Faculty and Staff

Originally from Atlanta, Christine grew up studying the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus under the training of Kelly Oakes-Dent at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. By the time Christine graduated high school, she had completed RAD examination grades II through VIII Award and the major syllabus examinations Pre Elementary through Intermediate II (recently renamed Intermediate Foundations through Advanced I). Christine went on to receive her minor in dance at the University of Georgia, performing in the UGA Ballet Ensemble as well as the modern dance company, CORE. From 2002-2006 Christine taught, choreographed and directed for Freedom of Movement Dance Academy in Athens, Georgia and completed a 230 hour yoga teacher training at Asheville Yoga Center. Christine has a professional career dancing, teaching, and choreographing with the Chattanooga Ballet, and also directed the Orange Grove Dancers. Christine is the past-president of the Tennessee Association of Dance.  With experience in many forms and dance, Christine directs the Chattanooga Dance Theatre to have classes and productions in many forms of dance and movement for all ages.

Jenny Hannah is from Chattanooga. She began in baton twirling and gymnastics at the age of six. Jenny trained in ballet with Anna and Barry VanCura at Ballet Tennessee. Jenny is currently a baton twirling athlete on the elite level. A member of Team USA, Jenny is a nine time World Baton Twirling Championships medalist and a seventeen time Grand National Champion. Jenny is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a BS in Biology and a M.Ed. in Health and Physical Education. She is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Jenny is an adjunct instructor in the Health and Human Performance department at UTC where she is the coach for the UTC Majorettes. Jenny teaches twirling with United Twirling in Chattanooga.

Frank Hay grew up in California where he studied dance and gymnastics with his father. His early training included performing children’s roles with such notable companies as the San Francisco Ballet and the touring Bolshoi and Mariinsky Ballet Companies. He majored in ballet with an emphasis on performance technique at the University of Utah under an academic scholarship. Frank then joined Ballet West where he trained with Willam Christensen, Bruce Marks, Toni Lander and Leon Danilian. Frank was a principle dancer with the Atlanta Ballet, the Tampa Ballet and the Louisville Ballet. His first engagement with Louisville Ballet included a tour of Texas with Mikhail Baryshinikov. He most recently served as Ballet Master with the Chattanooga Ballet where he taught company class and classes for the Chattanooga Ballet School. In addition to restaging many of the works from the classical repertory, Frank is an award winning choreographer and his credits include many original works for Chattanooga Ballet including “The Nutcracker” and “The Creation”, based on the Hayden Oratory. He also served as the adjudicator for the Pacific Northwest Music Fest and coached a dancer in the 2002 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. He is well-versed in the Russian, Cecchetti, and Bournonville schools of ballet.

Trained in Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Modern, Keri Lamb is a versatile and energetic dancer, with extensive experience in teaching and performance.  Keri is the curriculum designer and teacher of Chattanooga State Community College’s only hip hop course, and is delighted to be teaching teen and adult Hip Hop at Chattanooga Dance Theatre! Her Hip Hop training includes classes in Lyrical Hip Hop, Locking, Popping, Breakdancing, and Boogaloo, and in her own teaching she strives to deliver an authentic hip hop vibe in a relaxed and inclusive environment.

Holly began her dance training at the age of 5 years old under Ashleyanne Hensley, Theresa Shampine, and Julie Reeves at Steps of Faith Dance Company in Cartersville, Georgia. She was trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance. Holly competed in the world known Youth American Grand Prix in 2015 for classical ballet, as well as contemporary dance. She then attended Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, where she furthered her dance studies in modern dance. Some of her courses consisted of: Dance Pedagogy, Modern Dance Teaching Methods, Dance Composition I & II, Dance History I & II, and Dance Production I & II. At Belhaven University, she was apart of the Belhaven Dance Ministry Ensemble, and taught dance to children in various ministries around the Mississippi area, including Stewpot Ministries. Holly was a part of prestigious choreographic works by Vincent Hardy, Laura Morton, and Mia Whitehead while at Belhaven. She also was apart of a Guest Artist work in African Jazz by Professor Sheron Wray. Holly trained under Cynthia Newland during an internship learning about improvisational dance. She has extensive experience teaching dance to those with special needs and disabilities, and taught at The Dancing Wheels Dance Company in Cleveland, Ohio for their inclusive summer dance intensive. This is Holly's second year teaching for Chattanooga Dance Theatre, and she is looking forward to seeing students grow, learn, and become confident in themselves!

Kenny Alika Keawekane is an Hawaiian born, Northern raised, Southern fried, and self-taught “Panda.” He has been performing, teaching, and choreographing professionally for the past 11 years in Central to Eastern Tennessee. He is constantly striving to be a better performer/artist, collaborating and engulfing himself in other types and styles of venues, art, and dance. His experiences include being a Choreographer at Coffee County High School for the Showchoir and Theater Program, playing Dr.Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror Picture Show, dancing in music videos for Eric Paisley and Call Me Spinster, appearing in a commercial for TUL Pens, creating and performing in shows at the Barking Legs Theater, and working with The Pop-Up Project and appearing in their dance film “The Light We Share.”

Melissa began dance training at age 11 at The American Academy of Dance in Paris under Meredith Hudson and at Le Centre de Jazz Rick Odums in Paris, France. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from Belhaven University, where she trained in Vaganova, Limon, Horton, and Graham techniques. She received additional training in New York City from The Jose Limon Dance Foundation as part of their Professional Studies Program.  

While in New York, she performed with the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation as an apprentice company member, Live Arts by Nancy L'Heritier, Community Dance Project NYC, and was a company member for three years with The Physical Plant under Karesia Batan. 

She was a teaching artist for The House of the Roses, a volunteer dance company providing after-school movement classes to children living in homeless shelters in New York City.  

Since returning to Chattanooga she has performed her own choreography and set work for Abandoned Arts 2019, The Female Future 2019, The Road 2019 and 2020, and created a dance on film commissioned by First Things First in 2021.  She has presented original work at The Hunter Museum of American Art in October 2020 as part of a special exhibit celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage called “The F Word,” and again in August 2021 as part of the special exhibit celebrating the intersection of dance, fashion, and photography called "Passion, Power, Pose.'

This is Melissa's third season with Chattanooga Dance Theatre.  She loves working with such talented and hard working students everyday!

Trinity began dance training at the age of eleven at Center for Creative Arts and went on to be a part of their dance company Project Motion for her final two years at the school. She also trained with Chattanooga Dance Theatre, being a part of their performance company, performing in shows such as the ‘Nooga Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Beauty and the Beast. She graduated from CCA in 2021 and is now continuing her education at Chattanooga State Community College. Along with teaching at CDT, Trinity also works at The Batterie and loves getting to be a part of the Chattanooga dance community.

Emily Schebler began dancing at the age of two. At twelve, she began her formal training at Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts (CCA) as a dance major, from where she graduated as valedictorian of her class. While at CCA, she was a member of their dance company, Project Motion. In addition to CCA, Emily trained in ballet, modern, and jazz with Chattanooga Dance Theatre. While with CDT, she originated several roles in current company repertory, and some favorites include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, the Dew Drop Fairy in ‘Nooga Nutcracker, and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. During her time at both the Center for Creative Arts and Chattanooga Dance Theatre, she had the opportunity to choreograph several new pieces presented on the concert stage, including “The Front” and “The Future is Female” with CCA and “For Em” and “For Christine” at CDT. 

Emily holds a BBA in Dance and Movement Studies and Strategy and Management Consulting from Emory University, some completed coursework including Dance Pedagogy, History of Western Concert Dance, Dance Literacy, Contact Improvisation, and technique classes in ballet, modern, and jazz. Emily was also a member of Emory Dance Company, the performance company of the Emory dance program. As a member, she performed in many postmodern works, most notably of which being her soloist work in “Helen’s Misfortune” as a part of Kristin O’Neal’s 2019 Sweet Suite. In 2022, Emily had the opportunity to choreograph her own postmodern work “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap” on the Emory Dance Company. While at Emory, she was also the vice president of Emory’s tap club, treasurer of Emory’s ballet club, and a member of the AHANA dance group. Emily is thrilled to call Chattanooga Dance Theatre her home once again and finds so much joy in helping her students find who they are as an artist and person. 

Originally from Orlando, Florida Errin received her early training from Miriam Rye Doktor, Thom Lake and Kelli Sullivan. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Kennesaw State University where she graduated with honors and was a charter member of The National Dance Honor Society. She has continued her dance education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts & is a 2014 graduate of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute. Errin’s professional career includes working with Lauri Stallings’ gloATL, Atlanta Ballet, Caitlyn Trainor of Trainor Dance, Sandra Shih Parks, Doctor Ivan Pulinkala, Lindsay Pierce, Morgan Carlisle, Emily Volin Yewell and the late Antonio Sisks of Philadanco. She has previously performed with Ballet Tennessee, Bernadette Upton’s “Weave,” Toya Willingham Riley’s Atlanta based 'About Face’ jazz company, Atlanta based Dance Canvas, and Denver/Chattanooga based Violet Mire Moves. Errin has choreographed works for Chattanooga Dance Theatre, Cleveland City Ballet and Girl’s Preparatory School’s Tersichord. She is a Cigna Healthcare Underwriting & Risk Management Operations Analyst. She currently serves as Vice President for the Tennessee Association of Dance. Errin is a new mama and excited to be returning to Chattanooga Dance Theatre.