Our Team

Anna Dauphin, Studio Owner and Artistic Director

Anna Dauphin began her dancing career at age four, training at the Dance Centre at Vista Grove as a member of their performance company for ten years. Anna continued her dance education at Georgia College, and ultimately graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Arts Administration. Throughout her college years, she also worked as a dance instructor, choreographer, and assistant director for her home studio and many schools in the metro Atlanta area. Experienced in a wide-range of styles, Anna has had the privilege of working with hundreds of students on competition solos, dance auditions, private technique lessons, and weekly classes since 2012.

In 2020, Anna established Dauphin Dance Center in Tucker, GA, fulfilling a lifelong dream to open her own dance studio. It is her mission to provide a nurturing space for young students to foster their love of dance, build confidence, and grow connections. Teaching is Anna’s greatest passion, and she hopes to spread the positive influence that dance has had in her life to others.

Fiona Shepherd

Fiona Shepherd began dancing in Atlanta, Georgia at The Dance Centre at Vista Grove where she performed with the Dance Troupe and started teaching classes as a teenager. She deepened her dance education through high school at Dekalb School of the Arts, and attended college at Denison University as an English Literature major and a Dance minor. She intensively studied modern, jazz, ballet, and dance history and participated in numerous Department performances. Outside of classes she continued her teaching career serving as a Teaching Assistant for Contemporary/Modern courses at Denison, and teaching pre-ballet and tap classes at Granville Dance Academy. She also was awarded a position of Dance Fellow where she helped grow Denison’s dance community by organizing dance events both on campus and within the Ohio area. In 2023, Fiona began teaching for Dauphin Dance Center and now serves as the lead Administrative Assistant. During her time teaching, she went on to earn her M.A. in Health Communication from Georgia State University. Fiona is excited to continue bringing her love of dance to help build a positive and inspiring community for all DDC dancers.

Maddie Parker

Maddie Parker grew up in Tucker, GA and began dancing at age six. She and Anna both participated in numerous shows and competitions while at the Vista Grove Dance Centre together. By age thirteen, Maddie knew that she had a passion for dance and decided to audition for DeKalb School of the Arts. Her education from both schools gave her the confidence and proficiency to receive a full time position as a parade performer, post graduation. Maddie spent five and half years making magic at Walt Disney World; dancing and "befriending" several beloved characters. She moved back to Atlanta early 2019 to pursue a career as a wedding planner, and has since been falling back in love with studio life. She hopes to give her students the same level of confidence needed to chase their dreams.

Katie Watkins-Washo

Katie Watkins (she/her) began her performance and compositional training in Newnan, Georgia with Classical Dance Theatre, Compass Dance Academy, the Legacy Theatre, and Southern Arc Dance. Her early studies centered on Ballet, Musical Theatre, Jazz, and Tap, also training with Lorraine Casablanca, Paulo Manso De Sousa, and Laurie Clark. She furthered her studies at Brenau University, delving into studies of Jazz, Afro-Modern, Horton, and Release Technique under the mentorship of faculty Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, Jessica Lynch-Oliver, Angela Harris, John Streit, and Michael Jablonski. She holds two Bachelors of Arts degrees from Brenau University in Dance and English. Katie has performed in dance works by choreographers Nicholas Palmquist, Jesse Zarrit, Allyne Gartrell, Owen Scarlett, Jennifer Archibald, Du’Bois A’Keen, Kaitlynn Arena, Joshua Blake Carter, and Xavier Lewis. Katie also has a wide breadth of experience in arts administration and social media working with organizations such as DanceATL, Core Dance, and ArtsATL.

Graham Shelor

Graham Shelor (He/Him) is an Atlanta based movement artist, improviser, and dance educator. From a very young age, beginning in Tampa, his dance training has formally developed through contemporary, vogue femme, modern, ballet, jazz, and hip-hop forms/techniques. Graham holds a B.A in dance from Middlebury College where he had the privilege of training under Christal Brown, Laurel Jenkins, Lida Winfield, Kari Borni, Meshi Chavez, and Michael Abbatiello. Graham has choreographed works which been shown at Fall for Fall Dance Festival (GA), Middlebury College, the New England Conference of American College Dance Association (VT), and NewGrounds Dance Festival (FL). He was a recipient of the Alexander Twilight 1823 Diversity and Community Leadership Award and the Mahalingaiah Family Dance Prize, both awarded by Middlebury College, for his research and performance work on movement repression and liberatory dance pedagogy. He has been featured as a dancer in works created by Tori Lawrence, Maia Sauer, Dahyun Kin, Atarius Armstrong, Yoshito Sakuraba, and Courtney McClendon. Currently, Graham is a company member of ALA Dance and Monica Hogan Danceworks. He is also a member of the Kiki House of Bodega, competing at underground kiki balls in Atlanta and beyond in the beginners performance (vogue femme) category. Graham has shared his love for dance through teaching a wide variety of ages and abilities in studios and schools in Tampa, Middlebury, and Atlanta.

Cailyn Rhodes

Cailyn Rhodes is a dancer, choreographer, and educator who earned her B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Pedagogy from Brenau University, Gainesville GA. At Brenau she trained in Safety-Release Technique, Horton, Afro-Modern, Jazz, and Ballet under the direction of Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, Jessica Lynch-Oliver, and George Wilson-Berry. As a choreographer, Rhodes explores various psychological theories as her stimuli while incorporating her own personal experiences and those of her cast. Cailyn also had the opportunity to present her choreographic work, Asunder, at the 2024 American College Dance Association SE Conference and the 2024 Alabama Dance Festival New Works Concert. Her pedagogical approach focuses on an all encompassing educational methodology allowing for a deep understanding of the dance practices introduced. During her tenure at Brenau, she had the opportunity to perform in works by artists including Julio Medina, Jesse Zaritt, and Quaba Ernest. Additionally, she worked closely with Quaba Ernest, Leanne Rinelli, and Madia Cooper-Ashirifi as a rehearsal director. As a dance artist, she is dedicated to not only advancing her craft but also inspiring and empowering others to explore movement. Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, she strives to create inclusive spaces where creativity, expression, and technique can thrive. Through her work, she aims to nurture the next generation of artists and share her appreciation and understanding of dance.

Kati Grace Kirby

Kati Grace Kirby has been working as a professional actor, singer and dancer since graduating from Emory & Henry College's Barter Theatre Conservatory program in 2007. Notable performance highlights include playing Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore at Faulkner Dinner Theatre (AL), Alice in Thoroughly Modern Millie at Flat Rock Playhouse (NC), every young lover, sassy sidekick and brazen leading lady under the sun with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company and appearing as a cabaret performer with Remedy Theatre Project. Kati Grace has been directing the yearly Spring Musical Theatre Revues at Henderson Middle School since 2013, choreographing the Sagamore Hills Elementary School Spring musicals since 2017 and has coached private students in acting, singing and audition preparation since 2010. She is thrilled to be able to find a home teaching private voice lessons through Dauphin Dance Center!