Teachers
Anna Dauphin, Studio Owner and Artistic Director
Anna Dauphin began her dancing career at The Dance Centre at Vista Grove at the age of four, training with The Dance Troupe from age 8 to 18. As a young dancer, Anna had the opportunity to perform at many different venues, including performances in Orlando and New York City for competitions, as well as Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World. Anna began her college career studying dance at Georgia College. During that time, she performed with the Atlantic City Ballet in their rendition of “Dracula,” and worked on staff for the American College Dance Festival Association.
Upon her return to Atlanta, Anna continued working as a dance instructor and choreographer for her home studio, The Dance Centre, where she remained for six years. In 2018, Anna began working as a dance instructor for Stage Door Studios in Decatur, Georgia while also serving as Assistant Director for The Dance Troupe. She is proficient in teaching many different styles, such as Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap, Lyrical, and more. While teaching dance, Anna attended Georgia State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Arts Administration. In 2020, Anna established Dauphin Dance Center in Atlanta, GA, fulfilling a lifelong dream to own her own dance studio.
In addition to teaching, Anna has also served as choreographer for multiple public and private school events, including the Miss Lakeside Pageant, Henderson Middle School Spring Musical, Marist School Dance Concerts, and more. Anna has had the privilege of working with hundreds of students on competition solos, dance auditions, and private technique lessons since 2012. As a teacher and director, Anna hopes to spread the positive influence that dance has had in her life to others.
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.
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. She deepened her dance education through highschool at Dekalb School of the Arts. Fiona attended college at Denison University as an English Literature major and a Dance minor, where she graduated in May of 2023. 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 starting organizing dance events both on campus and within the Ohio area. Fiona is excited to bring her love of dance to help build a positive and inspiring community for all DDC dancers.
Katie Watkins
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.
Olivia Blanchette
Olivia Blanchette began her dance training at the age of 5 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts at the Dancing Center Unlimited where she performed and competed. Olivia chose to further her dance training at Spotlight Dance Academy in Westford, Massachusetts where she was introduced to her love for choreography and teaching. Here, she competed across New England and had the opportunity to perform for the Boston Celtics and in Walt Disney World. In her senior year of high school, she was awarded a Young Choreographer Award by Spirit of Dance Awards for her first competition piece. Olivia is currently entering her senior year as a Computer Science student at Georgia Tech. Outside of her studies, she has continued dancing and choreographing for DanceTech, a student led dance program, and for many spirit and philanthropic events at Georgia Tech. Olivia is looking forward to sharing her enthusiasm for dance with everyone at DDC!
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!
Caroline Sandler
Caroline Sandler began dancing when she was four years old at The Dance Centre at Vista Grove in Decatur, GA. She attended Dekalb School of the Arts where she was able to further her dance education throughout high school. Caroline went on to Adelphi University in New York, where she graduated with her BFA in Dance in 2020. She was the recipient of many talent-based scholarships, as well as the Ruth St. Denis Prize for performing arts. At Adelphi, Caroline took daily technique classes in ballet, modern, pointe, and pas de deux from several accomplished dance professors. She was involved in many dance performances at Adelphi, performing both ballet and modern works from notable choreographers such as Martha Graham and Paul Taylor, among others. She also performed in New York City, dancing in Martha Graham’s Chronicle at the Joyce Theater during the company’s 2019 spring season. In addition to technique classes, Caroline took courses in dance history, functional anatomy for the dancer, dance theory and composition, and classical ballet pedagogy. Caroline centered her focus around classical ballet, leaving Adelphi with an extensive knowledge of the technique.