Meet our team

Brittany Baker took ownership of the Performing Arts Center in 2021. She is originally from Niceville, Florida, and moved to New Albany in 2016 after marrying Eric Baker who is from New Albany. She and Eric have two young children of their own. Brittany loves people and building relationships with her students and their families. As the owner of the PAC, her favorite thing is seeing the amazing amount of growth that takes place in each student from the very first day and every week after. She believes she has the best group of instructors who each share a huge part of what makes the PAC so successful.

At the PAC, Melanie strives to not only build upon skill level, but also build confidence. What kid doesn't want to feel like they can conquer the world? So, it's a joy for her to be able to see students grow; to see them believe in themselves and love what they do at the same time. Melanie is a former Cheer captain at East Union, and had a decorated collegiate career in cheer including Ole Miss and Itawamba Community College.

Lexie has been dancing since the age of 3. Throughout her high school years, she danced competitively at Legacy Dance Academy. After high school, she danced at Northeast Mississippi Community College as a Tiger Dancer. She was also on Pom Squad for two years, where she served as captain her sophomore year. Dance has always been a big part of Lexie's life that she never wants to let go of. She is so grateful for the opportunity the PAC has given her to teach what she loves to kids who love it just as much as she does. To her, dance is so much more than turns and leaps. It's a character building skill that has made her who she is today. Her favorite thing is watching these kids grow as dancers and as people.

Apart from teaching dance, Katelin is a dental hygienist. In her free time, Katelin enjoys spending time with her family and being crafty! She is from New Albany, and still currently lives there with her Papaw so that she can take care of him. Her Papaw is also her hero. She has an entire essay dedicated to why he is her hero that was written in high school. He has taught her to always keep her head up and work hard for what she wants. She loves teaching dance to all her kiddos. Every single child is special in their own way and she loves seeing their character shine through dancing. She took dance through the PAC for 13 years and she is so thankful that God has allowed her to be able to teach the very thing that she loves. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" and she is doing just that.

A 10 year ballet veteran, Nita began her dance career at Dance Divine in Starkville, Mississippi. In the summer of 2021, Nita and her family moved to New Albany and she joined up with the PAC shortly thereafter. Since she was very little, Nita has wanted to be a ballet teacher; so getting to teach these sweet, tiny ballerinas has been a dream come true. Her favorite genres of dance include modern, lyrical, jazz, and ballet en pointe. She has also developed a love of musical theatre and has quite a collection of Disney princesses to show for it... Jasmine, Belle, Anna, and Fiona are a few of the characters she has portrayed. A couple of strong Christian women jump out as role models in Nita's life. Her first grade teacher, Mrs. Laura Jordan, from whom she learned to appreciate the qualities of a good teacher, is one of her earliest mentors. And Mrs. Rebekah Johnson, whose children were Nita's first babysitting clients, has made a lasting impact by always treating her like an adult. Nita has been so grateful for this amazing opportunity to sharpen these learned skills and have an impact on young dancers.

Kenley has been dancing since she was 8. She started competitively dancing in 8th grade. Kenley has experience in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, and gymnastics. She's had the privilege of learning from some of the best, like Barry Youngblood, Lexi Juliano, Leslie Rutledge-Syring, and many different Rebelettes! Kenley served as cheer captain her senior year in high school, which is where she learned that she had a passion for choreography. Kenley made many halftime dances/performances for her cheer squad. Kenley made her first routine in 8th grade and was then given the opportunity to teach the routine to the high school cheerleaders. That opportunity is what opened her heart up to teaching and gave her a small insight to what she would soon be capable of doing as an instructor! Kenley absolutely loves seeing the joy in her students' eyes when he/she achieves a skill/move that they've been working towards. Dance has always been a blessing in her life. She always says the family a studio brings you is something very few get to experience and she is so lucky to be apart of one like the PAC!

Annsley Coleman is our preschool and toddler gym instructor who infuses every lesson with a love for music and movement. Drawing from her background as a former competitive gymnast and a current New Albany High School cheerleader, Annsley brings energy, discipline, and creativity to the gym. Annsley's love for music was showcased when she played Mary Poppins in New Albany High School's production of Mary Poppins. This experience continues to influence her teaching style, as she incorporates singing and music in lessons as frequently as possible. At the heart of Annsley's teaching philosophy is a commitment to raising confident and kind-hearted individuals. She aims to create an environment where every child feels loved while learning the values of discipline and respect. Annsley's goal is for each child to leave her class not just as better athletes, but as better, kinder, people, ready to take on the world with confidence and compassion.