Dance Contempra's goal is to train students well in dance and to instill the love of dance in all. Our faculty of professional instructors dedicate themselves to helping our students reach their personal goals.
Paola Jenkins
Founder and Creative Director
Paola Jenkins is the Artistic Director and Founder of Dance Contempra's Centre for Dance Education. Paola has been teaching in Fayette County and metro Atlanta schools for over 20 years. She attended Georgia State University where she graduated Cum Laude in December of 1998 with a B.S. in Dance Education. While a student of the Dance Program she was approached by the faculty and asked to teach dance classes for the company from 1997 through graduation and later staying on as a dance instructor for the program through 2000. Throughout this time she also enjoyed the span of almost a decade as a professional dance performer with two of Atlanta's modern dance companies, Gathering Wild MDC and Zoetic Dance Ensemble.
While a student and intern at Georgia State University she noticed a changing trend in the dance community. The dance world was losing its audience. She also noticed that professional dance companies like Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Alvin Ailey were thriving. Her research convinced her that these companies were doing well because they had found a way to communciate and relate with their audience and mainstream society. Upon graduating from Georgia State University the opportunity presented itself to open a school that dedicated itself to inspiring dance students with this philosophy and thus Dance Contempra was established in the Fall of 2001. Dance Contempra has grown to become very successful in training and placing dancers in college dance programs through our unique philosophy. Perhaps the most important thing that DC tries to instill in students from the earliest of ages is that .....Dance is a fun and amazing way to increase happiness in your life and provides countless other physical benefits.
Kathleen "Katy" Morgan
Artistic Director of Ballet
Kathleen "Katy" Morgan began her early training at Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre under Ruth Mitchell and Martha Goodman. She has been fortunate to work with very talented and prestigious choreographers and teachers such as Terell Paulk , Winthrop Corey, Trinette Singleton ( Joffery Ballet) , Nicholas Pacana ( Atlanta Ballet) and Patsey Bromley ( NYC Ballet). She has performed many lead roles and has been featured as the lead in many original works. Cinderella, Nutcracker , Coppelia, Whapango, Firebird, La Bayedere , Sleeping Beauty, Graduation Ball and Les Oiseaux. She trained at the Joffery Ballet School in NYC on full scholarship and was asked to stay for the year round school and join Joffery II . There she had many performing, modeling and acting jobs. It was at the Joffery School she began assisting teaching. Katy went on to dance with Atlanta Ballet and Griffin Ballet Theatre where she was the ballet Mistress for 7 seasons. She has choreographed many original pieces such as Howl and Falling that have been showcased at Ballet Fest and Jazz on Tap. She is currently the Director of the ballet program and Dance Contempra.
Taylor Burell
Taylor began dancing at the Academy of Dance and Gymnastics (AOD) in Newport News, Virginia at the age of 4. At 6, she began dancing competitively as a member of the AOD Showbiz Kids Performing Arts Team. While dancing, Taylor developed a love for gymnastics and left dance after being selected as a member of the World Class Gymnastics Competition Team, and then as a member of the Riverview Gymnastics Competition Team. After several years of competitive gymnastics, Taylor decided to return to her dance family at AOD. In 2014, Taylor and her family relocated to Peachtree City, Georgia, where she joined the McIntosh High School Chiefettes competitive dance team, and she became a member of Carla’s Dance Factory’s Competition Team until her high school graduation in 2016 with academic and Fine Arts honors. While in college, Taylor began teaching dance at Carla’s Dance Factory. She taught and choreographed for students in both the recreational and company programs. Taylor has experience teaching ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, technique, tumbling, and strength and conditioning. Taylor is an honors graduate of the University of West Georgia with a B.S. in Biology with a pre-vet concentration, as well as a M.S. in Biology. Taylor will attend Vet School in the Fall of 2024, with plans of becoming a Board Certified Veterinarian, specializing in either Shelter Medicine or Dermatology.
Taylor currently resides in Fayetteville, Georgia with her family, 4 fur babies, and turtle.
Whitney Jackson
Whitney Jackson, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, took an interest in dance at a young age. She has studied with the Spelman College Dance Program, Total Dance/Dancical Productions, & The Limon Summer Dance Intensive. Whitney has worked with Dawn Axam, Julie Bour, Andre Tyson, Juel D. Lane, James Franco & Michelle Dorrance. Receiving a Bachelors in Fine Arts from The California Institute of the Arts, she has had the honor to perform with the LA based company, B. Dunn Movement Dance/Theater Company, under the artistic direction of Brigette Dunn-Korpela, as the rehearsal director. She has taught young aspiring dancers in the San Fernando Valley area of California and South Fulton area of Georgia. She is currently dancing with The Adinkra Project under the artistic direction of N.K. Condua and Komasé Dance Theater directed by Raianna C. Brown in Atlanta,Ga. She is honored to work with both companies that inspire and celebrate the culture of dance. All together Whitney seeks to investigate authentic-visceral experience through her mind, body, and soul.
Amber Thompson
Amber Thompson
Amber Thompson has been dancing from a young age-- first in Texas, then in Utah, then finally here in Georgia. She continued training at the University of Georgia where she graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in English May 2020. During her time there, she performed in the Young Choreographer’s Series in 2016 and 2017 and choreographed for the show in 2018 and 2019. She performed in Spring Dance Concert in Rebecca Gose’s “Desire Lines” and Lisa Fusillo’s “Dvorak’s Serenade” in 2017. In May 2017 she traveled to Russia for a workshop with Voronezh State Ballet Theatre.
As a 2018-2019 founding member of Dr. Lisa Fusillo's Dance Repertory Project, she performed as a soloist and demi-soloist in an “Ode to Balanchine” and as an ensemble dancer in the contemporary ballet works "Uncharted" and "Points of Departure" as well as in "Loss" set by guest artist Karen Charles of Threads Dance Project.
Amber Thompson began teaching in 2017 at Alice DePass Studio of Dance as an upper level lyrical and jazz teacher and substitute for all levels of ballet when needed. She went on to teach all levels of lyrical and jazz for children twelve years and older as well as upper-level ballet and pointe.
Emilie Thuman
Emilie Claire Thuman began dancing at the age of 3 under the instruction of Nicolas Pacana, Gregory Aaron, Giselle D Pugh with the Atlanta Festival Ballet. In all of her memories , to her there has never been a day without dance. She has also trained with Atlanta Ballet and locally at Dance Contempra with Paola Jenkins, Katy Morgan, and Kara Gillcrist Johnson who she considers to be some of her greatest mentors for both dance and her education style. She trained the majority of her childhood in Classical Ballet and then began her studies in Lyrical and Contemporary in her teens. She began attending Kennesaw State University in May 2018 where she began studying her two passions: Dance Education and Healthcare. She graduated in May 2021 with her Bachelor’s Dance and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Nursing. Her main goal in life is to inspire. Whether it be through creativity or healthy habits, she is ready to see her students grow as future dancers and members of society. She hopes for them to see their potential and gain confidence in both themselves and their dancing and advocates for being kind, loving, accepting, and just plain having fun!
Sarina Francis
I started dance at age 3 then started tumbling at age 5 through the Paris School of Performing arts. By age ten (10) I knew I wanted to coach tumbling and create choreography, my heart is in the gym /studio. I started competing in 1996 and continued until 2017 during which time I won over 1000 first place titles 11 National Championship jackets and three (3) world titles. I started my coaching career at age 18 with Crosslethics, building a Christian based program for all star cheerleading. After that I realized I wanted to help build programs and so I worked with Gym Tech, World Xtreme, Paramount, and Bling Athletics to open and start their cheer and dance programs.