Tel: (912) 673-9161 10880 Colerain Road, St. Marys, GA 31558
Registration for spring classes is closed. Summer schedule and programs are now OPEN for registration.
Come be inspired!
Lisa Allen Brooks - Director
Lisa has been dancing for over 40 years. She began her dance career at Marilyn School of Dance in La Crosse, WI, where she performed and choreographed as a corp dancer and soloist for their company ("Dance, Inc."). Lisa continues her training traveling throughout the Southeast and NYC to study with top professionals. Being the founder of the Dance Works Dazzlers Competitive Team, Lisa is proud to showcase their National Award winning performances throughout the southeast. Lisa serves as the Vice President, co-director, and choreographer of Saint Marys' Children's Theater, a not for profit children's performing arts organization. Throughout her 25 years in Camden County, Lisa has choreographed, directed, and volunteered for several organizations, to include Camden County Schools, St. Marys Little Theater, churches, pageants, parades, and local festivals., Lisa is an active and proud member of the community, supporting local charities as well as serving as a proud member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Lexie Fortenberry - Dance Instructor
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.
Cerina Trapp - Dance Instructor
Cerina Trapp has spent most of her life dancing. She joined Lisa Allen’s Dance Works when she was 4 years old and spent the next 16 years of her life at the studio. She began competing at the age of 7 and won many awards including platinum solo awards and a call back performance for her solo (choreographed by Lexie Fortenberry) in 2011 at Cathy Roe’s Ultimate Dance Competition. Cerina did a summer intensive with Laurie Picinich-Byrd at the Florida Ballet and danced in their production of The Nutcracker; she also performed as the Snow Queen in a local production of The Nutcracker. She attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts for her freshman and part of her sophomore years. During her years at Lisa Allen’s Dance Works, she has worn many hats. She began teaching during the 2012 dance year and after a short hiatus was excited to return to the place she has spent the majority of her life doing what she loves. While no one dance form is better than the other, Cerina is versed in them all and lyrical and hip hop rank as her favorites.
Mackenzie Dugan- Dance Instructor
Kaitlyn Lee- Dance Instructor
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!
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.