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Elite Faculty

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Stephanie Viness

Owner, Director, Choreographer

Stephanie Viness is a Double Eagle Alumni from Georgia Southern University, with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education and a Master of Science in Kinesiology. 

 

Stephanie is the head coach for the Georgia Southern University Dance Team, has 8 years of cheerleading & gymnastics experience, and over 25 years of dance training, including 14 years competing. While competing, Stephanie received several top overall awards and dance scholarships at both the regional and national level. As a choreographer, her routines have won several awards including top overall, judges choice, and best choreography.

Stephanie is the creator and Executive Director of Empire National Dance Competition and is also a Regional Director with Inspire National Dance Competition traveling all across the southeastern United States. She has performed at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, The Capital One Bowl, and The Orange Bowl. She has also competed as a “pro” dancer in the local Dancing with the Statesboro Stars fundraiser event for Safe Haven for several years winning awards such as 2nd Place and 1st Place Judges Choice.


Stephanie is a Certified Educator in the state of Georgia, a certified Personal Trainer, and holds certifications in Group Exercise Fitness, Ballet Barre, Yoga I, Sports Nutrition, Pre & Post Natal Group Exercise Fitness and Pre & Post Natal Personal Trainer. She is always looking for ways to enhance her skills, education, and technique by attending multiple dance workshops and fitness conventions each year with well-known individuals in the fitness industry, along with taking classes from numerous well-known dancers and choreographers around the country.

Stephanie has a passion for dance and for education, and her goal is to make dance a large part of the Statesboro community, for all ages!

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Bo Viness

Owner & Director of Operations

Bo Viness graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education and a Master of Science in Kinesiology.
He
 is a Real Estate Agent with Statesboro Real Estate and is a volunteer wrestling coach in the surrounding areas.
Bo also works with Empire National Dance Competition as an audio/video technician and in the sales and merchandise departments.

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Brandilyn Stroup

Ballet & PBT

Brandilyn Stroup has over 20 years of extensive training in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and modern. In addition to instruction under various professionally trained teachers, she attended summer dance intensives throughout high school. Brandilyn has performed lead roles in “The Nutcracker,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Peter and the Wolf,” and “Alice in Wonderland.” As a competitive dancer, Brandilyn received numerous awards and was  a member of Georgia Southern University’s dance team. She has staged and choreographed various ballet suites. Her choreography has won several awards, including top overalls, best choreography, and judges choice awards at regional and national dance competitions. She also judges for dance competitions across the southeastern United States. Brandilyn is a licensed, certified teacher of Progressing Ballet Technique and is also a certified Barre Fitness instructor with American Barre Technique. Brandilyn’s goal is to instill a passion and love for dancing in each of her students.

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Rachael Farris

Mini's & Petites

Rachael is from Rome, Georgia. She has been dancing for 18 years. Most of her dance training was focused on ballet and pointe, but she also has training in tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, and hip-hop. Rachael was a member of Rome Civic Ballet, where she performed in the annual Nutcracker performance. 

Rachael assists with all competition teams, and our Leaps/Turns/Flexibility classes.  

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Brooke Armesto

Creative Movement & Ballet

Brooke has been dancing for 20 years and trained in ballet, pointe, jazz tap, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, and flamenco. 

Brooke graduated suma cum laude from Georgia Southern with a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education and was a member on the Georgia Southern Dance Team. 

In addition to teaching the Creative Movement, Tiny Tots & Ballet classes, she is also a 5th grade Special Education teacher and the head coach of the Bryan County Middle High School Dance Team. 

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Sydney Smith

Acro & Jazz

A sophomore at Georgia Southern University, Sydney is a second year veteran on the GSU Dance Team. She has competitively danced for 10 years in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre while receiving many high scoring awards. Sydney has performed several lead roles in "The Dublin Nutcracker" including "Snow Queen", "Dew Drop Fairy", "Bow-Peep", and "Arabian Princess" where she was awarded "Assistant Director's Award" and "Leadership Award". Throughout her dancing career, Sydney has instructed dancers of all ages in all genres of dance. She loves being able to express her love for dance through teaching. 

Jenna Collier

Tiny Tots, Jazz, Lyrical

Jenna graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. Jenna has danced for 16 years and competed on a competition team in the Atlanta area for eight of those years. While dancing Jenna was trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and pointe. She was also on the Georgia Southern Dance Team for three years while in college. She assists Stephanie with all things dance when it comes to the studio. Jenna also works for Empire National Dance Competition in the Spring.

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