Teachers & Staff

Mary Elizabeth Humphrey

Founder & Artistic Director

Mary-Liz built our studio from the floors up in 1990, she currently teaches ballet and creative dance to youth at the studio. Mary Elizabeth has taught at Stetson University Arts and Dance Community School, assistant teacher to Ruth C. Petrinovic at the the Academy of the Performing Arts. She has participated in two training programs from National Dance Institute: in New York and Sante Fe, Noyes School of Rhythm (Portland, 1995 & 1996), Alabama School of Ballet (2001), and Ernstine Stodelle Studio of Modern Dance (Cheshire, CT 1983 - 89). An Alumni of the American School of Ballet, New York, NY, Mary-Liz fell in love with Virginia and the small town of Elkton. Soon after moving she founded our studio.

Learn more about its history here...

Bryanna Dean

Director & Teacher

Dean earned a BFA in Dance from Florida State University. She directed a dance department of David Mason School of the Arts, in Tallahassee. Dean guest taught for Florida State's summer pre-professional intensive and MASDI summer program (a California based company) once located here at JMU. After graduating, Dean moved to NYC teaching dance at The Movement Studio in Brooklyn and instructed movement classes in Montessori schools across the boroughs with UGOT Active Kids: a company based in Toronto, Canada (2018-2020). Bryanna has studied at the American Dance Festival, Doug Varone and Dancers Workshop, and George Mason Summer Program. She's performed in dance projects with esteemed choreographers Tiffany Ryhnard (2018), and Donna Uchizono Co. (2019, premiered at the Joyce Theater).

While directing the studio she is also currently the Operations Associate and teacher for a dance company based in NYC called "Dances for a Variable Population", for seniors.

Sandra (Nanny) Glick

Teaching Artist

Nanny Glick, a Peruvian native, is a Royal Academy of Dance and Progressing Ballet Technique certified teacher with more than 30 years of experience teaching Ballet, Tap and Latin dances, has been teaching with Expressive Dance Studio since 2007!

WHERE THE PASSION BEGINS

Jenna Randall

Teaching Artist

Jenna trained at our own Expressive Dance studio from the age of five. She is a graduate of James Madison University, with a major in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience as well as a minor in Dance from the School of Theatre and Dance at JMU.

Jenna is our fantastic Advanced Jazz teacher!

Sara Carrington

Teaching Artist

Sara is currently a dance major at JMU. She is our Contemporary dance teaching artist! She has participated in works from Ballet Hispanico and has attended training at Orange Grove Dance Intensive (a contemporary/modern dance workshop).

Sara is our Advanced Contemporary & Modern teacher!

Emma Daly

Teaching Artist

Emma is currently a dance major at JMU. She is our Jazz dance teacher!

She grew up at Genia Johnson Dance Company, doing competition dance her whole life.

Emma attended Thomas Dale Dance Specialty Center of Fine Arts for her high school years.

Emma is one of our Jazz technique teachers!

Hailey Thompson

Teaching Artist

Hailey is from Culpeper, VA and she has been dancing for about 9 years in many different styles. Currently, she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in dance at James Madison University with a minor in theater. She has over a year's worth of teaching experience in various styles and has most recently worked for Joffrey Ballet in New York City as a summer intern.

Hailey teaches our Dance Adventure for littles & Hip Hop class!

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Emily Clark

Teaching Artist

Emily started her dance journey when she was 3 years old at Jersey Cape Dance and Gymnastics Academy. She trained in various styles of dance including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and acrobatics. She then continued her dance career at James Madison University where she performed works by guest artists including Lucinda Childs, Norbert De La Cruz, Brandi Coleman, Monique Haley, and Floyd McClean Jr. Emily also performed a piece by Ruben Graciani in Madrid, Spain at the Reina Sofia. Since graduated from JMU with a B.A in Dance, she has signed with Lime Entertainment Agency to pursue her dream of becoming a cruise ship performer.

Emily teaches our Acro Dance classes!