OUR TEAM | Suwanee Academy of the Arts

JoJo Hammond

Dance

Emily started dancing at the age of 11 in Buford, Georgia as a competitive dancer under the construction of Nicole Thornton, Britni Meadows, and Dominique Fewell, winning numerous overalls and scholarships during her time as a competitive dancer. Emily is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Arts in Dance at Brenau University under the direction of Madia Cooper-Ashirifi. Emily has trained in various technical styles such as Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Horton Modern, Duncan Modern, Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop. During her time at Brenau, she has worked with guest artist Kaitlyn Arena, Payton Parker, and Julio Medina as well as faculty member Jessica lynch Oliver. During her summers, she trains with an Atlanta based contemporary company, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre as well as training with Xcel Studios. Recently, Emily participated in developing imagery for a presentation “Dancers as Athletes” By Josh Wludyga for the National Strength and Conditioning Association National Conference. Outside of performing, she enjoys teaching students the artistic side of dance and encouraging them to express creativity within movement as well as exploring choreographic techniques on both intermediate and collegiate level dancers.

JoJo Hammond

Drama

Jovanna Hammond graduated Flowery Branch High School back in 2016 and went to join the Theater Program at the University of North Georgia in 2017. Jovanna has experience in every aspect of Fine Arts and Production. She has worked with teams building sets and stages for any and every production that she was in at the Gainesville Theater Alliance and also worked with personal productions working as stage manager, props management, Tech and Design, etc., with connections such as JHC for many years.

Raleigh Phillips

Dance

Expected to graduate from Brenau University in Fall 2023 with a Dance Major and Dance/Movement Therapy Minor, Raleigh Phillips began her dance career as a student at SAA. Dancing with SAA for 5 years, Raleigh started her dance career focusing in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Contemporary techniques. Over her last 3 years at Brenau under the direction of Dr. Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, she has expanded her dance experience with styles such as Modern, West African, Ballroom, and more. Raleigh teaches Hip Hop and Acro Arts at SAA, but also gained experience teaching Contemporary, Ballet, Yoga, and Pilates at a summer camp in New Hampshire, Camp Wicosuta, this past summer.

Matt Felton

Piano/Guitar

With 15 years of dedicated experience in the music industry, Matt Felton is a seasoned Musician and Instructor renowned for their mastery across various musical disciplines. Holding a degree in Music from Seattle Pacific University, Matt excels in teaching piano, guitar, bass, and production, seamlessly merging classical and contemporary styles while embracing improvisation as a catalyst for creative expression. A multifaceted career spanning roles as a live audio engineer, studio manager, and sound technician reflects Matt’s profound technical expertise, perfectly complementing their profound musical intuition. With a passion for nurturing students of diverse backgrounds and ages, Matt exemplifies an unwavering commitment to fostering musical excellence while drawing upon a rich and extensive background within the industry.

Margaret Holtkamp

Musical Theater Voice

Margaret graduated from Brenau University with a BFA in Musical Theatre in 2020. She began dancing at the age of 8 and is so thankful for her training in ballet, jazz, tap, and musical theatre from Buford School of Ballet and Brenau University. She has spent the past three years performing professionally in Atlanta’s theatre industry, at theme parks (Cedar Point and Kings Dominion), and singing and dancing with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Her choreography experience includes Buford High School’s Variety Show (2022, 2023) and she looks forward to working with SAA, West Forsyth High School, and Buford High School for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

Lacey Glancy

Kindermusik

Lacey Glancy began studying violin at age 5, piano at 7, and cello at 11. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Brigham Young University. Most recently she was Principal Second Violin with the Georgia Philharmonic, and prior to relocating to Georgia she was the Principal Second Violin for the Houston Civic Symphony. She teaches private music lessons, Kindermusik, sings in her church choir, and plays with Bella Nota String Quartet. She is the mother to twin boys and loves baking, reading, and fitness.

Natalie Sparkmann

Customer Relations Manager

–bio coming soon —

Kristi Schneider

Finance Manager

Kristi graduated from Florida State University with her degree in Accounting. She has many years of accounting, bookkeeping and payroll experience. Kristi enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, enjoying the outdoors and volunteering at her church.

Monica Witchel

Office Manager

With a strong background in corporate finance, human resources, and real estate, Monica brings her technical skill set and experience to the Office Manager position at SAA. Monica, a born and bred New Yorker, moved with her husband and 2 children in 2019 to Suwanee. Her talented daughter, Thayer, inspires her to be involved with the arts and she loves working with children.

InSook Kim

Piano/Voice

InSook has taught music for over 25 years as a full-time Music Professor at University. She graduated from the University of Missouri and the University of Connecticut as a Music major in the U.S.A., having a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from South Korea. And she also graduated from a Graduate School as Theater and Musical Theater major, having a Master of Arts degree. She would like to help children’s musical expression in Voice and Piano.

Kamryn Loy

Voice

Everyone can find joy and a deeper sense of self through singing and music. Having been a professional singer for over 20 years I have developed my own approach to vocal technique, performing and love watching my students discover their talents and become more confident.

I made my Broadway debut in The Original Broadway in the title role of Kim in Miss Saigon. I have also appeared as Tuptim in The King and I on Broadway with Lou Diamond Phillips, and Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of La Bohème.

Regional opera credits include; Nedda in I Pagliacci with Dicapo Opera, The Rose in The Little Prince with Tulsa Opera, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Liù in Turandot, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly and Strauss’s Four Last Songsat The Players Club in Gramercy Park, NYC, and have been featured in many pops concerts around the world — some include National Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, Chicago Pops, Boca Pops, Memphis Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Florida Philharmonic and Memphis Symphony.

David Wilson

Piano/Voice

Dave Wilson was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He began singing in church and at community events at the age of 4 and studied piano and organ with private instructors through high school. He continued his musical education at Cincinnati Christian University, majoring in voice and minoring in piano, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in 1987. He has been a private instructor in both piano and voice since that time. He has spent many years singing with and directing church and community choirs. He served as director of the Tara Choral Guild, a community Choir based in Clayton County, GA until 2013. He began serving as director of the Henry Community Chorus in Henry County, GA in January, 2020. He and his family currently reside in Grayson, Georgia.

Tori Payne

Piano, Voice

At a young age, Tori began her love for music with piano, which later brought her to voice and musical theatre. She graduated from Young Harris college with a bachelors in music education, vocal emphasis. Throughout her college career, Tori participated in musical theatre as well as performing a variety of classical repertoire. During the summers, she has enjoyed helping with music for the junior broadway in the park show.

Tim Wheeler

Piano

Tim’s love for teaching encourages and builds musicianship in his students- whether music theory, piano, composition, or audio production. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and a Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy, both from Georgia State University. A teacher for over 35 years, Tim’s musical background is diverse and includes classical, jazz, and rock. He is a published composer, arranger, and song-writer. He owns DoubleSharp Music Recording Studio where he can be found recording, mixing, or producing a variety of music. Tim is also an adjunct faculty professor at the Art Institute of Atlanta under the Audio Production program.

Mary (Hyeon Joo) Sway

Piano, Violin, Viola

Mary graduated from Shenandoah Conservatory with a B.A. in Music Education, Major in Piano and Minor in Violin. She has performed in several operas and plays with her college orchestra including a performance at the Kennedy Center. Mary has worked with children for over fifteen years and has many years experience in private music lessons. She strongly believes Music is an important form of expression for children, and that music helps develop self-esteem, focus and artistic values that last a lifetime.

Justin Levy

Advanced Voice

Justin started his career as a prodigy student and vocal arranger working alongside Robert (RAab) Stevenson, arranging vocals for artists like Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Pharrell Williams, Kelly Rowland, Austin Mahone, Rihanna, B5, and The Gardiner Sisters. Justin has worked as assistant vocal trainer on tour with Kelly Clarkson and has clients in three countries. Other artists blessed to have worked with RAab and Justin are jMarie, Roma Acorn, Zach Martari, Nate Larson, Diana Diez, Ashea, and he has also worked with Robert DeNiro, Zac Effron, Julianne Hough and Zoe Deutch on the set of Dirty Grampa. Justin has mastered the techniques necessary to safely develop the voice to its greatest potential. He treats each student – no matter their experience level – with the same focused commitment, and welcomes all genres of music.

Alia Taylor

Drama

Alia Raquel Taylor Is an American actress. Leaving her hometown of Atlanta, GA to pursue acting, Alia found herself in Manhattan, New York. She studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, then ventured to Los Angeles where she completed her BA. Alia has a strong background in theater and movement.

Alicia Dixon

performing artist and instructor.

She toured the United States, Japan, and South Korea with a theatrical production while obtaining her degree in theatre from the University of Georgia. She acquired additional professional credits working for Walt Disney World’s popular show Fantasmic! as well as through separate projects in theatre, televsion and film as a dancer before falling in love with aerial arts in 2013. Alicia now performs and teaches aerial arts in and around Atlanta with a specialty in aerial silks/fabrics and sling/hammock.

Teri Khan

Musical Theater Voice, Piano, Guitar

Teri is a professional vocalist and music teacher with more than 35 years of experience in both the private and classroom settings. Teri is the music teacher, choir director and MS fine arts teacher at St. Catherine of Siena School in Kennesaw, where she also teaches private voice, piano and guitar. She enjoys her summers playing the role of Fairy Godmother during Enchanted Princess Adventure camps,directing the musical theater camps at Suwanee Academy of the Arts, and directing the junior show at Broadway in the Park.

Terri Miller

Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Theater Dance

Miss Terri has a tremendous ability to love her students through the tough parts of dance. She expects a lot but make is fun! Terri has been teaching in the North Atlanta area and Florida since 1994. She has performed with Atlanta Ballet, Carl Ratcliff Dance Theater, Harrison Jazz ensemble, The Kris Kangelosi Dance Project and aboard the M/S Westward cruise ship where she met her husband. Terri teaches Ballet, Jazz and Musical Theater. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, reading, cooking and sharing her love of dance with her students.

Susan McGraw

Ballet, Contemporary

Susan received a scholarship to the Dance Pedagogy and Performance program at Brenau University where she was a featured principal dancer for the Gainesville Ballet Company. After graduating with honors, she became a founding member and Principal dancer with the newly formed Gainesville Ballet Professional Ensemble. Susan’s strong background includes extensive training in Jazz, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, and Classical Ballet. Susan has trained dancers in both Local and Regional Companies, Universities and private studios for more than 30 years. She continues to serve as a guest teacher for numerous Summer Intensives. She has helped her students find placement in many prestigious Companies and Summer Programs and she has coached students through the Youth American Grand Prix and Boston Ballet competitions.

Miranda Fox

Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Progressing Ballet Technique

A graduate from Brenau University with a BFA in Dance Pedagogy, Miranda received her earlier training from Atlanta Ballet, Dan and Company, Dancers Studio/Backstage and Gainesville School of Ballet, with additional training through notable summer programs with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Orlando Ballet and South Carolina Dance Conservatory. Miranda’s eye for detail and her natural abilities to relate to “little ones” makes her a wonderful teacher, mom to her son Chase, choreographer and part-time administrator for SAA. If that weren’t enough, Miranda is a certified Cecchetti instructor, and also teaches jazz, tap and ballet. Can we say more about this multi talented multi-tasker!

Taylor Hoff

Ballet

Taylor began dancing at the young age of 3. She began training in just ballet and tap, but now has over 19 years of training in a variety of styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and precision jazz. A recent graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Elementary Education, Taylor has a passion for working with young students. She loves to see students learn new things and grow as performers. Taylor had the honor of performing as a member of the Auburn University Danceline for 3 years where she performed jazz, hip hop, and precision jazz at SEC football games across the south for crowds of over 85,000 fans. Taylor also served as a choreographer for the Auburn Danceline, where she choreographed kicklines for their halftime shows. She has also studied ballet and jazz technique at Auburn University through their Dance program. Some of her other performance and training credentials include attending the Rockette Summer Intensive in New York City for 3 years, making it to the last day of auditions for the Radio City Rockettes in 2019, and making it to the final round of auditions for the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders in 2020. She plans to continue her professional dance career in Atlanta for now, but one day, plans to move to New York City to become a Radio City Rockette.

Patty Etherton

Co-owner, Music, Theater

Patty Weyen Etherton spent her youth singing in around central Illinois. The local celebrity she received helped her overcome her shyness and cement her passion for the performing arts in the lives of children. Never far from the stage, Patty toured professionally with Lake City Band and while living in Nashville she was often found on stage in a Circle Players production. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Music Education from Millikin University, Patty brings with her knowledge enthusiasm and a vast background in musical theater. She is passionate about inspiring young singers/actors to fulfill their potential.

BERNETA BOCK-DAVIS

Co-owner, Ballet, Cecchetti

A child prodigy at the age of four, Berneta was sent to study under the direction of Tensia Fonseca with the Maryland Youth Ballet. She performed with the Atlanta and Bristol Ballets throughout her youth and graduated with a double major in Performance and Education of Ballet from Virginia Intermont College. Known simply as “Miss Bernie” during her 21 years of excellence in teaching, Berneta is committed to sharing the art of dance and proudly brings the Cecchetti Method of Ballet instruction to Suwanee. SAA is the first Cecchetti school certified in Georgia.

Co-Owners

Berneta Bock-Davis

Patty Etherton

DANCE INSTRUCTORS

Miranda Fox

Taylor Hoff

Susan McGraw

Terri Miller

Raleigh Phillips

Alicia Dixon

Emily Alonso

DRAMA INSTRUCTORS

Teri Khan

Alia Taylor

JoJo Hammond

MUSIC INSTRUCTORS

Teri Khan

Justin Levy

Mary (Hyeon Joo) Sway

Tim Wheeler

Tori Payne

Lacey Glancy

David Wilson

Kamryn Loy

InSook Kim

Matt Felton

STAFF

Monica Witchel

Kristi Schneider

Natalie Sparkmann