Our Team

MAD Company Team Director

Artistic Director

Dance Educator

Choreographer

Originally from Detroit, Mi, Kori Ross started dancing and competing at the age of nine in her hometown studio The Dance Place. Her Path to becoming a professional dancer began in 1996 while attending Jazz Dance World Congress in Washington D.C. It was there she received a two year apprentice scholarship to study with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. During that time she performed with GGJDC, as well as dancing in local industrials and began substitute teaching at the Giordano studio. This was an opportunity that had given her the foundation to be a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. Two years later she came to the Gulf Coast and became a company member with Pure Gold Productions. It was there she was promoted to lead dancer and co-choreographer at the age of twenty one. For the next five years she performed and choreographed in a number of casinos and shows around the country. This was an experience that she can now reflect on her students today of what it takes to be a professional dancer.

For the past twenty years Kori has been a dance educator and national award winning choreographer along with judging dance competitions and convention teaching. She is currently on faculty at Broadway South Dance in Mobile AL along with being one of the artistic directors of their competitive company BSD. She is also a faculty member at Robinson Dance in Saraland AL, Infinity Dance Company in Ocean Springs Ms, as well as teaching Master Classes all along the southern coast from Florida to Louisiana. She has trained students who hold National Titles, have been awarded National Scholarships, along with dancers who have attended or are attending prestigious schools in New York and Los Angeles. Kori has trained dancers who are successful professionals in the industry today.

Annie Beard

MAD Company Team Assistant

Dance Educator

Choreographer

Annie started her career training at Broadway South Dance. After two years of training under Broadway South’s Performance Group (intermediate team), she auditioned and made Broadway South Dance Company (advanced team). While on company, Annie went to various competitions and conventions to compete against many young dancers from across the country. Many conventions include DanceMakersInc. (DMI), West Coast Dance Explosion (WCDE), New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA), NRG, Art of Movement, Hollywood Vibe, LA Dance Magic (LADM), Streetz Dance Convention, and more! She also had many opportunities to work with well-known professional dancers and choreographers who set pieces with her studio’s company. Manyof which include Matt Cady, Blake McGrath, Erica Sobol, Tommy Alexander, Ricky Lam, Jaci Royal, etc.

As Annie was approaching the idea of a professional career, she decided to attend University of the Arts in Philadelphia to study Dance for her BFA. After over a year of training professionally under the guidance of many brilliant teachers, such as Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Paul Matteson, Katie Swords-Thurman and even Tommie Waheed, she decided to pursue her career in becoming a teacher and mentor herself. Annie wishes to “plant a seed” in young kids, just like her mentors have done for her, and inspire young kids. Just as she has discovered in herself, she wishes to teach young kids how to truly find themselves through art and exploring different ways to do so in dance, whether it is through dancing, journaling, or meditative practices.

Breleigh Joiner

Dance Educator

Hip Hop Instructor

Choreographer

Makaylah McArthur

Dance Educator

Makaylah began her dance journey at the age of two. She has been dancing for 14 years and is still in love with dancing. She has a strong passion for dance and enjoys working with children, so having the opportunity to become a dance teacher has her thrilled to start this new journey. She has been assisting in multiple classes under the guidance of some wonderful teachers throughout the recent years that have inspired her to leading a class of her own. She has grown to love teaching young kids and is very eager to spark a fire in the young minds of dancers. She hopes that through her guidance they will share in her love for dance and creativity. Makaylah is excited to start her new dance teaching career at Miley’s Academy of Dance this season.

Breleigh trained at Broadway South Dance Studio for 8 years where she competed on the competition team. On the competition team, she had the opportunity to be in numbers choreographed by well-known professional dancers and choreographers such as Erica Sobol and Mark Villaver. While on company, she competed at many conventions such as DanceMakersInc, NRG, LA Dance Magic (LADM), Streetz Dance Convention and many more. She has found dance as a peace in the storm and hopes to spread that with all of her students to come. Bre wants to use the art of movement to help these kids develop as people while helping them grow as dancers.

Kyleigh Wilson

On Call Dance Instructor

Kyleigh Wilson began dancing at the age of two. She danced for one year at Donna’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, and she moved to Joleen’s Starz of the South in 2005, when she first opened. She began dancing on the competition team at the age of eight. Once Kyleigh got to her junior year of high school, she began dancing for the St. Martin High School dance team. During her time of the competition dance team at St. Martin, she won the state championship in MHSAA Jazz. She continued dancing after high school as an MGCCC Perkette. Her sophomore year she was a part of the competition team there and won third place in the UDA College Nationals in the Open Jazz category. When she left MGCCC, she moved to William Carey University. She decided it was time to focus on school and put a lot of her dancing to the side for a while, but she still taught a few classes at Joleen’s Starz of the South when she could. Kyleigh is now teaching preschool age ballet classes in Hattiesburg through the company Stretch-n-Grow. At the end of the summer, Kyleigh will graduate from William Carey University with her Bachelors in Biology with a minor in Psychology, and then in August she will begin the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at William Carey. Kyleigh loves to dance and create so much, and she is so excited to continue that at Mikey’s Academy of Dance.

Cassie Fitzgerald

On Call Dance Instructor

Cassie Fitzgerald began dancing at the age of seven. She has danced at Joleen’s Starz of the South for eleven years and has been on the competition team for five years. Over the years she fell in love with Hip Hop and Jazz causing her love for dance to flourish. At the end of the summer she will move to Mobile to pursue a degree in Nursing at The University of South Alabama. Cassie is so excited to teach this summer at Miley’s Academy of Dance, and she hopes to help grow the younger generations love for dance!

Nathan and Dana started their journey together in 2007 when they met at The Grand Casino in Biloxi, MS. They have accomplished many goals throughout the years together, including both attending college and graduating in 2010 with multiple degrees. Dana has used her nursing degree to become a cardiac nurse at a local hospital, while also developing a photography business on the side to follow her passion in the art. While Nathan pursued his passion in the automotive industry by opening a mechanic shop in Biloxi, MS. When they decided to purchase their first home together they looked at several dozen homes finding the house they now call home in Vancleave, MS. They chose this location because of the small town humbleness and excellent school system. They felt in their hearts that this would be the best place to raise their three daughters. When first moving to Vancleave they enrolled their daughters in the local dance studio where they fell in love with the art of dancing. Fast forward a decade, a new opportunity landed into their hands, opening a Dance and photography studio in Vancleave. They are 100% dedicated to bringing their new businesses to Vancleave, Ms and making it a place where dancers will thrive by falling in love with the art of dancing. Nathan, Dana and their three daughters look forward to working with everyone in Vancleave, Ms and surrounding communities.

Nathan and Dana Kostmayer

Studio Owners

Studio Directors