Maria Ross Campsey’s passion for the arts led to a career that allows her to bring arts education to Walker County.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Maria Ross Campsey's journey into the world of the arts began with her mother enrolling her in dance classes. This early exposure ignited a lifelong passion for the arts, shaping Maria's carcer and ultimately leading her to champion arts education in Walker County.

Her parents owned a mining and land reclamation business, moving them to Alabama when she was 15. Though her parents worked in and around Birmingham, the family found a sense of community within Jasper and made it their home. Maria's early foray into teaching and choreography, coupled with her family's entrepreneurial background, sparked her interest in owning a business.

"My parents had a family business, as did both sides of my grandparents. I grew up seeing what it was like to be an entrepreneur and all the things that go into owning and managing a business, so all of those things influenced me," she says.

After graduating from Walker High School, Maria embarked on her academic journey, initially pursuing a ballet program at Birmingham-Southern College. After briefly contemplating a switch to education, Maria ultimately followed her passion for dance, transferring to The University of Alabama to comprehensively study various dance forms. Graduating with a major in Dance and a minor in Business, Maria then took her skills and knowledge to the vibrant arts scene of New York City.

In the bustling city, Maria seized opportunities to coach, teach, and perform at venues of all sizes. Working with the American Ballet Theatre's Education and Training Department, she gained valuable insights into how arts organizations collaborate with schools and create performance and arts education opportunities. Later, she served as the Director of Children's Programs at the 92nd Street Y.

"I loved living in New York and the fast-paced energy of the city. I had a great little community and met a lot of people, but eventually, I wanted to go all in on my own business and decided to come back to Jasper to do that," she says. "Jasper is the community I was raised in, the community I pictured raising my children in. So, I moved back and opened Athletic Arts Center in 2007."

Though Maria was already familiar with the scope of running a business, she found the experience eye-opening. She laughs as she recalls serving as the janitor, bookkeeper, receptionist, and secretary. Over the years. Maria has amassed an excellent team of people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty."

Athletic Arts Center offers a diverse range of dance classes, including ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary; tap dance, voice classes, private voice lessons, and musical theatre. Annual productions, such as The Nutcracker, allow students to showcase their talents at local events.

In her mission to work with the community, Maria has partnered with Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center, the Walker County Arts Alliance, Bevill State Community College, and Walker Community Theatre to provide arts education. Her latest collaboration with Walker County Schools brings dance classes to fifth-grade students, an effort she hopes to expand to children of all ages.

"A big part of the mission of Athletic Arts Center is collaboration and creating partnerships. So, working in the schools was a natural transition into engaging in the community," says Maria.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria decided to further her education and earned a Master of Arts in Dance Education from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Fine Arts from Wilson College.

While she has been taught by many great instructors over the years, Maria humbly acknowledges that her greatest teachers remain her students. "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know and how many questions I still have. I am a teacher at heart, but as a teacher, I always get to learn more from my students," she says.

Over the years, Maria has built a successful career and a fulfilling life centered around family, community, and her passion for the arts. Athletic Arts Center continues to be a place of creativity, self-expression, and learning for many locals who, through Maria, have found their place within the arts. 78