Ashley Chantel Browder was born January 23, 1987 on a rare snowy day in Rome, Georgia, but the cold weather marking her birthday is in direct contrast to her warm disposition and tenderhearted personality.

Ashley began dancing when she was seven years old. For five years she was a student under the tutelage of Denise Johnson at the Cedartown Academy of Performing Arts. When Ashley was twelve, she became a student of Meredith Thomas in the Rome Civic Ballet where she continues today. In recent years Ashley has danced in several premier productions of the Rome Civic Ballet such as “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker”.

Growing up in Cedartown, Georgia, where she lives with her parents, Michael and Cynthia Browder, Ashley will graduate high school in the spring of 2005 from Vineyard Harvester Christian Academy. She was listed in 2003 as one of “Who’s Who in American High Schools”, as well as, achieving “National Honor Roll”.

Ashley is a student of, as well as a facilitator for, The Hope Dance Conservatory, which was created to edify all dancers and praise and worship members and leaders. In January 2002 The Hope Dance Conservatory was established at Cedar Lake Christian Center in honor of Hope Meadors, a worship dancer and church member whose young life ended much too soon.

While The Conservatory is based in Cedartown, Georgia, it includes students from around the nation. Veronica Smith is the primary instructor and has been part of the conservatory since its inception. Scholarships are granted for those not able to attend the Conservatory’s International Conference and Ashley was the very first recipient of the scholarship enabling her to attend the first annual conference held in Dallas, Texas.

Ashley and her family joined Cedar Lake Christian Center in January 1995 and she has been dancing there as part of the worship ministry for eight years. She is very involved in her church where for the last five years she has taught dance to children five and older. Ashley is committed to the work of Christ and in 2002 and 2003 accompanied her pastor, Bishop David Huskins and other fellow church members on two mission trips to Peru.

Her plans for the future include traveling the world proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God while remaining dedicated to the art of dance and the story that it can speak across cultures.