Welcome to Excellence
Get to Know Us
Learn all about SSDA and who we are.
Welcome to Excellence
Learn all about SSDA and who we are.
Discover what drives us and the principles that guide SSDA
Founded in 2014, Sapphire Studio Dance Academy has grown alongside the Liberty community from a small, one-room studio into a multi-room, year-round dance program serving dancers of all ages.
Over the years, thousands of classes, performances, parades, competitions, community events, friendships, and memories have shaped who we are today. While SSDA has grown, our heart has remained the same: creating a place where dancers are challenged, encouraged, celebrated, and given opportunities to shine.
We want SSDA dancers to grow up remembering more than the dances they learned. We want them to remember the first hard thing they finally accomplished, the Bravo Buck they were proud to earn, the friendships built in the studio, the excitement of performing in their community, the teacher who challenged them, and the moment they realized, “I can do this.”
Because eventually they will leave the dance floor and our goal is for the confidence, leadership, resilience, and memories they built here to leave with them.
To develop confident leaders through movement by creating an environment where dancers are challenged, encouraged, recognized, given opportunities to lead and perform, and surrounded by people who believe they can do hard things.
Leadership is intentionally taught.
Leadership isn't something we hope dancers pick up along the way. It is built into the SSDA experience through monthly leadership topics, classroom conversations, goal setting, personal responsibility, teamwork, and opportunities for dancers to lead by example.
We recognize more than talent.
Our Bravo Bucks reward dancers for the things that matter beyond getting a step right - hard work, kindness, improvement, perseverance, leadership, and great choices in the classroom. We want dancers to learn that effort and character deserve to be celebrated too.
We believe dancers need opportunities to shine.
Recital shouldn't be the only time a dancer gets to experience performing. Throughout the year, SSDA looks for opportunities to take dance beyond our studio walls through festivals, parades, sporting events, community performances, competitions, and other local events. Performing teaches dancers how to prepare, adapt, work together, and confidently show up in front of others.
We make room for community.
Our lobby is always open because relationships matter here. Families and friends have a place to sit, talk, laugh, form friendships, and build community while their dancers are in class.
“We Can Do Hard Things” isn't just a saying.
Dancers will encounter steps they can't do yet, corrections that challenge them, performances that make them nervous, and days when they'd rather give up. We teach them that struggling with something doesn't mean they can't do it. Sometimes it simply means they haven't done it yet.
We celebrate who dancers are becoming.
Awards and recognition at SSDA aren't limited to the strongest technician. Programs like the MJS Award give us an opportunity to recognize qualities such as passion, artistry, growth, character, and the way a dancer contributes to those around them.
Welcome to Excellence
Learn all about SSDA and who we are.
The passionate people behind our success
Our diverse team brings together expertise from various fields to deliver exceptional results for our dancers. Get to know the professionals who make it all possible.
Dance and performance have been part of April's life from the beginning. Raised by a mother with a background in ballet and ballroom dance and a father in the singing and entertainment industry, she grew up surrounded by music, movement, and live performance. April began clogging at age seven and competed throughout high school and college in ACHF- and CCA-sanctioned events, earning multiple Overall Freestyle titles at the NC State Fair. She began teaching and choreographing in 2010 and later completed the Certified Clogging Instructors Education Program. Her competitive and coaching career has included ACHF Senior All-American and Team of the Decade recognition, National Championship titles, and coaching All-American Team recipients. Following the loss of her brother, April was reminded how short life can be and decided to pursue the work she felt called to do. In 2014, she founded SSDA, in honor of her brother’s birthstone (The Blue Sapphire). What began as a one-room studio has grown into a three-room, year-round program focused on developing confident leaders through movement. April believes dance education extends far beyond teaching steps. She is passionate about building confident, resilient dancers, preserving the traditional roots of clogging while embracing its evolution, and creating opportunities for dancers to shine. Above all, she hopes her students leave with incredible memories, confidence in who they are becoming, and a lifelong love of dance. And, of course, the ability to clap on beat. Always.
Ms Brandy is the bomb . com. Bio to come.
Ms. Talie is a Liberty Native that began dancing at the age of 2. She trained in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, acrobatics, and hip hop, at the Center of Performing Arts in Graham, NC. She was a competitive dancer there for many years. Talie graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC where she studied Musical Theatre under previous and current Broadway artists. After graduating she worked as a touring educational children’s theatre actor for many years traveling the country. This path led her to move to Alaska where she spent 5 very beautiful, very cold years. There she worked as a theatre director/ actor as well as an early learning lead educator teaching preschool students. She realized there were no dance opportunities for the youth in her rural town so she started her own dance program called the Skagway School of Dance. She taught ballet, jazz, creative movement, as well as dance fitness for adults. In 2025 she moved back to her hometown to be closer to family; and with hopes of increasing her Vitamin D level, which has been lacking thanks to multiple Alaskan Winters. She is overjoyed to join the Sapphire Studio Dance Family and give back to her community!
Ms. Lindsey grew up dancing and cheering and has always loved how dance allows people to have fun, express themselves, and build confidence. She has a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Parks Management with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation from UNC Greensboro. Her professional experience includes working with children and adults of all abilities, including individuals with neurodivergent disorders. Ms. Lindsey teaches Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap, and Tumble. She loves creating a positive and encouraging environment where every student can develop new skills, express their creativity, and discover their own love for dance. Outside the studio, Ms. Lindsey enjoys life on the farm with her husband, Colton, and their daughter, Vivian.
Mr Orion is the coolest. Bio to come.
Ms Kaitlyn is amazin'. Bio to come.
Ms. Savannah has grown from an SSDA dancer into one of the studio’s newest educators. For the past two years, she has served as a teaching apprentice, receiving hands-on training in clogging instruction, classroom leadership, choreography, and working with young dancers. Her dance training extends beyond clogging to include lyrical, ballet, jazz, and hip hop, and she has gained additional classroom experience assisting with SSDA’s Pre-Level dancers. As a competitive clogger, Savannah has earned ACHF National Championship titles both as a soloist and alongside her team, as well as placements in NCHC and CCA-sanctioned competitions. Her journey reflects the perseverance we strive to develop in every SSDA dancer. She continued training throughout the challenges of COVID and has consistently demonstrated determination, commitment, and a willingness to grow. From student to competitor, apprentice, and now educator, Ms. Savannah is a wonderful example of what it means to grow through the SSDA program and step into leadership.
Welcome to Excellence
Learn all about SSDA and who we are.
These students demonstrated true passion and artistry, receiving a full year of dance scholarship to SSDA.
