Cameron has been dancing and performing for over thirty years, but for the last seventeen has found that her true calling is actually in teaching – not just students, but also in leading a team of other talented dance professionals! Her training began locally in her hometown of Kernersville, North Carolina, and she continued dancing in the Piedmont Triad Area until she graduated high school. She has ballet, pointe and modern training from the North Carolina School of the Arts (now UNCSA). In addition to dance, Cameron previously had a promising singing career under the name of Cameron Marion as she likes to say, “many moons ago!” She used both her singing and dancing abilities as part of an LA-based pop girl group that shared a short stint on the reality TV circuit and Cameron has also released an album and two singles on iTunes; one of which received regular airplay on XM country radio in 2010. She has opened for and shared a stage with Jeff Cook from the legendary country group ALABAMA, Jordan Knight & Donnie Wahlberg from the New Kids on the Block, Cartel, the Little River Band, and multi-platinum country recording artist Gretchen Wilson. She was also the musical entertainment aired at a birthday party on the television show “Outrageous Kids Parties” on TLC. Cameron enjoys traveling and taking master classes to learn all she can about the evolving studio business, and is mentored by some of the best in the studio owner “biz”. Cameron is an executive member of the More Than Just Great Dancing (MTJGD) affiliated studios, and also helps provide resources for other studio owners in their own businesses through the tools she has created with her company, Dance Teacher Dashboard. As an educator, her students have been featured dancers on the “Drop Dead Diva” television show, been cast as dancers and actresses at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and have accepted spots out of very few given in many exclusive summer programs including: The Joffrey, Broadway Artists Alliance and Oklahoma City University’s (OCU) High School Musical Theatre Program. Cameron works less in the classroom these days and more on the backend of the studio, but she still loves experiencing all of the magic that is created within the studio’s walls! She lives in Oak Ridge with her husband, Joseph, and kids Flynn (6) and Remi (2).  She enjoys sharing her passion for dance, music and performing with our community, and her biggest hope is to inspire children to set their sights high and always know they can dream BIG!

E-mail Mrs. Cameron – destinationartscenter@gmail.com

Ms. Amanda has been involved with dance her whole life! She danced and competed from the time she was a young child, until she graduated high school. During that time she was able to become an assistant teacher and then teacher to young students. Amanda’s bubbly personality and attention to detail make her a huge asset to our program, whether in the office or in the classroom. She has two daughters, Abigal and Adrianne, and is the glue that holds us together! She is the smiling face that greets you when you walk in the front door or the friendly voice on the other end of the line! You might hear Mrs. Cameron lovingly refer to her often as her “string” – she keeps everything steering in the right direction and pulls Mrs. Cameron’s “kite” that is always dreaming and soaring back down to the ground when needed 🙂

E-mail Miss Amanda – destinationartsoffice@gmail.com

If you want to be an all-star tapper, beautiful ballerina, or really anything in between, then Mrs. Jocelyn is your girl! Jocelyn has been involved with dance for the past 32 years, and has been teaching dance for the past 18 years, both in public school and private studios. She has studied all genres of dance from tap and ballet to West African and Ballroom. While growing up, Jocelyn won multiple awards, honors, scholarships, and titles. She has performed leading roles in Ballets and Musicals, including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Leisl in The Sound of Music. She has studied dance across the East coast including Broadway Dance Center in NY, Youth Performing Arts School in KY, New England Dance Conservatory in MA, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, and University of North Carolina – Greensboro, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, in Dance Education. She has been an on-site choreographer and performer for professional and historic outdoor theaters. Jocelyn was a certified teacher and examiner with Carolina Dance Masters, Inc. Chapter 15 of Dance Masters of America, Inc. for over 10 years. She has also judged dance competitions and scholarship opportunities. Mrs. Jocelyn is certified in teaching Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). PBT is an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program that has been designed to enhance students’ technique by focusing on training the muscle memory required in each exercise in all forms of dance. It is a unique training system using ballet-technique specific exercises to train skill acquisition in a graded and progressive manner from junior through to advanced levels. PBT helps teachers around the world prepare their students to receive the strength they need to achieve their personal best. Through dance, Mrs. Jocelyn has been given so many wonderful opportunities through the years, and her true passion is in teaching dance and sharing her love of dance with others! We are so proud to have her at Destination Arts!

If you looked up “magical preschool dance teacher” in the dictionary, then Miss Ashley’s picture would certainly be found there beside it!  Ashley received her first pair of tap shoes at age two, and has been dancing and performing ever since. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 with a degree in English Literature and creative writing. While attending UNC, Ashley performed with the Starheels Dance Company for four years. After college, Ashley joined the Cane Creek Cloggers, and has performed with them at countless music festivals, schools, and events around the state. While percussive dance is her favorite, she also loves ballet, lyrical, jazz, and hip-hop styles of dance. In addition to her dance experience, Ashley also has a background in musical theater, most recently performing as Margot in CTG’s The Diary of Ann Frank. Ashley teaches all styles, ages, and levels, but is especially popular with our littlest friends! Ashley currently resides back in Greensboro, NC after a short relocation to Charlotte, and we are so glad to have her back as part of the DAC family!

If you’ve seen a beautifully creative piece of ours on stage, themed together just perfectly, it is probably from the magical mind of Miss Dylana! Dylana began dancing at the age of four in Kernersville, NC.  She began assistant teaching at the age of thirteen at her local studio, and has been teaching ever since! With experience in both cheerleading and gymnastics as well, Dylana previously coached at a gymnastics gym for years before bringing that wealth of knowledge back with her into the dance classroom. During this time she became a certified USA gymnastics coach and was well known for her choreography. She is certified in correct spotting techniques by The Tumbling Effect and is also a certified Acro Dance Adjudicator by the Acro Dance Teachers Association and Module One Certified by Acrobatic Arts. Dylana loves to learn, and she continues her dance education by attending conventions and studying the latest styles and trends in many online classes and forums. “Miss Dylana” is so excited to share her ideas and visions with our young aspiring dancers at Destination Arts!

Krista Swain truly grew up in a dance family! With a mom who was a dance instructor for many years, Krista starting assisting her at a young age and then soon had classes of her own. Her sister is also a dance instructor, so their world’s have always revolved around dance! Krista competed for many years and also cheered throughout middle and high school. With a vast knowledge of teaching and children, she is loved by students and parents alike! We are so glad to have Miss Krista as a part of Destination Arts!

Miss Maghan Watkins started dancing at a young age and continued to dance through High School, where she found her love for Early-Childhood Education. She has studied and taught Early Childhood for 20 years now. During this time, Maghan also wanted to use her love and passion for dance and preschool together, so she began her own dance program in the preschool setting. Miss Maghan has taught preschool dance now for over 12 years. She loves young children, and is a cherished teacher in our community. Maghan enjoys watching her students find their own love for dance, and we are so glad to have her a part of Destination Arts!

“WE WILL HAVE FUN, WE WILL WORK HARD, MISS KATHRYN BELIEVES IN YOU AND WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES” is just one of the things you might hear the students in Miss Kathryn’s class chanting during class time! Kathryn Braunwarth is originally from Ohio, and attended Slippery Rock University in PA. While in college, she also taught dance at a local studio before moving here to the Triad to take a job as the Director of KidSummit at The Summit Church in Kernersville! We are so excited to have her bubbly personality and love of children join us here at Destination Arts!

We love having DAC Graduate, Zoe, on our staff! She started as first a class assistant during high school trained by Mrs. Cameron, then moved on to a teacher-in-training for a couple of years after graduating, and has now moved to having her own classes after shadowing our instructors and being fully immersed and trained in our curriculum and culture! To know Zoe is to love her, and we can’t wait to watch her continue to grow on her teaching journey with us!

As a current elementary school teacher and Mrs. Cameron’s very first hire for the studio back in 2013, Mrs. Trinity is truly a “jack-of-all-trades” that can jump into any classroom at any time any teach any age and style! Trinity grew up dancing in Kernersville, NC and was an accomplished competition dancer herself before moving into teaching. Mrs. Trinity is married with two kids, one of which dances herself, and is such an asset to us at Destination Arts!

Caitlyn Smith started dancing at the age of two in Clemmons, NC. She danced up through high school, and in college was a member of the UNC Charlotte Gold Duster‘s Dance Team. She also had the privilege to work at Disney World as a part of their college program! After college, Caitlyn was formerly the choreographer and assistant director for the Venom Dance Team for the Carolina Cobras National Arena League Football. She has taught and choreographed for many award-winning routines and dancers over the years, and is a talented addition to our staff! In Caitlyn’s free time she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and her beautiful daughter, Ivy.

Sara Culler Chatham was born and raised in Winston-Salem where she began dance and voice lessons at the young age of 5. Coming from a musical family, there was always music being played throughout the house, and she was quickly introduced to many different genres. Sara has competed and won several local, state and national talent titles, including the opportunity to open up for the well-known gospel group “The Hoppers” in front of an arena of 12,000 people, when she was just 12 years old.  That opportunity led her to record her first gospel CD and network with numerous songwriters and musicians. Sara’s most recent accomplishment was winning the National “Sing Like Carrie Underwood” radio contest out of thousands of entries, where she traveled to Nashville to meet Carrie and record her version of the single “Jesus Take The Wheel.”

Pageantry has also been a fun-filled hobby for Sara. She won many local and state titles, including Little Miss North Carolina Majestic Queen in 2000, and competed in the Miss America and USA pageant systems, winning scholarship money for college. In 2007, she graduated with honors from UNC-Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She then began teaching private voice and pageant lessons, and has continued for the past 8 years. Sara loves watching her students grow and they become part of her family from their first lesson!

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband Zach, kids Braxton & Scarlett, and their dogs. She loves going to the lake, watching movies, and volunteering in her community.

Mr. Jim has been performing since the age of eight. His formative years began in choir, culminating in attending East Carolina University as a voice major. But, soon guitar became the center of Jim’s musical endeavors and he began playing in 1987 and started teaching shortly after in 1990. With many years of experience in both teaching and performing, Jim has what to takes to easily guide a student through the ropes of being a beginner through advanced. He can still be found out around the Triad performing acoustic gigs weekly, which gives him a broad knowledge of all musical styles.

Mrs. Robin takes a special joy in helping children to love music. An experienced teacher, she guides students to master the piano through proper technique, while also developing their broader musicianship. Lessons focus on important concepts such as listening, musical vocabulary, and notation literacy. Because children learn through play, lessons frequently include singing, movement, and games. Lessons for older children are tailored to their self-determined learning outcomes, and individual needs.

Robin has appeared as a piano soloist with the Houghton College Wind Ensemble, and has also performed at the Kennedy Center. She has experience with both classical and sacred music, and frequently premieres works by living composers. She performs locally with the Catchfire Collective, which presents innovative chamber music concerts around the Triad.

Robin received her MM in Music Composition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a dual Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Music Composition from Houghton College. As a composer, she has had work performed throughout the United States and Canada, and has been recognized by ASCAP and the American Composers Forum. In her free time, Robin loves to read and bake, and has nearly perfected the art of sourdough bread. We are so glad to have her on staff with us this year!

Taylor Schmidt is currently pursuing her MM in Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Prior to her Master’s studies, she spent five years teaching elementary general music and chorus in Alamance-Burlington Schools and eight years teaching private piano lessons. She holds a BM in Instrumental Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received the award for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Education” among her 2016 cohort, as well as the National Flute Association’s Frances Blaisdell Scholarship. She has performed with Bel Canto Company, Musica Anima, Richmond Symphony Chorus, The North Carolina Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and Winterbirds (NC-based progressive folk ensemble). Taylor also currently serves as the pianist and choir director at Kallam Grove Christian Church.

Mason Boone is a well-rounded musician and composer originally from Portsmouth, Virginia. As an educator who is dedicated to enhancing his own art of teaching, Mr. Mason has been lauded for his ability to keep his students engaged, motivated, honest, and accountable during the artistic and educational process. Music lessons are structured to meet the learning targets outlined in both the National Standards of Music Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Essential Standards of Music; both of which encompass state approved learning targets in musical response, musical literacy, contextual relevance, music performance, and fine arts integration.

Mr. Mason’s musical training began in his early childhood when he studied piano privately. He would later begin his studies in vocal performance which lead to his subsequent acceptance into the High School Vocal Music Department at the Governor’s School for the Arts, based on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. After moving to Winston-Salem in 2012, Mr. Mason would later finish his Bachelor of Music (BM) in 2018 from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). He was also the first countertenor to have completed the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute Graduate Fellowship Program at UNCSA. He earned his Master of Music (MM) in 2020. He studied with Dr. Steven LaCosse and Dr. Marilyn Taylor, Witherspoon and Wilder Endowed Professor of Opera. 

During his formal studies and initial vocal career, Mr. Mason performed with the Princeton Music Festival, The Salem Bach Festival, Magnolia Baroque, North Carolina Baroque, Piedmont Opera, Virginia Opera, Lyric Opera of Virginia, and The Cantata Singers of UNCSA. Some of his professional roles include Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Bertarido (Rodelinda), Vezinet (The Italian Straw Hat), Schmidt (Werther), and Sesto (La Clemenza di Tito). 

In the last two years, Mr. Mason shifted to furthering his professional development as a music educator, pianist, organist, and composer. He is currently a member of the Winston Salem Symphony Chorus, directed by Dr. Christopher Gilliam. He continues to freelance as an educator, performer, and church musician in and around the region. He is looking forward to starting his first year at Destination Arts!

“My objective is to not only help my students effectuate an academic and aesthetic comprehension of music, but to also deepen their appreciation of the artform while facilitating individual artistic achievement.

– Mr. Mason

Abigal is a 2019 graduate of East Forsyth High School, and also a 2019 music program graduate here at Destination Arts! She now attends GTCC and works part time at our front desk. Abigal is always willing to lend a helping hand, and we are glad to have her as a part of the DAC family!