Company Members
Director Beverly Mendez
Beverly B Mendez has over thirty years of experience in all aspects of dance and theater production and instruction.
After graduating with a Dance and Theater double major in 1974, she performed her way across the country and back again. Including; Merry Go Round Playhouse in Miami, Milwaukee Repertory Company, Houston Ballet, and the New York City Repertory Company.
She is proficient in the instruction of Ballet and Modern-Contemporary dance techniques, Improvisation for actors and dancers, and Stage Movement. An enthusiastic and dedicated Choreographer/Director, Ms Mendez has created literally thousands of movement works for Theaters, Dance Companies and studios.
She believes in creating unity and positive experiences within the groups she directs, and the audiences that the work is shared with.
Ms. Mendez has been the Director of Dance Matrix since its founding in 1993, and is now leading the way into it’s new incarnation as a producer of all performing arts.
She has been Ballet Mistress and dance director at the Fredericksburg Ballet Centre for 22 years and on the Dance Faculty at the University of Mary Washington from 1998 to 2015.
Christy Hawkins
Christy started dancing when she was six years old and has made dancing a lifelong passion. She has a B.A. and a M.A. from Brigham Young University (BYU), specializing in ballet and ballroom dance. She performed worldwide as a member of BYU Theatre Ballet and BYU Ballroom Dance Company. She is the mother of four and has lived in Stafford, VA since 2012. Besides dancing, Christy loves to watch movies, read books, and visit and hike in the national parks, all with her active family. She joined Dance Matrix Company (DMC) in 2015 and is a member of the Board of Directors for DMC.
Katie Fatiga
Katie has always loved to dance. She realized that she wanted to dance in a more professional way in college after taking an improvisational dance class with Beverly Mendez. Since then Katie has enjoyed taking classes at FBC, and performing with Dance Matrix. When she is not dancing, Katie keeps busy teaching Middle School, raising her two children and running races. Katie joined Dance Matrix in 2016.
Deborah Bennett
Deborah Bennett started studying the art of ballet at 5 years old. She went to watch her friend take a ballet class and fell in love. Deborah trained in the Cecchetti method of classical ballet in South Africa and England and has been dancing professionally since age 16. She came to America to study under master teachers in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. She has been teaching ballet at M & S Studio of the Performing Arts in Central Park, Fredericksburg for many years. Yoga is her second love. She says, “Yoga has kept me injury-free and in good shape so that I can still enjoy dancing. Dance is my therapy.”
Patrick Mayer
Patrick Mayer has been dancing since the age of 3 at Fredericksburg Ballet Centre. He has studied ballet, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, modern, and lyrical. He has had soloist parts in Don Quixote, Giselle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and the Nutcracker. Patrick premiered his first self-choreographed solo with DMC at the 2020 Performing Arts Festival. He is enjoying his first season as a DMC dancer.
Becky Brassfield
Becky Brassfield has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She has studied everything from jazz to modern to hip-hop, with her favorite styles being tap and ballet. She gained experience teaching and choreographing as a member of Fusion Dance Team during her time at Virginia Tech. Becky danced with DMC as a guest Artist in the Summer of 2016, and is now a full company member.
Lyndsay Nicole Kilgore
Lyndsay Nicole Kilgore has been studying and performing in all styles of dance since the early 2000s. She was a 2-time All American Dancer at the NDA National Competition, a member of Dance Company of Gainesville and The Chris Collins Dance Company. For the last 4 years she has been the event coordinator and manager at Spencer Devon Brewing. This is Lyndsay’s first season with DMC.
Edward Yates
Edward Yates is a young motivated dancer with a BA degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of Mary Washington. He began his dance training while in college at the Fredericksburg Ballet Centre. Since then he has performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Don Quixote. Ed performed in a production of Romeo and Juliet with the American Ballet Theatre in 2018. He is proud to have performed on the same stage as Misty Copeland! Ed is a member of the Next Reflex Dance Collective, in Northern VA, and was a guest artist with Dance Matrix in 2016 and 2017.