Keri Bell
Director

Keri Bell began her dance training as a three year old student with Hutchison Dance Studio. By age eleven, she transferred to The Dance Academy. Her training continued through the years in a variety of dance forms, including ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop. She has continued her studies with numerous dance masters from New York and Los Angeles, like Frank Hatchett, Debbie Daniels, Joe Tremaine and Gus Giordano and many more. Keri now serves as the Director and an instructor for all levels of dance. She has been a dedicated and valued leader of The Dance Academy faculty for many students for more than 45 years.

Olivia Bell
Competition Coordinator

Olivia graduated from The University of Georgia with a major in Theatre and minor in dance. While at The University of Georgia, she was a member of the UGA Red Hotz, the competitive dance team on campus. Olivia grew up training at The Dance Academy in the styles of ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical. Now, she is our Competition Coordinator & choreographs many of our competitive routines. She has been seen dancing professionally in Mamma Mia! and Crazy For You as an ensemble member and featured dancer. Olivia's goal is to share her passion & dedication to the next generation of dancers

More recently, Miss Olivia graduated with a Masters in Performing Arts from SCAD University.  She is eager to share her knowledge with her students.

Erin Kilfoyle House
Assistant Director

Erin Kilfoyle House is a dynamic dancer and educator with a rich performance background. Her love of dance began at the age of three, and under the guidance of world renowned ballet instructors at Atlanta Festival Ballet, Erin honed her craft, propelling her into a career highlighted by prestigious summer intensives and a coveted spot in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program at just fifteen years old.  She was hired as a professional company member of Atlanta Festival Ballet at 17, where she captivated audiences with her portrayal of iconic roles such as Wendy in Peter Pan, Sugar Plum Fairy’s entourage in The Nutcracker.

 Utilizing her Bachelor's degrees and specialized training in early childhood dance education, Ms. Erin creates a vibrant learning environment where all students can flourish. A dedicated faculty member since 2011, she brings a wealth of performance experience and teaching expertise to inspire the next generation of dancers.

Kayla Berry

Kayla Berry has grown up at The Dance Academy right before our very eyes! She started dancing at the age of 6 and joined the competitive company at 2017 and was always the self appointed Team Captain. Throughout high school Kayla was a proud member of the Ola High School Cheer Team. In 2023 she had the opportunity to let her natural leadership skills shine and take over classes and share her love of dance with the younger students. This Delta Sigma Theta debutante will be working toward her BIS in Law and Society at Georgia State University.

Catherine Pore

Catherine is a professional dancer based in Atlanta. She grew up dancing at a competitive studio in North Carolina and went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from East Carolina University. In her career she has performed in a wide range of venues including the Gus Giordano school in Chicago, the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, as well as internationally in Sorrento, Italy. Catherine has a strong love for dance, technique, and teaching, and she loves getting to share her passion with her students.

Maliya Harris

Maliya Harris started dancing a the age of three and competing at the age of seven in Atlanta, GA. She is trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, jazz and Hip Hop. Maliya took her talents to a collegiate level by training with Dominique Angel, James Boyd, Thang Dao, Adrienne Hicks, Brynt Beitman, Kelsey Metz and Marcus Allan Cobb at Troy University. She is now a graduate with a degree in Dance and Entrepeneurship

Ava Notabartolo

Ms. Ava started dancing at the age of 3 and was selected to joined The Dance Academy's competitive company team in 2017. She has won countless awards, scholarships, and summer intensive invitations. In 2023, after many years of assisting, she was given the opportunity to let her natural leadership skills shine and teach her own classes and share her love of dance with the younger students. She was very involved in her theater program at school where she helped choreograph numbers for the musicals. She graduated high school with her agricultural seal and was top 10 percent of her class.

Kiera Clotfelter

Kiera is a lifelong dancer with a passion for sharing her love of movement with others. Her journey began at the tender age of three, and she joined the TDA family at the age of five. As a dedicated member of TDA's first competition group, she gained invaluable experience and a deep appreciation for the performing arts. 
As an active member of her church, Ms. Kiera brings a strong sense of faith and community to her teaching. When she's not in the dance studio, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and her beloved dog, Libby. With a strong work ethic and a passionate spirit, she is dedicated to inspiring her students to reach their full potential. 

Kenadee Knight

Kenadee Knight started her dance career at the age of ten. She first danced at the Conservatory of Dance and Fine Arts in Decatur, GA for two years. In 2013, she began dancing at the Conyers School of Ballet and remained there until she graduated from high school in 2018. During her high school years, she was also a Dance Major at Heritage High School’s Academy for Performing and Visual Arts program where she performed works by Heather Bragg and Tianna Porcieau Sykes. At the end of her time with the program, she left with an Academy Award for Dance and a Georgia Department of Education Fine Arts Seal. For her post-secondary studies, she minored in Dance at Kennesaw State University where she worked with professors and choreographers such as Andrea Knowlton and Billy James Hawkins III. At Kennesaw State, Kenadee was able to discover her love for choreography where she created and showcased several works. She even had the opportunity to be part of the KSU Dance Company during her junior year.. She is also a co-founder of Seoul in Kennesaw, KSU’s only K-Pop dance team, where she remained an executive board member from the organization’s beginning in 2019 to 2021. She graduated from KSU in May 2022. Currently, she is a company member of Gwinnett Dance Project under the artistic direction of Riley Cooper Bryson. Kenadee’s goal is to share her love of dance with her students and to push them in positive ways that encourage their growth and dreams.