Our Staff
Kaley Etheridge
Owner/Director/Instructor/Choreographer
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Kaley began studying dance at age three. From the moment she put on her first pair of dance shoes, it was clear that dance was forever going to be a part of her life. Since she was a little girl, she dreamed of owning her own dance studio and sharing her love for dance with others. Growing up, Kaley danced at several dance studios throughout Lakeland, studying ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, broadway, lyrical, contemporary, and partnering. She was also a part of the performance company at Rebekah's Sole in Motion. In 2010, she began an apprenticeship under the instruction of Rebekah McLeod, at Rebekah's Sole in Motion, and continued her training until 2012. Then, in 2012, she began her career as an instructor and choreographer at Rebekah's Sole in Motion. There, she taught multiple classes covering various genres of dance. In 2016, the dream for Southern Grace Dance Company was placed on her heart, and her vision grew from there. She wanted to create a wholesome environment where dancers could flourish and grow not only into beautiful dancers, but also learn through the discipline of dance, how a person of grace should carry themselves.
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Elizabeth Barwick
Instructor/Choreographer
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Elizabeth has always had a passion for dance. She grew up dancing at the Brandon School of the Dance Arts and later moved to Rebekah’s Sole in Motion. She studied ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop, and musical theatre and was also a member of the performance company at Rebekah’s Sole in Motion. In 2012, Elizabeth began teaching hip-hop and ballet classes at Rebekah’s Sole in Motion until she left for college. She attended the University of Mississippi and earned a Bachelors of Science in Hospitality Management. After graduation she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and worked in hotel management for Chartwell Hospitality. In 2018 she returned home to Florida and joined the staff at Southern Grace Dance Co. where she taught a variety of styles of dance to students of all ages. A career change later moved her to Oxford, Mississippi where she pursued a career as a cake decorator at a well known bakery. After 3 years she felt it was time to come back home for good. She has joined the Southern Grace staff once again and is thrilled to do what she is passionate about. She believes that dance provides structure and a sense of commitment for children while instilling a confidence that will last a lifetime.
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Julie Ellison
Tap Instructor/Choreographer
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Julie’s first experience performing came at the age of two, as she tap danced alongside her sister at the local Shriner’s Club. It was during this time that dance became a defining part of Julie’s life. She studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, acrobatics and modern dance under the direction of Debra Coe and Amanda Bell at Amanda’s Dance Center (formerly Debco Dance) in South Daytona. As a young dancer Julie attended workshops, competitions and scholarship auditions across the state of Florida with Florida Dance Masters and DANCEAMERICA-Dance Olympus where she had the opportunity to study with many master teachers. During college the need for dance still ran through her veins and after completing her Masters Degree in Human Nutrition she found her way back to the living art of dance. It was in 2012 that Julie got the privilege to share her love of dance with her own students. Through this experience she realized how sharing the discipline of dance can enrich so many other lives and she is so grateful to be a part of the Southern Grace family.
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Annie Mears
Instructor/Choreographer
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After a year off, Mrs. Annie is returning to our team! She has taught dance for several years and has extensive training in many styles of dance. She is passionate about teaching and is amazing with our dancers. We couldn't be more excited to welcome her back!
*Full bio coming soon! |
Emily Wenglarz
Hip-Hop Instructor/Choreographer
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Emily came to us from Indiana, having moved to Lakeland in late 2020. She graduated from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, majoring in Business Management as well as a minor in Dance. She began dancing at age 3 at Backstage Studio of Dance. It did not take long for her to find her passion for dance and began taking more and more classes. Emily has experience in Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Jazz, Celtic and Ballroom. As the years went on, Emily became more confident in herself on stage and excelled. She danced with Backstage Studio of Dance for 17 years. She was a member of the competition team and received countless awards for group dances, trios and solos. Emily and the competition team danced at the World of Dance Competition at Disney World and took master classes with Dancing with the Stars pro, Lindsay Arnold and choreographer, Geo Hubela. She was a mentor to the younger ones and helped teach dance at the studio she attended. 17 years was not enough dancing for her. She went on to dance at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN and minored in Dance. She took ballroom classes, was a part of some dance clubs and was on the Saint Mary’s Dance team for three years, also Vice President of the dance team. While in college, she taught dance to Special needs adults as well and really enjoyed seeing their smiling faces while dancing. Emily not only danced on stage, she expressed herself in her performance, and released her feelings, leading with her heart and soul and left everything she had on that stage. Dancing is so much more to Emily, and she is excited to share this passion with others.
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Makayla Taylor
Instructor
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Makayla has been dancing since the age of 4 training in Ballet, Lyrical/Contemporary, Pointe, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Acro, and Musical Theater. She has trained under many instructors in the Lakeland area, but the majority of her training was done under the instruction of Rebekah McLeod and Kaley Etheridge. During her time at Rebekah’s Sole in Motion, she was a part of their performance company. She later went on to join Southern Grace Dance Co. where she continued her training under Miss Kaley as well as the other instructors including: Mrs. Julie, Mrs. Annie, and Miss Emily. With the dream of becoming an instructor, she began her time working with young dancers in the classroom as an assistant before joining the team as an instructor. Makayla has a passion for working with kids and a love for dance, so she is very excited to teach the dancers at Southern Grace.
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Gabriella Peralez
Instructor
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Gabriella began dancing at the age of 5, and immediately knew this art form was something worth pursuing. She began her training in Clermont Academy of Dance, then continued building her craft at The Dance Collective. During her time as a competitive dancer in Orlando, Gabriella trained in various genres such as ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, modern, pointe, and acro as well as earning several regional and national competitive titles. She has learned from industry performers such as Tiler Peck and Alex Wong through events at Dancewear Corner, as well as participating in the Valencia College Summer Dance Institution for two consecutive years. Gabriella is currently a student at South Eastern University, and is excited to not only continue her academics and personal dance journey, but share her passion for dance with the next generation of artists.
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Michelle Etheridge
Receptionist, Office Manager
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Michelle has been a part of the dance world for many years. She has spent countless hours in dance studios watching, supporting, and encouraging her daughter, Miss Kaley, so she is well acquainted with the life of a dance mom. She has played a very active role dream, vision, and start of Southern Grace Dance Co. The studio wouldn't be what it is today without her support, help and encouragement. Michelle is very in tune with the needs of a dance studio which makes her vital to our team, as she carries many roles. She is the friendly face in our lobby, she helps manage our daily office needs, and she is there to encourage and help inside the classroom when needed as well. We couldn't be more blessed to have Michelle on our team!
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