MARY MCGEHEE - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, FOUNDER SMYRNA DANCERS
MARY MCGEHEE WORKED AS A VOLUNTEER IN THE DOMESTIC PEACE CORPS WHEN SHE WAS ACTING DIRECTOR OF BALLET FOR THE THREE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.
SHE HAD HER UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING AT THE ACCLAIMED BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE DANCE PROGRAM, WHERE SHE JOINED A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY, AND SHE EARNED HER MASTERS OF FINE ARTS IN DANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, GREENSBORO. MARY RECALLS DANCING WITH MADONNA AT THE AMERICAN DANCE FESTIVAL BEFORE MADONNA BECAME FAMOUS.
MARY RECEIVED FURTHER INSTRUCTION IN NEW YORK WITH DAVID HOWARD (BALLET), LUIGI (JAZZ) AND MERCE CUNNINGHAM (MODERN DANCE).
MARY LEARNED HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS BY BECOMING A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER AND TOP PRODUCER AT BANK OF AMERICA. SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE EARLY RETIREMENT AND PURSUE HER DREAM OF BUILDING A DANCE COMPANY IN THE SUMMER OF 2000. HER STUDENTS HAVE GONE ON TO PEBBLEBROOK, BROADWAY AND MAJOR DANCE COMPANIES. MARY HAS TAUGHT FOR THE CITY OF SMYRNA AND SMYRNA SCHOOLS FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS.
MARY ENCOURAGES HER TEACHERS TO FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS, AND CLASSES AIM TO ENHANCE SELF CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM IN STUDENTS.
JULIE SEGAL - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
JULIE BEGAN DANCING AT THE AGE OF FOUR, AND HAS FOND MEMORIES OF HER TEACHER, KIP WATSON, BANGING THE FLOOR WITH HIS CANE TO KEEP TIME WITH THE LIVE PIANO MUSIC. JULIE’S DANCE EDUCATION FOCUSED ON BALLET, POINTE, TAP AND JAZZ, AND SHE COMPETED AT DANCE MASTERS OF AMERICA AND DANCE EDUCATORS OF AMERICA.
JULIE HAS PERFORMED AT THE FOX THEATER AND ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE IN FILM. SHE CONNECTS AS A TEACHER WITH ALL AGES, INCLUDING ADULTS, AND HER ADULT CLASS JOINS HER CLASSES OF ALL AGES IN PERFORMING IN THE ANNUAL SMYRNA DANCERS RECITAL.
JULIE BEGAN DANCING AT THE AGE OF FOUR, AND HAS FOND MEMORIES OF HER TEACHER, KIP WATSON, BANGING THE FLOOR WITH HIS CANE TO KEEP TIME WITH THE LIVE PIANO MUSIC. JULIE’S DANCE EDUCATION FOCUSED ON BALLET, POINTE, TAP AND JAZZ, AND SHE COMPETED AT DANCE MASTERS OF AMERICA AND DANCE EDUCATORS OF AMERICA.
JULIE HAS PERFORMED AT THE FOX THEATER AND ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE IN FILM. SHE CONNECTS AS A TEACHER WITH ALL AGES, INCLUDING ADULTS, AND HER ADULT CLASS JOINS HER CLASSES OF ALL AGES IN PERFORMING IN THE ANNUAL SMYRNA DANCERS RECITAL.
ANNEMARIE TAPP
ANNEMARIE, GRADUATE OF PEBBLEBROOK (PERFORMING ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL) STARTED DANCE STUDY AT THE AGE OF EIGHT, WHEN HER TEACHER DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD THE PERFECT FEET FOR BALLET AND POINTE TRAINING.
HER TRAINING AT PEBBLEBROOK COVERED THE RANGE OF PERFORMING ARTS: SHE IS EQUALLY TALENTED IN DANCE, VOICE, AND DRAMA AND IS SKILLED AT SETTING CHOREOGRAPHY AND MUSICAL THEATER.
ANNEMARIE ENJOYS COACHING HIGHLY TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE, AND HAS COMPLETED HER BACCALAUREATE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION .
ANNEMARIE SPENT FIVE YEARS TRAINING AS A TEACHER AND IN SUMMER CAMPS WITH MARY MCGEHEE AND IS A FACULTY MEMBER OF SMYRNA COMMUNITY DANCERS SPECIALIZING IN BALLET AND MUSICAL THEATER.
ANNEMARIE, GRADUATE OF PEBBLEBROOK (PERFORMING ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL) STARTED DANCE STUDY AT THE AGE OF EIGHT, WHEN HER TEACHER DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD THE PERFECT FEET FOR BALLET AND POINTE TRAINING.
HER TRAINING AT PEBBLEBROOK COVERED THE RANGE OF PERFORMING ARTS: SHE IS EQUALLY TALENTED IN DANCE, VOICE, AND DRAMA AND IS SKILLED AT SETTING CHOREOGRAPHY AND MUSICAL THEATER.
ANNEMARIE ENJOYS COACHING HIGHLY TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE, AND HAS COMPLETED HER BACCALAUREATE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION .
ANNEMARIE SPENT FIVE YEARS TRAINING AS A TEACHER AND IN SUMMER CAMPS WITH MARY MCGEHEE AND IS A FACULTY MEMBER OF SMYRNA COMMUNITY DANCERS SPECIALIZING IN BALLET AND MUSICAL THEATER.
NICHOLE JORDAN - BALLET SPECIALST
NICOLE ATTENDED HORIZONS PERFORMING ARTS SCHHOL AND WAS TRAINED IN DANCE AT THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED BALLET ROTARU. SHE EXCELLED RAPIDLY AT BALLET ROTARU AND ADVANCED TO POINTE AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS OF TRAINING.
NICHOLE HAS BEEN DANCING FOR 25 YEARS AND TEACHING DANCE FOR 12 YEARS. SHE HAS PERFORMED IN THE NUTCRACKER AND DON QUIXOTE AT THE FOX THEATER. AT HORIZON PERFORMING ARTS SHE STUDIED THEATER, AFRICAN DANCE, HAWAIIAN DANCE, CHOREOGRAPHY AND DRAMA.
NICHOLE HOLDS A BACHELOR DEGREE IN MINISTRY AND WAS ORDAINED INTO THE MINISTRY IN 2009.
NICOLE ATTENDED HORIZONS PERFORMING ARTS SCHHOL AND WAS TRAINED IN DANCE AT THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED BALLET ROTARU. SHE EXCELLED RAPIDLY AT BALLET ROTARU AND ADVANCED TO POINTE AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS OF TRAINING.
NICHOLE HAS BEEN DANCING FOR 25 YEARS AND TEACHING DANCE FOR 12 YEARS. SHE HAS PERFORMED IN THE NUTCRACKER AND DON QUIXOTE AT THE FOX THEATER. AT HORIZON PERFORMING ARTS SHE STUDIED THEATER, AFRICAN DANCE, HAWAIIAN DANCE, CHOREOGRAPHY AND DRAMA.
NICHOLE HOLDS A BACHELOR DEGREE IN MINISTRY AND WAS ORDAINED INTO THE MINISTRY IN 2009.
LEAH HART - MEDIA SPECIALIST
Leah Hart is one of our long time and most award winning students. She is a Smyrna native and attends Griffin Middle School. Her background in the arts ranges from dancing and acting to singing and playing the piano. She is an exceptional student at Griffin Middle School and is an amazing babysitter for her one year old sister. In her free time Leah enjoys honing in on her performance skills, spending time with her family and friends, and, learning the in and outs of social media.
Leah Hart is one of our long time and most award winning students. She is a Smyrna native and attends Griffin Middle School. Her background in the arts ranges from dancing and acting to singing and playing the piano. She is an exceptional student at Griffin Middle School and is an amazing babysitter for her one year old sister. In her free time Leah enjoys honing in on her performance skills, spending time with her family and friends, and, learning the in and outs of social media.