ABOUT US
Founded by Pamela Dionne in 1998, City Dance & Music, formerly Atlanta Dance and Music Academy, has been serving metro Atlanta’s children, teens, and adults for 28 years.
We've built a uniquely diverse community in which the entire family can enjoy the benefits of dance and music arts.
Our program offers a range of classes and lessons for all ages, including classes for absolute beginners, pre-professionals, semi-professionals and post-professionals.
Teachers come to us from esteemed music institutes, dance companies, and universities to deliver our curriculum. With more than 100 years of combined teaching experience, their highest priority is to encourage students to discover their artistic voices and increase each student’s self-expression and confidence.
"The School", as our staff affectionately refers to it, is also home to CityDance, Inc., a not-for-profit community organization that serves as a conduit of art and culture for the purpose of personal empowerment and community enrichment.
Executive Director
Crystal Faison - Mitchell, MA
With 20 years of professional experience in program management, Crystal holds a BA in Dance with a minor in Psychology from The George Washington University, a MA in Community Mental Health and a Pedagogy Certificate from Laban Trinity Conservatory in London, UK.
She joined the organization in 2011 as a professional dancer and faculty member, serving as the Associate Director of CityDance, Inc. until her most recent appointment a the Executive Director.
Ballet Director
Harry Mark Burns, Jr.
After receiving his BFA from NYU, Mark joined Dance Theatre of Harlem and performed as a soloist. Subsequently, Burns was a principal dancer with Collage Dance Collective and The Georgia Ballet, where he was also a teacher. He has been a guest artist with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Brooklyn Ballet. Over his career, Burns has performed leading roles by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Alonzo King, Alvin Ailey, John Alleyne, Dwight Rhoden, and William Forsythe. Today, Burns continues his robust teaching career with a particular focus on education in his local Atlanta, Georgia community.
Founder / Artistic Director Emeritus
Pamela Dionne
Pamela Dionne has studied and performed professionally with companies such as the Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Theatre Der Stadt Bonn, and the Chamber Dance Theater. Her primary focus for 28 years has been teaching ballet to students of all ages. Since 1998, she directed our school and is also the Founder of CityDance, Inc., the non-profit entity.
Faculty & Artistic Coordinator
Emily Vanderkley
Emily has a diverse dance career, having performed locally, nationally and internationally for over 15 years.
After four seasons with Atlanta Ballet, she performed with Royal Caribbean Productions for a decade. Since 2011, she has been a beloved dance educator in greater-Atlanta teaching ballet, pointe, and jazz.
Faculty & Assistant to the Director
Joy Pailet
Joy attended La Roche University, majoring in dance and minoring in education. Since graduation, she has been developing her praxis and pedagogy while educating K-12 dancers in both community and studio settings.
Joy is an emerging choreographer, setting works on CityDance Collective and featuring works in local festivals such as Fall for Fall and the Dance Canvas. Joy is also certified in Fitness and Strength.
Faculty & Operations Assistant
Annosha Biggins
Annosha is a professional dance and visual artist. She recently obtained her BA in Dance at Kennesaw State University, with a concentration in Modern dance. While at KSU, Annosha was student at The School at Jacob’s Pillow -The Dunham Legacy Revisited, and was a 2022 recipient of The Eleo Pomare-Glen Connor Memorial Endowed scholarship. She also served as the Secretary of her departmental Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.
Faculty
Latoya Princess Jackson
Ms. Princess is a songwriter, producer, and performing artist. She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and Harvard University. Her specialized research is on Blacks in ballet and dance history, the Black ballet aesthetic, and Black female identity in contemporary music and pop culture. She has worked as a professional in the ballet field with Boston Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet and presented her research at the inaugural MOB Ballet Symposium.
Faculty
Arneshuia Nelson
Raised in Augusta, GA, Arneshuia started
her intensive dance training under Sharon ‘Skepple’ Mayfield, Bessie Award
Winner 1999. She attended Boston Conservatory. and worked with Garth Fagan until returning to Georgia at the height of the pandemic. Since relocating to metro-Atlanta, Arneshuia has taught for local studios in Georgia, California, and New York. She holds a certificate Personal Training, and has completed the first module of pedagogy for the Ailey Teacher Training Program.
Faculty
Blayne Mower
Blayne graduated from Oklahoma City University & has worked with Disney, Norwegian, and Oceania cruise lines as a performer. Blayne's musical theatre career opened doors to the Opera House Theatre Company and the Broadway Series South Tour where he developed further professionally.
Blayne was an assistant choreographer for The Abby Lee Dance Company and “Dance Moms”.
Faculty
Marley Carter
Marley is a dancer and choreographer born and raised in Santa Monica, California. She received two Bachelor of the Arts degrees from San Francisco State University: one in dance and another in cinema.
While at college Marley choreographed and produced multiple dance works and films exploring interdisciplinary dance. Since moving to Georgia, Marley continues to perform and choreograph and is a current City Dance Collective member.
Faculty
Charray Helton
Charray is an Atlanta native. She studied with Ballethnic in her formative years, and graduated from the Dominican/Alonzo King LINES BFA program. She is currently a working and learning freelance dance and film artist. She has worked with the Peace, Love, and Dance Project, Core Dance, Komansè Dance Theater, ALA Dance and Dance Canvas.
Faculty
Brooke Gilliam
Brooke began her training at the Colorado Conservatory of Dance. She continued her pre-professional training in Conservatory Program at Atlanta Ballet., and danced with 'Atlanta Ballet 2' for two seasons before joining the main Company in 2018. Some of her most noteworthy performances include The Shadow in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, Russian Girls in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Garrett Smith's Corridors, Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, Juliano Nunes' Yellow, demi-soloist in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, and Remi Wörtmeyer’s Significant Others.
Faculty
Ilo Elder
Ilo is Dance and Movement Studies and Gender studies major at Emory University.
Ilo has a drive to connect identities, the earth, and current issues through dance and choreography.
Facilities & Production
Andre Lumpkin
Raised in Athens, GA, Andre obtained an undergraduate and graduate degree; Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Minor in Dance and Theater Studies from Emory University and Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance from The School of Dance at Florida State University. Upon his return to GA, Andre re-settled in Atlanta and works as an arts administrator, choreographer, production and design tech and dance educator.
Marketing & Communications
Chivvaun A. Smith
Chivvaun, a native of the Bahamas, graduated with a BFA from the University of Oklahoma, majoring in Ballet Pedagogy and minoring in Interdisciplinary perspectives on the Environment. In 2016, she started the free dance clinic, GBI, in Grand Bahama, which offers access to professional training from industry professionals for Bahamian dancers. She currently works as a marketing and communications industry.
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