Mary Ann Staib received her early dance training from Lisa Hayden and Magdalena Maury School of Classical Ballet, where she was a member of the Georgia Youth Ballet. At the University of Georgia, Mary Ann received the 1999 Lucy Lampkin dance scholarship and earned her BSEd with certification in Dance (2003) while studying ballet, modern and ballroom. She was a member of the UGA Ballet Ensemble, Ballroom Performance Group, and Contact Dance and designed/constructed costumes for these companies in addition to her own choreography. After graduation, she worked as the director's assistant to the UGA Ballet Ensemble and taught dance lessons at DanceSpace in Athens, GA. In 2005, she moved to Boston, MA, to teach ballroom dance at Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Though she has received ballroom training from Georgia instructors, she credits much of her education to Brigham Young University's celebrated summer ballroom dance program, where she studied under world-renowned ballroom dance champions Michael Mead and Toni Redpath, Alain Doucet and Anik Jolicoeur, as well as James and Jaana Kunitz. Mary Ann has experience in a multitude of styles, ranging from smooth and rhythm to social dancing. Mary Ann is a current member of SIDEWAYS Contemporary Dance Company, a professional company based out of Atlanta, GA, and has also created choreography for SIDEWAYS.
Our Studio
Atlanta Dance Central is the premier dance studio serving all of the north metro Atlanta area. We feature three state of the art dance studios with sprung sub floors to protect dancers from injury, high quality surface floors, ample barre space, and full length mirrors.
Our dance instructors all hold degrees in dance, have professional dance experience, and have years of experience teaching children and adults.
We are dedicated to teaching each individual to their fullest potential and providing an environment in which children and adults can grow. We strive to educate the mind and body and prepare students for any vision they have for their future, whether it includes dance or not.
Our Staff
Charlotte Foster
Owner/Studio Director
Graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance, Charlotte Foster is the studio director of ADC. She also currently serves as founder and artistic director of SIDEWAYS contemporary dance company. Her most recent project includes founding the Foster-Schmidt Dance Academy for Down Syndrome with Vince Schmidt. Her work, Being (Interpretations of Interpretations), represented the University of Georgia at the American College Dance Festival in March 2006, where it received impressive feedback from noteworthy dance professionals: Ann Reinking, Steve Rooks, and Wendy Perron. Of 48 pieces submitted, Being was one of 10 selected to be performed at the Gala Showcase. Her work was presented at University of Georgia’s Center for Undergraduate Research Organization Conference (CURO) and featured in the University of Georgia’s Journal of Undergraduate Research (JURO). Knowbody, a piece created in 2007 specifically for SIDEWAYS, toured to New York where it was recognized by current TV choreographers, Mia Michaels and Brian Freidman. Michaels deemed the piece “timeless” and commented on the honesty of both the choreography and the performers, a trait that Foster demands from her dancers. Before moving to Athens in 2004, Foster attended the University of Florida, where she pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance. While in Gainesville, she was chosen to be a member of the University of Florida Dance Team; the Dazzlers. She also choreographed three full-length musicals, and eventually founded and directed her own jazz dance company, entitled Extreme Dance Company. Throughout the past five years, Charlotte has taught jazz, modern, tap, ballet, kinder dance, musical theatre, lyrical, hip hop, and voice. Her students range from age three to adult.
Mary Ann Staib
Dance Faculty
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Andrea Lalley was born and raised in Lake Ridge, VA and began her dance training at a local studio at the age of three. She attended the Northern Virginia Dance Academy where she studied ballet and pointe, and was a part of the Asaph Dance Ensemble. Andrea attended Woodbridge Senior High School’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts, specializing in dance. She also attended the Virginia Governor’s School for dance. Andrea graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BFA in dance performance and choreography in May of 2010. There she has participated in numerous student and faculty choreographed departmental dance concerts. Outside of UNCG Andrea danced with Terranova Dance Theatre under the direction of Jennifer Guy Metcalf. She also participated in the Paul Taylor Summer Intensive in and the Martha Graham Winter Intensive in 2009. Andrea has experience teaching ballet, modern and pointe techniques, and believes in encouraging her students to become intelligent dance artists. She currently rehearses and performs with SIDEWAYS Contemporary Dance Company in Atlanta, GA.
920 Woodstock Rd. Suite 200, Roswell, GA 30075
770-992-0170
Andrea Lalley
Dance Faculty
Cayla Allen – Cayla holds her BA in Theatre Arts and her MA in Theatre and Dance from the State University of New York. She has worked as Teacher, Performer, Director, Choreographer and Stage Manager. Cayla has worked with all ages throughout her career. In the Atlanta area she has taught & choreographed for The City of Roswell through the Recreation and Parks Department working with the Roswell City Dance Company, the Youth program and Musical Theatre Summer Camp Programs and The Smyrna School of Ballet. She has choreographed musicals for Holy Innocents Episcopal School and Pope High School and performed with Mezcolanza a Latin Dace Company. She choreographed 500 Girl Scouts for the Girl Scouts USA 50th Convention here in Atlanta in 2005.
Before moving to Atlanta, Cayla was co-director of Dancers’Alley and the Community Girls Ensemble (an after school program for urban youth), Vice President of Best Foot Forward and Treasurer and Honorary Board of Governors for Dance Rochester. She was Artistic Director of The Dance Theatre Project and The Oasis Tappers (a tap dance company for senior citizens). She taught at numerous studios in the upstate area and choreographed in the schools and colleges and theatres. She was an adjudicator for Stars of Tomorrow (a program honoring the Musical Theatre form as performed in high schools). She performed with Kine’core Dance Circus and Best Foot Forward in upstate New York and did a 2 ½ year run as Sister Leo in the musical Nunsense at the Downstairs Cabaret. She is currently president of the board and Stage Director for The D’AIR Project (an aerial dance program) and Stage Manager for Project 7 (a contemporary dance company).
Cayla Allen
Dance Faculty
Jeremy Williamson
Dance Faculty
Jeremy began dancing in college with UGA's Ballroom Performance Group and also performed with the UGA Ballet Ensemble and in the Young Choreographers Series shows. After graduation, he performed with Contact Dance Theatre and as a guest performer with SIDEWAYS Contemporary Dance Company in their first major concert. He joined SIDEWAYS the following season and has been dancing with them ever since, training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Jeremy played sports all his life and began studying fitness and conditioning in college. Jeremy has been participating in CrossFit for 3 years, and is now a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. He believes that strength and conditioning has been an integral part of his dance training and is a great benefit to all dancers. By strengthening their bodies, creating more body awareness, and understanding their limits he believes that all dancers can better themselves in their dance technique and partnering skills and be more prepared for rigorous technique classes and performances.
