Meet Our Staff
Our teachers are qualified and experienced in dance education. Their goal is to provide a safe, fun and encouraging Christian environment for your child.
Sheryl Clay - Owner/Director
At the age of five, Sheryl began studying dance in Atlanta with J. Frank Leitzsey. There were no dance schools in Douglasville back in the ‘60s, and she thanks God that her parents made that trip to Atlanta every week so that she could dance. After Mr. Leitzsey’s school closed, Sheryl began dancing at Douglasville School of Dance. She began assisting and teaching at DSD and then had her dream of owning a dance school come true. In 1984, Sheryl and her husband purchased DSD. They have been the owners for 40 years. Sheryl loves teaching tap to the middle & high school students! She continues to be blessed each year by DSD dance families and the DSD staff. A life-long resident of Douglasville, Sheryl and her husband are the proud parents of three adult sons, three daughters-in-law and four very precious grandchildren.
Nicole Crook - Co-Director/Office Manager
Nicole is an alumna of Douglasville School of Dance where she began her dance training at the age of five. Nicole began assisting at DSD during high school and has been teaching for over 20 years. She continues her dance training during summer programs at The Atlanta Ballet. Nicole works with all ages in the areas of ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and pointe. She also manages the office and assists Ms. Sheryl with directing DSD. A graduate of the State University of West Georgia, Nicole also holds a Master's Degree in business administration. Nicole lives in Douglasville with her husband and son, and loves being a part of the DSD family!
Kristen Holloway - Instructor
Kristen has been a member of the Douglasville School of Dance family for many years. At the age of five, she began her dance training at DSD. After high school she began teaching dance and has taught students of all ages. Currently, she enjoys teaching younger elementary and preschool age dancers. Kristen has participated in classes at various Atlanta dance schools and has attended many dance conventions over the years. She lives in Winston with her husband Matt and their three children; Jacob, Georgia and Maddie.
Emily Moss - Instructor
Emily is an alumna of Douglasville School of Dance where she began her dance training at age three. She has been trained in tap, ballet, jazz, and she performed in DSD's Kickline and Elite Performers. Her love of dance translated into a love for all types of performing arts and she began to pursue theatre and choreography opportunities at the age of 16. Emily attended Birmingham-Southern College where she continued to pursue dance and theatre at the collegiate level. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Collaborative Education and is a teacher in the Douglas County School System. Emily is married to Tyler, and are the proud puppy parents to Milo. Emily currently teaches contemporary and jazz, and she also works with our performing groups.
Gaby Figueroa-West - Instructor
Gaby began dancing at the age of three, receiving training in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. She is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with a B.S. in Psychology. While working towards her degree, Gaby taught contemporary, jazz, and performing groups and assisted in ballet and tap at DSD for five seasons. After graduating, she moved to Florida to work for Walt Disney World entertainment and begin her career in mental health. Gaby lives in Villa Rica with her husband, son and adorable pug. She is excited to be at DSD to share her love of dance with her students!
Reagan Hughes - Instructor
Reagan has 10 years of training from Douglasville School of Dance, where she began with studying hip-hop classes. She quickly fell in love with dance and added tap, jazz, contemporary, and ballet to her skills, as well as participating in the DSD Kickline. Reagan began assisting dance classes at the age of 16 and is very much excited to continue her time at DSD by sharing her love of dance with students!
Hilary Paige Willis - Instructor
Cheznie McBrayer - Assistant Instructor
Cheznie is a Douglasville native, and began taking dance classes at DSD at the age of three, continuing through high school. She began assisting at the studio in high school and throughly enjoys it! Cheznie finds great joy in working with students to develop a strong dance technique in a Christian environment. She also enjoys watching the student's personalities shine bright onstage. She has a passion for working with children and always looks for a way to connect with them to help them build confidence in each style of dance. Cheznie was in college for healthcare and quickly realized her love for teaching and caring for students. She is currently in school to become an elementary school teacher, just like her Aunt Judy, who made a huge impact on her life.
Whitney Graver - Support Staff
Whitney is an alumna of Douglasville School of Dance where she began her dance training at the age of three. During her 15 years of dance experience, which include training in tap, ballet, jazz, and pointe, she was also a member of DSD's Kickline. She has taught jazz and ballet to elementary and middle school dancers, and has worked with our performing groups. Whitney is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Human Services with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration. She is married to Matthew. Whitney is blessed to share her love for dance and graphic design by assisting with all things marketing and social media to help DSD's online presence.
Lakin Whitesides - Support Staff
Lakin is an alumna of Douglasville School of Dance where she began her dance training at the age of four. Lakin began assisting at DSD during high school and continued to assist and teach during college. Lakin has worked with all ages at DSD including elementary age dancers, and Kickline, our tap performing group. Lakin is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with a B.S. in Middle Grades Education. Lakin is married to Clay and they have two daughters. She is thrilled to be a part of DSD while also working at Georgia Cyber Academy.
