Faculty

She was awarded “The Gold Key Choreography Award” presented to only one senior each year. She has won the Monticello Award for her choreography from Southeast Regional Ballet Association (SERBA) and her choreography “Propel” was chosen to close the GALA performance at the 2002 SERBA festival for regional ballet companies. Ashlie’s recent piece of choreography “Chickaboom” was chosen to close the “Gala” performance at the 2009 Southeast Regional Ballet Association’s Festival in May.

Ashlie performed as a “Radio City Rockette” for two years in Nashville and taught for the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in New York.

She currently serves as President of Regional Dance America, past President of the Southeast Regional Ballet Association, Past President of Dance Masters of America #33, past board member of The Alabama School of Fine Art, board member of The Cultural Arts Center and The Alabama Dance Council. Tracy has been a member of Dance Masters of America 35 years

Tracy received the J.E. Saliba “Friend of the Arts” award in 2009 for her dedication to the art of dance. Her students have been seen on National TV to include “America's Got Talent” “Star Search” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Tracy has had students who have won the Petite, Junior and Teen Miss Dance of America titles along with many other regional and national awards.

A lifelong dancer and dedicated teacher, Amy trained at Dothan School of Dance for 16 years, where she was a member of SEADAC and the performance team. She earned her BFA in Dance from Troy University in 2017, where she also began teaching at local studios.

After graduation, she moved to Birmingham to teach at Jackie O’Neal School of Dance, where she taught classes in all genres, coached and choreographed the competition teams, choreographed for performances, and directed the spring ballet.

In 2021, Amy returned home to Dothan and has loved teaching at the very studio where her love of dance began. She teaches all genres and enjoys working with students of every age. She currently coaches the Superstars team, serves as rehearsal coach for the Junior Performance Team, and choreographs for non-company roles in SEADAC productions. She’s also one of the new Raiderette coaches at Houston Academy.

Outside the studio, Amy is married to Sterling and is the proud mom of two energetic little boys. She’s a member of Covenant Methodist Church and believes that dance will always be one of the biggest and most joyful parts of her life.

Anna is a graduate of Troy University with B.S. in Pre-Professional Biology and a Masters in Management. She is employed as the HR Director at Dothan Pediatric Healthcare Network. She currently serves as the Choreographer for the Houston County DYW program. has been on staff with DSD since 2014. Anna teaches to share her love of dance to others. Her two most prized possessions are her children, her son, Ty and daughter, Emily Kayte.

Averie discovered her passion for dance at the age of four. A dedicated dancer, she has spent years training and getting to perform in numerous productions with the Southeast Alabama Dance Company. Averie brings a deep love for the arts and years of stage experience to the classroom, and she is thrilled to begin her teaching journey this year.

Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, Courtney Doolittle Adams took her first ballet class at the age of four. She received the majority of her dance training from Georgia Academy of Dance and the Performing Arts in Peachtree City, Georgia, where she also danced as a member of the company, Georgia Dance Theatre. In the eleventh grade, she began training and working as a dance educator assistant, where her passion for teaching dance began. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Troy University, where she danced collegiately as a dance major and as a member of Troy Dance Theatre. Additionally, she holds an Associate’s Degree in Physical Therapy and works as a physical therapist assistant during the day, practicing outpatient and acute care physical therapy. Courtney lives in Headland with her husband, Trent, their son, Jack, and their two dachshunds, Birdie and Caroline.

Elizabeth has been teaching at Dothan School of Dance for five years and has been passionate about dance since her first class at age four. She trained competitively throughout her teen years and now holds certifications in Acrobatic Arts (Module 1) and Alixa Flexibility (Modules 1–3). For the past decade, she has danced professionally with Alabama Dance Works, performing at events such as Jazz on Tap, The Alabama Dance Festival, Catharsis Series, The Impact Project, and with Troy University. Elizabeth brings both experience and enthusiasm to every class she teaches.

Elizabeth has been dancing since she was four and her love for dance has only grown. Training at Dothan School of Dance helped her develop both technique and passion. She was on the DSD Performance Team and in the Southeast Alabama Dance Company for many years, both experiences that shaped her as a dancer and a person.

Later on, she began assisting classes and quickly discovered a passion for teaching. Dance has always felt like home, and now she is grateful for the chance to give back and support the next generation of dancers.

Holly has been part of the Dothan School of Dance family since 1978 and has served on staff ever since. Many of you may also know her as the Owner of Dazzle Dancewear. While she enjoys teaching all subjects, her true passion and specialty is tap.

Julia Batts has been dancing for 13 years now; her extensive training in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, contemporary, and musical theater has also led to a passion for teaching. She hopes to build a personal connection with each of her students while also sharing as much knowledge as possible. Julia spent many years in the Southeast Alabama Dance Company, performing many leading roles in The Nutcracker and the annual Spring Shows. She also spent 7 years on the elite performance team, giving her a strong background through intense training, master classes, and complex choreography in all styles of dance. She strives to inspire as many people as possible and bring love to each student as they grow their talents in dance.

Leah grew up in Prattville, Alabama and trained under Todd Putnam, Jenny Plunkett Letner as well as Montgomery Ballet and Alabama Dance Theatre. She then attended The University of Alabama and Majored in Dance and Musical Theatre. She was a member of Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and Dance Alabama student company. While in college, Leah also taught at Auburn Ballet and was head counselor for the American Ballet Theatre from New York. In addition to her dance performances and teaching, she was also cast in every musical each year.

After marrying her husband Brandon, they moved to Dothan. They have two Children, Collins and Wynn, who both dance at Dothan School of Dance. Leah has a wealth of experience in choreography, dance, theatre, vocal performance and coaching. She has traveled many places to teach and perform over the years, but she is proud to call Dothan School of Dance her home.

Lindsey grew up dancing at DSD from the age of 2 until she graduated high school in 2014. She then attended the University of Alabama where she graduated in 2018 with a bachelor of arts degree in dance. During her time at Alabama, she performed in Giselle, Paquita and Swan Lake for the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre. She also performed in many pieces for the student choreographed show, Dance Alabama. Lindsey has taught Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary at DSD for 8 years now. She is married to Quinton Snellgrove and they have a one year old son, Mac.

Lynette, a native of Panama City, moved to Dothan in 2021 with her husband, Kyle, and their two boys, Colton and Emmett. She grew up dancing in the studio, inspired by her mother, Gwenette Landwehr, who taught at Virginia Sweets School of Dance and Tone’s Dance Workshop (TDW) in Panama City, Florida. Her passion for dance began at these studios and was further nurtured through training in Ballet at the Northwest Florida Ballet Gifted Training Program. Under the direction of Mrs. Tonie Bense and her talented staff at TDW, Lynette studied a variety of dance styles. In 2001, she became an instructor at TDW and has continued to share her love of dance ever since. Over the years, she has taught many genres, with Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, and Lyrical being her favorites. In addition to her dance background, Lynette holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and works as an ICU nurse at HCA Florida Healthcare. She is thrilled to be part of the Dothan School of Dance team and looks forward to sharing her passion and experience with its talented dancers.

Mae Sanders has been actively participating in and teaching dance for the past 12 years! She competed with the Dothan School of Dance performance team and also performed with the Southeast Alabama Dance Company in productions such as The Nutcracker and various spring shows. Creating a fun environment for students to thrive in their own personal ways is what she strives to do when teaching and assisting classes at DSD. When she’s not at the dance studio, she is working as a speech language pathologist in the outpatient setting with children and adults and teaching dance and acro private lessons throughout the week! She is so excited for the opportunity to teach your kiddos and is looking forward to watching them learn to love dance!

Reagan started dancing at the age of 3 and hasn’t stopped since. Her love for dance has continued to grow over the years. Reagan is an alumni of DSD. She was a member of the Southeast Alabama Dance Company where she had the opportunity to be a part of several productions as well as perform at numerous RDA conferences. She is so excited to be back at her home studio as a teacher and getting to spread her love for dance to others.

Taylor is excited for another fun year at Dothan School of Dance. Growing up, Taylor was on the performance team and a member of the Southeast Alabama Dance Company. She was named Miss Dance in 2009 and placed in top 10 at Miss Dance of America. In 2014, Taylor graduated from The University of Alabama with degrees in Dance and Public Relations. While in the dance program at Alabama, she was selected to choreograph each year for Dance Alabama!.

Taylor and her family have been living in Enterprise, Alabama and just recently made the move to Dothan. She is married to Wayne Parker and they have two little girls, Jane (7) and Lundy (6).

Tracy has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and has spent many years working as a performer, choreographer and dance educator of all ages.

Most recently, she spent eight years as a college professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Troy University. She has an extensive background in Dance and Acrobatics and can’t wait to share her knowledge with her students. She is honored to serve on faculty at Dothan School of Dance this year and is grateful for the opportunity to instill her love and passion of the arts with these young dancers.

Zana is excited to be returning to teach at Dothan School of Dance this year! She trained at DSD for 15 years, where she was a member of SEADAC and the Performance Team. After graduating, she continued her dance career at Auburn University as a member of the Tiger Paws Dance Team from 2008–2012. During her time at Auburn, she also taught at a local dance studio and choreographed for its competition team.

In 2012, Zana earned her degree in Exercise Science from Auburn University before returning to Dothan. She began building a career in the medical field while continuing to teach dance part-time for about two years.

Zana has been married to her husband, Landon, for 12 years, and together they have three children—with exciting news that baby number four is on the way! They are the proud parents of 10-year-old twins, Dawson and Wellslie, and 3-year-old John Hudson. When she isn’t working or teaching, Zana enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on her children in all of their activities.

Dance remains a special part of their family, as her daughter, Wellslie, also dances at DSD and is a member of the SEADAC Junior Company and Competition Team. Zana is thrilled to be back at Dothan School of Dance and looks forward to an amazing year with her students!

Returning to DSD as a teacher is especially meaningful, as it allows her to give back to the studio that helped shape her love of dance!