POWERHOUSE DANCE CENTER STAFF
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Allie Steele Owner/DirectorMiss Allie was born in Miami, Florida and started taking dance at the age of two. She studied Ballet from her mother and then moved to Atlanta, Georgia and began performing in the competition world. After winning numerous titles and awards, Allie graduated high school and began her career with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, dancing in the live shows. After performing on ships for three years, she moved to Los Angeles to further her dance career. Living in Los Angeles gave Allie the opportunity to perform and work for many artist including: Avril Lavigne, Matt Goss, Jimmy Fallon, the cast of Glee, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Robin Antin and The PussyCat Dolls, Carmen Electra, and many more. She has danced in music videos, TV shows and live shows such as the VMA'S, and the Grammys. In 2012, Allie decided to move back to Atlanta and teach dance to give back everything she has learned and accomplished to all the young inspired dancers out there.
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Nicole Johnson Company DirectorNicole Johnson is an Atlanta native and a founding artist of Fly on a Wall. As a young artist Nicole trained at The Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education, and she joined the Atlanta Ballet in 2006. Here she had the pleasure of performing works by a number of choreographers; George Balanchine, Diane Coburn Bruning, Alan Hineline, Stephen Mills, Micheal Pink, Stanton Welch, and Lila York, John McFall and Lauri Stallings. In 2009 she began to explore more contemporary work with dance maker Lauri Stalling’s and this led to the formation of gloATL, a platform for contemporary movement language and physical gesture. While with glo, she was a part of numerous experiences created for Atlanta and beyond, from Rapt in 2009 to The Social Animal in 2013. Nicole has had the opportunity to work intimately with a number of artists across many mediums and this has given her the understanding that all work is truly collaborative at heart; a belief that led to the creation of Fly on a Wall in 2014. Nicole is currently focusing her energy on new creations for Fly on a Wall and exploring the possibilities inside multidisciplinary work. Alongside her career as a performer, Nicole has been teaching dance through various platforms since 2003; primarily focusing on ballet and contemporary technique. She enjoys sharing what information she has accumulated thus far, and finds the exchange between student and teacher is often a two way street for learning and sharing. Nicole is grateful for all of the support from her friends, family, and mentors…
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Jennifer Cara Clark
Ms. Jen was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee but grew up in Powder Springs, Georgia. She began dancing at the age of 3, and received her early training from Powerhouse Dance Company. She went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University(KSU) with a BA in dance as a modern concentration. She studied under artists such as Ivan Pulinkala, Yoram Karmi, and Lauri Stallings and was a member of Nu Delta Alpha, a dance honors society. While at KSU she received scholarships for excellence in dance, and in her senior year her choreography was chosen for the spring concert. Post college, she spent 3 years dancing professionally with gloatl, where she was given the opportunity to dance in New York with the organization Creative Time, and for Cirque Du Soleil in One Night One Drop. She guest taught at multiple summer intensives during her college years, which is where she found the joy of teaching. Jennifer has assisted and substituted at Powerhouse since she was 17 and she's excited to be part of the creative team.
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Nicole NightingaleWe are thrilled to welcome Nicole Nightingale back to Powerhouse Dance Center. For eleven years she studied intensely at PHDC and was one of our first students. She started dancing at the age of three. Wanting to pursue dance professionally, Nightingale took initiative to expand into the Kennesaw State Dance intensives where she was able to deepen her training before college. Nicole was accepted and graduated early from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee under the direction of Cathy Young and Tommy Dance Neblett. Her exponential growth as an artist came from immersing herself in the instruction of Diane Arvanites, Joy Davis, Kurt Douglas, Maggie Gorrill, Dean Vollick. She graduated with a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance with an Emphasis in Pedagogy and received a scholarship for dance education from the founder of the dance program, Jan Veen. Nicole has a passion for teaching and was recruited back to her hometown in Marietta, Georgia to teach and choreograph. Nicole’s teaching and dancing is sculpted through experiences, students, and insights from training with Jennifer Archibald and Zoe Scofield. Nightingale had the privilege of restaging a piece on her fellow colleagues by Catherine Coury performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in March of 2020. She graduated with her BFA in December of 2019 to pursue her artistry and continue making a positive impact on her students.
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Erin WolfMs. Erin brings a wealth of knowledge to the PHDC staff. Her dance training began at the age of 4 in her home state of Michigan. She was a founding member of the Dynamic Dancers Performing Company through which performed for a number of years. While receiving a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Dance at Michigan State University, Erin performed with the MSU Repertory Dance Company. She continued her dance training upon moving to Orlando, Florida. Erin worked in the Entertainment Department at Walt Disney World, becoming very close friends with several Disney Princesses (Ariel, Cinderella, Belle and Aurora). She performed in shows and parades and toured with the company. Erin has trained at a number of Dance Conventions and taken Master Classes in New York City. Outside of dance, she worked as a TV News Reporter in both Michigan and Florida, and is a former titleholder in the Miss America Scholarship Organization. She is the mother of four dancers and is celebrating her 15th year with Powerhouse Dance Center. She is also a Parapro for Cobb County Schools and has extensive experience with Special Needs students.
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Jaye HuggettMiss Jaye was born and raised in London, England where she started dancing at the age of 3 and hasn’t ever stopped. After studying the Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus and competing in many dance competitions she was awarded a scholarship to study Dance and Musical Theatre at the London Studio Centre. There she completed her I.S.T.D teaching qualifications, toured with The Seedtime Musical Theatre Company around the UK and had the honor of performing for The Queen, Prime Minister and other heads of states at Westminster Abbey.
After graduation Miss Jaye toured the world as a dancer/ vocalist and dance captain onboard Cruise Liners for Openwide International and Suncruises . Her other experience includes singing backing vocals on the soundtrack for a new musical, performing in many Pantomimes, Theatre in Education Programs, UK tours, Repertory Companies and West End theatres as an actor, singer and dancer. Miss Jaye has had the opportunity to work as a character dancer/actress with the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Mariinsky Theatre on numerous occasions at The London Coliseum, Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House in London. Teaching has always been close to her heart since starting out as a teacher’s apprentice at the age of 15. Since then Miss Jaye has taught all styles of dance and musical theatre to all ages and has choreographed for recitals, competitions and corporate shows. She is now enjoying raising her 2 young children and sharing the joy of dance and performance with not only them but all her young energetic students. |
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Mary-Evelyn KirklandMary-Evelyn Kirkland (Atlanta, GA) began her dance training at The Georgia Ballet and Powerhouse Dance Company where she extensively studied ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She graduated with a BA in Mass Communication and a Dance Minor
from Georgia College and State University. She danced principle roles including Giselle and the Sugarplum Fairy with the Georgia College Community Dance Program. She obtained her MFA in Choreography from the University of North Carolina Greensboro where she received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She was a 2018-2019 ImmerseATL Artist and has danced for many independent choreographers in Atlanta. She is currently on faculty at Agnes Scott College and dancing with Kitmodus under the direction of Jillian Mitchell. |
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Sierra Mansfield
Sierra Mansfield’s dance training began at Chattanooga Ballet where she participated in productions such as The Nutcracker, Giselle, Raymonda, and Sleeping Beauty under the direction
of Frank Hay, Joellen Wojtowicz, and Andrew Parker for eleven years. She simultaneously trained at Chattanooga High school Center for Creative Arts under the instruction of Karen Wilson and Jessica Laliberte Bowman where she studied ballet, modern, jazz and tap. Following her high school years, she performed with the Kennesaw State University’s dance company for three semesters in works such as “Slang” choreographed by Sean Nguyen-Hilton as well as “Moondust” choreographed by Ivan Pulinkala. During her time at KSU, she also studied styles such as contemporary, modern, ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, and commercial dance. Mansfield not only has experience in the dancing realm, but also in the production aspects of running a show under the instruction of David Tutu. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of the Arts degree with a concentration in ballet. Her recent performances include a Ballet production called Ek’serpts by Antwon Sessions as well as Alive and Once Upon a Holiday performed with Sideways Contemporary Dance Company. She currently works here at Powerhouse Dance Center as a teacher and front desk assistant. That being said, Mansfield looks forward to any and all future opportunities involving dance and enjoys her current involvement in all companies |
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Devan RainesDevan began dancing at two years old at The Dance Factory, Inc. in Austell, GA. There, she trained in tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical. While in middle school, Devan choreographed and led rehearsals for PRIDE, a performing group promoting a drug-free lifestyle in her middle school. She then choreographed numerous other middle schools’ PRIDE shows throughout Georgia. Devan auditioned and was chosen to attend Pebblebrook High School’s Excellence in Performing Arts Magnet School Program. There Devan found a love for modern, contemporary, and musical theatre! She became a teaching assistant to Ms. Debbie Wells, owner of The Dance Factory, in her freshman year. Shortly after, Devan began choreographing routines for competition and won her first overall competition choreography award when she was only 15 years old! She knew she had found her calling! Devan has performed with and choreographed for many studios all over Georgia. She has performed on Carnival Cruise lines and danced with many well-known tap dancers from all over the country! We are so excited to have Devan share her tap expertise with the PHDC students.
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Monica GardnerMonica Gardner has been teaching dance in Georgia for over 20 years. She has taught all levels and ages (2-adult) at various dance studios across the state. She specializes in tap, but
also has extensive training in ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and lyrical. Monica’s tap choreography has been awarded at dance competitions, and her students regularly achieve high scores, often additionally receiving special tap technique and performance awards. Monica’s tap classes stand apart from others because in addition to providing solid technique, she creates well-rounded tap dancers by educating her students on tap history, culture, and music theory in relation to tap dance. She approaches tap dance with a zealousness that can’t help but inspire an appreciation for the art form in all her students. Monica danced professionally as a member of the tap company “Atlanta Tap Project”. She also performed with “ViZion Dance Company” as their featured tap dancer at many events including televised Gospel Superfest 2013. Her pre-professional performances include Jazz on Tap, Ballet Fest, Atlanta Hawks half time shows, the Carnival Cruise Line, several lead roles in Studio 1 Ballet Productions, and 10 years of regional and national dance competitions. She has taken classes from the current biggest names in tap such as; Chloe Arnold of “Syncopated Ladies”, Sarah Reich of “Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project”, Mark Goodman Director of “Totally Tap”, Ayodele Casel “Funny Girl” Broadway choreographer, Mark Yonally of “Chicago Tap Theatre”, Jumaane Taylor of “M.A.D.D. Rhythms”, Melinda Sullivan of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “La La Land”, Jason Kalish of the “Tap Dogs”, Ted Levy of Broadway’s “Jelly’s Last Jam”, Lisa La Touche of Broadway’s “Shuffle Along”, Derick Grant, Bril Barrett of “M.A.D.D. Rhythms”, and many more. She has also spent time studying at “The Georgia Ballet”, “Broadway Dance Center” in New York, and “The Edge” in LA, California. |
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Kaya WallerKaya Waller has focused on creating and interpreting choreography in a passionate way. Starting dance at the age of ten, she has grown up in a competitive studio training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop, Modern, Musical Theater, and Contemporary. As a dancer, Kaya is currently a member of RISK Contemporary Dance Company in Atlanta, GA as well as the President of the Kennesaw State University Club Dance Team. Previously, Kaya has also assisted with ASH convention during the 2021-2022 season as well as competed and performed with Heather Waynes Dance Company from 2017-2022. As a teacher and choreographer, Kaya currently teaches at three different dance studios in the Kennesaw and Woodstock area, Powerhouse Dance Center, Dancentre South, and Duet Dance Academy, teaching styles such as Contemporary, Jazz, and Hip-Hop. Kaya also sets works in Jazz and Contemporary for students going to compete from studios all around the Atlanta area. Kaya is currently a dance major at Kennesaw State University, concentrating in Modern dance with the goal of gaining as much knowledge as possible before entering into professional industry to choreograph and own her own studio.
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Jesse MillsJesse is an Atlanta native who got his start in the world of instruction through cheerleading. Growing up, Jesse competed in high school & went on to win a national title with his collegiate team! As he began working as a cheer instructor & choreographer, he developed a love for teaching tumbling. Later in his career, Jesse turned his sights toward the acrobatic arts where he dove deeper into body shaping, flexibility training & skill drills. Now a certified acrobatics arts instructor, Jesse has perfected his teaching techniques by merging the two worlds. Expanding on his extensive knowledge of cheer, tumbling & the acrobatic arts. Jesse is also a yoga instructor! He received his 200-hour yoga teacher training certification in 2019, & he is also a proud member of The National Yoga Alliance. Specializing in Inversions & Vinyasa style sequencing, He believes that through the art of calisthenics & deepening the mind-body connection anything is achievable!
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Sierra GoochBorn in Atlanta, GA, Ms. Sierra started dancing at age 5. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern and point, but her favorite is tap. She attends Georgia State University majoring in Special Education. She was the winner of Cherokee County's Dancing with the Stars along side partner Chef Calvin Moss. She also performed with Dance Canvas. Her dream one day is to open her own dance studio for students with special needs.
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Office Team
Haley Shinliver- Office Manager
Sierra Mansfield- Front Desk
Sierra Mansfield- Front Desk
