Our Teachers

Katie Allison, of Winston-Salem, NC, is a dancer and dance educator in the Triad area. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 2019. At UNCG she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography, as well as a K-12 dance teaching license. Katie grew up dancing, and is trained in a variety of styles of dance. In addition to dancing at a studio, in high school, and throughout college, she further expanded her dance training at the Governor’s School of North Carolina and while studying abroad at the University of Malta. In addition to teaching at Dance Project, Katie has taught at a variety of summer camps, and worked as a teaching artist for a dance company in Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently working as a dance educator in an elementary school in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System.

Jenny Sinfield Braswell came to Greensboro from Brevard, NC. She began dancing in a local studio at age 3. After graduating from UNCG in 2009 with a BFA in Dance and a license for Dance K-12, Jenny began teaching dance in the Guilford County School system. She is currently teaching at Morehead Elementary in Greensboro, where she plans to stay as long as possible. In the past, she has served as the lead dance teacher for Guilford County Schools, and continues to contribute curriculum and assessment writing, and present cross-curricular lessons to colleagues. Her lessons are based heavily on the NC Essential Standards for dance with a focus on arts integration. She was the recipient of the 2016 Dance Association of North Carolina Educators “Dance Educator of the Year” Award and was honored by NCAAHPERD and Guilford County Schools. In December of 2017, she received the UNCG Excellence in Dance Education award for her work with UNCG interns and student teachers. Jenny loves to teach a variety of dance styles and dance integrated with the other curricular areas to students of all ages. Every day she is reminded of the joys of teaching while watching students having fun being creative and collaborative. Jenny has been teaching a variety of dance styles, including creative movement, ballet, jazz, and tap, with Dance Project since 2009. While she’s not teaching, Jenny enjoys going on family walks with her husband, Chris, and two daughters, Izzie and Winnie, exercising for her own health, reading, and doing logic puzzles!

Amelia Renee Byrd (Memphis, TN) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre/Dance and a Bachelor of Professional Studies alongside a teaching licensure in K-12 Dance Education from the University of Memphis. Amelia was the Dance Educator at Colonial Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts and a member of Project: Motion Dance Collective in Memphis, TN. Amelia has presented work with Project: Motion, the University of Memphis Theatre and Dance Department, the UNC-Greensboro School of Dance, Playhouse on the Square’s Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory and the Greensboro Fringe Festival. Amelia is a 2014 graduate of UNC-Greensboro, receiving a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Dance/Choreography and is currently working as the Dance Educator at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point, NC and she also serves as co-lead Dance Educator for Guilford County Schools. Amelia is formerly a member of JOYEMOVEMENT, a dance company in Greensboro, NC having performed for four seasons. Amelia is also a board member for the North Carolina Dance Education Organization (NCDEO) serving in the position of Dance Advocacy. Amelia was recently in the 2021 cohort of the North Carolina Dance Festival’s Artists-In-Residence program where she composed a solo/duo contemporary piece, hoping to be performed in local festivals in the near future.

Jonah Carrel is a senior at UNCG studying for his BFA in Dance Choreography and Performance. He is a student interested in dance notation and has completed certification courses from the Language of Dance Center in July of 2022. Carrel is proficient in styles such as contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap and clogging and has choreographed pieces for concerts at UNCG.

Caitlin Dutton-Reaver is a SUNY Purchase graduate, studied at the London Contemporary Dance School, and holds an MFA from Montclair State University. She has performed on concert dance stages and site-specific venues in New York, California, Georgia, and London for choreographers/companies such as Jody Oberfelder, Regina Nejman, Calpulli Danza Mexicana, Amalgamate Dance Company, Lane Gifford, Rosalind Newman, Nelly van Bommel, Backhausdance, Motion/TRIBE, Lauri Stallings, and Richard Alston. Starting in 2015, she devoted the bulk of her career to Third Rail Project’s Bessie award-winning immersive theater production Then She Fell with nearly 1,100 performances in three roles. Caitlin has been Durham-based since 2020 and teaching modern at Dance Project since 2021 following an artist residency with NC Dance Festival. Her class blends classic techniques such as Cunningham, Graham, and Limon through a contemporary, somatic lens.

Meghan Hartnett is a multi-faceted dancer, teacher and administrator, whose background is rooted in ballet, contemporary, modern and jazz technique. As a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance with a minor in Arts Administration, Meghan desires to support and advocate for the arts and specifically, the dance community. During her time at UNCG, she has performed original works by Germaul Barnes, Ronald K. Brown, Michael Job, B.J. Sullivan, and Kara Janelle Wade. Meghan has also had the opportunity to teach and create multiple pieces of choreography. Her work has been performed at Encore Dance Studios, the Harris YMCA School of Dance, Northwest School of the Arts, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as well as many dance competitions and conventions. Additionally, Meghan has worked administratively for the Joffrey Ballet School, Dance Project Inc. and Charlotte Ballet.

Lauren Trollinger Joyner has a BFA in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Lauren has worked with Queen City Jazz Company, Nosi Dance Theater, and helped start and run Blank Slate Dance Company of Durham. She has performed in the North Carolina Dance Festival, North Carolina Dance Alliance, and the Greensboro Fringe Festival. She was privileged to also be a part of the Equity test run of the Broadway Show “The Notebook” the musical. She also ran the dance company at CC & Co. Dance Complex. At CC & Co. she had the honor of working with choreographers such as Travis Wall and Stacey Tookey. Lauren is so happy to be giving back to the community that has given her so much!

Currently she is dedicated to providing the best dance programming at Dance Project’s School. This includes master classes, student classes, summer camps and the annual Dance Marathon fundraiser!

Joshua “Link” Lanning was born in San Diego California, but mainly grew up in North Carolina from 2001 to the present 2021. Coming out from the small town of Graham. I started out breakdancing or b-boying in middle school then on to high school. Even pushing the craft further after high school into local battles in North Carolina, regional battles within the states close by North Carolina like Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, and Baltimore. Besides battling I have also performed for many local festival in Greensboro alongside my crew and dancers within the dance community. I have performed for many halftime shows in the area from the Greensboro Hornets to NC State Wolfpack Basketball games even the Winston Salem Wolfs games. Besides the competition my greatest joy of breaking is finding ways and opportunities to tap into the artistry of dance and breaking. Some of my most enriching moments in my dance journey is when I became apart of the Dance Projects artist residency for one semester creating a full dance piece. Creating pieces to is a another side of dance I love from the contemporary dance training I gained from highschool to the other hip hop styles I have trained and dabbled over the years fusing these styles with breaking has been a constant way to keep me engaged in the spirit of movement. My goal with teaching B-boying/Breakdancing at the Dance Project is to give kids a outlet of positivity and a way to find who they are through movement.

Milanda Y. McGinnis, (Knoxville, Tn) began her dance training at a young age. She holds a B.F.A. in Theater with a concentration in Dance from the University of Memphis. Since relocating to Greensboro she has performed with Cyrus Art Production, as well as several seasons with SugarFoote Productions under the direction of Robin Gee. She specializes in contemporary and jazz, both influenced by her West African dance background. Milanda has been commissioned for several dances for area performing arts high schools, showcases for local artists, community events and festivals throughout North Carolina and Tennessee, and is a sought after teacher and performer as well. She is currently Rehearsal Director and a collaborator for JOYEMOVEMENT Dance Company and adjunct dance faculty at Winston Salem State University. Milanda is also a certified yoga and meditation instructor and the owner of SoulFlower Wellness NC.

Tabia McKinzie is a native Memphian but has resided in Greensboro for six years now. She graduated from the University of Greensboro with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a concentration in performance and choreography. She has performed across the United States and internationally in Cape Town, South Africa. Her dance skills and training has allowed her to teach all ages in various dance styles. She has taught Little Rhythms, Creative Movement, Afro- Contemporary at Dance Project. Currently Tabia teaches Adult Performance Company for Dance Project.

Jade McNamara, originally from the Outer Banks of NC, started her training at Atlantic Dance at age 3. She went on to graduate from UNCG in 2019 with a BA in dance and an interest track in pre-physical therapy. During her time in undergrad she performed in multiple student and faculty performances, including work set by Janet Lilly and Clarice Young while studying abroad in Italy in 2019. Since graduation she was Dance Project’s School Operations Intern for fall 2020 and spring 2021 session. She has continued her time at Dance Project by assistant teaching for multiple Creative Movement classes, subbing/instructing classes and camps such as Dance Sampler Jr, Creative Movement, Dancing with Tots, Ballet 1, Ballet/Modern, Open Level Modern, and Little Rhythms. Jade aims to create a fun, positive environment in class to help her students build confidence in themselves and their ability to move. She is excited to share her love of dance with her students this year.

Magalli Morana, a triad local, has danced all of her life, cultivating a passion for choreographing, performing, and sharing the joys of dance with others through teaching. Magalli went on to pursue dance at UNCG and graduated with her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with K-12 Teaching Licensure and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She became involved with arts administration and dance nonprofit work during her years at UNCG, growing her love for serving her community. She has had the opportunity to present research at the National Dance Education Organization Conference, and to perform at the Greensboro Fringe Festival, Greensboro Project Space, NCDEO, and in Cortona, Italy. When she’s not dancing, Magalli enjoys traveling, visiting art museums, and exploring nature.⁠

Anne Morris is a teacher, choreographer, writer, and performer. Originally from Decatur, GA, she holds an MFA in Dance Choreography from UNCG and a BA in English with a minor in Dance from Smith College. Anne danced with Brazz Dance Theater, a professional company blending Afro-Brazilian and modern dance, from 2002-2008, in Massachusetts and Miami, FL. In addition to performing with Brazz Dance Theater, she was the Director of Development and Public Relations for the company.

Anne has been a part of Dance Project in many roles. She worked for the Dance Project as Program Director from 2011-2015, coordinating the NC Dance Festival before becoming a Dance Project Executive Director in July 2015 with Lauren Joyner. Anne is dedicated to promoting professional dance in North Carolina and spearheads the event coordination with artists and locations each season. She also teaches ballet and modern dance in the School at City Arts youth and adult classes.

Christina Motley, originally from Southeastern Virginia, received her Master’s of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling at Columbia College Chicago and is a board certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical mental health counselor associate working primarily in outpatient mental health settings. Christina is also a dance teaching artist for Dance Project, Inc. After receiving a BA in Dance Performance and BS in Psychology from UNC Charlotte, along with the Professional Dance Training Certificate from Charlotte Ballet, she danced with Virginia Ballet Theater. While a company dancer, she coordinated and taught for a dance program that created accessible outreach dance and movement classes for people of diverse abilities and ages. Christina has supported the creativity of children, adolescents, young adults, and aging adults in her work as a therapist and as a dance teaching artist. Her identity as a dancing artist, teaching artist, and dance/movement therapist informs her various ways of moving, seeing, being moved, and being seen by others.

Elijah started his dance career at Old Dominion University his sophomore year while working towards a Bachelors of Science in Civil/Environmental Engineering. In 2015, Elijah joined a Hip Hop company called Baila Fusion where he began learning Breaking, Popping, House, and Krump. His studies took him to Israel for a summer semester to Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and New York City to study Gaga movement. After graduation he performed three seasons as a company dancer for Chicago Dance Crash and became a freelance performer/ choreographer in the Chicago area. Eli also taught Breaking, Popping, House, Modern and yoga at various studios in the city and conventions around the country. He has been commissioned to set choreography by various companies, taught at studios and public schools in Chicago, and co-founded a dance collective called Concepts Dances. Elijah is also a newlywed to Christina and a cat daddy to Levon. elimotley.com

Carrie Plew received her BFA in choreography and dance performance from UNC-Greensboro. She also trained at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, Western Australia. Carrie is proud of the early dance education she received at Walkerdance Ballet Theater and Burlington Academy of Dance Arts in Burlington, NC. Currently, Carrie is on the path to certification in Laban Movement Analysis through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies in Brooklyn, NY. As a choreographer, Carrie enjoys the challenges of site specific work and has created and performed installation dances for several NYC organizations- No Longer Empty, Flowers Art Gallery, Dance New Amsterdam and FIGMENT NYC. Her musical theater choreography has been seen in the New York Fringe Festival (The NEW Hopeville Comics), through Broadway Training Center (New York) and on several stages across North Carolina. She is the founder of Danceploration Expedition, a panoramic, improvisational, traveling, movement experience in which the participants become the performers in an outdoor dance safari. Carrie has performed as a singer with Terese Genecco and Her Little Big Band (Iridium Cafe, New York City), Witches in Bikinis (New York City) and John Gamble’s Gate City Remnants (North Carolina). She was featured as an actor in an award-winning independent film titled The Fear Inside (Director: Rick Hamilton). NC Dance credits include: John Gamble Dance Theater, Jan Van Dyke Dance Group, Horn in the West, X Factor and Centennial Station Dinner Theater. NY Dance credits include: Maverick Dance Experience, INSPIRIT (Rehearsal Director and Company member), Malleable Dance Theater and Sydnie L Mosley Dances. Carrie has a wealth of experience teaching, choreographing and directing children of all ages and is thrilled to currently be on faculty at Dance Project: The School.

Adrienne Powell, of Fayetteville, NC, graduated from University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 2019 with a BFA in Choreography and Performance. She began her training in 2004 where she studied ballet/pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, and acrobatic dance and won awards for groups and solos. She danced for visiting artists including William Isaac in the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Choreographic Institute. She was selected to perform in the Martha Graham University Showcase at the Joyce Theater in New York City in February of 2017. While studying abroad in Corciano, Italy she collaborated with dance artists and musicians including the voice of the pope. She was a lead teacher for Dancers Connect at UNCG where she taught ballet, jazz, hip hop, creative movement, and parent child dance. There she used interdisciplinary techniques to incorporate grade level science lessons into collaborative choreography with young dancers. She is currently performing and collaborating with artists across multiple disciplines in North Carolina while growing her skills as a choreographer and dance educator. Her goal is to not only give dancers access to exceptional technical dance skills, but to help them develop life skills that will serve them no matter where the future takes them

Brandi Scott graduated from UNCG IN December 2000 with her BA in dance. She has been teaching dance in the area since August 2001. Brandi danced with Sidelong dance company and X Factor dance company before becoming a mom to her three kids. Brandi has been married to her husband Michael since May 2003.

Annie Young is a performing dance artist local to Greensboro, North Carolina. Her dance education began at Dance Project : The School where she is now on teaching staff. Young is a graduate of Appalachian State University where she received her BA in Dance Studies with minor studies in somatic sustainability and psychology. She has trained in ballet, modern, and jazz developing a passion for modern dance performance and choreography. Since returning to the Greensboro area, Young has danced with JOYEMOVEMENT in ‘A Wicked Silence’ and in the 2021 North Carolina Dance Festival with the Van Dyke Dance Group. Young is now returning for a second season with the JOYEMOVEMENT dance company and is thrilled to be back with the Dance Project family.

OUR TEACHERS

Katie Allison

Jenny Braswell

Amelia Renee Byrd

Jonah Carrel

Caitlin Dutton-Reaver

Meghan Hartnett

Lauren Joyner

Joshua "Link" Lanning

Milanda McGinnis

Tabia McKinzie

Jade McNamara

Magalli Morana

Anne Morris

Christina Motley

Eli Motley

Carrie Plew

Adrienne Powell

Brandi Scott

Annie Young

We also regularly welcome guest teachers and master class teachers throughout the year. Look out for those opportunities!

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