Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Lana Hankinson is currently a freelance artist performing, teaching, and working in New York City. In early years, she studied at Anne Burton Avery’s Academy Dance Company (Marietta, GA) and then in the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre’s Conservatory Program (Alpharetta, GA) under the direction of Prima Ballerina Maniya Barredo and Andrea Pell. Hankinson has extensive training in classical ballet, contemporary, modern, and jazz dance and recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Adelphi University as recipient of the Jeff and Tina Bolton Scholarship and Provost Talent Scholarship. Some of her past roles include Swanhilda and La prière in Coppélia, the title role in Giselle, and various roles in Flames of Paris, Le Corsaire, La Esmeralda, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Swan Lake, and Reflections. She currently dances for Dances Patrelle and Benjamin Briones Ballet (New York, NY) and is currently on staff at the Classical School of Ballet (Garden City, NY) as an ABT® Certified Teacher. In addition to dancing, she is also a classically trained pianist.