Instructors

Sherry Whaley began her dance training at age 5 with Ester Graham and continued with dance classes at the University of Tennessee. She continues her training with periodic trips to New York City to study with "the masters," Finus Jung, Chet Walker, Luigi, Frank Hatchett, as well as Joe Lanteri, Josh Bergausi and Bill Hastings for Jazz and Horace Turnbull for Tap. Sherry enjoys performing and has danced with Dance Spectrum Company, First Night Virginia, and community productions for Act 1. This is her thirteenth year of teaching at Wilson School of Dance and students eagerly anticipate her innovative choreography and friendly classroom style.

Laura Kelly, now in her thirteenth year of teaching at Wilson School of Dance, holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Performing Arts with a Dance Emphasis from the University of Maryland. She taught dance and choreographed in the Maryland/ Washington D.C. area for five years prior to moving to Charlottesville. Her training includes classes with renowned instructors Gus Giordiano, Frank Hatchett, Elizabeth Walton, Carol Hess and Robert Ellis Dunn. Laura’s keen eye for precision and details in technique combined with a warm and encouraging teaching style make her popular with both adults and children.

Tainika Taylor has a keen eye for placement and technique while still making dance fun for children and adults. Her training began in Richmond, VA, and she is an accomplished dancer in ballet, jazz, and tap. She is a graduate student at the University of Virginia and performs with the Virginia Dance Company.  This is Tainika’s fifth year teaching at Wilson School of Dance.

Kelly Jones joins us for a vibrant fifth year of teaching. She is a student at the University of Virginia, but many will know Kelly from her nine years as a student at Wilson School of Dance and dynamic performances with the Wilson Dance Company. Students enjoy Kelly’s warm teaching style that makes challenging steps fun, as well as her creative choreography.

Mary Linn Leong began her dance training at age nine at The Dance Theater in Deposit, NY where she studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, and Pointe.  She began assisting at age twelve and taught all levels and ages in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz throughout high school and college.  In 2000, she assisted with the expansion of The Dance Theater, teaching professionally in Deposit, NY and Susquehanna, PA.  Mary Linn attended the College of William and Mary where she studied Modern and performed in the college’s dance company.  She continued her Ballet training at the Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts.  Since graduating, she has studied at Joy of Motion in Washington, DC and Wilson School of Dance.  This is Mary Linn's second year of teaching at Wilson School of Dance.

Tammy Sterling began dancing at age eight.  She has studied Jazz, Ballet, and Tap with Wilson School of Dance for thirteen years and has developed a great love for Tap.  You might recognize her from her five years with the Wilson Dance Company.  As a company member, she attended Manhattan Dance Project Workshop where she won a coveted Tap scholarship for her expert exhibition and enthusiasm for Tap. 

Melissa Anderson began teaching aerobics in the early 80’s and has since taught a variety of fitness and dance-exercise classes throughout Virginia.  She served as an Aerobics Program Coordinator at a fitness center in Central Virginia, and has previously held certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the National Dance-Exercise Instructor’s Training Association.  She has been a student at Wilson School of Dance for the last six years studying Jazz, Tap, and Ballet.  This is Melissa's second year of teaching at Wilson School of Dance.

Lynn Divers  Lynn joins us for a fifth year of dynamic instruction.  She holds a B.A. in Performing Arts with a Dance emphasis from Mary Washington College where she taught tap to her fellow students and performed each year with American College Dance Festival.  Lynn began dancing at three years old and was a soloist at age 8 taking every opportunity to perform.  She trained in Tidewater, VA, here at Wilson School of Dance, and has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center.  Lynn has continued to study, choreograph, teach and share her love of dance in many forms including liturgical dance where she was a guest lecturer/dancer on Doxological Dancing (praise dancing) at the E.K. Bailey International Expository Preaching Conference in Dallas.  Students love her choreography and her high-energy teaching style.  As the mother of a young dancing daughter, Lynn has a positive and unique perspective into the world of children.

Meghan McSherry has been dancing for thirteen years, nine at Wilson School of Dance.  She trained at Virginia School of The Arts for a six week summer program and has danced at a Manhattan Dance Project workshop.  This is Meghan’s ninth year in the Wilson Dance Company and she has been assisting dance classes for four years.  Meghan loves to be around children and seeing them enjoy dance class.

Rachel Wunderlich has been dancing for fourteen years, the last seven years at Wilson School of Dance where she assisted in Jazz and Pre-Dance classes.  Rachel is a member of the Wilson Dance Company and also performed with the University of Virginia New Music Festival in several pieces.  She has learned many disciplines of dance including Jazz, Ballet, Tap, and Pointe.  Rachel has studied at various master classes in New York with hip-hop instructors from the Broadway Dance Center.  Students will love Rachel’s energetic style and caring personality.

Additional Instructors: See bios at registration.