Stephane has been involved in the dance community for fifteen
years beginning when her children, Elizabeth and Quinton, took
their
first lessons at the age of 4. Moving around the Southeast with her husband's
job, her children have had the opportunity to attend several different
dance academies. From this experience, she is able to combine what she
feels to be the best of these, along with the perspective of a parent
to provide a positive, nurturing environment for your children to grow
as dancers.
Founder and Artistic Director of Freedom of Movement, Dawn has over
29 years of dance experience in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, contemporary,
modern,
and ballroom dancing. Dawn was a member of Atlanta Dance Unlimited and
The Susan Chambers Dance Company. She has received many first place and
scholarship awards at various dance workshops and dance competitions
around the country. Dawn has been fortunate enough to have outstanding
training
from many talented teachers including Nick Lazarini, Mia Michaels, Mandy
Moore, Mike Minery, Bala Sarasvati, and Kenneth Green. Dawn holds a Bachelor
of Science in Dance Education degree from the University of Georgia.
She also obtained a minor in Drama.
Dawn was a five year member of the pre-professional CORE Dance Company
and the 1998 Southeastern Ballroom Dance Champion. After college Dawn
founded the Freedom
of Movement Dance Academy and was the proud owner for 8 years. Upon growth
of the studio, Dawn became artistic director and chose a new studio
owner so the
school could accommodate the growing dancer population. Dawn also spent three
years as the jazz dance adjunct professor for the University of Georgia Dance
Department. Dawn has most recently been recognized for her choreographic talents
from Nextar dance Competition, Showbiz Dance Competition, and she was selected
Best Choreographer at the Access Broadway Dance Competition. Dawn’s dancers
have been awarded the award of Technical Excellence at the Nexstar Dance Competition
two years in a row. Several of her dancers have gone on to professional dance
careers and/or college dance programs. The past several years, Dawn has traveled
around the southeast creating choreography for several dance companies such
as the Chattanooga Ballet, Central Florida Ballet, and the World Ballet Competition,
as well as judging at various dance competitions. Her credits include musicals,
dramas, ballets, and choreography for regional, national, and international
events.
Marianne received her training under some of the finest ballet
masters in the Southeast, including former members of the Ballet Russe, American
Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. After graduating Magna Cum Laude
from UGA with a degree in Dance Education, she taught for the August Ballet
and the John S. Davidson Performing Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Ga.,
and for the Virginia Beach Conservatory of Arts, Virginia Beach, Va. Marianne
joined the faculty of the Athens School of Ballet in 1984 and became Artistic
Director of both the school and it's resident performing company, in 1986.
In 1995 she became the third owner/director of the Athens School of Ballet
and served in this capacity until 2005 when the 35 year old school closed
its doors.
Since joining the faculty of Freedom of Movement Dance Academy
in 2006, Marianne has overseen the growth and development of the school's ballet
curriculum.
Caitlin began her training at Freedom of Movement in 1996 at the
age of 12. She has over 11 years of experience in ballet, modern,
pointe, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, and creative movement.
Caitlin was one of the original members of the award winning FOM
Dance Company, performing in shows and competing in regional and
national competitions all over the southeast. She was awarded “Dancer
of the Year” in 2000 and was one of two dancers chosen from
her high school to audition for the Governor’s Honors Program
in Dance in 2002 and 2003. Caitlin won the EPOCHS award in dance
her senior year of high school, an award given to one student each
semester. Additionally, Caitlin served as captain of the Oconee County
High School dance team and her choreography was featured in several
OCHS dance concerts. She graduated from Oconee County High School
in 2003 with a Fine Arts seal.
Caitlin entered the Dance Major program at the University of Georgia
in the fall of 2003. At UGA, she trained under various renowned
dancers and choreographers such as Bala Sarasvati, Joan Buttram,
Dr. Lisa Fusillo, Dr. Mark Wheeler, and Rebecca Enghauser. During
her time at UGA, Caitlin has had the opportunity to dance with
guest artists such as Mia Michaels, Michael Foley, and Celeste
Miller. In addition to classes ranging from technique and pedagogy
to sciences of dance training, anatomy, and technical production,
Caitlin choreographed and performed in the Young Choreographers
Series and presented her senior choreographic work in the YCS Senior
showcase in the fall of 2007. She is proud to be one of the founding
members of the PACES dance project in 2006, formed by Rebecca Enghauser.
Caitlin has had the unique opportunity to perform with students
from other colleges at the American College Dance Festival Association
Conferences in Mississippi and Florida. As one of seven seniors
to graduate from the UGA Dance Department this past spring, Caitlin
received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance in May of 2008.
Caitlin currently teaches jazz, modern, and lyrical and serves
as an Assistant Director for FOM Dance Company and FOM Mini Company.
She is thrilled to start another exciting and successful year at
FOM!
Cassidy is a native of Watkinsville and studied dance in the Oconee area for
over 20 years. She began her dance training in ballet, but her interests lead
her to pursue study in a variety of dance styles including tap, jazz, modern,
hip-hop, and twirling. Inspired to share her passion for dance, she apprenticed
under the instructors at the Free To Dance studio throughout high school with
a focus on pre-k through second grade ballet. Cassidy was also a member of the
United Cheerleading Competition Dance Squad from 1996-98 that took 2nd place
at Nationals in Jacksonville, Florida. Her goal is to instill a love and appreciation
of dance and its benefits in a positive, fun, and nurturing environment.
Quinton is a senior at Oconee County High School and has been dancing for
thirteen years. He has received training in ballet, jazz, tap, modern,
lyrical, hip hop and break dancing. The dance schools he has attended include:
Strausbaugh
School of Dance, Pofahl's Dance Studio, Free to Dance Studios and Freedom
of Movement Dance Academy. In addition, he attended a summer dance intensive
at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre in Alpharetta, Ga. He has been a member
of Next Generation Dance Company, and is currently
a member of Oconee County High School Show Choir and the Freedom of Movement
Dance Company.
Quinton's first performance role was at the age of six as Fritz's friend
in Dance Alive's production of "The Nutcracker." He has also
performed in "My Christmas Angel", Freedom of Movement's "Nutcracker" as
Fritz and has been cast as the Nutcracker in the 2007 production.
In addition, he has received numerous awards from dance competitions throughout
the southeast including being named Mr. Show Biz 2008.
Sarah is a nineteen year old sophomore at the University of Georgia.
She has been dancing for seventeen years and is currently a dance minor.
Sarah is trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, pilates,
and hip hop. She was a member of the Great Gig Dance Company's competition
ensemble from 2001-2007. She was awarded a tap scholarship at the JUMP
workshop in 2006. She has previously taught an intermediate tap class
at the Great Gig Dance Company.
Lauren is a sophomore at the University of Georgia, where she is a Furnishings
and Interiors major. She has studied ballet, tap, lyrical, and jazz for
sixteen years with eight years of experience in ballet en pointe. She was
crowned Miss Georgia’s Outstanding Teen 2006 and consequently performed
her talent, ballet en pointe, when she competed in Miss America’s
Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Florida. Lauren also received 1st Runner-Up
and won the swimsuit preliminary award in Miss Georgia 2008. For two seasons,
Lauren danced with the Moscow Ballet of Russia in The Nutcracker and performed
with Dance Alive! of Gainesville, Florida in The Nutcracker for three
seasons as well.
Doug is a 3rd year student at the University of Georgia majoring
in Biology/Pre-Dentistry. His passion for hiphop dancing started at
the age
of 10 after watching
his older brother dance. Since then, he has entered numerous local
talent shows, dance contests, and freestyle dance battles. Although he
has experience in break dancing, he specializes in Pop & Lock, which
influences his hiphop routines. Doug's first experience in choreography
began in the 5th
grade when he choreographed a 3-minute team routine for a local dance
contest in which they received a silver medal. In 2005, while attending
Statesboro High School as a junior, Angelo and Doug formed and led the
first hiphop dance team in school history. He choreographed and taught
hiphop routines for two years, performing for various school events including
pep rallies, halftimes, and pageants. Now enrolled in college, he continues
to enter dance competitions around campus. In fall of 2007, Angelo and
Doug had the privilege of performing at the Freedom of Movement Spring
recital as a cameo for the break dancers.
Gelo's interest in dancing started out in middle school with hip hop
and break dancing. Eventually he began to focus more exclusively on hip
hop style dancing
which included mostly freestyling. After middle school he started
doing choreographed dance routines. His high school did not have a hip
hop dance
team, so he started one with his friend Doug Yoon. They ran
that for the last two years of high school before coming to UGA together.
At UGA Gelo
started out doing small on-campus competitions as well as performing
with
the
break dancers at the Freedom of Movement Showcase in Spring 2007. He also
joined the GDX dance company, one of the smaller teams on campus,
and participated in the growth of that team.
Fall of 2007 he joined the bigger campus dance company, Pamoja, and participated
in a number of routines for their production. In Spring of 2007 he choreographed
several pieces for both Pamoja and GDX. He is completely self taught,
which allows him to have his own more unique style and bring something new
to wherever he is dancing.
M. Danielle Clark is currently enrolled as a Dance and Religion double
major at the University of Georgia. She has been dancing since the age
of 3 and is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip hop. She has
performed in numerous theatrical and dance stage productions in and around
Atlanta. She graduated from DeKalb School of the Arts in 2006 with a major
in Dance and a minor in Theater Design and Production.
Denise Coleman is a 3rd year Dance major at University of Georgia. Originally from Chicago she began performing at
young age in local theatre productions in her community and church. After moving to Northwest Indiana, her passion for dance
began to bloom. She joined the school gymnastics at the age of 12 and the school dance team at age of 14. Also she began
taking dance classes at a local studio. Now she is trained in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, tap and tumbling. She has performed
in many musical productions in Chicago and Northwest Indiana and did an internship at Disney World in the fall of 2007. She has
been teaching dance and gymnastics for about 4 years.
Sara is a student at the University of Georgia, majoring Education and
Sociology. She began dancing at the age of 6 and tumbling at the age of
8. Sara is trained in Tumbling, Strength Training, Ballet, Pointe, Tap,
Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern. She has performed in many dance productions
in Gwinnett and has also trained at UGA. Sara has been instructing and
choreographing Tumbling and Dance in Gwinnett, Clarke, Jackson, and Oconee
counties for 8 years.
Esther has many years of dance experience, ballet, pointe, tap and jazz.
She has participated in several FOM productions of The Nutcracker. She
has a degree in Elementary Childhood Education from the University of
South Alabama in Mobile. She has twelve years of teaching experience,
which include teaching second grade, home-schooling her daughter, and
teaching Sunday school. She is in her third year with the Dance Therapy
program at Freedom of Movement. Teaching Dance Therapy allows her to
combine her love of teaching and love of dance, and she is very proud
of her very special students.
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