FACULTY
                                              Desiree Leona Nathanson is an Athlete,                                                  model, dancer, fitness consultant, dance instructor, dietetic                                                    technician, nutrition coach, and Fitness Universe competitor.                                                    Desiree began her formal dance training at the age of four at                                                    Florida Ballet Arts in Sarasota, and continued through her                                                        discovery of dance teams in high school. From there she                                                          became a Dazzler and went on to dance for the University of                                                  Florida Gators dance team where she performed all over the                                                  country, including the 2000 Men’s Basketball  Final Four.                                                       Following her four years at UF Desiree broke into the                                                             professional world of dance as an 'A-Town' dancer for the                                                     NBA's  Atlanta Hawks. Desiree currently serves as an official trainer for the  Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders. Desiree was privileged enough to perform at both the 2002 NBA All Star game and Celebrity All Star game. She has traveled internationally to represent the NBA in China, performing in the Guangzhou and Chengdu provinces, and has also performed at games for the Reynosa Correcaminos, the Hawks' sister team in Reynosa, Mexico. Desiree has worked with several music artists including The Sugarhill Gang, MC Hammer, Kool and the Gang, American Idol finalist Ejay Day, Bryce, Cat Chang and Pilar Montenegro. Desiree earned her Master of Science (M.S.) in Health Sciences with a specialization in Nutrition, from Georgia State University, and has since earned the title dietetic technician, registered (DTR). Throughout the week, Desiree teaches a variety of exciting dance and fitness classes at Dance 101 in Atlanta. She also trains and manages her individual fitness clients throughout Atlanta, in person; and her clients throughout the country, online. She also trains as a fitness competitor, competing in shows on the Fitness Universe Pageant circuit. She is a NESTA-certified Fitness Nutrition Coach, Personal Trainer and Sport Yoga Instructor, and an AFAA-certified Group Exercise Instructor. Through her nutrition education and dance/fitness background, Desiree hopes to educate people on the positive effects of a healthy and active lifestyle.
                                          D. Norris is a native of Atlanta, GA, D. Norris                                                               started choreographing in high school. D. has                                                                            choreographed and danced for numerous theater and                                                                stage performances across the globe, including Miami,                                                             San   Diego,  Montreal and Mexico. He has worked with                                                         various   artists, including Mary Mary and Dirk Chaney                                                            (R.I.P.). Culture Shock Atlanta, Infinite Movement                                                                      Dance, CHOSEN and Contagious Entertainment are among the dance companies he’s been affiliated. “Mr. D” taught an award-winning, teen hip hop class at the Conservatory of Dance and Fine Arts in Decatur, GA. He currently teaches an always-packed cardio hip hop class at Dance 101. D. Norris started Adrenaline Entertainment in 2007 to promote artistic expressions such as music, dance, choreography and acting. AE’s services includes providing dance fitness classes, private dance lessons, writing/directing stage plays, choreographer/judge for auditions, and editing audio tracks for performances.to edit this text.
                  Jena Michele Kovash. Her early training began at the                                       Janet Herbez Dance Studio in Gretna, Louisiana and then at Highland                                         School of Dance and Harrison Arts Center at Lakeland High School in                                       Lakeland, Florida. She graduated cum laude from Florida  State                                                    University  with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. At FSU she focused                                      on the diversity of her performance, appearing in classical works such                                        as Giselle and Swan Lake, modern works by Garth Fagan and Sean Curran, and many contemporary ballets. Jena has also studied at the Florida Dance Festival, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the New Arts Festival with David Parsons, and Bates Dance Festival. Professionally, Jena spent three seasons with Ballethnic Dance Company and continues to perform with Griffin Ballet Theatre. Believing that classical ballet establishes the technical foundation for the next generation of dancers, Jena is proud to teach ballet technique to all age groups throughout the Atlanta area and to perform as GBT’s Ballet Mistress. Jena is also a founding company dancer of Brooks & Company Dance, a modern dance company in Atlanta, and has been dancing with BCD since 2005.

James Kinney has been performing professionally since the age of 15. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and began his classical training with The Florida Ballet, later melding his training into Jazz and Musical Theater. His Broadway credits include: Fosse, Dance of Death, Barry Manilow’s Harmony and the most recent revival of  Sweet Charity, starring Christina Applegate, where he also served as the production’s Assistant Dance Captain. He continued preserving the  “Fosse style” when he became the Dance Captain for choreographer Wayne Cilento’s First National Tour of Sweet Charity, starring Molly Ringwald.  Film and Television appearances include: "The Producers," "The Dave Chappell Show," PBS’ "Dance in America," "Fosse," "Good Morning America" and "The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade." Tours and regional productions include: Oklahoma!, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Cabaret, West Side Story, 42nd Street, Phantom, and the legendary Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. He has also performed at Carnegie Hall, at The White House and recently danced with Liza Minnelli for “Rosie Live" on NBC. Earlier this year, James choreographed an original new dance work for DANCE TRACKS NYC, set to Stephen Sondheim’s “Another Hundred People” (part of a three-part suite) inspired by a recording with an orchestration by Luther Henderson and conducted by Paul Gemignani, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The piece was performed with a hand selected group of seven dancers at Lincoln Center’s Clark Theater. The piece generated excitement and Dance Tracks Director Pamela Pardi asked James to continue fleshing out the piece and come back in April for another showcase at The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. He expanded the piece to 12 dancers. That piece had a working title of “March” and also included the music of George Gershwin, which was the remainder of the three-part suite. The completed piece, again, generated a buzz, which brought an offer to put the piece onto the prestigious New Jersey Ballet, as part of their 50th Anniversary Season, debuted on May 2nd. In addition, James has been teaching at Broadway Dance Center and other NYC professional dance studios and is currently in preparatory stages, working with Tony Award Winner and Broadway legend Donna McKechnie, as her Associate Choreographer, to create dances and musical numbers for this summer’s production of Guys & Dolls at The Hollywood Bowl, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, with Musical Director and Conductor Kevin Stites leading The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. James Kinney, as choreographer, is featured in a new documentary film, entitled "Thespians," directed by Warren Skeels. The film will be playing the Film Festival circuit in the upcoming season, while production company TigerLily Media looks for a distribution deal. You can also find him, routinely, teaching Master Classes and judging various National Competitions, when time allows, as well as performing in or helping to stage benefits for various causes, including BC/EFA, The Actor’s Fund and, recently, for ROSIE’S BROADWAY KIDS.

                   Elizabeth Lee began her pre-professional training under the                                               direction of Mitch Flanders. After graduating second in her class,                                                 Elizabeth began her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia in                                 Athens, Georgia, earning degrees in Early Childhood Education and                                          Dance. Throughout her studies, Elizabeth was able to perform                                                      internationally, perform alongside her professor for the opening of the Lamar Dodd Art building on campus, and lived in Modena, Italy where she studied Reggio Emilia early childhood teaching philosophies. After graduation, Elizabeth attended graduate school at UGA, earning her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Elizabeth currently teaches 4th grade in Locust Grove, Georgia and continues to pursue her love for choreography and teaching dance.