FootNotes Dance & Acrobatics - About the Studio

“When you dance, the purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor.
It’s to enjoy each step along the way”

~Wayne Dyer

Take a virtual tour of our studio

Welcome to FootNotes Dance & Acrobatics Studio! The studio offers a wide variety of programs for all levels of dancers in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Lyrical, Modern & Pre-School. Whether or not you are looking for a fun, nurturing class for the beginner dancer or a more serious program for the dance-minded student, we have the home for you. Celebrating our 12th season with more than 75 classes a week to choose from, you are sure to find a shoe that fits.

Our faculty is dedicated to providing our students with the best education possible. Our goal is to educate the minds, bodies, and souls of our students, to teach them the skills needed for a successful life, whether or not they stay involved in dance. Children learn important lessons from their teachers and parents, acquiring important behavior patterns through their example. Our school’s faculty takes that responsibility seriously. It’s our philosophy to encourage our students to feel, think, and act respectfully to their peers, the adults in their lives, and themselves. Parents and teachers may look at a child’s learning from different perspectives. However, we share a common goal: to assure that every child receives the best possible training, both physically and mentally. Dance education encompasses far more than technique or the steps your children will learn. We believe the discipline of dance training gives young people a better understanding of commitment by offering them the chance to learn, experience the spirit of teamwork, and understand what hard work can accomplish.

Play the video to see what our shows are all about

We've been awarded the Best of Roswell Award in Dance Instruction for five years in a row (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012)

Our new facility was built from the ground up in 2004 with safety, quality and convenience in mind. FootNotes has 4,000 square feet with three dance studios and a fully stocked dancewear store.
Every classroom features:

Balanchine true floating, sprung sub-flooring with Harlequin dance surface (commonly referred to as “Marley”). These floors provide the necessary flex to absorb impact and prevent injury.

Fixed mounted Ballet barres on two walls mounted at the appropriate heights.

Huge mirrors that go wall to wall from the floor to 7 feet in height.

State-of-the-art sound systems with wall/ceiling mounted speakers to maximize danceable space.

One-way observation windows to track your child’s progress.

Soothing paint colors to aid in creating an inviting atmosphere without being distracting.

We encourage you and your family to come by and take a tour of our studio. In the meantime, check out the rest of our website and feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all. Thank you for visiting FootNotes Dance & Acrobatics Studio, setting the standard in dance education.

JOHN POZZUOLI- Studio Owner/Instructor
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Graduate Member of Dance Educators of America; Dance Major at Florida State University. Over the past 30 years John has studied with dance masters such as Finis Jhung, David Howard, Michael Vernon, Chet Walker, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Frank Hatchett, Bill Hotaling and Gus Giordano to name a few. He is certified in Jazz, Tap, Ballet & Acrobatics with 20 years classroom experience. John has enjoyed teaching for and managing dance studios and National Tours such as Mrs. P’s Dance & Acrobatics Studio, Lucretia’s School of Dance, Off Broadstreet Center for the Dance Arts, Hoctor’s Dance Caravan, Professional Dance Teachers Association, New York on the Road, Gotham Arts Productions and Manhattan Dance Project as well as master classes all over the country. President, CEO, Stage Left Productions, Inc.

CHERYL POZZUOLI- Studio Owner/Director/Instructor
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Professional dancer / actress / vocalist– has been studying the arts for 27 years and has been in the classroom working with children for the past 16 years. She exemplifies patience and has a talent for teaching the young student. Her classes combine a delicate balance of fun, discipline, and proper training in order to educate, inspire and build confidence. She has studied and assisted dance under the direction of some of today’s biggest names in the dance industry and continues her education as a teacher by attending workshops and accredited training seminars around the country. Cheryl is devoted to providing a fun learning environment in which students can obtain a love for the performing arts.

“Enjoy the process of learning to dance. The process of our profession, and not its final achievement, is the heart and soul of dance”

~Jacques d’Amboise

STEPHANIE CANTER - Instructor
Stephanie Canter was born and raised in Coral Springs, Florida and is currently a student at the University of Georgia. She began dancing at the age of four and from then, her passion for the art grew exponentially. She has been classically trained in tap, jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, and musical theater. She works at Dance Theatre of Parkland in Florida as a guest choreographer and teacher and instructs all ages and all styles. Stephanie has been a competitive dancer for ten years and has won numerous high scores and special judges awards. Attending several conventions and winning multiple scholarships, she continues to search for the best training available. She has studied from leading dancers in the industry and is excited to learn new ways to connect with others through dance. This past summer, Stephanie trained for three weeks in New York City with David Parsons and his professional modern company, Parsons Dance. Stephanie is also in her second year with the world renowned Project 7 Contemporary Dance Company.

JULIANA FISHER - Instructor
Juliana is currently in her third season with the Georgia Ballet, and has also performed locally with Atlanta's own Dance Canvas. She received her formal training in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, as well as at The Rock School for Dance Education, the Joffrey San Antonio Workshop, and The School of Ballet Arizona, receiving scholarship offers from State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara and the Milwaukee Ballet School. As both a merit and academic scholarship student, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in Ballet Performance, a Spanish minor, and honors. Juliana performed with the Oklahoma Festival Ballet for four seasons under Mary Margaret Holt, also appearing with the OU Opera Theatre, OU Summerdance, Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, and as an invited guest with the Arizona School of Classical Ballet. She was previously a founding member of Convergence Ballet Company in Phoenix, Arizona. Juliana also teaches dance to all ages throughout the north Atlanta area and recently won the "2012 Classical Ballet Instructor of the Year" award through the multi-state Destined 2 Dance Awards.

JILLIAN HANES - Instructor
Jillian Hanes, a native of New York, is an accomplished performer, choreographer and teacher. The holder of two national and numerous regional dance and performing arts titles, Jillian has studied dance, vocal, and drama extensively. Her performance credits include Star Search, Fiesta Texas, Opryland USA, Opryland Hotel, The General Jackson Showboat, as well as numerous music videos, television pilots, commercials and industrials. A published journalist, Jillian has also written a column in Dancer Magazine. She has been associated with the Atlanta Workshop Players for many years and has appeared in many of their productions as well as choreographing shows such as “West Side Story”, “Grease”, “Once Upon A Mattress” and “Little Shop of Horrors”. She has been teaching in the Atlanta area for 16 years and her love of musical theatre has inspired her to implement it into both studio and school curriculums. Jillian is thrilled to be joining the Footnotes family for a 5th season and is looking forward to enhancing its love of the performing arts!

MIKI HOIRIIS -Instructor
A native of Atlanta, Miki Hoiriis trained at the Academy of Ballet Arts under the tutelage of Marina Levasheva before joining the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre (RMDT) Company in 1998. While dancing with RMDT Company Miki trained with Ruth Mitchell, Anthony Parkes, Lisa Toups, and Kathryn MacBeth among others. She performed many supporting roles in the Company’s annual ballets. She is best known for her role as the Arabian Solo in The Nutcracker. After graduating from high school, Miki attended the Georgia Institute of Technology where she earned a BS in International Affairs and Modern Languages (French concentration) with high honors. While studying for her undergraduate degree Miki continued to work with the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre in their Young Audiences program, which brings dance performance and education into local schools. After graduation Miki spent time in France honing her language skills. Upon her return she began teaching ballet and contemporary Jazz at Dance 101 in 2006. Miki continues to train in classical dance on a freelance basis. In August 2007 she attended the summer program with the River North Dance Company in Chicago and took professional classes at the Lou Conte Dance School.

GEE GEE IBARRA-Instructor
Her motto is “START NOW – FINISH WOW!” Gee Gee Ibarra is the Founder/Director of Infinite Movement Talent Development. She has been a professional Choreographer/Dancer for 15 years, and has worked with artists such as Master P, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Amerie, Foxy Brown, Ying Yang Twins, Black Eyed Peas, and more. She’s done dozens of music videos as a featured dancer and choreographer, been on numerous tours, and traveled the country teaching and speaking at Master Workshops, Seminars, and Conferences. Her talent and expertise has been seen on numerous rising stars in the Atlanta area, who Gee Gee has coached, choreographed, and produced each of their stage shows (including arising artists such as 3rd Flo, Butta B-Rocka, Bliss, Candy, J’Marie, GIRRL, Fa Sho, London, Lil’ Dude, and Latin Teen sensation Tyna Q to name a few). In addition, she also educates and consults quality off the stage including etiquette, diet/nutrition, fitness, and professional lifestyle skills. Her passion and dedication to these artists today rooted from seeing a lack of knowledge, education, and proper resources to consistently inspire and motivate talent to believe in their craft. Since the inception of Infinite Movement in 2002, Gee Gee has devoted her career by giving back her time, energy, knowledge, and experience to do just that. “Being temporary should never be an option if you want the best in this industry. Sacrifice and hard work is the root of your success.” Is what Gee Gee instills in each of her artists.

Today, she continues to develop, train, and choreograph new talent that all want to claim their spot in this industry. She also focuses on giving back to our youth by offering JAM SESSIONS to promote fitness, healthy eating, and building confidence. There is no mistake that this was the gift that Gee Gee was blessed with, and as she states, “Until this day, I continue to get butterflies in my stomach when I step on stage, and I’m always learning something new and refreshing when I work with my artists. This is what keeps the fire burning, it can never go out!”

BRIAN MASON-Instructor
A South Georgia native, Brian holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University, under the direction of world-renowned ballet dancer and instructor Jo Rowan. Prior to college, Brian trained in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, and hip hop under Dana Forgay in Cairo, GA, and was a headliner member of The F.I.R.M. Dance Company. While in college, Brian was a member of the American Spirit Dance Company, and he was also one of the few elite members to tour regionally and internationally in Tai Pei, Taiwan. Brian was also a dancer and singer at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and has been featured as a lead dancer in The Miss South Carolina Pageant. Brian was a charter member of the Satchdance Company in Tallahassee, FL, and he has also held the leading roles in such musicals as Anything Goes, The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Oklahoma!, The Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun, Alice In Wonderland, The Lion King, and many others. He has performed with the Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forge, TN where he was a featured singer/dancer, and has also been a part of some industrial work for Mercedes Benz, and he can be seen on an OETA documentary of Oklahoma City University. Brian was also one of four featured dancers in the Atlanta Opera's premiere of Verdi's AIDA earlier this year. Most recently, Brian has broken into film and TV, as a featured dancer on The Vampire Diaries, a Georgia Lottery commercial, and Drop Dead Diva along side Paula Abdul. Brian has been teaching tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, and hip hop for 10 years now nationwide. He recently finished four contracts on Holland America Cruise Lines as the singer/dancer, two of which were world cruises. In 2008, Brian was featured as a demo vocal artist on many Chartbuster Karaoke albums, providing him with extensive experience in the recording studio. Brian currently teaches all styles of dance full time at numerous studios in metro Atlanta, working with many talented kids and helping them grow. Brian is a member of the Miss Atlanta Board under the Miss America Organization and a faculty member at Dance 101 in Atlanta. He is very excited to bring his love for dance to the Footnotes family and is looking forward to a great year!

MELODY SMITH -Instructor
Melody Smith started dancing and teaching with the Cartersville City Ballet. Soon after she began teaching ballet, tap and jazz at The Cobb Dance Academy, Smyrna Community Center and Dan and Company dance studios. She has been the company ballet and lyrical teacher at Daystar Dance Academy, and has choreographed several competition pieces for their company. In addition to Daystar, Melody has also taught and choreographed ballet and tap pieces for Dan and Company and Tinker-belles. She has also judged the Tri-State dance competition and performed several ballet roles such as Arabian in The Nutcracker and Coppelia in Coppelia. When Melody Is not teaching you may see her on TV in commercials for, Home Depot, Tempurpedic, HGTV, AJC, Time Warner Cable and Haverty’s. Melody loves dance and performance, and and strives to bring out that same passion in her student.

CARRIE KINMONTH -Instructor/Administrative Director
Carrie Kinmonth is thrilled to be a part of the FootNotes faculty after moving to Georgia from Chicago. While in Chicago, Carrie gained seven years of teaching experience at The School of Performing Arts and also spent a year teaching for the Children's Division of the Joffrey Ballet's Academy of Dance. In addition to teaching, Carrie pursued opportunities in professional dance and regional theatre. She was a member of Suite 132 Dance Company, specializing in jazz and tap, and her most recent theatre credit is Mitzi in Theatre at the Center's production of Crazy For You. Carrie received her BA from North Central College in Musical Theatre, with a minor in Dance.