Brigette Madden French began her dancing career at the age of 3. She took ballet locally at several studios before coming to the School of the Charleston Ballet to further her studies. Displaying a natural gift for ballet, she began to perform with the apprentices of the Charleston Ballet and later with the company. She aspires to dance professionally and is following that track. Besides her classes at the Charleston Ballet, Ms. Madden French has attended classes at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School Intensive, master classes with Paul Taylor, Diavolo, and Philadanco, WV Dance Festival, Summer Intensive in Saratoga Springs, NY, and the Rock School in Philadelphia. She has attended several competitions, including Jump Dance Convention, New York City Dance Alliance, and Tremaine. She competed in the New York Finals of the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition. She received scholarships to North Carolina School for the Arts, Point Park University, Joffrey Ballet in NY, Steps on Broadway, PDTA Dance Convention, and for two years received the WV Dance Festival scholarship of the Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence, as well as attendance scholarships to the WV Dance Festival by David Howard for three years. She has studied with renowned teachers such as Gyula Pandi, Radenko Pavlovich, David Howard, Patricia Wilde, Roberto Munoz, Melinda Roy, Ariel Serrano, Olivier Wexcsteen, Heather Hawk, Christopher Fleming, Ashley Tuttle, and Sean Lavery. She also has studied various other dance styles including jazz with Chris Huggins, Dee Caspery, Ray Leeper, and Jamal Story; musical theater with Ronnie DeMarco; flamenco with Luis Montero and Margarita Bruce; modern with Mandy Moore, Donald Laney, Todd Rosenlieb and Shane O'Hara; tap with Mike Minery and Chris Smith; and character with Tonia Versara. Her performing experiences have encompassed a wide range of styles and she adapts well to each one. With the Charleston Ballet, she has been seen in THE SEASONS, LA FILLE MAL GARDEE, LES SYLPHIDES, DANCE MACABRE, AFRICAN IMAGES, CELEBRACION, DUSK TO DAWN, SHE LOVES YOU to music of the Beatles, TANGOS, ETUDES, FAUST, BOLERO, FLAPPERS, POLTERGEIST, GYPSY, and THREE CORNERED HAT. She performed as a guest in the Schrader Youth Ballet's NUTCRACKER in 2009 and performed a soloist role in WHO CARES while attending SSDI. She has appeared in several Bollywood and Bharatanatyam dances, including TAAL SE TAAL, DOLA RE DOLA, AJA NACHLE, and MASHALLAH. She has also performed variations from ETUDES, GRAND PAS CLASSIC, LA VIVANDIERE, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, SLEEPING BEAUTY, and COPPELIA. She has danced soloist roles in PAQUITA, HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, POULENC PIANO CONCERTO, RHAPSODY IN BLUE, DOODLE DANDY, and several years as "Clara" in the NUTCRACKER with the WV Symphony, partnered by Oleksandr Vykhrest, principal dancer with Columbia Classical Ballet in SC. In 2012, she added the role of "Dewdrop"to her repertoire. Ms. Madden French created the role of PINOCCHIO for Pauley's premiere in March 2011 to an original score composed by Evan Mack. Recently, she danced in the premiere of SQUAREDANCE, ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, SERENADE, Christopher Fleming's JANIS AND JOE SUITE and PLAY BALL!, MAJISIMO, VALSE MYSTERE, and full-length stagings of LA BAYADERE, ROMEO AND JULIET, HUNCH BACK OF NOTRE DAME, WIZARD OF OZ, DON QUIXOTE, and SWAN LAKE. Ms. Madden French assists with classes for the American Academy of Ballet.