Instructors

Sue Braddy

Artistic Director

A native Savannahian, Sue began her early dance training with Ruth Goodman and The Rosalie Cotler School of Dance. She spent summers dancing with the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association and received a full scholarship to the Pennsylvania School of Ballet under the direction of Babara Weisberger. Returning to Savannah, Sue joined the Savannah Ballet as a Soloist under the direction of Karena Brock, former principle with American Ballet Theatre. Her roles include the Peasant Pas in Giselle, the Snow Queen in Nutcracker, the Pigtail Girl in Graduation Ball, along with contemporary and jazz works. In 1988, she began her own school, Islands Dance Academy, which is the official school of the Savannah Danse Theatre. The company performs classical works like Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote, original works such as The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and put a “Savannah” twist on an old favorite, The Nutcracker. SDT partners up with the City of Savannah around Christmas every year for The Golden Pecan, which is a prequel to the Nutcracker in Savannah. In the spring students of IDA perform an original ballet based on the short story Sootnew and Kudzoo written by Mrs. Braddy herself. The fairytale follows two young girls and their adventures dancing in the low-country. Sue’s choreography is well-known throughout the city. She’s choreographed and performed in The Merry Widow and La Travita with the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Peter Shannon as well as choreographed the musicals Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Oklahoma! for St. Vincent’s Academy and Benedictine Military School. She continues to study at the Rosella Hightower Ecole Superieure de Danse in Cannes, France, Stage International de Danse in Mansle, France, and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet in San Francisco.

Abigail McCuen

Jazz

Abby McCuen has been dancing with Islands Dance Academy since the age of three and joined Savannah Danse Theatre when it began in 1998. You may remember her as the Pigtail Girl in Graduation Ball, a baby swan in Swan Lake, Little Red Riding Hood in Sleeping Beauty, and mulitple roles in the Nutcracker. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance from Valdosta State University where she was a member of Alpha Psi Omega and Secretary for the VSU Repretory Dancers. Always very active in the musical theatre department, she performed in several productions such as The Pajama Game, Scrooge, and Sugar Babies, just to name a few. Mrs. McCuen is also very proud of her choreography for the Benedictine/St. Vincent’s Academy annual musical and is currently the choregrapher for Savannah Christian Preparatory School. Many of Abby’s original pieces have been performed at the American College Dance Festival and in various cities throughout the country. While living in Los Angeles she studied at the Millennium Dance Complex and the EDGE Performing Arts Center, and continues to study at summer intensives in Mansle, France, and Cannes, France.

Chelsea Pyrch

Ballet

Chelsea is a professional dancer originally from Columbus, Ohio. She received her early dance training at Ballet Met Dance Academy and at age 15. She toured Europe with the Blue Lake International Ballet Ensemble. After graduating from The North Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in ballet, she studied with the Joffrey Ballet in New York City. She then went on to dance with the Richmond Ballet for two years. From ’06 to ’08 Chelsea danced with Columbus Dance Theatre and choreographed the musicals Thoroughly Modern Millie and Jekyll and Hyde for Upper Arlington High School. Most recently, she has become a certified Zumba Fitness instructor and teaches classes all over Savannah. As well as being a full-time student at Armstrong Atlantic State University, she is a guest artist in Savannah Danse Theatre’s The Nutcracker.

Cristin Dressel Jernigan

Ballet

Mrs. Jernigan began her training in Savannah, Georgia, at Ballet South, under the direction of Karena Brock Carlyle. She was also a student and company member at Hilton Head Dance Theater. After graduating from high school, Cristin attended the University of Georgia where she received a degree in Child and Family Development and minor Dance Education. At UGA, she was accepted into the UGA Ballet Ensemble under the direction of Joan Buttram and Janet Robertson. With the UGA Ballet Ensemble, Cristin had the opportunity to dance lead roles in the full length La Sylphide, La Bayadere, Act II Nutcracker with the Athens Symphony, and Giselle. Cristin also was a guest artist in Savannah Dance Theater’s Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Stars and Stripes and Giselle. In 2002, Cristin re-staged and performed the full length Giselle with the UGA Ballet Ensemble. In 2002 she joined Atlanta Festival Ballet Company. She  performed  lead roles in their productions of The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Carmina Burana, and the US premier of Mr. Pacaña and Mr. Aaron’s The Little Mermaid.  After leaving Festival in 2005 she has worked with Axam Dance Theater Experience and Metro Movement Ensemble, of Atlanta.  Over the last six years, she enjoyed the position of Artistic Director/Co-artistic Director of The Cathedral Academy of Performing Arts, The Madison Dance Company, and Metro Movement Ensemble. During that time she has staged Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, as well as choreographing full length originals such as The Who, Who Gained Hope(an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s “Grinch”) and Snow White.  Most recently, She has spent the last two years as a faculty member and choreographer in residence for the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre/Georgia Dance Conservatory, a dance institution since 1956 in northern Atlanta. Cristin is glad to be back in her hometown of Savannah, teaching dance at Armstrong Atlantic State University,  Savannah State University, and Islands Dance Academy.

John Cronin

Ballet

Former Principle Dancer John Cronin began his ballet training by accompanying his mother to the Ann Clark School of Dance in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  He continued his studies at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Houston Ballet Academy and the School of American Ballet on a full scholarship.  Mr. Cronin was one of the first twenty Americans to be accepted into the esteemed Kirov Ballet in Russia, where Mikhail Baryshnikov is from.  John has since danced with the Nevada Dance Theatre, Montgomery Ballet, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Atlantic Southeast Ballet and Columbia Classical Ballet, performing a range of classical and contemporary roles.  He has also been a guest performer throughout the United States and Japan, and was a dancer under Paula Abdul’s direction and choreography in the Fox feature film Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence.  John’s teaching career began at the age of 11 as an assistant teacher and continued throughout his college education.  John has taught for the University of South Carolina as well as the various companies that he has danced professionally for.  At 28 years old he re-opened the Dance Theatre of Fayetteville, the theatre in which he grew up. As artistic director he produced Swan Lake, as well as an advanced class of eleven girls, nine of which went on to top professional schools around the country. The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville is still running today. John has taught for and performed with Sue Braddy, Islands Dance Academy and Savannah Danse Theatre for almost 10 years. He has always loved Savannah and Mrs. Braddy’s creativity and passion for Dance.

Nora Clark

Tap/Jazz

Nora Clark, 22, is originally from rural Vermont where she danced with the New England Dance Ensemble and The Company at Dancers’ Corner from age 6 to 18. There she competed and performed nationally in ballet, jazz and tap. She received scholarships and titles from dance organizations such as New York City Dance Alliance and American Dance Awards. In 2005, Nora was honored to teach a tribute class for the late Dr. Leonard Reed at the St. Louis Tap Festival and The L.A. Tap Fest. In 2006, she moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College and began dancing with M.A.D.D. Rhythms, where she was a principal dancer and choreographer. Television and film appearances include local news performances on WGN and ABC and “The Simpsons Movie” premier. Nora has choreographed for The Detroit Tap Repertory and The Company at Dancers’ Corner. Additionally, in 2010 she has taught and performed at the St. Louis Tap Festival and Snowtapped, a Motor City Dance Productions, Inc. workshop. In May of 2010, Nora graduated with honors from Columbia College Chicago, receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Writing and Producing for Television. She worked at Long Tail Media Group as a producer for the Internet broadcast, sketch comedy show, Friday Nite Bytes, until moving to Savannah, GA in 2011.

Mack McKenzie

Ballroom

Mack McKenzie is the owner of McKenzie’s Professional Ballroom in Savannah, GA. He first started dancing in Nashville at World Champion Productions Dance College.  He began teaching in Savannah at Essi’s Dance Studio. This year, he produced and was the sole choreographer for Dancing with the Savannah Stars. He has also choreographed and preformed in other productions such as Savannah Danse Theatre’s Nutcracker in Savannah. Mack’s style of teaching is not just for social dancing but competition dancing as well. Mack and his students have participated in the Georgia Star Ball for the past two years and this year they competed in the Savannah Dance Classic bringing home 1^st and 2^nd place awards. Mack has a love for dance and a passion for sharing it with others. Never step back, always move forward.

Guest Choreographers/Teachers

Jay Jernigan

Jay Jernigan began dancing while performing in high school color guard, later receiving his formal training and undergraduate degree, during his tenure at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Since then, Jay has performed nationally including Universal Studios, Atlanta Festival Ballet, Gainesville Ballet, The Academy Dance Company, Augusta Ballet, Fayette Ballet, Dance South, Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater, The Madison Dance Company, The Ashland Youth Ballet, Dance Arts Inc., as well as numerous contemporary/modern companies, such as Big House Dance Theater, Axam Dance Theater Experience, and Randy James Dance Works. Jay’s choreography has been commissioned all over the United States and he has taught numerous workshops for a variety of organizations ranging from public elementary schools, to high school bands, to independent arts organizations, to professional dance companies. In 2004, Jay founded  The Metro Movement Ensemble, a company that knows no bounds in terms of demonstrating technical fluency, often working Classical, Neo-Classical, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop styles. In the summer of 2009 he was invited to join the instructional and artistic staff at Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre/Georgia Dance Conservatory. He has truly enjoyed the last decade in which he has been able to play most of the Princes of Classical Ballet originate the role of Peter Pan and the Grinch for some of the most renowned dance companies in Georgia. Jay most recently became a member of the Dance Faculty at Savannah Arts Academy.