The Barre Dance Studios Teachers and Staff
Michael + Dana Mayo
Owners
Michael and Dana Mayo founded The Barre Dance Studios in Macon, Georgia, in 2024 with a clear vision — to provide elite dance education to students across Middle Georgia in every genre of dance. Their dream came to life through years of training, performance, and professional experience.
Dana began dancing at the age of two in her hometown of Douglas, Georgia, at Regina’s School of Dance. Her passion and dedication led her to earn the prestigious title of Tremaine Dancer of the Year, touring with the Tremaine Dance Convention. This incredible experience allowed her to train and perform alongside some of the industry’s most respected professional dancers and educators, equipping her with a unique set of skills and insights she now shares with her students.
Michael and Dana’s story is rooted in dance — they began dating just before her Tremaine tour, experiencing much of the dance world together. Today, they are committed to employing the very best dance educators and creating unique, enriching performance and training opportunities for their students, bringing in professionals from across the globe. Their mission is simple yet ambitious: to RAISE THE BARRE for dance education in Georgia.
Outside the studio, Michael is an attorney in Macon, and Dana is a pediatrician. Both are proud alumni of Mercer University, where they completed their undergraduate and professional degrees.
Catherine Fuller
Company Instructor
Jazz, Contemporary, Technique + Tap
With over 20 years of dance experience Catherine is excited to jump back into the world of dance. She is a dedicated nurse who was born and raised in Macon, Georgia. She loves to spend time with her husband, Caleb and son, Thomas. She started dancing at age 4 and at age 6 started competing. When she graduated, Catherine began teaching classes ages 3-12, including a few competitive teams. She is excited to be back in the studio to inspire young dancers and support their love for dance.
Airianna Tauanuu
Company Instructor
Choreographer
Contemporary, Lyrical + Tap
Airianna Tauanuu is a Dance Educators of America Certified Instructor, an Industry Dance Awards-nominated choreographer, Hall of Fame Dance Challenge Inductee, Best Choreography recipient (both regionally and nationally) many times over, and the Founder of Dancers for HOPE, a charity event held annually in September to raise funds for childhood cancer. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Kennesaw State University, Airianna enjoys teaching master classes and choreographing for companies throughout the southeast. She has judged both on the local and collegiate level for dance teams, talent shows, and musical theater competitions. Airianna is also a best-selling author of 17 books under her pen name (Cookie O’Gorman). In 2022, Airianna received her Master of Arts degree in technical and professional writing and is currently a faculty member at two studios where she teaches tap and contemporary.
In 2024, Airianna choreographed and produced her first full-length, professional show, Heartstrings. Featuring an amazing cast of professional and pre-professional dancers, it was performed at KSU Dance Theater in Atlanta. Her tap choreography (performed by AT Taps Company) was featured as part of the DC Tap Festival in Washington D.C. Airianna’s contemporary choreography also led to her being nominated PNDC’s Choreographer of the Year for 2025.
Airianna believes that dance can change lives for the better. She loves teaching and strives to help every dancer understand that it is not about perfection but passion and reaching their full potential.
Jordan Kulah
Choreographer
Company Instructor
Ballet, Jazz, Technique, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Strength + Flexibility
Jordan Kulah began her dance training at the age of two at Southern Ballet Theater, studying ballet, tap, modern, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, and lyrical. Over the years, she has excelled both on stage and in competition, attending events such as GHSA Dance Competitions, Radix, Starpower, Celebrity, Hall of Fame, and KAR — where she earned the title of Miss Teen Dance 2019.
Jordan’s leadership and dedication were evident early on; in high school, she captained her competitive dance team and taught at various studios in the Gwinnett County area. She has trained at prestigious summer programs including the Debbie Allen Summer Intensive, Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensive, and Atlanta Ballet Summer Intensive. As a choreographer, she has created award-winning routines for studios and high school dance teams in pom, hip hop, jazz, and lyrical.
In addition to her dance achievements, Jordan has an impressive background in pageantry, having held five titles. Most recently, she was crowned Miss Atlanta after placing First Runner-Up at Miss Georgia.
Jordan is currently a senior at Mercer University, where she studies Neuroscience on the Pre-Medical track and serves as a valued member of the Mercer University Dance Team. She is passionate about combining her performance experience, leadership skills, and love of teaching to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Caroline Mayfield
Ballet, Jazz + Contemporary
Caroline is a dance teacher in the Middle Georgia area who received her Bachelors of Art in Dance from Kennesaw State University. Throughout her time at KSU, she performed with the KSU Dance Company in many performances with works choreographed by Thang Dao, Ivan Pulinkala, Lisa Lock and others.
Before attending KSU, Caroline began her dance training at three years old under Pam Mielarczyk at Dance Dynamics Studio in Macon. She trained there for fourteen years under Melanie Emory, Airianna Tauanuu, Allison Swinson, Miguel Paredes, Kathryn Ginaldi and others. She performed numerous times in the Middle Georgia Nutcracker and with the Middle Georgia Youth Ballet. She also was a finalist and attended the Governor’s Honors Program for Dance in 2014. She later went onto freelance dance in Atlanta, performing at the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, and two residency performances with Fly On a Wall Dance Company.
DeAnte’ Hall
Boys Hip Hop + Musical Theater
Mr. DeAnte’ Hall has a Master’s in Theatre Education and a minor in Dance, with many years teaching and choreographing for students of all ages. He’s directed and choreographed a wide range of productions and is a recurring dance guest artist at both Georgia ThesCon and Jr. ThesCon, an internationally recognized theatre convention. Mr. Hall loves helping young performers grow in confidence, build strong technique, and have fun exploring musical theatre dance through storytelling and movement.
Emily Gilliam
Company Instructor
Acrobatic Arts, Contemporary, Jazz + Technique
Emily Gilliam is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer currently based in Atlanta, GA. She began her training at Heather Wayne’s Performing Arts under the direction of Heather Wayne, studying extensively in jazz, ballet, modern, tap, hip hop, and contemporary.
After graduating high school, Emily moved to Pittsburgh, PA, where she earned her BFA in Jazz Dance with a minor in Business Management from Point Park University.
She has performed with Cherrise Wakeham’s professional contemporary dance company, Project 7, in the 2016 ACE Award–winning show SHE. Emily is currently a member of RISK Contemporary Dance Company under the direction of Brady Michael.
Her performance experience also includes touring nationally as a backup dancer for BAD ROMANCE: A Tribute to Lady Gaga.
Emily is passionate about arts education and is currently teaching the next generation of young artists at SOTA (School of the Arts) at Central Gwinnett High School and at Heather Wayne’s Performing Arts.
Stokely Morgan
Jazz, Tap + Ballet
Stokley is an alumna of Tumble ‘N Dance with over 18 years of dance experience. She has always had an artistic passion that flows out of anything she takes on. Stokley is currently a professional dancer with Atlanta-based company BurlapSakk Dance Company. She has performed in several professional full-length shows and recently performed in the Reconstruct Exhibition in both Hollywood, CA, and Atlanta with the choreography of Liz Borom. Her most recent performance was Heartstrings with Arianna Tauanuu and Light Chasers with Liz Borom.
Stokley also has a passion and love for teaching dance. She currently works at and co-owns Pike County Dance Academy alongside her mom. And she cannot wait to start a new journey with The Barre Dance Studios.
Kyla Coakley
Ballet + Technique
Kyla has been dancing for 14 years, competing for 8 and coaching for 3! She enjoys working with students who are eager to learn as much as possible. Her favorite style of dance is ballet and she has spent the majority of her dance career focused on the technical genre. Her specialty in coaching is private lessons and smaller classes where each student gets the help they need. If you are serious about improving your skills, Kyla is your girl
Jacob Wiederrick
Company Instructor
Jazz, Contemporary, Strength/Flexibility + Technique
Jacob Wiederrich (he/him) is a dance artist and choreographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University along with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He is very passionate about the fusion of dance genres and cultivating authentic movement. He has trained with/performed for choreographers such as Azuki Umeda, Brady Michael, Jackie Sleight, Brian Golden, Justin Giles, and Dylan Mayoral. Jacob has also worked within AU.THENTICITY DANCE CO., a dance collective founded by Azuki Umeda. He has performed in events such as Voices Showcase: Stomping Ground LA, IAF Choreography Exhibition, and more. Jacob was also a member of the LADM Men’s Company from 2016-2018.
He is well-versed in a variety of dance genres including contemporary, hip hop, tap, jazz technique, and more. Jacob is currently a member of Risk Dance Company. As an educator, Jacob is committed to creating a safe learning environment and prioritizing the development of creativity in each student he works with.
Sallie Hart
Mommy + Me Instructor
Sallie is a K4 teacher at Tatnall and a proud mother of two young, exceptionally gifted dancers. With many years of experience as a cheerleading coach, she brings energy, patience, and encouragement to every class she teaches. Sallie led our very first Mommy & Me class — an instant hit with both parents and children — and she loved every moment just as much as they did! Her loving, kind personality makes her the perfect instructor for our youngest dancers, helping them build confidence, coordination, and a lifelong love of dance.
Delia Mayville
Ballet + Jazz
Delia was born and raised in Macon. She danced starting at a very young age. Delia trained at The Madison Studio and Middle Georgia Youth Ballet, and had the privilege of performing in the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia. She recently graduated from Mercer University with a degree in Management and Marketing, where she was also a proud member of the Mercer Dance Team. She is thrilled to bring together her love for dance and passion for working with children, helping inspire the next generation of dancers!
Payton Thomas
Jazz, Ballet + Hip Hop
Miss Payton has been dancing since early childhood, training extensively in jazz, hip hop, and ballet. Most recently, she was a member of Rhythm Dance Centre in Marietta, GA, where she had the opportunity to compete at prestigious events such as League of Champions and Revolution.
In addition to dance, Payton brings a unique background as both a rhythmic gymnast and coach with Chattooga Gymnastics. She has proudly represented the United States on the international stage, performing at the World Gymnastrada in Amsterdam, in Times Square, and at the Gym For All showcase during the Olympic Trials. She also participates in and coaches Wheel Gymnastics, recently performing in Germany at Turnfest.
Payton is deeply committed to teaching and inclusivity. As a Special Olympics coach for Chattooga Gymnastics through USA Gymnastics, she has worked with athletes from across the country and of all abilities. Her dedication to fostering an inclusive environment ensures that every student feels supported, challenged, and celebrated.