Phyllis Allen
Phyllis Allen has been teaching ballet for over 40 years. She was founder of Lawrenceville School of Ballet and founder and Artistic Director of Southern Ballet Theatre. She began her training at the Decatur School of Ballet becoming Junior Director with the Decatur Dekalb Civic Ballet at age 20. She was a member of the Atlanta Civic Ballet (now known as the Atlanta Ballet) under the direction of Dorothy Alexander and Robert Barnett. She performed In several seasons with Theater Under the Stars. At age 15 she was selected to work with George Balanchine in the Young Choreographer’s Workshop. She has studied at the School of America Ballet Theater, David Howard Dance Center and the Royal Ballet School. She has taught in numerous studios across the United States. She has choreographed for various high school and college productions, public television, civic theater groups and ballet companies across the country. She has been involved in Regional Dance America as a performer, choreographer, and artistic director. Ms. Allen’s students have gone on to professional careers including many dance teachers across the U.S, performers on Cruise Ships, Walt Disney World, New York City Ballet, and a soloist with American Ballet Theater. We are thrilled to have Phyllis join the staff of Lilburn and Grayson Schools of Ballet.
Sarah Bottino
She has been a member of our staff for seven years. Upon graduation, Sarah attended nursing school at Kennesaw State University. She is now a registered nurse with Children's Healthcare and continues to teach at the Liburn & Grayson Schools of Ballet.
Sarah Kerr
Has been dancing almost all her life. She grew up through the Lilburn School of Ballet. As a member of the Northeast Atlanta Ballet, she danced many lead roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, the lead in Paquita, the lead in Cinderella, and the Black Swan in Swan Lake.
Sarah attended the University of South Florida, where she was awarded talent grants and scholarships. It was there that she learned to love modern dance as well as ballet. She was cast in every faculty concert, and her choreography was chosen for student-run productions by acclaimed faculty members. While in school, she had the privilege of working with such artists and choreographers as Gretchen Ward Warren, Gabriella Darvash, Sandra Robinson, Lynne Wimmer, Michael Foley, Charles Flachs, Gerry Houlihan, Sasha Yapparov, and Nina Watt. She was also able to spend summers with the North Carolina Dance Theatre and the Atlanta Ballet. She graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance.
Sarah then returned to Atlanta, was invited to dance professionally with Full Radius Dance, and danced with them from 2006 to December 2009. In 2010, Sarah joined Brooks and Company Dance. She has performed with them all over Atlanta and has danced principal roles in the critically acclaimed Blackbird and the wildly successful Into the Dark Woods. Dance critic Cynthia Perry wrote of Into the Dark Wood, “As Heroine, Sarah Kelly Kerr danced exquisitely. All eyes seemed to fall on her enchanting, radiant face.” Sarah dances professionally with Brooks and Company Dance and Rule of 3 Productions.
Melissa Stevens
Melissa Beale Stevens began studying ballet in Killeen, Texas, at the age of 6 and has never left the studio since! After three years of Vaganova training, then her family moved to Decatur, GA, where she studied under Marie Roberts and Hilda Gumm at Decatur School of Ballet, joining the company there at age 12. She began her assistant teaching in high school and continued at the Atlanta School of Ballet, where she was a member of the company for two years under Robert Barnett and Merrilee Smith. She attended the University of Utah as a dance major for one year, then returned to continue dancing, teaching, and choreographing for the company now known as Decatur City Dance. She received scholarships to attend Craft of Choreography conferences through NARB as a dancer and as a choreographer, being one of the first recipients of the Monticello Award for women choreographers. She began at Lilburn School of Ballet with NEAB in 2007, and although she never planned to teach as a career, it is and has been a great joy in her life, and she doesn't plan to leave the studio anytime soon!
Salena Staub
Brings a wealth of knowledge to our tap students. "I dance because it is my passion, and I love passing it along to others. I started tap dancing at age three. I continued my multi-discipline ballet, jazz, and tap studies throughout high school. I continued my dance education at West Virginia University, where I danced with a modern dance company called Orchesis and received my certification in dance. Soon after college, I put the tap shoes back on, studying rhythm tap with Johnny Kelly, Julie Maynard, Birda Ringstad, and Kyme Hersi Sallid. I have been the primary tap teacher at Lilburn School of Ballet for over 15 years, and I am a proud member of the tap company, The Rhythm Keepers."
Meet the Faculty
Through our personal connection with each student, the Lilburn School of Ballet brings out the artist in ever dancer.
Kimberly Foster
Vice President
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Regan McCook
Founder & CEO
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Jennifer Barrett
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Rachel Hicks
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Joseph Perry
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Michael Wright
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Janice Ross
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Madison King
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Amy Hudson
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Jeremy Mason
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