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Meet our Instructors

Meet our talented team of instructors at South Walton Dance Company - Studio A. Focused on teaching exceptional technique and creating unforgettable experiences inside and outside of the studio. Our goal is to create an environment that is accepting, loving and encouraging.  Our team is built of former professional dancers, teachers, mothers, and trained fitness professionals. We are committed to our dancers’ satisfaction, dance success and mental health. We are dedicated to educating and training our instructors in best practices to keep dance a safe, healthy, and positive activity for kids.  

  • Ashley  - Hip Hop, Jazz, Intermediate Ballet, Team Performance Programs & Zumba Kids 

  • Erin  - Ballet (Beginner - Advanced) 

  • Elizabeth - Preschool Dance 

  • Jordan - Ballet (Intermediate) 

  • Miranda - Beginner Jazz 

  • Kristin - Class Assistant Beginner Ballet 

  • Jennifer - Modern & Jazz (all levels) 

  • Kate  -  Hip Hop, Acro, Tap and Ballet Conditioning 

Classroom Assistant: Bella 

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Added Staff Certifications include: 

Safety:

  • Best Educational Practices of dance Certifications

  • Injury Prevention & Response Certifications

  • Prevention & Reporting Certifications

  • Risk Management in the Dance Environment

  • CPR/First Aid Certifications 

Wellness:

  • Social Media, Media Safety, & Today’s Dance Culture

  • Developmentally Appropriate Artistry

  • Body Image, Nutrition, & Disordered Eating

  • Bullying and Conflict Resolution

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Ashley

South Walton Dance Company Director of Dance

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Ms. Ashley has over 27 years of dance training. Her love of dance started as a young child and she began taking ballet when she was only 6 years old in her hometown in Kentucky. Ashley worked as head instructor for Universal Dance Association for many years during college where she also danced for the University of Kentucky.  After college, she danced for numerous semi-professional teams in Kentucky and cheered professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League.  Ashley is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, zumba certified and has worked with many different recreational school dance teams. Ashley continues to train in all genres of dance by taking master dance classes to stay current on all dance trends.

Ashley moved to the Santa Rosa Beach area in 2016.  She is currently the Head Coach of South Walton Dance Company All Star Dance Team and Emerald Coast Middle School Dance Team.  Ashley resides here in Walton County with her husband and three children. Upon recognizing the rapid growth in our community, she decided it was time to live out her dream and open a recreational dance studio for the girls and boys in South Walton.  Ashley has multiple health, dance and fitness certifications that give you confidence in knowing your dancers safety and wellness is her top priority of all enrolled dancers. 

Ms. Ashley and all the instructors at South Walton Dance Company - Studio A look forward to sharing their love of dance with the children of the South Walton community.  

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Erin

Dance Instructor / Director of Dance Trance Santa Rosa

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Erin Dermond — Dance Instructor at ThiBod Fitness Studio and Director of Dance Trance Santa Rosa Beach. Owner of First Watch Daytime Cafes on the Emerald Coast.

Erin has a BA in Dance and Pedagogy from Brenau University. She danced professionally and preformed throughout Europe before starting a family. She brings over 30 years of dance experience to South Walton Dance Company.

 

You will get to see Ms. Erin in our Ballet classes at ThiBod Studio Location.

 

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Jennifer

Dance Instructor / Director of Ballet Programs

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Jennifer, a Knoxville native, was an original member of the East Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble. Following high school, she majored in dance at The University of Tennessee, performing as a soloist for UT’s New Repertory Dance Company. She continued her dance training in New York City. She trained with the Martha Graham school performing in the secondary company. She trained at Alvin Ailey, the Limon School, and Joffrey Ballet. She is extensively trained in the styles of Bob Fosse, Luigi, Frank Hatchett, and Joe Tremaine. She was a cast member and toured in musical theatre productions on the Northeast loop.

After dancing professionally, Jennifer founded Arts In Motion in Kingston, TN. Currently Arts In Motion provides fine arts dance training to over 300 East Tennessee students. Jennifer is currently a master teacher for Texas Ballet, Denton Texas. She is also on staff at South Walton Dance Company and If I Had No Voice Panama City Beach. She has taught at The Ailey School in New York City and for Joffrey Ballet. Jennifer is an avid downhill snow skier, loves sports and adores her family (6 kids) and friends!  You will get to see Ms. Jennifer in our Jazz, Ballet, Modern and Yoga Classes at Studio A Location.

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Kristin

Dance Instructor / Preschool Ballet

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Ms. Kristin is South Walton Dance Companies Assistant Instructor.  She assist instructors in our recreational ballet program.  She trained in ballet and jazz from the young age of 3 into her younger adolescent years. She cheered during middle school and was a member of her High School dance team in addition to playing softball and volleyball.  Ms. Kristin is former coach of the Seahawks Youth Cheer and co owner of Blue Mountain Bakery. Ms. Kristin enjoys all dance styles and she looks forward to sharing her love of all dance with your tiny dancer. 

Ms. Kristin is one of our positive and loving instructors in our Creative Movement programs at Studio A.  She is also the owner of Blue Mountain Bakery with husband, Kyle Swift. 

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Sheldon

Dance Instructor / Choreographer

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Sheldon’s core where he fills up and fuels up is... Dance. He’s cross-trained from jazz, tap, ballet, ballroom to his favorite: Hip hop. He’s followed his inner compass of movement since childhood where he spent afternoons at his godmother’s dance studio. That internal guide has landed him Coast to Coast, from training at Broadway Dance Center in New York City to joining a street performance dance crew in Los Angeles. 

As a teacher he’s gravitated to conventions around the country, earning multiple scholarships, dancing at Joe Tremaine’s Dance Convention, leading workshops, and he even auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance”... He went on to teach for Fred Astaire Dance Studios. The heartbeat of his style is simply put: keep moving.  

Sheldon is not currently on schedule but, reach out to book privates or learn about his pop up hip hop classes. 

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Jordon

Dance Instructor / Choreographer

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Jordan teaches our Ballet classes of all ages and is a former student of Northwest Florida Ballet, where she trained for many years.  Jordan is also a real estate agent in our area and with her husband they build coastal homes built to suit our growing community.  Jordan's peaceful personality and talent are unparalleled in and outside the classroom. 

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Miranda

Dance Instructor  / Choreographer 

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Ms. Miranda started dancing at the young age of three and continued her dance training at a local dance studio in Panama City Beach. She’s trained in Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Acrobatics and Musical Theatre.  

Miranda worked with South Walton Dance Company All Star Dance Team 2021-2022 and teaches weekly jazz classes at SWDC. She participated in the Gulf Coast State College Performing Arts Program and was a member of the Dance Line at Arnold High School. She also was a finalist for the Disney’s Make Your Mark program and performed in parades at Disney World in Orlando FL. In 2018 she received her Digital Design Diploma from Haney Technical Center and attended Northwest Florida majoring in Digital Media Production Specialization. 

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Elizabeth

Zumbini Instructor / Dance Instructor

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Ms. Elizabeth is a certified Zumba, Zumbini, classroom management, youth image awareness and youth mental health advocate.  She teaches our into to dance classes and beginner introduction to dance classes. She has two boys and spends a lot of time with her family outdoors. Her family enjoys volunteering at church and in the community. She has a passion for dance and she enjoys being in the classroom.  Elizabeth is CPR certified and is the owner of Freedom Adventure Charters, local charter company. 

Bella 

Ballet Performance

Classroom Assistant  

Ms. Bella has taken dance since the young age of three. Bella trains with South Walton Dance Company and enrolled into online College courses. Bella is homeschooled and continues training in the classroom while majoring in dance.  Her focus is on being a youth mental health advocate for the younger generation.  She assist in our classes for a layer of support and mentorship to our younger dancers.   She is CPR Certified and working on multiple dance certifications for classroom instruction and studio management. 

Get in touch to learn more about our team.

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