2026 Summer Guest Faculty

McKaylah Bristow is an Atlanta-based dancer and choreographer, as well as a current student at Kennesaw State University, studying both Dance and Public Relations. She has strong technique in contemporary, ballet, hip hop, jazz, commercial jazz, and tap. She has had her choreographic works featured in festivals and shows such as Spectra Vol. 1 hosted by Monica Hogan Danceworks, the Fall for Fall Festival, The Choreographer’s Showcase, and the KSU Dance ChoreoLab 2022, 2023, and 2024. She has been fortunate enough to attend many summer intensives, including the Debbie Allen Dance Academy Summer Intensive and the BODYTRAFFIC Summer Intensive. During her time at KSU, she has taken classes from Autumn Eckman, Billy James Hawkins III, Caitlin Gray, Lisa K. Lock, and Mcree O’Kelly, and has had the opportunity to work with many local and international guest artists. McKaylah has also taken additional classes with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Jamal White, Juel D. Lane, Martha Nichols, and Brian Friedman. She has also gotten the opportunity to study abroad in Amsterdam with artists, such as Emma Evelein and Dereck Cayla, at Henny Jurienns Studio and ICK Dans.

McKaylah will be teaching Jazz, Contemporary, & Legs & Leaps during the Summer Dance Intensive.

Kylee Bowen Born from a lifelong love of dance, Kylee Bowen began dancing at the age of three and has continued pursuing the performing arts ever since. She is currently a Specialized Instruction teacher at North Forsyth High School and is passionate about creating inclusive, creative spaces for students and performers alike.

In addition to teaching, she enjoys participating in community theatre productions with The Focal Center and School Street Playhouse. She loves sharing the magic of the performing arts with members of the community and is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to do so through Sawnee Ballet.

Kylee will be teaching Musical Theatre and Tap during the Summer Intensive.

Chandra Formaggioni With over 20 years of teaching experience, Chandra has a background in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz and ballroom. She received a major in broadcast journalism with a minor in dance and choreography from Berry College. She has received awards for her choreography as well as been accepted into the National Creative Society. 

Miss Chandra has been a guest choreographer with Sawnee Ballet Theatre and has set numerous pieces over the decade.  Most recently, she set Brokedown Palace for the spring concert this past Macrh.

Chandra will be teaching Repertory from Aladdin during the Summer Dance Intensive.

Abbi Fouts Throughout her 18 years of training, Abbi has studied a wide range of styles and developed a deep passion for dance. She trained with Sawnee School of the Arts for six years and performed with Sawnee Ballet Theatre for four years, where she was honored to dance the roles of Clara and the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, as well as Dulcinea in The Dream Scene from Don Quixote. In addition to these featured roles, she has performed in numerous other productions during her time with the company, bringing a wide range of characters to life on stage. Currently, she serves as the Dance Chairman of Kappa Delta at Georgia Southern University, where she leads choreography and coordinates performances for her sorority. Abbi is proud to be part of the Sawnee School of the Arts family and is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers through both her performance and leadership.  

Abbi will be teaching Hip Hop and Lyrical during the Summer Dance Intensive as well as the last evening of Drop In Classes.

Cyndi Garguilo, known as “Ms. G,” brings over 30 years of teaching experience in dance and tumbling. A former dancer and gymnast, she has owned two studios and spent 12 years as a Dance Director in private schools, teaching over 500 students weekly.

Ms. G coached competitive gymnastics for two decades and developed her own Acro-Tumbling curriculum for dance studios. She currently travels nationwide teaching master classes in ballet, jazz technique, leaps, turns, flexibility, and acro-tumbling.

Her students have gone on to professional careers across the dance industry, including Broadway, cruise lines, and professional cheerleading.

This July, Ms. G will be teaching both Tumbling Camps and Ballet, Stretch/Flex, Turns en Pointe, and Variations during Ballet Training Camp.

Aubrielle Haslam is a dance artist, dance educator, and certified Pilates instructor with 7 years of experience in both performance and dance education. She earned her degree in Theatre & Performance Studies with a minor in Dance from Kennesaw State University and has performed professionally with Bravo Dance Center's Pro Company, Marietta Theatre Company, and Davis Direction. Specializing in ballet, pointe, jazz, and musical theatre, her teaching approach emphasizes technical excellence, artistry, musicality, and movement wellness while creating a positive environment where dancers are encouraged to grow with confidence and authenticity. She received her Pilates certification through Balanced Body, further supporting her focus on alignment, strength, injury prevention, and mindful movement training for dancers. Aubrielle is passionate about blending classical technique with an exploratory and fun approach to movement, encouraging dancers to develop both discipline and creativity in the studio.

Aubrielle will be teaching Ballet during the Ballet Training Camp.

Rebecca Haslam began her dance training in Mission Viejo, California, studying ballet, jazz, and modern techniques. She had the opportunity to train with instructors from prestigious organizations including American Ballet Theatre (ABT), the Joffrey Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB). She continued her dance education at Brigham Young University.

Rebecca has extensive experience teaching and training dancers in California, Colorado, and Middle Georgia, and has been part of the faculty at Bravo Dance Center since 2004.

In addition to dance instruction, Rebecca is certified in CorrectiveX Exercise and Pilates. She is passionate about the art of movement and believes dance should be accessible and enriching for everyone.

Rebecca will be teaching Contemporary Ballet during the Ballet Training Camp.

Jamie Howard brings over 30 years of dance training and 24 years of teaching experience to our summer faculty. She has trained at Dancer’s Pointe, Georgia Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Ruth Mitchell, and continues her training annually in New York at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center.

Jamie is proficient in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical, and is known for her energetic teaching style with dancers of all ages. Her students have earned numerous regional and national awards, including multiple “Best Choreography” honors.

A sought-after guest teacher, Jamie travels to studios across the country to teach technique and set choreography, and also serves as a judge for several dance competitions.

Jamie is extremely dedicated to the art of dance and considers herself blessed to have a career encompassing her passion for dance and love for children. Jamie is the proud mother of two children Kethan and Maya and resides in Canton. 

Jamie will be teaching Jazz and Contemporary during the Summer Intensive.

Ella Ikokwu is a sophomore at Anderson University (SC) double majoring in Dance & English: Writing and Digital Studies. She has always loved creative storytelling, a passion that began to develop after taking her first ballet class at the age of five, and at the age of twelve, Ella began choreographing her own pieces. 

During high school, she choreographed and performed three solos, and most recently, she had the opportunity to choreograph and present an eight-minute group piece at Anderson University’s Department of Theatre and Dance’s Student Showcase. 

However, Ella’s passion for creative storytelling goes beyond dance and choreography into writing and digital media. Since coming to college, Ella has been able to take multiple creative writing classes as well as work as a content writer for her school’s social team. While having always been a strong writer, it was these opportunities that revealed to Ella the place creative storytelling has in writing, and she has also grown interested in exploring other storytelling mediums such as video production. 

Ella is a creative storyteller at heart, so in the future, she hopes to choreograph on a university or professional level as well as work in digital marketing for a dance organization.

Ella will be  teaching Ballet during the Ballet Training Camp.

Prianca Mafi brings over a decade of belly dancing experience through her studies in Egyptian, Turkish, Salimpour and Transnational styles. In college, she performed with the FSU Belly Dancers. From 2017 through 2019, Prianca studied the Salimpour Format with Debbie Despina and Transnational Fusion with Irina Akulenko in New York City. Prianca was a founding member of the Mati Dance Tribe and performed in showcases and venues throughout New York. In 2019, Prianca moved to her hometown and joined World Dance Orlando and the Iana Dance Club hosted by Iana Komarnytska. She also launched her professional career with A Magi Entertainment, performing at theme parks, restaurants and special events across Central Florida. After relocating to Atlanta in 2022, Prianca continued her performance career at restaurants and special events with Amarya Dance Company bringing her unique style of expressive arm movements, fluid transitions and sharp hipwork to her audiences. 

Prianca will be teaching Bollywood during the Summer Dance Intensive.

Susan McGraw 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, then moved on to dance with the Ruth Mitchell Professional Dance Theatre for many years. A move landed McGraw in Germany and then Switzerland, where she trained and taught classes of many different levels during her time there. 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.

Susan will be teaching Modern during Ballet Training Camp.

Taylor Mitchell is currently pursuing her B.A. in Dance at the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University. She grew up as a true bunhead, but has found fulfillment and joy in musical theatre in college. Some of her theatre credits include The Prince of Egypt (Ensemble/Dance Captain; ACTF nomination for Excellence as Dance Captain), The Lightning Thief (Ensemble/Annabeth Chase U/S), and Seussical (choreographer). She’s also participated in 4 Dance Concerts at SCSA where she’s performed a versatile mix of dance styles and numerous featured/solo roles. She’s gotten to work with choreographers like Kevin Jenkins, Chaz Wolcott, and Andrew Winans. Outside her AU training, she spent the summer of ‘25 training at the Steps on Broadway Conservatory in NYC. Taylor hopes to continue working in the theatre world as both a performer and choreographer after graduating.

Taylor will be teaching Ballet and Musical Theatre during the Summer Dance Intensive and Mini Sampler as well as the first night of drop In classes.

Renee Pauley is a Ballet Educator with over 30 years of experience guiding dancers through purposeful, thoughtful training. Her work is rooted in strong classical foundations, anatomical clarity, and the belief that dancers grow best when they are seen, encouraged, and challenged with intention. After training at the Atlanta School of Ballet and performing with the Atlanta Ballet Youth Ensemble, Renee went on to dance professionally as a scholarship apprentice with Atlanta Ballet and later as a soloist with Northwest Florida Ballet. An injury redirected her path, opening the door to what has become her life’s calling—teaching. 

In 2021, Renee founded ReneePauley4Ballet, allowing her to work with dancers and studios across Georgia through private coaching, workshops, and guest teaching. Her approach blends technical precision with mindset development, helping dancers build confidence, resilience, and a deeper understanding of their bodies. 

Renee’s teaching is shaped by her faith and guided by the belief that each dancer is created with purpose. She strives to create an atmosphere of positivity, discipline, and encouragement—where dancers are challenged to work with excellence while growing in confidence and character. 

Her students have gone on to train and perform nationally and internationally, pursue collegiate dance programs, and build lasting careers in the dance world. 

Renee considers it a privilege to walk alongside dancers as they discover not only stronger technique, but who they are becoming—both in the studio and beyond.

Renee will be teaching Ballet at both the Summer Dance Intensive and the Ballet Training Camp.

Pytron Parker is a Georgia native who has built her life around the performing arts. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with a minor concentration in Dance from Brenau University in 2013. Trained in jazz, tap, ballet, modern, musical theatre, contemporary, and hip hop, Pytron has been changing dancers’ lives for over 18 years. Her classes are creative, high-energy, and challenging while incorporating tons of fun.

Pytron defines her teaching as “empowering students and demonstrating the fundamentals of dance while providing structure in a fun atmosphere.” She is passionate about helping students build confidence while stressing the importance of storytelling, facial awareness, body language, discipline, and strong work ethic in the classroom.

An award-winning instructor and choreographer, Pytron’s dancers and routines have received top honors at both regional and national competitions. She has taught workshops nationwide and worked with prestigious organizations including Kids Artistic Revue and Rainbow National Dance Competition. Pytron has also assisted renowned choreographers David Rossetti and Disney’s Barbara Hartwig.

Her choreography has been showcased by organizations including the WNBA and the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. Credits include In The Heights, Sister Act, and The Color Purple at Aurora Theatre. Pytron has also worked professionally with theatres across the nation and toured internationally with Rainbow National Dance Competition and Kids Artistic Revue.

Pay will be teaching Contemporary Hip Hop during the Ballet Training Camp.

Lance Washington spent  ten years as a principal dancer with the Patti Rutland Jazz company in Dothan, Alabama.  He is originally from Chicago, Illinois.   He received his professional hip-hop training from Maurice Fulkon in Chicago, Joshua Allen in Texas and Vincent Johnson from Atlanta.  His professional credits include industrial television work in Chicago. National awards in choreography include, the Platinum Power Award from Platinum National Dance Competition, .  In 2012, Lance made it through to Vegas  for the hit television series So You Think You Can Dance. Lance also taught within the Patti Rutland Jazz Arts in Education Outreach program.  This is the largest outreach program in the state of Alabama. It includes teaching over 6000 elementary and middle school children weekly.  Currently Lance Washington is located in  Georgia teaching for, Dancentre South, and West Georgia Dance Center and Heather Wayne Performing Arts.  Lance Washington has also taught for the Jazz on Tap convention in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by Marcus Alford and Annie Day, and the Alabama Dance Festival.  Lance has also taught and danced along side of Rustin Matthew, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb, Rob Hoffman, Balta Monkiki, Nick Wilson, Nicole Kirkland,and Jimmy Locust.  He also works as a hip-hop choreographer for many other groups throughout the Southeast and has won numerous regional choreography awards. Lance is very excited about how his career is taking him to so many places where he is meeting more and more talented dancers, choreographers and friends. 

“Always Stay teachable!”

Lance will be teaching Hip Hop at the Summer Dance Intensive