Berrien Long, director/owner, began her ballet studies in Dalton in 1961.  She studied in the summers at the Atlanta School of Ballet from 1966-68 with Robert Barnett, Merrilee Smith, Carl Radcliff and Joanne Lee.  At Texas Christian University, she studied as a dance major with Fernando Shaffenberg, Jerry Bywaters-Cochran and Ellen Page.  She graduated from the University of Georgia, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B. S. in mathematics in 1977.  While at UGA, she danced with Stanley Zompakos and the Athens Ballet Theatre.  In 1978 she danced on scholarship at the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York with Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook.  Berrien returned to Dalton where she has taught ballet for 30 years and directed the first dance company in Dalton, which she created in 1980.  Her performance experience includes the lead, Swanhilda, in Chattanooga Ballet’s Coppelia and in the Nutcracker she has danced the roles of Sugar Plum Fairy, Dewdrop, Arabian and Marzipan soloists at Ballet Tennessee.  Recently she spent 4 weeks studying with David Howard at his teachers training program at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.  She serves on the Georgia Governor’s Honors Dance Panel and has served on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Association of Dance and the Dance Panel for the Georgia Council for the Arts.  Berrien is married to Mickey Long and is the proud mother of Jo Beth and Lilly.

Jo Beth Thompson, associate director/owner, graduated from the University of Alabama in 2004 earning a B.S. degree in Human Environmental Sciences with a major in interior design.  While at the university she continued her dance studies with Cornelius Carter, the Carnegie professor of the year, 2001, and Rita Snyder in the University of Alabama Dance Department.  A dance student of her mother, Berrien Long, for 13 years, she has also studied with Marelle Carter, Marcus Alford of Dancentre South, and Anna and Barry Van Cura of Ballet Tennessee.  She studied in the summers at the Atlanta Player’s Performing Arts Camp, the International Ballet Competition workshop in Jackson, Mississippi, Charleston Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives, and the Tennessee Association of Dance Workshops.  She was a member of Dalton Ballet Theatre from 1994-2000.  You may remember seeing Jo Beth perform in Nutcracker as Clara, Snow Queen, Dewdrop, Marzipan, Arabian, Columbine, Flowers, Snow, Candy Cane, Chinese Tea duet, party girl, party boy, the maid, Mother Ginger’s children, a soldier and a mouse.  Dance Theatre of Dalton is pleased to have Jo Beth bring her talents back to Dalton to teach and choreograph.  She and her husband, Chad Thompson, live in Dalton.

Ryann Ellis began her young dance and gymnastic training with her mother, Linda Ray at Linda Ray’s Academy of Dance (later known as Body Mechanix).  She studied ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics for many years and competed in numerous dance competitions including Dance Masters, Dance Caravan, Star Power and Rising Star.  Her teachers included Marcus Alford, Frank Hatchett, Hank Crabtree and has taken classes in NYC at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway.  Ryann taught for 10 years, hand in hand with her mom Linda Ray at Body Mechanix.  After Linda retired in 2004, Ryann joined Berrien Long and continues her energetic, imaginative and strong technique-based jazz, tap, and gymnastic teaching at the Dance Theatre of Dalton. Ryann, who is also a Realtor with Century 21, is married to Mark Ellis and enjoys spending time with Marlee and Counsel.

Lori Beth Edgeman, dance instructor, graduated from Dalton High School and earned her B.S. in education from Georgia State University.  She began her dance training with Berrien Long and was Dalton’s first “Clara” in the Nutcracker.  She continued her dance training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York where she studied ballet, jazz, and modern.  She was a member of the Georgia State University Dance Ensemble and has taught dance at the Studio One School of Dance in Blue Ridge.  Lori Beth offers private acting/singing coaching from her home.  Her performances on stage include productions of “Godspell” and “The Other Five Percent”, and her recent film credits are “‘3’ The Dale Earnhardt Story” for ESPN, HBO Pictures’ “Warm Springs,” and the role of Bethany in the recent film “A Dance for Bethany.” She can be seen in theatres in the fall of 2010 in the release of "Get Low" starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray. Lori Beth is married to Steve Edgeman and has a 3 year old daughter, Emery.

Mimi Evans, gym instructor/assistant office manager, is a Dalton native.   She is a 1978 graduate the University of Georgia with a BS in physical education. While at UGA she was a member of the JV gymnastic team and a UGA cheerleader.  She also taught tumbling and cheerleading at the Athens YMCA. After UGA, Mimi taught physical education for 5 years in Chattanooga and Dalton, also teaching tumbling at the Chattanooga YMCA and coaching diving for Dalton High School.  Mimi has taught tumbling and gymnastic for 22 years in Dalton and continues to enjoy every minute of it.  She is married to Terry Evans, and has 2 grown children, Laura and Terry, Jr.

Bettye Jo Wilson was the Artistic Director/instructor/choreographer of her own studio in Tennessee for many years. Beginning dance at the age of 3 opened doors for her to dance in operettas, cheerleading, high school dance team, college dance company, solo dancer in a professional musical, and her current profession of dance instructor. She studied dance with Betty Wing and the late Rose Marie Stein and Bill Feney. She continued her dance education at the University of Arkansas for three years and one year at Henderson State University where she received the theatre arts award for “Best Choreographer.” She taught liturgical for many years starting dance companies at many churches. She has also studied at classes and workshops given by Ballet Magnificat of Jackson, Mississippi, Christian Dance Fellowship USA, Jerusalem Worship Dance, Sondance, Randal Bane (David’s House), Randall Flinn (Ad Diem Dance Company), Valerie Henry and Mikhael Murnane. Besides dance, Bettye Jo loves talking about her husband, Wayne, her children and grandchildren. Her hobby/second profession is interior design.

Vince Gully, from Marietta, Georgia, teaches classes in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical as well as all levels of Hip Hop and Tap through Georgia. Prior to teaching, Vince was a feature dancer on several regional TV dance shows and an accomplished break dancer.  He also enjoyed back up dancing for local and major recording artists. Vince has an Associate Arts degree in Music Education from Jones College in Laurel, MS. Vince has choreographed numerous high scoring routines at Regional and National dance competitions. The versatile Mr. Gully is a featured teacher for Jazz on Tap on Tour and also serves on the review board of the Grassroots Arts program for Cobb County.

Melissa Johnson began her dance career at the age of 3, at Bonnie’s School of Dance in East Tennessee, and continued to dance there for the next 14 years training in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap. After graduating from Jefferson County High School, she continued her dance career at The Dance Experience where she continued studying ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop for the next 4 years and where she was an assistant teacher for three years. She has danced in a Fan Fair commercial in Nashville and in a Country Music Video in Atlanta. She received a Paralegal degree from Walter State Community College. In 2006, she began teaching at East Tennessee Dance Academy where she taught and choreographed ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop for 3 years. She and her family moved to Dalton in 2009. She and her husband L.B. have two wonderful children Brittney and Brandon.

Melanie Hammontree, art teacher, has been painting for over 15 years on canvases, walls, tables, and every creative space you can imagine.  She graduated from Dalton High School and Kennesaw State University.  She is passionate about painting and enjoys sharing her love of art with others.  She is married to Curt Hammontree and is the proud mother of Rhett and Blake.