Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Al Blanton

Backstage at Athletic Arts Center’s annual production of The Nutcracker, Elliott Jones moves with the kind of confidence that only comes from years of practice. Not just on stage, but behind the curtain too.

“Backstage is almost choreographed in itself,” she says. “There’s so much going on, and there’s not really a minute to sit down.”

After 14 years of dance, Elliott knows that rhythm by heart. She is checking costumes, helping line dancers up, guiding younger girls where they need to be, and squeezing in just enough time to focus on her own part before stepping onstage. For audience members, the performance is all beauty and polish. For Elliott, it is also leadership in motion. “Being on stage almost becomes an afterthought,” she says, because so much of the work happens where no one can see it. 

Her instinct to lead carries over into her world beyond ballet. A Jasper High School student, Elliott is a member of the JHS dance line, participates in Youth Leadership Walker County, and is an inaugural member of the City of Jasper Junior Council, where she helps connect young people with local government. She has also served as a page with the Alabama House of Representatives, an experience that opened her eyes to the pace, pressure, and complexity of public service. 

Elliott says that dance and civic leadership are not separate worlds. Both have taught her how to step up, stay organized, and speak when it matters. “I was very quiet growing up, but in dance, when I was allowed to have input on choreography, I realized I didn’t have to stay in the background,” she says. “That expanded into other areas of my life and I realized I can have a say in real community decisions too.”

With plans to study political science, attend law school, and one day work in lobbying or public service, Elliott is already doing what strong leaders do: learning how to move with grace, even in the middle of a lot happening at once. 78