faculty @ academy of dance arts

Faculty

Debra Bricker (Director) enjoyed a brilliant dance career with national ballet companies in the United States and Canada. Ms. Bricker's poise, style and versatility were recognized early as she began her career at the age of nine in Rochester, NY. Ms. Bricker trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, National Ballet of Canada and the prestigious American Ballet Theater where she was on full scholarship. Later, Ms. Bricker appeared with ABT and National Ballet of Canada including televised LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER performances of such ballets as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Firebird. She has also delighted audiences in solo and guest artist performances with the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Wilmington Ballet, New Orleans Ballet, Alexandra Ballet, SC Ballet Theater/Ballet Michigan and the Ruth Mitchell Dance Company.

Ms. Bricker has inspired other artists as well. In fact, as Ruth Mitchell tells it, "it was her phenomenal jumps" that inspired Emmy-award winning choreographer, Dom Orejedos , to create a version of the magical Firebird solely for Debra in the title role. Debra was a principal dancer with Columbia City Ballet in addition to serving as Company Ballet Mistress and assistant to the director.

She has taught at USC, the SC Summer Dance Institute, Tri-District Arts Consortium and Columbia College. Ms. Bricker has starred in local productions of a Chorus Line and West Side Story. She has also been a winning contestant on the popular TV game show, Jeopardy!. When she is not teaching dance, you may find her mixing paint next door at her husband Joe's store, Brewer Decorating.

Star Gilmer began her dance studies at the age of three. Mrs. Gilmer is a graduate of USC where she was a member of the USC Dance Company. She headed the dance program at Carolina Gymnastics for five years. Star has won numerous awards for her choreography for the Performing & Competing Company. She was also the choreographer and producer of ADA’s Peter Pan.

Melanie Hendricks began her dance training in the Columbia area with Donna Lewis, later working extensively with Adolfina Suarez-More and the late Ann Brodie. She furthered her dance studies at the North Carolina School of the Arts and was a soloist with Columbia City Ballet and the USC Dance Company. She has choreographed and taught for Southern Strutt, as well as choreographing for the ADA Performing and Competing Company. She is a graduate of USC and has Masters Degrees in both Social Work and Epidemiology. She is a licensed therapist and program director at Lexington County Community Mental Health Center and specializes in the area of adolescent sexual abuse. In addition to dance, Mrs. Hendricks is a lyric soprano and has been a vocal soloist in various regional choral performances to include the Faure Requiem, Rossini’s Magnificat, the Vivaldi Gloria, Handel’s The Messiah, and original choral works by composers Paul Weber and Michael Costello.

Mrs. Hendricks is pleased to be a returning teacher and choreographer with the Academy of Dance Arts this season.

Wendy Wimmer is the Drama teacher at Ridgeview High School. She continues her excellent Musical Theater program at Academy of Dance Arts.

Susan Dabney has danced and trained at many of the finest dance institutions in America, including School of American Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Joffrey School where she was offered a trainee position at the age of 15. Susan has danced professionally with Columbia Classical Ballet, Columbia City Ballet and Los Angeles Classical Ballet. She has appeared on the Tonight Show, as well as on a VH1comedy hour. An honors graduate of USC, Susan has danced with members of New York City Ballet in performances of the USC Dance Company, as well as appearing with Carolina Ballet. She has been head of the ballet department at Southern Strutt for a number of years. Susan is one of the founding members, and co-director of a new, exciting dance company, Unbound.

Becky Lee returns for her second year with the Academy of Dance Arts, and has been dancing since the age of two.
Her foray into the performing arts started with the beginnings of the Columbia City Jazz Company. Under Dale Lam, she attained the balance, poise, and variety desired for her dance career. While a member of CCJC, she performed in the Tanzsommer Festival in Austria, as well as the European Union Cultural Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Other International credits include performances in Germany and at the Wisma Atria in Singapore. As a jazz dancer, Rebecca won numerous awards as a soloist and received multiple scholarships for various dance competitions held around the country. She has studied under a variety of instructors, including locals Debra Bricker and William Starrett of the Columbia City Ballet. She has also trained with numerous nationally renowned artists, such as Jason Parsons, Ray Leeper, Dan Karaty, Mia Michaels, Desiree Robbins and Doug Caldwell. She hopes to instill in her students the passion, enthusiasm, joy, and love she has for the amazing art that is dance.