Instructors

Madeline Smith has a B.A. from the University of West Ga. She has over 14 years dance experience. She has worked as a Nanny and loves teaching children to adults. Madeline served as the leader of the dance division of the Creative Arts Ministry at West Metro Church of God, the head choreographer of Heirborn Youth Dance Ministry, and trained since 1991 at Praise n Motion Dance Academy. Madeline is skilled in classical ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, praise, and East Coast/West Coast Swing.

Amity Word trained in jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, hip hop and salsa decided at an early age that the arts would be her profession. She is a certified Total Body Flexibility Specialist and Mind Body Fitness Specialist with over 22 years dance experience. Amity graduated from the State University of West Georgia with a B.A. in Mass Communication. She was in the hit dance movie "Stomp The Yard." She has taught extensively in the community for the Coweta County School System, West Central Tech students, Seniors Centers, Boys n Girls Clubs, the Angels' House, and Atlanta Public Schools. Amity has worked extensively as a dancer and choreographer, performing locally and nationally. Her unique style of dance is rich with diversity. Her dances are choreographed with a mixture of Latin, African, and reggae flavor. All of these art forms are inspired from high above, tools for reaching the impossible.” Amity Word, visual artist, actress, dancer, and choreographer has developed a dance style called World Fusion which is a mixture of dances from around the world.

Sha’ni has studied and performed as a professional bellydancer for several years, following years as a professional theatre performer. Sha’ni has performed for restaurants such as: Redlight Cafe, Shiraz Persian Restaurant, the Imperial Fez Moroccan Restaurant (Buckhead), and Nicola’s Lebanese Restaurant. Her talents have been included in A Middle Eastern Dance Extravaganza featuring Suhaila Salimpour, Leylet al-Tarab, Sofia Nur presents Aziza!, Ballet of the East’s An Evening in the Harem in Columbia(SC), Atlanta’s Egyptian Nights VIII, Jechileah's Treasures Present Ramzi El-Edlibi, the Daughter of the Nile Festival, and Cairo Majik. Besides numerous private parties, she has been a guest performer for many special events including CARE (Atlanta), the Atlanta Children's Homeless Shelter, the Atlanta World Trade Center, The Shepherd Center and HOGGS Against MS in partnership with The Shepherd Center. In 2005, she presented her premiere Tiger’s Eye Collective show, an extremely well-received fundraising event, An Evening with Sha’ni and Friends, at Nicola’s Lebanese Restaurant to raise funds to assist with hurricane relief efforts. Sha’ni also has joined the teaching corps of the esteemed Diane Adams’ Company Mezza with her beginning Egyptian technique class. Besides private classes, she also teaches a comprehensive beginning bellydance class at Aphrodite’s Toybox. Also in 2005, she also launched her premiere workshop, 3-D Bellydance with Sha’ni.

Beverly Williamson former owner of “Fayette Ballet” in Fayetteville, Ga has over 50 years experience in the dance business. She has been successfully conducting ballet classes in Eastern United States and South America since 1957. She received her training under Lelia Haller, former soloist of the Paris Opera Ballet. From 1964 until 1971 she served as artistic director of the New Haven Ballet and her former students are now performing with the American Ballet Theatre, Robert Joffrey Company, Harkness Ballet, Les Grands Ballet Canadians, and the Alvin Ailey dance troupe. She was managing director of NHB from 1971-1974, artistic director of the Academic de ballet in Valera, Venezuela from 1976 to 1980. Former director of development at Gordon College in 1987. Beverly currently teaches ballroom (waltz, foxtrot, waltz, swing, tango, and cha cha at Dance Depot 5 and is skilled in classical ballet, tap, and jazz.

Dance has always been a part of Kellee O. Ross' Life. Kellee has done several workshops for Universities including Emory University and Youth Centers such as the Boys & Girls clubs of Atlanta. Her extensive performance background started in Nashville, TN as Dance Coordinator for the Shores Water Park Latin Beach Party. Kellee has done several workshops for Universities including Emory University and Youth Centers such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Atlanta. As a Ballroom Dance Instructor for Dance Depot 5, she teaches Salsa, Cha-cha, Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Merengue, Bachata, and Cumbia.