|
Faculty Becky Brown - Director/Artistic Director
Becky received her training with the Atlanta Ballet and Robert Barnett. She holds a BA in Ballet from Brenau University and performed professionally with the Atlanta, Boston and Savannah Ballets. Becky has over 30 years teaching experience, including the development of ballet programs in Savannah and Newnan. She directed the LaGrange Ballet for 6 years. Becky has always had a passion for the ballet classics. Her favorite roles that she has danced include Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. She has also performed various roles in Cinderella, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Giselle, and Four Seasons among others. Becky feels extremely blessed to have the opportunity to combine her passion for teaching ballet with her passion for serving the Lord and mentoring young dancers. Becky and her husband Roger have two grown children, Roger and Victoria. Administrative Staff
Amy Swarr holds a degree in Accounting from Penn State University and is often the first face and voice you'll hear when you contact the ballet office. Amy is the thread that knits us and holds us all together and brings to our school a wealth of experience, wisdom, compassion and administrative skills. She and her husband, Dave, are members of Perimeter Church and have three daughters, two of whom danced with Perimeter Ballet. Robin Myers received her degree in English with a minor in writing from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. She has always had a passion for the performing arts. After working behind the scenes in theatre productions for over a decade, she is excited to be a part of the Perimeter Ballet staff as the company administrator. She was a Perimeter Ballet parent for 12 years. She and her husband, Mark, have four daughters. Instructors Jenée Blanco began her early dance training at the age of 7 with tap, jazz, and ballet lessons in West Lafayette, Indiana. She also took clog dancing lessons and enjoyed performing and choreographing as the youngest member of the Sunshine Cloggers for 3 years. At 14, Jenée began studying at Lafayette Ballet School, where she received character dance and pre-professional classical ballet training and was also intrigued by learning the skill of costume construction. Additionally, she studied ballet at Jordan Academy of Dance in Indianapolis and modern dance at Purdue University. She was a member of Lafayette Ballet Company for 4 years and danced lead and soloist roles in performance opportunities that sparked a lifelong love of ballet. At age 18, Jenée moved to New York City to study as a scholarship student at the Joffrey Ballet School. While in New York, she apprenticed with the Joffrey II Dancers. She danced professionally with Ballet Omaha and International Ballet Rotaru in Atlanta. After learning about Ballet Magnificat and witnessing a pure joy in the dancers unlike she’d ever seen in the professional dance world, she was eager to experience that joy and purpose in using her artistic gifts in a ministry. She then moved to Mississippi to join Ballet Magnificat’s trainee program and junior company before becoming a member of the touring company as a dancer, costume mistress, and licensed tour bus driver! Jenée taught Pilates and ballet while residing in Philadelphia and San Antonio. She has choreographed pieces from The Nutcracker and Cinderella ballets and the musicals, Meet Me in St. Louis and Godspell. She has performed as a freelance artist with Alamo Arts Ballet Theatre and Veselka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. Jenée recently moved to Canton, GA with her husband and 5 children. She is the payroll manager and bookkeeper of her family’s coffee business. She enjoys taking ballet classes, gardening with her husband, and homeschooling her 3 youngest children. Susanna Carey grew up training with Perimeter Academy of the Arts for twelve years where she has danced in worship outreach events, choreographed, and participated in a dance worship mission's trip to India and London. While dancing with Perimeter's Academy of the Arts Ballet Company, Susanna performed roles from Coppelia, Cinderella, Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. She started her college training at Brenau University, performing with Gainesville Ballet Company and the Brenau Dance Ensemble. Susanna completed her degree in Dance Education at Kennesaw State University. She loves teaching and choreography and sharing her passion for dance and worship. Susanna is also our Recital Administrator. She is married to Brandon. Rebekah Diaddigo is the founder and director of Bluebird Uncaged, a company dedicated to bringing hope and dignity through dance. As a freelance dancer, she has joined companies such as Ballet Southeast, Proia Dance Project, and the Atlanta Opera. Some of Rebekah’s choreographic credits include the opener for Passion 2014, music videos for Victoria Canal and Amy Ray, a short film: White Umbrella, as well as Sterling’s Path, a multimedia fairytale of hope. She loves to serve the community through dance whether that be internationally (7 dance-based service trips so far) or locally. In 2018, she curated the Uncaged Community Dance Festival where some of Atlanta’s leading dance companies converged for a week of collaboration. With 10+ years of teaching experience, Rebekah loves mentoring young ballerinas and encouraging others in their walk with Jesus. She’s an alum of the Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta program, has a BA in communications from Thomas Edison State University, and is working on a certificate through the Bible Training Center. If she’s not in the studio or spending time with friends, you’ll probably find Rebekah tackling a handicraft project or with her nose in a book.
Francesca Dellasala grew up training at Perimeter Ballet where she was taught by many of the current instructors here today! She also trained at Atlanta Ballet and North Atlanta Dance Academy. She graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens and holds a B.S. in Plant Biology with a minor in Dance. Francesca is thankful to get to return to her childhood studio and teach alongside her teachers and fellow Perimeter alumni.
Hope Harrell Laman has been dancing since she first saw a ballet at the age of three. After dancing around the world, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with degrees in Dance and English. She most recently performed with Lee Harper and Dancers and with Refuge Dance Company. Her desire is to encourage students to stretch the boundaries of their artistry and faith. Hope is married to her wonderful husband Jeff.
Jamie Lanier started dancing at the age of three and began teaching ballet when she was 18. She received training in many Atlanta area studios and enjoyed all aspects of classes, performances, and workshops. Ballet class was her favorite part of the week as a small child. Jamie dreamed of being a mother and a ballet teacher when she grew up, and God made her dreams come true. She performed, taught, and choreographed for Praise In Motion and En Pointe School of Dance for 11 years and then began teaching at Perimeter Ballet in 2006. Jamie's ballet classes are energized by her purpose to nurture her students in their love for dance and guide them into an expression that is both technically excellent and spiritually authentic. Jamie has two incredible teenaged boys, Luke & Micah. Peng Yu Lo is a native of Taiwan. Peng began her training in Chinese folk dance, ballet and modern. By the age of 10, she had won two national championships in Chinese folk dance. She holds a B.F.A. from SUNY Purchase and received both the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence as well as the President’s Award for Achievement. She has danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and American Repertory Ballet where she also taught at Princeton Ballet school. Named as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2007, Peng moved to Atlanta where she was offered a position at the Atlanta Ballet. For over 10 years, she has performed in several principal roles as well as taught at Atlanta Ballet’s summer program. She has been featured in works by choreographers George Balanchine, JiÅ™í Kylián, Liam Scarlett, Lauri Stallings, Christopher Hampson, James Kudelka, Ohad Naharin, Gina Patterson, Mark Godden, Helen Pickett, Tywla Tharp, John McFall, Jordan Morris, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Alexander Ekman, Christopher Wheeldon, and Yuri Possokhov. Peng won an award in UBC as the best choreographer in 2020. Elizabeth Magee trained under Pavel Rotaru and danced with Rotaru International Children's Ballet Company. Elizabeth has taught at Thornwell Home and School for Children as well as at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. Elizabeth holds a BS in Special Education. She choreographs extensively for Perimeter Ballet Company in the classical as well as the worship setting. She is an Artist in Residence and loves participating in dance worship. Elizabeth and her husband Billy have a daughter, Darcy, and a son Walker. Mary Scott grew up dancing at Perimeter Ballet where she danced lead roles in Cinderella, Nutcracker, Four Seasons, and Sleeping Beauty. She then went on to receive a BA in performance and choreography from the University of South Carolina with a minor in business. She performed in many Balanchine ballets such as Serenade, Western Symphony, Mozartiana, Emeralds, and Stars and Stripes. After college, she returned to teach at Perimeter and is passionate about teaching and choreographing in the studio that shaped her. Mary is so grateful to be included in a program that not only focuses on technique and performance, but also each dancer’s personal faith and growth. |
