Instructor Bios
JENNIFER CLEATON - OWNER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR - Celebrating my 28th year as owner and Director, I've dedicated over 30 years to teaching. A Cum Laude graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, my early career included four years of performing at Kings Dominion. There, I choreographed two USO shows. Experience also includes teaching dance at the West End Academy of Dance in Richmond and creative movement to local children through the YMCA. Continuing education has been a priority, with workshops attended under renowned instructors such as Tremaine, Doug Varone, and Susan Kicuchi of the Martha Graham Company. My daughters share my passion for dance, with one serving as FBC’s General Manager and dance instructor while the other is a recent VCU Grad. Both girls also followed in my footsteps as dance performers at Kings dominion.
ASHLEY CLEATON - GENERAL MANAGER - TAP, JAZZ, LYRICAL, CONTEMPORARY, TEAM- Ms Ashley has been dancing at FBC since she was 2, she has studied tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, modern, hip hop as well as many other forms of dance. Ashley was on the competition team for 7 years and was captain for many individual teams as well as team captain her senior year. On the competition team she was able to take classes from world renowned choreographers and received a hip-hop scholarship from Dancemakers inc. She also has received special judges awards and the choreography award for her self choreographed solo. Ashley has choreographed and performed in the Stafford operas production of Cinderella. She has performed for King’s Dominion as a host and performer in two shows. Ms Ashley received her 200 hour yoga teacher training certification in 2019. This will be Ms Ashley’s 10 year Anniversay of teaching. She is excited to continue her work with the students of FBC after graduating from the studio herself in 2018.
LEONIDAS BUMGARNER-SMITH - HIP HOP - Leonidas started dancing at FBC when he was three years old and he started out only doing ballet but through years of competition, he’s grown to love the other styles. He has done Hip hop, Jazz, musical theater and of course ballet. Celebrating four years of team, Leonidas is starting his senior year and his fifth year on the competition team. His years on competition team have been fruitful as he received a courage scholarship from Dancemakers for ballet, and he received the honor of doing two dance agains with his various partners. He has assisted for hip hop classes for two years with Mr. Gabe and is very excited to be able to teach for his first year.
MAIZY FATIGA - TAP & JAZZ - Maizy, a junior at Chancellor high and has been dance at FBC since she was 3 years old, making this her 12th year with the studio. Over the years, she has trained in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, and contemporary. She has spent the last three years assisting classes including two years with combo and one year of ballet beginning 2. Maizy has also been a proud member of the FBC Dance Team for nearing five years. In addition, she has had the pleasure of performing in many of FBC's productions, including the Nutcracker, Swan lake, Peter Pan, and La Bayadère. Maizy loves the opportunity to teach and inspire young dancers and is exited to see what this year brings!
CHRISTINA HAWKINS - BALLET - Ms Christina started formal dance instruction when she was six years old and has made dancing a lifelong passion. She started teaching ballet and tap classes at her local studio in Rapid City, SD, when she was 16. She continued her education of dance by earning a B.A. and a M.A. from Brigham Young University (BYU), specializing in ballet and ballroom dance. During her collegiate career, Miss Christina performed worldwide as a member of BYU Theatre Ballet and BYU Ballroom Dance Company (BDC) and taught all levels of ballroom dance classes. While on the BYU BDC she had the honor to dance in their award winning medley's which won the British Formation Team championship (2x), and the US Formation Team Championship (6x). She also was selected to perform in the 2002 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies directed by Kenny Ortega. Highlights of her touring experience are: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Eastern Russia, Mongolia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, England, South Africa, and the USA. Miss Christina joined the staff at FBC in 2017, teaching ballet and tap however, her children started at the studio in 2012. She has also been performing locally with Dance Matrix and Company (DMC) and has been a "Party Parent" in FBC's production of the Nutcracker. She is the mother of four fantastic and high energy kids, who are dancers and soccer players.
JOCELYN IRBY - MUSICAL THEATER - I am Jocelyn, a Junior at Riverbend high school, dancing with FBC for over 10 years. I have spent a lot of time at the studio, starting with ballet, adding jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, and hip hop. I have assisted younger levels of ballet the past three years, been a Darby's Coach for the past two, and has danced with the FBC dance team coming up on 6 years now. I love dancing with younger students and can't wait for the upcoming year!
LINDSEY FAINO - MUSICAL THEATER - Ms. Lindsey is a well rounded and established performer who has had the pleasure of performing all over the world in locations such as Japan, New York City, South Korea and 42 of the 50 US States while on Broadway National Tours. Having had roots in New York City for the last 10 years, she is thrilled to call Fredericksburg home and looks forward to transferring her passion for performance to that of teaching! She was a cast member (& Mary Poppins understudy) in the Mary Poppins Broadway National Touring Company, A Chorus Line Broadway National/International Tour- in US & Japan, The Wizard of Oz US National Tour, Oklahoma! US National Tour and the Jekyll & Hyde World Tour- Asia/South Korea. She has performed in musicals such as Legally Blonde, Children of Eden, Singin' in the Rain & A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, among many others! Originally from Nashville, TN, she danced all the way to the UDA National Championships at Walt Disney World with her high school dance team and became National Champions! She received a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from The University of Oklahoma.
JAMIE HINSON - BALLET & TUTUS/TIES - Jamie has been coming to FBC her entire life, since her older sisters were enrolled in classes before she was even born. After Creative Movement classes at ages 3 and 4, she briefly explored Irish dance but returned to ballet at age 8. Some of her favorite ballet roles at FBC include Clara and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker and Mermaid Queen in Peter Pan. She has volunteered with summer dance camps for many years and was an assistant teacher for three years. She is in her 5th year as a Darby’s Dancers coach and 2nd year as a ballet instructor. She is a homeschool graduate and is pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Development.
TERESA MAYER - BALLET MISTRESS & TEAM - Miss Terry began her training at the Gainesville (Georgia) School of Ballet when she was 3. She was accepted into the newly formed Gainesville Ballet Company at the age 11, but promptly moved to Roanoke, Virginia, where she studied at Floyd Ward School of Dance. She became a founding member and principal dancer with the Roanoke Valley Civic Ballet. She attended summer intensives at Washington School of Ballet, Boston School of Ballet, Tidewater Ballet, Chautauqua Institution and Southern Ballet Theatre. She received additional training at Virginia School of the Arts, The Lynchburg Fine Arts Center and Post School of Ballet. She attended Point Park College for two years, and then transferred to Radford University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Dance. She danced professionally with Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando, Florida, where she appeared in many classical and contemporary ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Elements, and Balanchine’s Valse-Fantasie. She appeared as a dancer at Sea World, and with the Orlando Opera Company. Retuning to Roanoke, she began her teaching career at Roanoke City Schools’ Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts where she taught ballet, modern and jazz and directed the Magnet School Dance Company for 7 years. Terry and her husband John performed as guest artists with Southwest Virginia Ballet, Rockbridge Ballet, Lynchburg Regional Ballet Theatre, and Southwest Virginia Opera. In her final year in Roanoke, she became instrumental in opening a branch of The Post School of Ballet, becoming the manager and ballet teacher there until John’s career brought them to Fredericksburg. She taught for one year at Barton and Williams School of Dance before finding her dance home at FBC. She first appeared in an FBC production as a guest artist in 1997 as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. She has taught, performed and choreographed here ever since. While teaching at FBC, she has performed as a guest artist with Dance Matrix, and taught ballet and drama at the Holy Innocents Homeschool Co-op. Miss Terry’s favorite roles include Swanhilda in Coppelia, Aurora and in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She loves passing on her knowledge of these roles and training the next generation of dancers.
PATRICK MAYER - BALLET & PAS DE DUEX - Patrick has been dancing at Fredericksburg Ballet Centre for most of his life, taking classes in a variety of styles. He has had many performance opportunities at FBC including leading roles in the Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and La Bayadere. After graduating in 2019 he has continued to Dance at FBC, and now is happy to share his knowledge through teaching.
BRIANA MCCURLEY - HIP HOP,TAP, JAZZ, TEAM - Briana began her dance journey at FBC at the age of 2 and went on to become an FBC alum, graduating in 2019. Throughout her time at FBC, she trained in various styles of dance, including Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, and Contemporary. She was also on the FBC Competition Team for many years, where she had the opportunity to take classes from world renowned choreographers and was the Team Captain her Senior year. In addition, throughout her time here, Briana also taught various classes and worked in the office at the studio as well. She then studied at James Madison University (JMU) where she got her degree in Hospitality Management and Business. While at JMU, Briana had the privilege of continuing her love for dance and teaching. She had the honor of choreographing and coaching the winning routine for two consecutive years at the largest philanthropic event at JMU. Now back in Fredericksburg, Briana is excited to return to FBC and create a fun, positive atmosphere for all dancers!
CRISTI SAUNDERS - OFFICE MANAGER - CREATIVE MOVEMENT & BALLET - "Ms. Cristi" has been a part of the FBC staff since 2001. She teaches Creative Movement through Beginning Ballet. She has had the privilege of fostering the love of dance in many hundreds of children through the years. She is the creator and director of the Summer Princess Ballet Camp program as well as the creator of the Art and Lyrical Camp, both camps designed to enliven the creativity within and to encourage confidence in children through imagery, dance, and art. Cristi has had the privilege of becoming a Darby’s Dancers instructor during the year and has received so much joy from creating the summer Darby’s Dancers camp program for these amazing students. Additionally, she is the resident costumer for the Fredericksburg Ballet Company and the office manager. Her nursing degree comes in handy for the dancers, too! Participating in all areas of FBC is an honor and has allowed her to combine her passions of teaching children, the arts, and the love of textiles and design in a lovely, lifelong career. Ms. Cristi has 3 grown daughters that danced from toddler years through adulthood at Fredericksburg Ballet Centre, creating lasting and beautiful memories for her family.
LYDIA SZAFRANSKI - BALLET - Lydia began her ballet training at the age of 3 at FBC. She danced the roles of Sugarplum Fairy, Dew Drop, and Cinderella. During this time, she was also accepted into summer intensive programs with the Richmond Ballet and Virginia School of the Arts. Upon graduation from James Monroe High School, she was accepted into Radford University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. She studied Vagonava method under Inessa Plekhanova. She also opened up her own dance studio, New River Dance Academy, while simultaneously completing her degrees in Business Management and Dance. Lydia comes back to FBC after teaching ballet and pointe for several years in Louisiana, Nevada, and Colorado. She is excited to come full circle back to teach at the studio where she fell in love with ballet.
MAKAYLA WOOLNER - TAP, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, TEAM - Makayla is an FBC alum who graduated in 2020. She then studied at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where she earned her BFA in Dance and Choreography as well as a minor in entrepreneurship. Makayla has trained in various styles of dance, including,but not limited to, Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater, West African Styles, and Hip Hop. While Makayla was away from FBC, she attended the American Dance Festival where she was chosen to be a part of the Footprints program. Through Footprints, she worked closely with Abel Salaam and performed his work “Fallen Idols? Wallstreet 3.0”. During her time at VCU, she had the pleasure of dancing with choreographers such as Norbert De La Cruz III, Dean Moss, and Paloma McGregor. Makayla also performed works by VCU Dance faculty including Scott Putman, Eric Rivera, Sinclair Emoghene, Robbie Kinter, Trebien Pollard, and Starr Foster. To supplement her education, Makayla continued to choreograph for competitive dance where she earned awards for her choreography. She also danced with Dance Matrix Company as a guest artist. As a student at FBC, she had the opportunity to perform in many ballet productions. Some of her favorite roles were Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara in The Nutcracker, Mad Hatter (tap role) in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Croc in Peter Pan. Makayla also was a part of the FBC Competition Team for 7 years.
