Timberlane Arts and Dance Academy LLC
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Timberlane Arts & Dance Academy Faculty
2018-2019
Sarah Brown
Owner, Dance Director, Instructor
Ms. Sarah has been teaching and choreographing dance for sixteen years. She graduated from Florida State University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education . Starting at the age of 4, Sarah began taking dance classes and immediately found one of her passions. She began taking piano lessons at the age of 10 which furthered her love for music and the arts. Upon graduating from college, Sarah taught pre-k, kindergarten, first grade and Title 1 and she found another passion in life… working with children. In 2001, Sarah was elected Teacher of The Year in Gadsden County.
Today, Sarah is doing what she loves most, teaching children the art of dance and music. She specializes in pre-ballet, ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and Irish step dancing. In 2015, Sarah organized TADA's first professional irish step dancing company, Capital Celtic Dancers. In 2018, she and her sister and fellow teacher Elizabeth Rankin organized TADA's children's singing choir, Voices of Hope. She was the Event Chair for the 2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and is currently a Director on the Stubbs Educational Foundation Board. Taking over ownership of Stubbs' Music Center and Jingle Jam Inc., Sarah is excited to offer both dance and music lessons to students of all ages.
Elizabeth Rankin
Dance Instructor
Ms. Elizabeth has been teaching students of all ages for the past 16 years. After graduating with a Master's degree in Special Education from Florida State University, she taught elementary and middle-school students for 2 years. Elizabeth began teaching preschool when she moved to Alabama, educating pre-kindergarten students for 11 years. She also directed her church's preschool children's choir and taught Sunday School for 5 years. Elizabeth has been ringing handbells and singing in church choirs for many years as well.
Elizabeth began taking dance lessons at the age of 4, learning ballet, tap, jazz and pointe. She began taking piano lessons in elementary school and enjoys teaching piano to students of all ages. She also enjoys teaching Jingle Jam lessons to preschool children in Tallahassee. We welcomed Elizabeth to the TADA staff in the summer of 2014 and are thrilled she is on our team!
Marissa is a Tallahassee native who started dancing at the age of six after obsessing over all things ballet since she can remember. Marissa has subsequently danced, competed, and performed in numerous styles of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip-hop, pom-pom, and even folk dance.
Her favorite dance experiences include Royal Academy of Dance examinations, Disney Magic Music Days, taking classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, Access Broadway competitions, being a part of the award winning DancEffects team in Tallahassee, and performing in Quincy Music Theatre’s Sweet Charity (2012) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (2017). She also recently choreographed Quincy Music Theatre’s production of Annie (2017).
Marissa was Assistant Director for the afterschool program School’s Out in the South Burlington, Vermont School District and worked in many capacities within the school district as a paraeducator, substitute teacher, and tutor. She also directed many summer camps for children in Vermont ages 5 and up. Marissa subsequently moved back to Tallahassee and tutored and directed summer camps with the Magnolia School.
Marissa has been a dance instructor and choreographer for fourteen years and has taught ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre dance, and hip-hop with Eastern Dance Association, The Edge Dance and Fitness, The Arts at Good Samaritan, Fusion 802 in South Burlington, Vermont and now TADA. She is beyond excited to work with the TADA dancers and start the first year of TADA Performance Company with Ms. Lindsey <3
Our Faculty
Our team is growing!
Leslie Earnest
Dance Instructor
Mrs. Leslie graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. She taught elementary school in her hometown of Panama City for 6 years. Since age 4, Leslie has been involved in dance, gymnastics and cheerleading. Leslie was an All-American Cheerleader and co-captain of her high school squad. She continued her love of cheer, gymnastics and dance in college, cheering at Gulf Coast CC.
Leslie continued coaching cheerleading teams and teaching Jazzercise well into adulthood. After moving to Tallahassee with her husband and 3 children, Leslie began Irish Step Dancing at Killearn Performing Arts and danced the role of the Summer Queen in their original Irish-Ballet, "The Snow Queen".
Leslie is currently dancing with her long-time friend, Ms. Sarah, in the Capital Celtic Dancers and teaching Princess Pre-Ballet and Mommy & Me Ballet. She is so happy that she gets to combine her love of dance and children everyday while teaching her precious dancers at TADA!
Leslie continued coaching cheerleading teams and teaching Jazzercise well into adulthood. After moving to Tallahassee with her husband and 3 children, Leslie began Irish Step Dancing at Killearn Performing Arts and danced the role of the Summer Queen in their original Irish-Ballet, "The Snow Queen".
Leslie is currently dancing with her long-time friend, Ms. Sarah, in the Capital Celtic Dancers and teaching Princess Pre-Ballet and Mommy & Me Ballet. She is so happy that she gets to combine her love of dance and children everyday while teaching her precious dancers at TADA!
Emily Brown
Dance Instructor
Emily is the daughter of owner Sarah Brown. She has been dancing since the age of 3 and enjoys sharing her passion for dance with others. She joined the TADA faculty in 2016 as the beginning hip-hop teacher and co-teaches the TADA mini pom team with her cousin Meghan Rankin.
Emily loves all things about the arts. She is a senior at Florida High where she is Captain of the FSUS Garnet and Gold Girls Dance Team. She is very active in the choral and drama departments and participates in the Spring Musical each year. Her freshman year she played the role of Madame D'Arque in Beauty in the Beast. Her sophomore year she played the lead role of Sandy in Grease and during her junior year she played the lead role of Fiona in Shrek.
Emily is excited to meet all the new mini pom girls and welcome back our returning girls. T-A-D-A, what's that spell... TADA!
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Meghan Rankin
Dance Instructor
Meghan (a.k.a. "Miss Meg), is 17 and the daughter of dance teacher, Elizabeth Rankin. She’s been dancing since the age of 2 and joined the TADA family in 2014 as a student and teacher’s assistant and the staff in 2017, co-teaching Mini Pom Team with her cousin Emily Brown. Meg also assists with TADA birthday parties and summer camps.
Meg is very passionate about the arts, and has been cast as a featured dancer in The Music Man, Legally Blonde: The Musical, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Chiles High School. She is the current president of the Chiles chorus department, and has been taking chorus classes since sixth grade.
Meg loves developing choreography and teaching children to learn about her favorite pastime, dance!
Jordan Alexander
Dance Instructor
Jordan began his official dance career two years ago at TADA taking hip hop with Ms. Lindsey, but he has been on stage and performing for a LONG time!
During his time in high school, Jordan performed in various theatre roles including Bye Bye Birdie, Little Abner, Beauty and the Beast and as the role of Danny in Grease. He was most recently called back to be the stage manager in their production of Shrek in May 2018. He has also played soccer, baseball, football and ran track!
Jordan starting singing in 3rd grade with the North Florida Christian Little Eagle chorus and he continued chorus through his senior year when he switched to Florida High. He was in Honor Chorus, mixed chorus and participated in the annual Men's Day with the FSU Glee Club for 6 years. He was chosen for All State twice and sang with the Mass Choir at Disney's Candelight Ceremony. He was also selected for symphony orchestra at Florida High where he played the clarinet. He has been singing at church for the last 4 years and has filled in when needed for the music minister to lead worship on Sunday's.
Jordan is a graduate of Florida High and is currently enrolled as a student at TCC. He has a natural talent on stage and seems so relaxed and has so much fun - you can hardly NOT watch him when he is dancing. He teaches boys hip hop at TADA and is excited to teach other young guys about how to have a little swag!