Gary Lewis, Inspire Performance Director
Originally from Denver, Gary’s training in and passion for the dramatic arts began in high school and played a key role in who he is today. He joined the National Thespian Society and has directed drama in several community churches. He believes the arts go past the defenses the intellect can raise and affect the heart, changing the way one looks at life. His goal for the last twenty years has been to touch hearts through drama. He directed several productions for Fellowship Community Theatre; a legacy of over twenty shows including Fiddler On The Roof, Godspell, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music. He has collaborated with Jeff Smith, actor and published playwright. Gary graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He brings compassion, energy and inspiration to all of the performances he directs. He is a person of integrity and genuine, heart-felt faith. His family is the love of his life and he balances professionalism with encouragement, using gentle truth in order to edify people around him. He loves the rehearsal process as a way to develop very special relationships with everyone involved. Working with actors to help them discover their characters and how they fit within the play structure is very rewarding for Gary. He does not believe in telling them how to play a character, but instead he coaches, mentors and challenges them to discover the characters for themselves. In his view, all individuals in a production are valuable so he tries to pass this view onto participants. According to Gary, the performances are the frosting on the cake because when it’s show time, he feels proud of each person’s growth. These qualities make him the right person to direct Inspire Performance.

Kathy Ballenger, Inspire Training Director
Kathy oversees the educational branch of Inspire because teaching is her passion. She is a private flute instructor. She customizes her instruction to her student’s learning styles and derives joy from watching them improve and succeed. She utilizes local performance opportunities and classes at Inspire Creative, Inc to help her students grow. Kathy has vast experience in vocal, instrumental and choral music both as a participant and as a director. Growing up in Lubbock, Texas, Kathy had many opportunities to broaden her skills while studying with excellent flute instructors. She received top Honors in solo and ensemble, All-Region and Area All-State bands. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University, served in leadership positions in the band service sorority Tau Beta Sigma and was active in both marching and concert bands. She has directed children’s, youth and adult choirs as well as ensembles for the Junior League in Tulsa and Houston. She performed with the vocal ensembles Glory (Oklahoma), Praise! (Texas), Higher Ground and Joy (Colorado), producing a CD by the latter two groups in 2001. Kathy has created a number of vocal and instrumental arrangements. She founded and directs Higher Ground, which presents programs in Colorado prisons. She is also the founder-director of One A-Chord, an inter-denominational music ministry to the elderly which exists in both Houston and Denver. In 2002 she became the Worship Arts Coordinator at Fellowship Community Church. Her performance experience includes Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof and The Taffetas, among others. She has been the vocal music director for The Music Man, Cotton Patch Gospel, The Sound of Music and numerous other productions. These experiences have prepared Kathy for her present role as the Inspire Training Director.