FACULTY

Taylor Kokenes (Hill) comes from the competition realm of dance.  She moved to the Atlanta area at the age of 14, where she trained at CK Danceworks.  While there, she attended up to four competitions a year as a member of their DancElite Company.  During that time, she also attended numerous dance conventions, including Tremaine, Pulse, and Hollywood Vibe.  Post high school, Taylor went on to receive her B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Modern from Kennesaw State University.  She was a member of their company for four years and worked closely with notable choreographers from the Atlanta area including:  Lauri Stallings, George Staib, and Stevan Novakovich.  She traveled around the world, performing with Staibdance in Sorrento, Italy and with the KSU Dance Company at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.  Taylor is a versatile teacher that has instructed ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop to dancers of all ages for the ten years before realizing her dream and opening Duet Dance Academy. As well as being one of our owners, Taylor serves as our Artistic Director, Company Director, and A Chance to Dance Director. She now finds her passion specializing in teaching jazz and contemporary to our company along with leading all of our special needs classes!

Owning a dance studio has been Taylor's dream ever since she was a child, and by opening Duet Dance Academy she's proving to her students that dreams can come true.  She promises that DDA with operate with the highest standards, providing a challenging and safe environment where her students can grow technically and artistically.

Taylor now resides in Holly Springs, GA with her husband Paul and her two dogs Clementine and Griffith. She spends her days off working out, drinking loads of coffee, and watching horror films!

Dawn Hathcock is from the corporate world and her love of dance comes from watching her daughter dance for more than 7 years.  Dawn has over twenty years of experience in global project, operations, and business management. She has a wealth of expertise in resource planning, risk identification, optimization management, efficiency analytics, finance and budget management, vendor relationships, and customer service.  She earned a B.S. degree in Decision Science with a concentration in Business Administration from Berry College.  Dawn left the corporate world eight years ago to focus on her family.  Her friendship with and confidence in Taylor led her to partner with Taylor to make this studio a reality.  As the mom of a dancer, Dawn brings a customer’s perspective along with her many business management skills to our team.  

Andrée has been dancing for over 18 years, beginning with training at The Academy of Dance Arts. Dance has always been a passion of which she plans on making a career. She earned her B.A. from Kennesaw State University as a dance major with a concentration in ballet, and she is pursuing a career in dance education and arts administration. Andrée has performed with the KSU Dance Company, and she has also been the assistant stage manager for KSU Dance Company productions. As a result of growing up with great role models who helped to build her love of dance, Andrée wishes to pass on her knowledge and passion of dance to other young, aspiring dancers as well.

A Nashville native, Jessica Baldwin began her dance journey at the age of 3, and hasn't stopped. Jessica received her professional ballet training under Katy Poulton with the Cechiettee Council of America, and as an active member of the School of Nashville Ballet. While receiving her professional training with the Nashville Ballet under artistic director Paul Vasterling, Jessica was in numerous ballets and performances, including her favorite, The Nutcracker. Jessica grew up under several other master instructors for jazz, tap, and modern while at the Metro Parks in Nashville. Jessica has taken part in many other dance studies including The Broadway Dance Center in New York City, Virginia School of the Arts, and The Rocketts in Las Vegas. 

Jessica received her degree in Childhood Psychology with an emphasis in dance therapy from Western Kentucky and Volunteer State College. While balancing school and her professional dancing career, Jessica started her teaching certification with the Cechiette Council of America. Upon passing all 6 levels Jessica felt it was time to embark on a new adventure in 2003 and became the proud owner of Mount Juliet Dance Studio. "I never new what hard work was until I had my own business!" Jessica says with a laugh. During the duration of being the artistic director/owner of MJDS Jessica became a certified licensed Scott Pilates instructor." This enabled me to fully understand how to teach effectively and recognize movement on all body types."  

In 2008, Jessica sold MJDS and moved to Columbus, GA where she became the Executive Director of the Columbus Ballet with Columbus State University. As Executive Director, she worked with principal dancers from Atlanta Ballet and Montgomery Ballet. Choreographed performances include The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Swan Lake act II. While in Columbus, she also worked in the physical therapy department of Huston Medical Clinic as a pilates instructor. 

In 2010 Jessica moved to Canton, GA where she and her husband, John Baldwin, started a family and have two wonderful children, Adaline and William. In 2011 Jessica earned her personal training certification from the American Council of Exercise. She was the Ballet Mistress at Fusion Dance Company in Cumming from 2013 to 2019 and in 2018 became the Ballet Mistress for Duet Dance Company. 

Xavier Lewis, aka Xay Zoleil, is an American dancer, musician, writer, comedian, and DJ. Xavier has been teaching and performing in the Atlanta area for over 10 years. Xavier is currently the Dance Director for Grayson High School and teaches at many studios in and around the metro-Atlanta area. Xavier has also been a background dancer for musical artists, such as B.O.B. Xavier has received multiple awards for choreography. Xavier directs and produces two dance concerts a year. Xavier recently signed a contract to be a part of the traveling dance intensive, Elevate Dance Workshop. He also tours annually with the dance competition KAR (Kids Artistic Revue).

Tapper, performer, and choreographer, LaTonya Boston, hails from Dublin, Georgia. She completed her degree in Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Brenau University. Her training is in tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern. She has had the privilege of studying under Gilda Loyd, Doctor Madia Cooper-Ashirfi, Michael Jablonski, and Nurzhan Kulybaev. Boston has had the opportunity of being selected to perform works created by well known choreographers such as Jennifer Archibald, Nicholas Palmquist, Owen Scarlett, and Joshua Blake Carter. Additionally, Boston has gained knowledge in the creative process while debuting her choreographic works during her tenure at Brenau both on stage and on screen. She is currently a member of The Tap Rebels, Atlanta’s InternationalProfessional Tap Dance Company.

Represented by Xcel Talent Agency, Brady Michael is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer currently based in Atlanta, GA. He has directed and choreographed two sold-out, evening-length dance performances: the one in 2019 and Weightless in 2022. He has also created work for other companies and shows, including Admix Project’s “Catalyst 2022" and "Surface 2023" (dir. Rachel Truitt) and Xcel Talent Agency’s “Image Nation” (dir. Aris Goelmi and Bubba Carr). Brady can be seen as a dancer in “Megalopolis,” an upcoming film directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

For competition studios, he is a sought-after instructor and choreographer in the southeast. He is 3-time IDA Outstanding Performance nominee and a 23-time Choreography Award winner. He teaches weekly adult classes at Xcel Studios in Atlanta. In 2022, Brady created RISK Contemporary Dance Company with the intention of creating opportunities for professional and pre-professional dancers in the Atlanta area.

Brady teaches contemporary and hip-hop for Duet Dance Academy. He always strives to create an accepting environment through peer encouragement and insight while teaching. He promotes love and expression of authentic artistry in his classes and choreography; he is so excited for this season at Duet!

Emily Barton is a sophomore at KSU with a double major in dance with a modern concentration as well as a Psychology major. She is from Newnan, Georgia, danced for Carrollton Academy of Dance, and was a member of Parker Dance Company as well as being on the KSU dance company for all semesters of college thus far. She has danced for 15 years and was a competitive dancer for 13 years, receiving countless accolades throughout the years. Teaching has always been a passion of hers that she is so happy to finally be able to pursue! She has a desire to learn, is eager to explore the endless possibilities of artistic expression through dance, and hopes to pass her love for dance onto her students. She feels as though dance is her safe place and it has shaped her into who she is today so she looks forward to creating that environment in her classes too. Her ultimate goal is to one day fulfill her lifelong dream of owning a dance studio of her own and this opportunity is a huge stepping stone in her career as a dance instructor. She is honored to have been chosen to be on Duet Dance Academy staff for the first year and is so excited to begin this journey!

Riley is a student at Kennesaw State University pursuing a BA in Business Management as well as a minor in dance. Riley grew up as a competitive dancer at On Stage School of Dance, where she trained in all styles and truly found her passion and love for the art. Dance helped shape the person Riley is today and taught her her most valuable live lessons.  In high school Riley became a part of Grayson High School’s dance program where she choreographed for seasonal shows as well as assisted in the classroom. She is currently furthering her studies in Modern, Ballet, and Contemporary through the KSU Dance Department. Riley is very excited and honored to start her journey with Duet and continue her dance career.

Catherine Hooker is a Freshman at Kennesaw State University, double majoring in Dance and Elementary Education. Catherine is originally from Jacksonville, Florida and recently moved to Alpharetta, Georgia. She has been dancing for 11 years and competing for 9 years. Catherine competed with Core Dance and Acrobatics and was part of the Milton Cirque Company in high school. She is currently a member of the KSU Dance Company and RISK Dance Company. One day, Catherine hope to open a dance studio of her own and considers teaching at Duet a first step towards this goal. She is excited to share her passion for dance and to grow along with her students!

Kaya Waller grew up in Buford, GA, where she started her dance training at the age of 10. Since then, she has trained in various styles and has continued her training at Kennesaw State University where she is currently studying for a B.A. in Dance with a Modern concentration. She currently performs as a member of the KSU Dance Company and RISK Contemporary Dance Company in Atlanta. Kaya's passion for dance lies within teaching and helping her students grow, as well as growing alongside them.

Dani Mullan (she/her) is a contemporary/commercial artist and choreographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her BFA in Dance Performance and BA in Educational Studies from Chapman University in Orange, CA. She has worked with choreographers/artists such as Azuki Umeda, Will Johnston, Mo Goodfellow, Julianne O’Brien, Michael Getman, etc. She has also worked within the dance collective, Au.thenticity Dance Co, founded by Azuki Umeda. She has performed at events such as Palm Desert Choreography Festival, Somatics Dance Conference and Performance Festival, Reconstruct Exhibition, Mashup International Women’s Day Festival, IAF Choreography Exhibition, Voices Showcase: Stomping Ground LA, and more. She is currently a company member of RISK Dance Company.

She has also studied under the Launch Program in Brea, CA, with the mentorship of Krista Miller. Her education/training has consisted of dance performance, techniques of various genres (contemporary, jazz, ballet, modern, heels, etc.), concept creation, choreography, and more.

She has choreographed in concert, commercial, and competition settings.

She finds much joy and growth throughout every artistic experience, whether on stage, on screen, or within the process. Dani values artistic expression as well as cultivating strong and compassionate dance spaces. As an educator, she is passionate about the mental health of her students and aims to create positive learning environments for young artists.

Jacob Wiederrich (he/him) is a dance artist and choreographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University along with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He is very passionate about the fusion of dance genres and cultivating authentic movement. He has trained with/performed for choreographers such as Azuki Umeda, Jackie Sleight, Brian Golden, Justin Giles, and Dylan Mayoral. Jacob has also worked within AU.THENTICITY DANCE CO., a dance collective founded by Azuki Umeda. He has performed in events such as Voices Showcase: Stomping Ground LA, IAF Choreography Exhibition, and more. Jacob was also a member of the LADM Men’s Company from 2016-2018. He is well-versed in a variety of dance genres including contemporary, hip hop, tap, jazz technique, and more.

Jacob is currently a member of Risk Dance Company. As an educator, Jacob is committed to creating a safe learning environment and prioritizing the development of creativity in each student he works with. He is excited to be joining the Duet Dance Academy faculty this season!

Sherry Proctor was introduced to the world of dance by her mom, Lynn Schaffer, who owned a dance studio in their small town. While dancing there, she quickly realized her passion for ballet. At the age of 10, she began a more rigorous ballet program at Terpsichore, under the direction of Patricia Bromley. She continued her years of professional training at the prestigious Harid Conservatory, in Boca Raton, Florida, and The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.

Over her years of training, Sherry received many full scholarships to attend summer ballet intensives, including, The School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. At the age of 14, she was selected by Robert Barnett, former artistic director of The Atlanta Ballet, to perform with the corps de ballet in The Nutcracker. She was also chosen to dance professional roles with The Sarasota Ballet in Giselle, and with The Pittsburgh Ballet in The Nutcracker, Giselle, and The Great Gatsby.

Sherry’s love of ballet transitioned into a desire to teach at the early age of 19. Her passion for providing a quality dance education has only continued to blossom over the past 20+ years. Currently, Sherry resides in the Atlanta area with her husband, Andy, and their six children. Having a big family was always a dream of hers and having the ability to balance family life while continuing to educate in the world of dance has been such a blessing.

Dallas is our resident expert dance mom. Her two girls have been dancing for many years and are both members of our Prima Company. Dallas brings a wealth of experience to Duet. In addition to representing the customer perspective, she’s a former teacher and small business owner. She previously owned a custom tutu business, where she made tutus and costumes for dance studios. Her tutus are owned by many celebrities and have been in several magazines, including Vogue, as well as movies, such as The Change Up, and countless fashion shows. Dallas’ experience with her tutu business makes her a huge asset for Duet’s costume department. She brings a wealth of knowledge in sourcing, design, alterations, and embellishing to our costume designs. Dallas works our front desk, performing many administrative duties, aiding customers with questions, and providing a wealth of information to other dance parents.