, the ballet arm for the LTDI collaboration.
![Lori Lindsey_THUMB](https://www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lori-Lindsey_THUMB.png)
Lori A. Lindsey
Lori A. Lindsey, a native of Columbus, OH, developed a love for performing at an early age. She began studying ballet and tap and later expanded to jazz, modern, liturgical, and other genres as an adult. She has been performing for many years and is known for her natural ability to engage audiences by defining emotions, characters, and artistic visions through dance.
She has performed as a solo artist as well as with several Dance Teams and Companies including Kentucky State University K-Rette Dance Team, Two Left Feet. In the Right Direction Dance Company, Nomel Inspirational Dance Theater, Judah Performing Arts Company, and Onyx Productions. Performance highlights include: International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference ‘Anatomy’ (Pas de deux); ‘TEDxColumbus Women’, (Solo/Monologue); Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Summer Intensive Showcase (Ensemble); Warhol & Wall Street ‘My Great Day in Harlem’, Artist Docuseries (Solo/Voiceover); Onyx Productions ‘ROHO’ (Solo/Ensemble); Maroon Art’s Group ‘A Street Called Home: Aminah Robinson’ Film (Solo/Ensemble); Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Nomel Inspirational Dance ‘Cake Walk’ (Pas de deux); Lincoln Theatre Walk of Fame Celebration (Solo); Greater Columbus Arts Council Annual Luncheon (Ensemble); Maroon Art’s Group ‘ROOTS’ Showcase (Solo); Judah Performing Arts ‘Africa To America’ (Ensemble/Monologue); Renee Dion ‘Wilderness’ Music Video (Ensemble) to name a few.
Lori is passionate about continuing her dance education and training through weekly classes, master classes and workshops, summer intensives programs, and dance conferences. She also loves sharing the gift of dance as a Dance Instructor at Dance ELITE Performance Academy in Columbus, Ohio. She believes dance is a conduit for change, healing, community, and social awareness. Lori welcomes opportunities to share her love for art on stage, in the studio and in the world.
![Brianna Rhodes_THUMB](https://www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Brianna-Rhodes_THUMB.png)
Brianna Rhodes
Brianna Rhodes is an Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University Department of Dance. Currently, she works as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher throughout Columbus, Ohio.
Alongside dance, she is a poet, a spokeswoman for Aunt Flow (a free feminine product company), a model, and a small film actress. As a teacher, Brianna is driven by the Black dance experience. She teaches children a fusion of Black dance styles along with their history as a catalyst for growth and expansion of the entire body, mind, and soul.
Her dance talents span across concert, street, and commercial dance. Her professional career has taken her nationally and internationally to places like New York City, Bermuda, and Brazil.
Brianna creates from the point of view of a young, Black, Queer artist, who serves as a vessel for all. She uses her art to provide healing, storytelling, and comfort especially in spaces where it is needed the most. Brianna is inspired by the African Proverb “Ubuntu” which serves as a reminder to help those who come after while remaining true to the ones before.
![Ellington Huffman_THUMB](https://www.lincolntheatrecolumbus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ellington-Huffman_THUMB.png)
Ellington Hoffman
Ellington Hoffman began his dance training at age 11 at Allstars Performing Arts Academy in Suwanee, Georgia. There, he trained in a diverse array of styles including hip hop, lyrical, jazz, contemporary, clogging, tap, Irish, ballet, musical theater, and ballroom. He later joined Sugarloaf Performing Arts and subsequently pursued his passion for ballet at Buford School of Ballet.
Ellington continued his training at Hilton Head Dance Theater and was offered a trainee position at BalletMet, where he trained for two and a half years. Throughout his dance journey, Ellington has choreographed numerous pieces, guest performed, and taught various classes.
He is thrilled to now be a dancer with Columbus Dance Theatre.