Dierdre Cole
Deirdre Cole, a Bristol, Tennessee, native, is a longtime arts leader whose work has shaped the cultural landscape of dance in our region for many years, and she is overseeing the Virginia Highlands Festival, the largest comprehensive summer festival in the region. She has been artistic director of the Highlands Ballet Company since 1994. A master dance teacher of technique, form and artistry, she is also known for her original storytelling, choreography and innovative ideas, as well as her comprehensive oversight of full productions with a refined eye for design.
Cole’s mother, Deanna Cole-Roberts, is a classically trained dancer and was on faculty at Virginia Intermont College. She introduced her daughter to ballet.
“I went on several trips to New York City with her when she attended professional development and performing opportunities. Before my first official ballet class, I was immersed among artists of all kinds. Fine art also runs in the family: my great-grandmother excelled at needle art; my grandmother in fine art, architecture, needle art and design; my mother in fine art, needle art and design; and my brother in fine art and design. So, I would say it runs in the family,” Cole says.
She has trained with many teachers considered the greatest in the world — Robert Joffrey, David Howard, Norbert Vesak, Gelsey Kirkland, Rochelle Zide-Boot and Lynn Simonson. At 12, she was accepted to the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow in Lee, Massachusetts — three years younger than the minimum age — where she trained with professional dancers and was widely regarded as a prodigy.
In 1994, Cole stepped away from touring professionally and returned home to use her talents locally. Alongside her mother, she founded the Highlands Center for Ballet Arts in Abingdon, Virginia. What began modestly expanded rapidly — enrollment doubled, tripled and then quadrupled within three years under her artistic direction. She created, staged and managed full-length ballets from concept to curtain — often performing while overseeing every aspect of production, from costuming to backstage coordination. Her body of work includes original and reimagined productions such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “A Christmas Carol,” “In Celtic Days,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “By Gershwin,” “Magic Butterfly,” “The Wolf Crystal” and many others.
Over 31 years, she has led 115 productions and more than 400 performances, taught more than 10,000 students, and reached audiences exceeding 500,000 — touching more than one million lives across the region.
Perhaps her most enduring achievement is the philanthropic heart embedded within Highlands Ballet. From its earliest days, she and her mother established a clear internal mission: no student would be denied access to dance because of financial hardship. That commitment has never wavered. Highlands Ballet has sustained a scholarship program that has supported approximately 20% of its students historically—and in recent years, nearly 50%.
“The arts are everything. It has given me a perspective in life to be the person I am today and evolving to the person I am meant to be in the future. For youngsters — I believe with everything that I am that exposure and participation in the arts develop a more well-rounded human being. The neuroscience of dance should not be dismissed. Yes — it can be recreational, but it creates neural pathways with every step. Structured dance takes it even a step further. Spatial awareness, pairing of the body and mind, physical fitness, self-discipline, focus, teamwork, project management and taking delight in small accomplishments — quality not quantity — all character enriching aspects,” Cole says.
Since 2021, Cole has taken on another role, being the executive producer of the Virginia Highlands Festival. Through her lead, the festival held a grand 75th anniversary celebration, and many new programs have been established, including year-round programming in the culinary arts and especially the annual Abingdon Plein Air Festival. The last two years, she has resurrected a Balloon Glow and Launch, which was one of the memorable events from earlier decades.
“Winning this award is both an absolute honor and humbling. We have so many incredibly talented individuals in our region. Being nominated and chosen is thrilling and doubly rewarding since my mom, Deanna Cole-Roberts, was an inaugural recipient,” Cole says.
