Southern Arc Dance Theater is guided by a dedicated group of community leaders who bring experience in healthcare, law, nonprofit service, business, the arts, and community engagement. Together, they provide leadership and support the organization’s mission to make dance and the performing arts accessible throughout Coweta County and beyond.
Dr. Oluwaseun T. Cole is an attending physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology at Piedmont Newnan Hospital. She also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps.
Dr. Cole has served on the Southern Arc Dance Theater Board of Directors for two years and currently serves as Board President. She resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
Jonsie began her teaching career at Harrison Studios and John Abbott College in Canada. After relocating to Georgia, she taught at the Dancer's Collective Theatre and founded Dance South Academy. She has been on the faculty of the Doris Russell School of Performing Arts, Dance Clayton, and the Magdalena Maury School of Classical Ballet. She is the Artistic Director of Georgia Youth Ballet, a nationally ranked Southeastern Regional Ballet Association performing company. Former students have gone on to perform with the Vienna State Opera Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Basel Ballet, Limon Dance Company, Ballet Met, Atlanta Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Nashville Ballet, and Charleston Ballet, or have been accepted to continue their training at Juilliard, NYU, SUNY Purchase, UGA, USF, Butler University, FSU, and London Laban Institute.
Jonsie's musical theater credits include choreography and staging for South Pacific, Finian's Rainbow, Carousel, and West Side Story for Darien (CT) Suburban Theater, Clayton Arts Summer Theater productions of Carousel, Music Man, and The King and I, and Fayette Community Theater's Guys and Dolls, Annie, Music Man, and The Sound of Music. She has also choreographed Sandy Creek High School productions of Hello Dolly!, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, and Little Shop of Horrors. She made her directorial debut with Les Misérables, which received a nomination for Best Overall Production at the 2010 Shuler Hensley Awards.
Frankie L. Hardin has served as Executive Director of One Roof Outreach, a social service agency located in Newnan. She has also worked as a director and artistic director for several theater companies in Virginia.
After serving on the Southern Arc Dance Theater Board of Directors for one year, Frankie now serves as Board Secretary. She resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
Jessica has danced with renowned tap and stage companies including The Honey Taps and The Top Hats, and appeared in numerous productions at Universal Studios Hollywood. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and AGVA, with extensive experience in choreography, motion capture, and performance for the camera.
Passionate about community impact, Jessica serves on the board of the Fostering Dreams Project, teaching dance to foster and at-risk youth. She firmly believes in dance as a powerful tool for self-expression, healing, and helping young people build confidence, set goals, and develop resilience through the arts.
Pamela Gabel is an active community leader who currently serves on the Coweta Community Foundation Board of Directors. In recognition of her community service, she has also been nominated for Coweta County Citizen of the Year.
Pamela chairs the Sustainable Housing Task Force and volunteers with Disaster Services for the American Red Cross. She is in her second year on the Southern Arc Dance Theater Board and has served as Treasurer for one year. She resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
She has worked for studios, professional companies, public schools, and universities, as well as conventions and competitions. Although trained in all disciplines, her favorite styles of dance to share are Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, and Fusion. Dara has also taught dance and choreographed for groups outside of the dance industry, including home schools, special education, retirement homes, gymnasts, and competitive drama departments. In addition to dance instruction and choreography, she enjoys teaching yoga and senior fitness classes such as chair yoga and Ageless Grace. Other certifications she holds include Reiki, Addiction Recovery Specialist, Wellness Coach, and End of Life Doula. Dara’s love for dance has granted her a life of continuous learning, connection, and exploration of both self and others through its tools of discipline, perseverance, and self-expression. She wishes to help you find your own source of happiness, confidence, and inspiration through dance!
John Cunningham is an attorney and municipal court judge who has also served on the Board of Directors of the Coweta Bar Association.
In addition to his legal and community service, John is a bagpiper with the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society’s Oak Hill Pipes and Drums. He is currently in his first year of service with Southern Arc Dance Theater and resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
Jourdan was accepted into the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts' magnet program at Pebblebrook High School. She studied ballet, jazz, and modern dance under the guidance of Mrs. Denise Reeves, Mrs. Cindy Reiser, Mr. Lonnie Davis, Mr. Kenneth Green, and Ms. Eileen Edwards.
After graduating high school, Jourdan was accepted into Valdosta State University's Theatre and Dance program as a dance major, receiving training from Professors Eric Nielsen, Sarah Wildes Arnett, Melissa Pihos, Olin Davidson, and Geoffrey Reynolds.
Jourdan began her professional career as a fitness dance instructor at Valdosta State University Campus Recreation and as a dancer at Wild Adventures Theme Park. Upon graduating from Valdosta State with her BFA in Dance, she currently teaches dance across the Metro Atlanta area. Jourdan is excited about her continued pursuit of passion in dance and teaching!
Phillip Walker serves as a social media supervisor for Delta Air Lines. His volunteer experience includes work with Blickle USA Casters and Wheels, Odyssey Charter School, and Independence High School.
Phillip has served on the Southern Arc Dance Theater Board of Directors for one year. He resides in Sharpsburg, Georgia, in Coweta County.
During the summer of 2019, Phoebe was recognized as a dance finalist in the Governor’s Honors Program, which showcases Georgia's best and brightest. She spent 4 weeks at Berry College training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance for the GHP.
After graduating high school, Phoebe was accepted to Kennesaw State University. She is a double major in business management and dance with a ballet focus.
Phoebe spent high school as an assistant ballet instructor but is now extremely thrilled to be the early childhood instructor for Southern Arc Dance Center.
Loren Audrey Taylor is a Newnan native and the founder and principal of Loren Taylor Interior Design, a boutique design firm known for creating new homes with old souls and bringing new life to historic properties.
An award-winning designer, Loren has been selected to participate in multiple show houses and showcases, and her work has been featured in several notable publications.
Loren is passionate about using her professional gifts to serve others and help individuals and families create a sense of home. Her volunteer contributions have included Furnish with Love, Dwell with Dignity, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, and Edify Teens Ministries.
She is also actively involved locally with the Coweta Democratic Party, the Coweta County branch of the NAACP, and the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society. Loren resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
I started competing at 7 years old, and for the next 20 years, I traveled the world and danced at some of the biggest ballroom competitions, the most famous being the Blackpool Dance Festival in England.
I have trained with some of the top coaches in the world who have played a significant role in shaping me into the dancer I am today.
I am very excited to take you on a journey through the world of Dancesport.
Will Slay Jr. works closely with numerous organizations and businesses throughout the Newnan area. His community involvement includes the Newnan Nonprofit Alliance, Coweta Family Connection, and the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce.
Will also works closely with the Coweta County Director of Special Olympics and the Newnan Cultural Arts Commission. As a founding Board member and now Executive Director, he is proud to have witnessed the continued growth of Southern Arc Dance Theater and its service to the community.
Will resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
Phillip Walker serves as a social media supervisor for Delta Air Lines. His volunteer experience includes work with Blickle USA Casters and Wheels, Odyssey Charter School, and Independence High School.
Phillip has served on the Southern Arc Dance Theater Board of Directors for one year. He resides in Sharpsburg, Georgia, in Coweta County.
During the summer of 2019, Phoebe was recognized as a dance finalist in the Governor’s Honors Program, which showcases Georgia's best and brightest. She spent 4 weeks at Berry College training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance for the GHP.
After graduating high school, Phoebe was accepted to Kennesaw State University. She is a double major in business management and dance with a ballet focus.
Phoebe spent high school as an assistant ballet instructor but is now extremely thrilled to be the early childhood instructor for Southern Arc Dance Center.
Paulo Manso de Sousa has been an active member of the dance and arts community for more than 50 years. His distinguished career includes work as a professional ballet dancer, choreographer, instructor, coach, and artistic director.
As the founding Artistic Director of Southern Arc Dance Theater, Paulo brings his lifelong love of the arts to the community through educational demonstrations at local schools, pop-up classes at conferences and workshops, movement classes for children and adults with special needs, and professional ballet theater performances.
Paulo resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
An award-winning designer, Loren has been selected to participate in multiple show houses and showcases, and her work has been featured in several notable publications.
Loren is passionate about using her professional gifts to serve others and help individuals and families create a sense of home. Her volunteer contributions have included Furnish with Love, Dwell with Dignity, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, and Edify Teens Ministries.
She is also actively involved locally with the Coweta Democratic Party, the Coweta County branch of the NAACP, and the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society. Loren resides in Newnan, Georgia, in Coweta County.
I started competing at 7 years old, and for the next 20 years, I traveled the world and danced at some of the biggest ballroom competitions, the most famous being the Blackpool Dance Festival in England.
I have trained with some of the top coaches in the world who have played a significant role in shaping me into the dancer I am today.
I am very excited to take you on a journey through the world of Dancesport.
