Abigrace Diprima

Teacher

Abigrace is from Lawrenceville, GA and trained at Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, subsequently receiving her BFA in dance from University of North Carolina School of the Arts under Dean Susan Jaffe. She went on to dance in Oklahoma City Ballet’s Studio Company and Ballet Tucson as an apprentice. As a company member, she has danced with Eugene Ballet, Texture Contemporary Ballet, Kayzer Ballet, Bluebird Uncaged, Jana Taylor and Dancers, and Pasadena Dance Theatre. Some of her favorite ballets to dance have included Balanchine's "Serenade" and "Donizetti Variations", the Mazurka variation and pas de deux from Les Sylphides, as well as works by Suzanne Haag and Alan Obuzor. She most recently performed in the European Royal Classical Ballet (Krolewski Ballet) US tour of Swan Lake. Abigrace is happy to return home this season to dance professionally with Gwinnett Ballet Theatre. 

Alyssa Nesmith

Faculty

Alyssa Nesmith is an Atlanta native, dance educator, and Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Georgia State University. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Georgia, where her studies included ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, West African dance, Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals, dance composition and improvisation, pedagogy, dance science, somatic practices, and dance history.

While at UGA, Alyssa performed and choreographed in numerous productions, including the Young Choreographer Series and Senior Exit Showcase, UGA Spring Dance Performance, Ubuntu: UGA Department of Dance Black History Concert, and the 2022 American College Dance Association Conference.

Now in her fourth year as a dance instructor and second year teaching at Neighborhood Ballet, Alyssa brings together her backgrounds in dance, psychology, and physical therapy to support the whole dancer. Her teaching is structured, encouraging, and joyful, with an emphasis on strong foundations, creativity, confidence, and creating a healthy learning environment that supports each student as an individual.

Andie Knudson

Teacher

Andie Knudson is a dance artist, videographer, educator, and arts administrator currently based in Atlanta, GA. Andie received her BFA in Dance with Summa Cum Laude and multiple accolades for her artistic achievements.

Throughout her freelance career, she’s had the privilege of performing the works of Bill T. Jones & José Limon in addition to working with a wide range of choreographers & improvisation artists such as Nancy Stark Smith, Elizabeth Dishman, George Staib, Sarah Hillmer, and Anna Bracewell Crowder. She has also choreographed works for Fly On A Wall’s 2023 production of Excuse The Art, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, AM Collab, and Rise City Dance.

Apart from her performance career, Andie has worked for 10+ years as a Dance Educator and developed her BFA Thesis on her passion for empowering students through cultivating their creative agency within dance curriculum.

Andie’s favorite thing about teaching is watching students grow in their confidence and empowering them to explore their creativity and emotions through their movement!

Brooke Gilliam

Faculty

Brooke is from Boulder, Colorado, and began her training at the Colorado Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Julia Wilkinson Manley. At 16, after attending the summer intensive, she was offered a merit scholarship to the Conservatory Program at Atlanta Ballet. From there, Gilliam was a part of Atlanta Ballet 2 for two seasons before her promotion to the main company in 2018. Since joining, some of her most noteworthy performances include The Sacrifice in Claudia Schreier’s The Rite of Spring; Catch by Liam Scarlett; The Shadow in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon; Orange Woman in Lar Lubovitch’ Elemental Brubeck; Russian Girls in George Balanchine’s Serenade; Dawn and War and Discord Principal in George Balanchine’s Coppelia; Garrett Smith's Corridors; Alexander Ekman’s Cacti; and Juliano Nunes' Yellow. One of her most memorable moments with Atlanta Ballet has been touring and performing The Nutcracker at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is Gilliam’s eighth season with Atlanta Ballet.

Chelcy Cutwright

Teacher

Chelcy Cutwright is an Atlanta-based performer and dance educator with an extensive background in musical theatre and professional stage performance. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, Chelcy has appeared on stages throughout Atlanta and across the Southeast.

Her Atlanta credits include Vanity Fair with Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Amélie with Horizon Theatre, The Winter Wonderettes and The Marvelous Wonderettes with Marietta Theatre Company, The Secret Garden and White Christmas at Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, and Three Little Pigs and Mary Poppins at Aurora Theatre. Favorite regional credits include Shug Avery in The Color Purple, Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls, and Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias at Springer Opera House, as well as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls at Red Mountain Theatre.

Chelcy brings her professional performance experience into the classroom, helping students develop confidence, musicality, stage presence, and expressive storytelling. She is passionate about giving young performers the technical foundation and creative freedom to become confident, versatile artists.

Devin Latham

Rise City Dance Ballet and Acro Lead, Junior Performing Company Associate Artistic Director, Assistant Director of Rise City Dance

Devin began their classical training at Central Florida Ballet in their hometown of Orlando, FL. After high school Devin danced with these notable companies: Atlanta Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego. Through these companies they were able to perform lead roles in the Nutcracker, Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht, Carmina Burana, and Etudes. Devin also danced many corps de ballet roles in works such as Septime Weber’s Alice in Wonderland, La Sylphide, Beauty and the Beast, Balanchine’s Serenade, Balanchines Four Temperments and Don Quixote amongst other contemporary ballet works. Since moving back to Atlanta in 2020 they have been performing in the local art scene and focusing energy into teaching and choreographing for students.

Emily Ireland-Buczek

Teacher

Emily is a professional ballet dancer and educator with extensive classical training and performance experience. Originally from Los Angeles, she began dancing at age three and, at fourteen, moved to New York City to train at the prestigious School of American Ballet.

Emily went on to dance professionally with Nashville Ballet for seven years. Her featured roles included Choleric in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet. Her repertory also included The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, as well as works by internationally recognized choreographers including George Balanchine and Jiří Kylián.

As an educator, Emily brings her professional experience and deep understanding of classical ballet into the classroom. Her teaching emphasizes strong technique, musicality, confidence, and joy in movement. She believes in meeting dancers where they are while challenging them to grow, and in creating a studio environment where students learn to love both the discipline and the artistry of dance.

Emily Streit

Junior Performing Company Director, Elementary and Teen Division Lead

Emily began her dance training at Sawnee School of Ballet under the direction of Joan Kall Stewart, where she also gained early teaching experience as a student assistant. She went on to earn a B.A. in Dance Studies from Brenau University, where she continued to develop as a teacher through coursework in dance pedagogy. During that time, she had the opportunity to shadow experienced instructors, receive regular feedback, and refine her teaching craft all while performing with Gainesville Ballet.

While Emily loved dancing and performing, she quickly realized that her deepest passion lay in education. Rather than pursuing a professional performance career, she chose to focus on creating meaningful experiences in the studio- where dancers grow not only in technique, but in confidence, discipline, and self-expression.

Now a dedicated educator and mentor, Emily sees each student as an opportunity to learn and grow herself. She finds joy in helping dancers make connections, ask questions, and discover their unique voices through movement.

Harriet Oglesby

Boutique Assistant Manager, Studio Concierge & Teacher

Harriet started dancing at the age of 3 in a small studio in Oklahoma before joining the professional training program at the Yvonne Chouteau School at Oklahoma City Ballet at the age of 5. At OKC Ballet she trained under Robert Mills, Viktoria Page, Mary Price Boday, Alvin Tovstogray, and Miki Kawamura. In addition to summer intensives at Tulsa Ballet and The Jillana School, she also spent 4 summers at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. There she trained under Daniel Catanach from Urban Ballet Theater and Steps on Broadway; Andre Tyson from Alvin Ailey; and Angela Harris from Dance Canvas.  

She has performed in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Paris Rouge, The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Phantom of the Opera, Giselle, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Harriet graduated from The University of the South (Sewanee) in 2023 with a degree in biology and is currently pursuing her Masters in Global Public Health at Emory University and will be graduating in May. In addition to working and teaching at NB, she is also a research assistant at Emory currently focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene access in rural Kenya. 

Jacqui Hinkson

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Jacqui Hinkson is a movement and visual artist, arts administrator, and the founder and artistic director of Atlanta-based dance company, EXCAVATE BODY.

In her role at Neighborhood Ballet, Jacqui has the privilege of leading a tight-knit administrative team, coordinating annual programming, managing large-scale projects, and flexing her innate organizational abilities. Jacqui finds this job to be her “perfect-fit” in that it allows her to tap into her director-like qualities, utilize creative problem solving skills on the daily, and choreograph a team to success season after season! By leading an organization that bolsters a love for dance and deep reverence for the arts, Jacqui finds great joy in directly contributing to the present and future of the Atlanta arts’ community.

Janan Mirza

Teacher & Studio Concierge

Janan Mirza is a passionate teaching artist and educator with over nine years of experience inspiring young dancers to move with confidence, creativity, and purpose. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education from Brenau University, where she also minored in Pre-Physical Therapy, enriching her teaching with a strong understanding of body mechanics and injury prevention.

Janan began her dance training at Moving in the Spirit and continued honing her craft across a range of styles, including modern, contemporary, ballet, jazz, African, and ballroom. Her work is deeply rooted in youth development, and her classes are designed to build not only strong technique and expressive movement but also confidence, leadership, and a sense of belonging. She is committed to creating inclusive spaces where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered.

Beyond the studio, Janan is the Founder and CEO of Neatly Nan, a professional organizing company, where she helps individuals and families create peaceful, functional spaces in their homes. Her work as an organizer reflects the same values she brings to her teaching: compassion, clarity, and a deep respect for each person's unique needs and routines.

Jessica Altchiler

Faculty

Jessica Altchiler is a multidisciplinary performing artist, choreographer, and educator with professional experience across dance, theatre, and film. She began her career as Dance Captain and Swing on the first national tour of Fiddler on the Roof and later served as Assistant Choreographer, Assistant Director, and Associate Director on professional productions including May We All and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She has choreographed and taught masterclasses at colleges and universities across the country.

Jessica holds a BFA in Dance and BA in Psychology from Marymount Manhattan College and is trained in ABT® Teacher Training, yoga, trauma-informed practices, and dancer safety and wellness. Her teaching centers technical development, artistry, confidence, and the wellbeing of the whole dancer, creating an environment where students feel supported, challenged, and empowered to grow.

Kalyn Hardman

Production Manager & Teacher

Raised as a competition kid and musical theater nerd, Kalyn went on to study modern at the University of Georgia and commercial dance through Gotta Dance Atlanta’s esteemed scholarship program. Today, their robust television and film career spans numerous platforms including Netflix, HBO, AppleTV+, Prime and more and has allowed them to work with renowned choreographers such as Debbie Allen (Fame), Ashley Wallen (Greatest Showman), and Aakomon Jones (Pitch Perfect, Usher). They continue to work as both an actor and dancer in the television and film industry.

With over 10 years of teaching and professional dance experience, Kalyn leads every class with magnetic passion and expertise. Whether they are teaching jazz, musical theater, or contemporary, they foster technical excellence while encouraging self expression.

Katie Watkins-Washo

Teacher and Camp and Intensive Director

Katie Watkins-Washo is an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist, performer, arts administrator, choreographer, and dance educator. She earned dual B.A. degrees in Dance and English from Brenau University and is currently pursuing her MBA through Louisiana State University. Her training includes ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, Afro-Modern, Horton, and Release Technique, with mentorship from Brenau faculty including Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, Jessica Lynch-Oliver, Angela Harris, and Michael Jablonski.

Katie has performed works by choreographers including Jennifer Archibald, Jesse Zarrit, Allyne Gartrell, Nicholas Palmquist, Du’Bois A’Keen, Meaghan Novoa, Nadya Zeitlin, Angela Harris, and Versaille Jones. In 2025, she performed live with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall. Her choreographic and theatrical work includes projects with Aurora Theatre and the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, where she served as Assistant Choreographer in 2025 and Choreographer in 2026.

In addition to teaching at Neighborhood Ballet, Katie works with Atlanta arts organizations Core Dance and ArtsATL. She teaches ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, and modern, bringing a strong emphasis on technique, artistic expression, curiosity, and body positivity to her classroom.

Kiara Burch

Teacher

Kiara Burch is a dancer and interdisciplinary artist based in Atlanta, GA. Kiara began her formal classical training at Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education before later attending and graduating from Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, under the direction of Michael Owen and Denise Lewis. While attending Walnut Hill, she had the opportunity to take dance pedagogy courses taught with ABT’s National Training Curriculum. After moving back to Atlanta, they continued to nurture their love of dance at Kennesaw State University, where they graduated with a B.S. in anthropology and a minor in dance. Kiara focuses on teaching in an engaging, healthy, and developmentally appropriate manner by incorporating her personal dance training experience, ABT pedagogy training, and her understanding of childhood development from her background in anthropology. She is passionate about creating a safe studio environment where every dancer feels comfortable and confident to shine. Kiara loves to watch her students grow as their connection to dance and movement deepens. 

Latauria Dotson

Teacher

Latauria Dotson is originally from Miami Florida and has been dancing since the age of 5. She is proficiently trained in ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern and contemporary. Latauria has been trained under the dancecompany’s of The McIntyre Institute, Ailey Camp and Young contemporary dance theater located in South Florida.

She attended a performing arts school, Miami Northwestern Senior High and there she continued being trained by Traci Young-Byron who pushed her to be the passionate dancer she is today and exposed her to the pioneers of dance. Latauria graduated from Tri-Cities High school in east Atlanta which opened up doors for her to be able to travel the world and dance.

She has had the honor to dance background to amazing artists and instruct extensive workshops.

Latauria believes that dance is her purpose in life. She is passionate about helping dancers become the best versions of themselves.

Madison Lee

Teacher

Madison Lee is a dancer and choreographer based in Atlanta, GA. Born in Michigan but raised in Dallas, Texas, they have been dancing their entire life. In Dallas, Madison trained intensively in hip hop and several other styles at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center. There they performed with the Dallas Cowboys and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Madison moved to Atlanta in 2020 to study Dance and Marketing at Emory University. They began training in contemporary and modern techniques and presented multiple works for the Emory Dance Program. They also performed professionally in the Atlanta dance area while still a student. When they graduated in 2024, they were awarded Highest Honors for their dance thesis, fellowship in the John H. Gordon Stipe Society, and The Pioneer Award. Madison was recently a Meli Kaye co-resident alongside Chi Rung Chan for Spring 2025. Currently, Madison is a company member with staibdance, Catching Mangoes Dance, led by Jacquelyn Pritz, and Excavate Body, led by Jacqui Hinkson. Outside of company work, they have had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Graham Shelor, Page Yang, Leo Briggs, Julio Medina, Mychal Vandell, Annalee Traylor, Xan Burley, and Alex Springer.

Michael Caye

Teacher

Michael Caye is a classically trained dancer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose professional career includes time spent with Nevada Ballet Theatre and Atlanta Ballet. Michael trained at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and Miami City Ballet School. He has performed leading and featured roles in works by renowned choreographers including George Balanchine, Justin Peck, Septime Webre, and Ben Stevenson. In addition to performing in numerous world premieres, Michael has served as a rehearsal director for Atlanta Ballet's second company and Point Park University and is a dedicated educator committed to mentoring the next generation of dancers.

Mychal Vandell

Teacher - Rise City Dance and Adult Division

Mychal Vandell has over 10 years of dance experience in both Choreography and Dance Performance. His training includes Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Improvisation, Hip Hop and Tap while attending El Camino College in Torrance, California.

Mychal Vandell has professionally choreographed for 2 of the companies he was apart of, Funderburk Dance Artists(FDA) and Vicious Circle. Mychal Vandell was also selected as a soloist for Matthew Rushing’s (Alvin Ailey Dancer) Nina Simone Suite while in FDA. Mychal Vandell’s choreography also extends to known Dance Festivals such as ACDFA (American College Dance Festival Association) and Blaktina Dance Festival (Los Angeles and Arizona).

Mychal is inspired by all the growth that his students showcase to him every class!

Rhetta Weeks

Teacher

Rhetta began her training at Rose City Ballet in Thomasville, Georgia, under the direction of Lovedy Griner and Beatrice Corbin. She continued her training at Elon University in North Carolina where she earned her degree in Exercise Science and Dance, solidifying a deep love for both the art of dance and the science of kinesiology. Rhetta is currently an Occupational Therapy Doctoral student at Georgia State University with 10+ years of experience working in pediatrics - both in the studio and the clinic! She is passionate about making dance a space where dancers of all abilities can participate and thrive. Rhetta loves baking, sewing, volunteering, and most of all: sharing the love of dance with her students!

Samara Baldwin

Teacher

Samara Baldwin is a ballet and Pilates instructor with over 20 years of teaching experience and a passion for working with adults. She began dancing at age four and later trained at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts before performing professionally with Atlanta Festival Ballet.

After years on stage, Samara found her true calling in teaching creating welcoming, empowering spaces where adults can explore movement, improve technique, and build strength. With 8 years of experience teaching Pilates and a lifelong connection to ballet, her classes blend classical discipline with body awareness, musicality, and mindful alignment.

Samara’s approach is supportive and encouraging, helping students reconnect with their bodies, build confidence, and enjoy the art of movement at any stage of life.

Shelley Kenneavy

Teacher

Shelley has been dancing her entire life but started on a serious dance path in high school with the Kris Cangelosi Dance Company in Baton Rouge.

After earning a degree in music and with a passion for musical theatre, Shelley moved to New York City and studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Previous teaching experience includes tap, ballet, and jazz with Sheena's Dance Academy in Coppell, Texas. Her idols include Ann Miller, Ann Reinking, and Savion Glover.

Shelley loves seeing her students improve in musicality and in conquering new movements. She strives to push students past what they thought was possible physically and also be a safe space for fun exploration.