Our Faculty
Our teachers dedicate endless hours into our students’ success. We believe in a close-knit and family environment which is why you see our teachers displayed amongst many classes. Once a student, always a student. Our teachers take this moto to heart and build a relationship with your children that lasts not only throughout their time at the studio, but beyond.
Teachers & Assistants
Brandi Roberts - Artistic Director/Founder/Teacher
Brandi Roberts, Founder & Artistic Director, began her training at the early age of four. She has studied jazz with Nilo Toledo and tap with Jo Rowan of St. Petersburg, FL; ballet and Pointe with Kim Tuttle of Dance Alive, Gainesville, FL, Jargen Scheidek of the American Ballet Theatre, Paul Miley of the Atlanta Ballet, David Howard of the New York City Ballet, Kathryn Dandois of the Sarasota Ballet, Dermounte Burke and Marjorie Mussman of the Princeton Ballet and also Russian style ballet with Janvia Vanova, Luba Gulyaeva, Larisa Sklyankaya, and Irene Kolpakova. Brandi attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and Princeton School of Ballet summer intensive programs. She has attended the Dance Makers Convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She has also traveled to New York City to attend the Dance Teacher Magazine Summer Conference. She studied there with Finis Jhung, Bob Rizzo, Barbara Bashaw, Michael Kerr, and Debbie Allen. Brandi has appeared as a guest artist and member of the Valdosta State Dance Ensemble in the Valdosta State University’s productions of the Gene Kelly Revue, Dance Celebration, Oklahoma, Fads, Fashions, and Romance, and The Little Match Girl, all directed by Eric Brandt Nielsen. Brandi brought to us the production of The Little Match Girl for three years in conjunction with the Valdosta State University Theatre Department. Brandi also had the opportunity to perform Clara, Dew Drop, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker. Dance Teacher Magazine chose Brandi as a finalist for best choreography for Amazing Grace. Brandi is the wife of Brian Roberts and the mother of four beautiful children: Mac, Morgan, Emily and Jake. Brandi looks forward to returning to her studio and to her children. She has found that dance is an integral part of her life and sharing her talent and love of dance with her students brings her much joy. Brandi’s goal for the students is for them to grow not only as a dancer, but also as a person.
Alexis Luke - Office Manager/Teacher
Alexis Luke began dancing with the Valdosta School of Ballet Dance Family in 1996 at the age of 18 months and continued as a dance student until the age of 22. All the while successfully juggling her love for all forms of Dance, as she competed in several Saddle Seat Horse Shows each year, and holding the position of Low Reeds Section Leader with the Georgia Bridgemen. Over the years she has danced each annual recital, as well as several roles in The Little Match Girl, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Her favorite having been Little Red Riding Hood in Cinderella! As a young wife to Shawn Luke and mother of two handsome boys, Southern (4) and Silas (2), she attends Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church here in Valdosta. For the past 2 years she has been assistant teaching with us while continuing her career in the medical field as a CNA at SGMC. She is excited to be transitioning into this new position within our Dance Family and looks forward to working with each of you!
Morgan Mackey - Teacher/Social Media Coordinator
Morgan Mackey has attended Valdosta School of Ballet since the age of 2, following in her mother Brandi’s footsteps. She has played the roles of Tinkerbell, Elsa, Bluebird, and Blue Fairy as well as danced amongst the Ladies in Waiting and Arabian Nights. Morgan loves ballet, pointe and lyrical and teaches 3 and 4 year old classes as well as the 5 and 6 year old’s. Morgan has a passion for teaching and enjoys creating a unique bond with each of her students. Morgan is an Early Childhood Education major at Valdosta State University.
Thaisia Jones - Teacher
Thaisia Jones has been attending Valdosta School of Ballet since the age of four and is entering her 12th year with the studio. Thaisia is excited to announce she will be teaching advanced tap this year. Her love for tap and jazz is immense, because of various sounds and styles that come with it. Thaisia has trained under the direction of Fhilipe Texira from Dance Alive National Ballet and Jackie Wheeler of the Valdosta State University Theater program. In the past, Thaisia has played the rolls of Ladies in Waiting, Tiana, and Red Fairy in the Valdosta State University and Valdosta School of Ballet production of The Sleeping Beauty ballet. She loves ballet and pointe, but tap and jazz days give her a chance to explore other dance techniques. She is very excited and optimistic for this upcoming 2021-2022 dance year, and is ready to see some new faces!!
Elle Scruggs - Teacher/Assistant
Elle Scruggs is the daughter of Jim and Deann Scruggs. Elle began dance and voice lessons at the age of 2 1/2. From 2013-2017, she danced in several performances with Peach State Summer Theatre including The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables and Shrek. In 2017, she danced with Valdosta Symphony’s production of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”. Under the direction of Brandi Roberts, Valdosta School of Ballet, she has performed the roles of the Crow and Tinker Bell in the production of Sleeping Beauty. Her training includes Orlando School of Dance Summer Intensive, 2021, 2019; Perfectly Pointed Training, 2020; Brenau Dance Winter Intensive, 2020; Joffrey Dance South Summer Intensive, 2018. Her extracurricular activities include Varsity cheerleader, Student Council, Girl’s Trio, Girl Talk mentor, FCA, Bible Class Study and Sigma Delta Theta sorority. She has served as an assistant instructor at VSB. She is grateful for the opportunity to pass on her passion and calling for dance to younger students.
Jessica Marulanda - Teacher/Assistant
Jessica Marulanda specializes in Theatrical and Rhythm Tap along with Jazz and Hip Hop. She began teaching at the age of two with Carolyn Ellis in Adel, GA and then moved on to Betsy’s School of Dance in Franklin, NC, where she took Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Clogging. She began teaching 5-13 year old students for her last three years in the Smokey Mountains. During her time in NC, she performed as and choreographed the lead role in a production of Mary Poppins. She has also taken professional classes in New York City and trained with some of the best in the business. She is the wife of Manny Marulanda, her high school sweetheart. They have two sweet children, Landon and Lyla. One plays football and the other is following in her moms footsteps by dancing here at VSB.
Lillabeth Mason- Teacher/Assistant
Lillabeth Mason started dancing at the age of three and began acting at the age of five. When she was nine, she was cast in Southeast Missouri State University’s production of The King & I. At the age of 11, she moved to Valdosta where she started studying at Valdosta School of Ballet. In middle school, she danced in VSU’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and was cast in Peach State Summer Theater’s production of Shrek as Teen Fiona/Ugly Duckling. During her high school years, she performed in many plays and musicals. Some of her favorite roles were Flounder (The Little Mermaid), Belle (Beauty and the Beast JR) and Elsa (Frozen JR). She was Dance Captain in The Music Man and choreographer for It Has to be Jazz, Disney’s Freaky Friday, and two senior showcases at LHS. Her senior year, she was selected to perform in Georgia All-State. Lillabeth loves performing in VSB’s production of Sleeping Beauty and has been seen as Forest Queen, Green Fairy and Gold Fairy. She is currently at Valdosta State University majoring in Musical Theater Performance. She has performed in VSU’s productions of It’s a Wonderful Life, as Mary Bailey, Weave: Spring Dances, Dancing with the Valdosta Stars, and choreographed and performed with VSU’s Cabaret. She was cast in PSST’s productions of Cinderella and Sister Act. She is very excited to share her love for the arts with the students at Valdosta School of Ballet.
Karla Bennett - Teacher/Assistant
My name is Karla Bennett. I have always loved dancing! Growing up, I learned many different types of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe, swing, & shag. I was also a dance line performer for the Lowndes High Georgia Bridgemen. After I graduated high school, I really missed taking dance classes and performing, and even considered getting a business degree to have my own dance school. I decided to stick with my original plan of earning an early childhood teaching degree instead. Once I had my daughter, Taylor, I was thrilled to see that she also loved dance. She was able to take classes at Valdosta School of Ballet the last sixteen years. It made me so happy to be a part of this studio as a parent over the years. I also began taking adult barre & tap classes just for fun! It has made me so happy to be dancing again! Although teaching school full time keeps me busy, I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to teach a few dance classes at the studio! Now I’m able to fill both of my lifelong dreams of teaching in the classroom and the dance studio!
Claire Rothenhofer- Teacher/Assistant
Claire Rothenhofer has danced at Valdosta School of Ballet since the age of 2. In recent years, she has played the roles of Jasmine, Ladies in Waiting Lead, and Summer Fairy. Claire has also traveled to Gainesville, Florida to participate in Dance Alive’s Summer Intensives. Over the years she has participated in a variety of dance classes, but she really enjoys pointe and jazz. She knows that at VSB students are taught to have a heart for dance which is instilled through being a part of a dance family, and is excited to share this love with younger students. She will be teaching classes such as 4 and 5 year old ballet and tap and 7 and 8 year old ballet, tap, and jazz. Claire is a junior at Lowndes High School and is a member of The Porch Community Church Youth Group, Lowndes Auxiliary, Sigma Delta Theda sorority, Anchor Club, Key Club, Civics Engagement Club, National English Honors Society, Class Cabinet, and Yearbook Staff. She is also part of the inaugural Crimsonettes Competitive Dance Team. Claire is thrilled for a new year at Valdosta School of Ballet!
Riley Futch - Teacher/Assistant
Gaye George - Social Dance Choreographer
Gaye Dampier George began her dance training at the age of 4 under the instruction of Linda C. Chase. In her sixteen years, Gaye performed the roles of the Angelical cat in Cats, the cat in Peter and the Wolf, Clara, Snow Queen, Dew Drop Fairy, Ballerina Doll and Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker. She has danced under the tutelage of Kim Tuttle of “Dance Alive”, Gainesville, FL and Nilo Toledo of St. Petersburg, FL. As a rising tenth grader at Lowndes High, she was chosen to participate in the Governor’s Honors Program in the area of dance. Gaye graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. Gaye is the wife of Frank,and mother of sons, Judson and Cannon and daughter, Evans. Gaye looks forward to another great year of ballet and pointe classes with our talented students.