Our Faculty
Debra Bricker
Director & Owner
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 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 Beautyand 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 choreographed Town Theater’s production of West Side Story for their 90th season.
She has also been a winning contestant on the popular TV game show, Jeopardy! When she is not teaching dance, you may find her next door at her husband, Joe’s store, Brewer Decorating, or windsurfing!
Becky Lee
Becky Lee has been dancing since the age of two. Her foray into the performing arts began early and she soon attained the balance, poise, and variety desired for her dance career. she has performed in the Tanzommer Festival in Austria, as well as the European Union Cultural Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Other international credits include performances in Generany and at the Wisma Atria in Singapore.
As a jazz dancer, Becky 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 Teddy Forance, 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.
Alyssa Stephens
Alyssa Stephens began her dance career in Columbia under the direction of Debbie Spivey at Footnotes. She later danced at The Center for Dance Education and with Carolina Ballet under Mimi Worrell. She attended Palmetto Center for the Arts Dance Program at Richland Northeast High School, directed by Nicole Czekalski, participating in both PCA dance and theater productions. She has taught at Footnotes, and the Center for Dance Education. She attends the University of South Carolina where she is a Chemistry major, with a minor In dance.
We are happy to have Alyssa join the ADA staff.
Kathryn Seppamaki
Kathryn Seppamaki has been active onstage in Columbia for more than two decades and has been recently seen onstage at Town Theatre in Nice Work if You Can Get It (Duchess) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Muriel).
She has more than twenty years of experience working as a choir director and made her debut as a musical director at Town Theatre in August of 2016.
She has since also musically directed Elf Jr., Peter Pan Jr. and A Christmas Carol at Town Theatre. She has been teaching voice privately for more than 20 years and currently has students performing on Broadway, Disney and professionally around the world.
