Blog Archives

Hailing from the coal country of eastern Kentucky, Billy Ditty studied Costume Design and Theatre at Morehead State University. Since then he has sewn and performed his way across the south and the country. Here in Middle Tennessee he has had the pleasure of working on many different types of projects from film to musical theatre to dance company.

Currently, Billy is the costume designer for the Nashville Children’s Theater and working freelance for various area Regional Theaters as well as Vanderbilt University and Austin Peay University. Billy is also in his 9th year of teaching dance for Bellevue Performing Arts Center.

Christen Heilman, a graduate of the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo, is a costume designer and performer originally from Northwest Ohio. Her expansive career includes a Bachelor’s in Musical theater and nearly 30 years of performing and 15 years of costume design. You may have seen her work in the 2022 season of GSFTA, at Nashville Ballet, and/or on the stage with Actor’s Bridge Ensemble. Classically trained in ballet at Ballet Hispanico, Christen has gone on to dance with The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet (NYC), North American Ballet, and the Toledo Ballet. Currently, you can find her working with the young artists at Centennial Youth Ballet training the next generation of performers with dignity and joy.