Lisa Allen Brooks - Director
Lisa has been dancing for over 50 years. She began her dance career at Marilyn School of
Dance, in La Crosse, WI, where she performed and choreographed as an ensemble dancer
and soloist for their company "Dance, Inc.". After graduating from High School, she joined the United States Navy Seabees where she served 5 years overseas. While overseas, Lisa was able to teach dance for the MWR base recreational services where she directed holiday shows and dance recitals for the children on base. When she returned to the states, she updated her skills by training with top professionals throughout the Southeast and NYC. In 1996, Lisa Allen’s Dance Works opened its doors and has since served and enriched a countless number of children in Camden County, Georgia. Their Dazzlers Competition Team has won a plethora of awards for outstanding technique, choreography, and overall excellence in dance education. Lisa takes great pride in the fact that second-generation students are joining her at the studio on a regular basis. Being a huge fan of all thing’s kids and community, Lisa was happy to help Saltwater Performing Arts “get its sea legs.” Lisa serves as the Vice President, co-director, and choreographer for this not-for-profit children's performing arts organization. Throughout her 29 years in Camden County, Lisa has choreographed, directed, and volunteered for several organizations, to include Camden County Schools, St. Marys Little Theatre, churches, pageants, parades, and local festivals. Lisa is an active member of the community, supporting local charities as well as serving as a proud member of the Chamber of Commerce. Above all, Lisa considers her primary goal to be helping the children of our community grow into successful, contributing members of society. Afterall, they are our future!
Lexie Fortenberry - Choreographer
Lexie is a Graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and has traveled to London, Scotland, and France on talent scholarships. She has trained in the Art of Dance since the age of 2, became an assistant teacher at the age of 11, and student teacher/choreographer by the age of 13. She took her dance training to the next leve while taking classes at Broadway Dance Center, Ny, NY and Steps Studio in Chicago. Lexie has won numerous awards for her innovative choreography. Lexie's love for teaching has expanded outside the dance studio as she is currently studying for her BA in Elementary Education at the University of North Florida.
Mary Love Ward McCollough - Dance Instructor
Mary Love Ward holds an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University, a BS in Biology with a minor degree in dance from Winthrop University, and is a certified Pilates trainer through the Physical Mind Institute. Ms. Ward began her professional dance career in Washington, DC performing for several seasons with two of the city’s established contemporary companies. As a company dancer with Carla & Company, she toured the north-east performing repertory from a variety of nationally recognized contemporary choreographers. While in DC she also danced with the post-modern based company, Dance Antonini, which performed in the National Improvisation Festival and various site-specific works. More recently she has danced with Fuzion Dance Artists, Mary Love Dance Projects (MLDP) a research-based company that she also directed, and Moving Testimony, a ministry based dance ensemble. With MLDP she toured the east coast and appear in a broadcast Ted (X) production, which was made possible through an artistic residency at The Center for Contemporary Dance. Ms. Ward’s professional choreography has been presented nationally and abroad. As an educator, she has also been honored to have had her choreography commissioned for student dancers at Darton College, Daytona State College, and the pre-professional program at The Center for Contemporary Dance. Ms. Ward has taught dance at Valencia College, Florida State University, and served as co-director and professor of contemporary dance for St. Johns River State College dance major program from 2014-2019. She has also worked with dancers for several years as a Pilates trainer and has published research on this topic through The Method Pilates. As a classically trained dancer, she honors traditional forms in her teaching and choreography. She draws influence from the techniques of Lester Horton, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon. As a contemporary choreographer, she blends these aesthetics with more current somatic approaches and creates room for each dancer to be an expressive individual.
Maelyn Bond - Dance Instructor
Maelyn started dancing at age 3, in Houma, Louisiana. She began competing in 2002 and student taught for 7 years. At age 18 she graduated from her home dance studio and earned her teaching certificate.Upon graduating, she went on to work at multiple studios and high schools as a competition choreographer. Over the years, she has won many awards for her innovative choreography. Along with teaching, she also worked as an extra where she had the opportunity to dance in Pitch Perfect 2 and work on TV shows, Scream Queens and The Underground. She enjoys teaching all ages and genres. Maelyn is very thankful that she is able to continuously share her love of dance!
Mackenzie Dugan- Dance Instructor
Miss Mac is a former dancer at Lisa Allen's Dance Works and was on the Dazzler's competition team when she was younger. She has grown up being involved with the community and has always enjoyed performing. In high school she was a part of the dance program at CCHS for 4 years where she performed and choreographed several dances. Miss Mac has a BFA degree in Communication from Valdosta State University. While studying at college, she was also on the Red Hots dance team for 4 years, where she won 2 National Championships in Hip Hop and Jazz. She began teaching at the studio in 2022. She has enjoyed dancing her whole life and loves to share her passion with her students.
Elisha Cauthen- Dance Instructor
Elisha has been dancing since the age of 2. She is a Lisa Allen’s Dance Works and Dazzler Competition Team alumni. She started competing in dance at age 7 and received numerous awards. At age 10 she became a student teacher and became an instructor at 18. Elisha is a full time instructor at LADW. She is proficient in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Dance Theatre, Hip Hop, Tumble, Acro, Pointe and Ballroom. Elisha shares her knowledge as well as the love and joy of dance with her students. She is always looking to improve, taking master classes, intensives and classes at different studios to keep herself updated on techniques and styles, along with working on certifications. Elisha is a choreographer, actress and singer. She choreographs challenging but fun dances in her classes, award winning pieces for Dazzlers and solos for herself. She has choreographed at local and surrounding area theaters and performed in multiple productions of musicals/plays since age 8 to present. She has choreographed SpongeBob Square Pants the Musical, High School Musical, White Christmas, Little Women, 9 to 5, Camelot, 1944 Noel… And she performed in White Christmas, Little Women, 9 to 5, Annie, Addams Family, Tommy, It’s a Wonderful Life, Hairspray, Camelot, Mary Poppins… Elisha’s enthusiasm and passion for dance and the arts show in whatever she does! Strive to be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.
Scott Benson- Dance Instructor
Scott Benson's dance career has withstood the test of time for over 30 years. Scott is more in demand now than ever. His career has taken him all over the world from Europe, Asia, and South America to choreograph and perform with such artists as Michael Jackson, Pink, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Madonna, Sting, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Tom Selleck, Paula Abdul, Reba McEntire, and Tom Hanks to name just a few. He has been both in front of and behind the camera in countless television shows and commercials, including Scrubs, Jay Leno, The Academy Awards, The Super Bowl, Sea Doo/Ski Doo, Ebay, Hurley, and Visa. Some of his film credits include Pirates of the Caribbean, Forrest Gump, Perfect, and The Mask. His career has not slowed down a bit – Recently Scott worked on Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough, Muppet Movie, Grays Anatomy, Nissan End of Summer and End of the Year Sale commercials, Royal Pains for the USA Network and has Choreographed/Staged 3 Movies from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts production company as a dancer, choreographer, and educator. He looks forward to being an inspiration to young talent.
Kaitlyn Lee- Dance Instructor
Ms. Kaitlyn has been teaching dance classes of all ages for 10 years now and also teaches in our local school system full time. She has a wonderful husband, is obsessed with her three dogs, and when she’s not spending time with them, dancing, or teaching, loves to be outdoors and travel. Her favorite part of teaching is watching her students grow their skills and confidence over time!
Alex Dugan - Dance Instructor
Miss Alex has been dancing and performing her whole life. She feels so lucky and blessed to be teaching here at Lisa Allen’s Dance Works, her former dance studio, where she used to perform at local community events, compete on the Dazzlers’ competition team, and grow her own skills as a young dancer. As a student at Camden County High School, Alex enjoyed performing in dance shows, plays, and main stage musicals where she often held leadership roles choreographing and helping her peers learn new moves and grow their own love and appreciation of dance. Alex later attended Georgia Southern University where she spent one year cheering on the Eagles as a member of the GS dance team and eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. She began working and teaching at the studio in 2023. One of her favorite parts about being a dance teacher is that she gets to continue to share her love of dance with her sister, Miss Mac. Watching young dancers find their confidence, passion, and ability to express theirselves through the art form of dance is a gift. She feels so excited and grateful to be a part of cultivating the passion for dancing and performing in others at the same place where her dance journey began!
Ashlee Benjamin- Dance Instructor
Ashlee Benjamin was born and raised in New York City and has been dancing ballet for 14 years. She currently dances with The Florida Ballet as a Trainee. Ashlee performed in Dracula as a nurse and vampire. Ashlee also danced with Arizona Ballet as a Studio Company member. Danced in Sanguinic, Balanchine Corps, Coppelia, Dawn Soloist, Nutcracker, Flowers Corps, Demi Flower, La Bayadere, Grand Pas D’ Action, Dance with Drum, Concerto No.1 in C Major, Soloist, Contemporary Moves, Lead trio. She also has trained with Oregon Ballet Theater as a Trainee. She danced in ballets such as La Sylphide, The Reel and Sylphs, The Nutcracker, Flower Corps, Snow Corps, Marzipan Corps, and Grandma. Raymonda Grande Valse, Coppelia. Who Cares Corps End and Donizetti Lead. When she is not dancing, she loves to workout, bike ride, and hike. Ballet Training: School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Central PennsylvaniaBallet, Ballet Academy East, and Manhattan Youth Ballet. Many summer ballet intensivesinclude PNB, MCB, Ellison, BBS, and CPYB.
Laural Gray- Dance Instructor
Laural started dancing when she was 4 years old in Savannah, GA. She has been trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary ballet, and modern dance. After graduating from the Statesboro Youth Ballet pre-professional program in 2020, she went on to join Savannah Ballet Theater as a company dancer. While dancing in SBT, she has the opportunity to dance in many notable works such as The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Wizard of Oz, and more. Laurel has been teaching for 6 years, and is excited to continually share her love of dance with the students she encounters!