We are excited to announce new Adult Open Division teachers for the Fall semester.
Arneshuia Nelson trained at Augusta Ballet, graduated from Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School as "Best Female Dancer" and has received recognition through multiple magazines and dance competitions. She was accepted into the Boston Conservatory at 17 years old, and through the summers taught for local studios in Georgia, California and New York. She has returned to Atlanta to teach and to further her education in dance pedagogy, while earning her certificate for Personal Training.
Mia Givens began her training at Atlanta Ballet at the age of six, and has attended many prestigious summer intensives, including two summers with The Alvin Ailey Dance School in New York City. She has performed in Atlanta Ballet's The Nutcracker, and in Atlanta Ballet 2's Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. During her summer intensives at Atlanta Ballet, she was selected to choreograph Class of We Made It, and Da Vinci. Mia has taught ballet to Atlanta Ballet students ages 3 to 10, and was asked to tour with Mouvement Perpetuelles in France during the 2021 season.
Kelly Tonina Cooper studied dance under the leadership of Ric Rose at the University of Florida and continued her dance education at the Dance Theater of Santa Fe at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL. After relocating to South Florida, she continued to choreograph for a number of special events, including pageants, fashion shows, and festivals, before starting her own ensemble dance group, On The Verge. She joined Atlanta Ballet in 2011 and is currently the Centre Administrative Director for the Centre for Dance Education.
Georgie Grace Butler has recently graduated from Atlanta Ballet 2, where she danced in Atlanta Ballet performances of The Nutcracker, Giselle, Paquita and Don Quixote. She has also danced the roles of The Evil Queen in Snow White and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, both presented by Atlanta Ballet 2 and choreographed by Bruce Wells. She had her choreographic debut in 2020 with No Ordinary Love that premiered at the Georgia Tech Arts: Skyline Series.
CDE Faculty (L-R) Arneshuia Nelson, Mia Givens, Kelly Tonina Cooper and Georgie Grace Butler.
Photos by Kim Kenney and Jarell Nikola Stevens.