| DANCE EXPLOSION STAFF "HERE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE DANCE EXPERIENCE" AT KDX, WE FEEL THAT ANYONE WHO WALKS THROUGH OUR DOORS SHOULD HAVE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE! ONE THAT WILL MAKE MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME! ANYONE CAN TEACH, BUT IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO INSPIRE!!!! PLEASE READ FURTHER TO MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS.................... |
| KELLI HAWKINS-DERRICK OWNER/ ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MS KELLI HAS BEEN DANCING SINCE THE AGE OF 5. SHE WON THE TITLES OF TINY MISS CHESAPEAKE AND PRETEEN MISS VIRGINIA, BOTH TITLES BEFORE THE AGE OF 10. SHE STUDIED DANCE WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STUDIOS IN HAMPTON ROADS INCLUDING, DENISE WALL'S DANCE ENERGY WHICH IS THE HOME STUDIO OF TRAVIS WALL AND DANNY TIDWELL OF "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE"! SHE WAS A COMPETITIVE DANCER FOR 15 YEARS WHERE SHE WON NUMEROUS TOP AWARDS AND JUDGES CHOICE AWARDS. SHE ATTENDED THE "GOVERNORS MAGNET SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS" WHERE SHE STUDIED BALLET, MODERN, AND JAZZ WITH SOME OF THE GREATEST INSTRUCTORS IN THE AREA. SHE GRADUATED IN 1996 AND OPENED "KELLI'S DANCE EXPLOSION" SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE STUDIO HAS GROWN FROM 8 STUDENTS TO 300 STUDENTS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. SHE STARTED THE DANCE EXPLOSION COMPETITVE COMPANY AND PERFORMANCE TEAM IN 2003 AND SINCE THEN HAS WON MANY TOP AWARDS CONSISTING OF : "BEST CHOREOGRAPHY, MOST ENTERTAINING, OVERALL HIGH SCORES AWARDS, AND MUCH, MUCH, MORE! SHE RECENTLY TRAVELED TO ATLANTA TO STUDY WITH INSTRUCTORS MANDY MOORE, NICK LAZZARINI, KENNY WORMALD, DEE CASPARY, AND KIM MCSWAIN AT THE JUMP DANCE CONVENTION. MS KELLI HAS ALWAYS DREAMED OF OWNING A DANCE STUDIO BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN, TEENAGERS, AND PARENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY!! |
| JAMI FERDON KINDERDANCE PROGRAM DIRECTOR JAZZ AND HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR MS JAMI JOINED "DANCE EXPLOSION" IN 1999 AS AN ASSITANT TEACHER. IN 2003, MS JAMI WAS PROMOTED TO A LEAD INSTRUCTOR AND HAS CONTINUED TO EXCEL YEAR AFTER YEAR. MS JAMI BEGAN DANCING AT THE AGE OF 6 AND WAS A COMETITIVE DANCER FOR 8 YEARS. SHE STUDIED BALLET, POINTE, JAZZ, HIP HOP, TAP, AND LYRICAL. ALTHOUGH MS JAMI LOVES TEACHING JAZZ AND HIP HOP, BALLET HAS ALWAYS BEEN HER PASSION. IN HER 10 YEARS OF TEACHING WITH DANCE EXPLOSION, MS JAMI HAS PROVEN TO BE THE MOST DEDICATED AND INSPIRING TEACHER THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD. HER VAST KNOWLEDGE OF DANCE EDUCATION COMBINED WITH HER SOFT, YET STERN TEACHING METHODS DEFINES MS JAMI AS ONE OF THE MOST SAUGHT AFTER INSTRUCTORS IN OUR ESTABLISHMENT. |
| SAMUEL HOLLEY TAP INSTRUCTOR/BOYS HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR/ COMPETITIVE TEAM CHOREOGRAPHER THIS IS MR SAMMY'S 3RD YEAR WITH DANCE EXPLOSION AND HIS CLASSES AND HIS PERFORMANCES ARE TALKED ABOUT ENDLESSLY BY OUR STUDENTS AND PARENTS. HE IS ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING PERFORMERS THAT WE HAVE EVER SEEN. HE HAS A WAY OF TEACHING THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. SAMMY IS AN INSPIRING TEACHER AND AN EXCEPTIONAL DANCER. |
| ELIZABETH HERBERT- BALLET AND JAZZ INSTRUCTOR Elizabeth started dancing when she was two years old. She grew up in Fredericksburg, Virginia, training in classical ballet, Broadway and classical jazz, lyrical, and tap. As a teenager, she performed in many ballets with the Spotsylvania Civic Dance Company and competed at some of the dance profession’s first competition circuits. Over the past six years, she has taught ballet and jazz to students of all ages, directed recital shows, and led dance competition teams here in Hampton Roads. She also works as an elementary school teacher in Norfolk, Virginia and as an instructor at the Young Chefs Academy of Ghent. |
