Faculty

Dianne Robbins

Dianne has 35 years of dance experience as student, demonstrator, competitive dancer, choreographer, director and coordinator. Growing up in a small town on the border of Arkansas and Texas, Dianne began dancing at the age of 5 as a talent for a national pageant system. She knew from the start that dancing was going to be her life's desire. Although she enjoyed dancing on stage her true passion is teaching. Knowing how important instructors were in her life was the driving force for her to achieve the goal of one day giving back to other dancers the experience she had grown up with.

Ms. Dianne began assisting and "demonstrating" as it was call in those days, for classes at the age of 12. At the age of 16 she was instructing and choreographing for her own classes, dancing in the community ballet and dancing competitively. Dianne received her full dance teacher certificate and was certified by members of the Texas Association of Dance in 1988. In 1989 she moved to Pensacola and in 1990 opened Five Flags Dance Academy fulfilling a life long dream. Although Five Flags offers a full dance program including acompetitive team and classical ballet company, the main emphasis of the studio is not on competition but on instilling a love of dance and giving those interested an opportunity to perform.

Over the years she has had the opportunity to dance and work with many top names in the dance industry, but it is the students that have had the biggest influence over her life. Nothing is more rewarding than having former students return because they want their own children to experience growing up at Five Flags Dance Academy to continue with the tradition of passing dance from one generation to the next.

Amanda Baldwin

Amanda began dancing at the age of eight. By the age of fourteen she was assisting in classes and at sixteen was instructing several classes on her own. She participated in the teachers training program at Five Flags Dance Academy and now is instrumental in running the day to day operations of the studio as well as heading up the preschool program. Tap is Miss Amanda's favorite subject although she is a beautiful dancer in all disciplines. Miss Amanda is a charter member of Five Flags Dance Academy and of the first competition team which began in 1998. She still attends workshops and fills in when needed in a competition piece.

Amanda Cox-Young

Amanda started taking dance at a very young age and taught her first dance class at age 16. She has studied various principles of dance in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, and performance / musical theater. Besides teaching dance she has training in gymnastics, theater & baton. Ms. Amanda competed at regional and state levels in various forms of dance, pageantry and gymnastics. It is and always has been her passion to teach the art of dance in an inspiring, fun, and challenging way. As an instructor Ms. Amanda believes her job is not only to teach principles and techniques, but more importantly to instill self-esteem and confidence in each student. Ms. Amanda has two daughters who both attend Five Flags, and loves sharing her love of dance with her children.

LaVonne French

LaVonne French, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, with an emphasis in Modern Dance and Choreography, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities, with an emphasis in Critical and Creative Topics in Dance, from the University of West Florida. She is a founding member/artistic co-director of SWERVE/dance, a Northwest Florida-based modern dance company, and is chair of the Dance Stage committee of the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival. She serves on both the Artistic and Treehouse Theatre committees at Pensacola Little Theatre, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Dance Association from 2005-2008.
 
LaVonne has been on the theatre faculty (Dance) of the University of West Florida, dance faculty of Kaleidoscope & Ballet Pensacola, and is currently a faculty member (Dance) in the Pensacola State College Department of Music and Theatre. LaVonne has worked with Young Audiences of Kansas City, Missouri Repertory Theatre, and City in Motion Dance Theatre (KCMO). Her choreography has been presented at the Florida Dance Festival in Miami, with Kaleidoscope & Ballet Pensacola, Paraplue Dance in Mobile, and most recently at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. Her theatre choreography includes Jekyll & Hyde, Man of LaMancha, and Cabaret at UWF, and Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, Siyotanka, Seussical, and The Producers at Pensacola Little Theatre. In 2006 and 2008, she won a PLT "Crystal Award" for Sustained Excellence in Dance and Fight Choreography, and this year received a PLT Award of Excellence as Director/Choreographer of Go Dog, Go!

Ursula Pegg

Ursula began dancing at the age of 4. She has trained in many styles of classical and contemporary dance. As a dancer, she participated in conventions and competitions around the country including Dance Makers Inc., Access Hollywood, Dance Troupe, and Applause. She has earned numerous awards including DTI's "Youth Dance Ambassador" and the prestigious I Love Dance "Sweetheart Award". She has performed in Walt Disney World, aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and for the NFL's New Orleans Saints pre-game show.

Ursula has danced under the instruction of renowned professionals including Scott Benson, Barry Youngblood, Jeff Hill, Steven "Twitch" Boss, and the late Al Gilbert.

At age 18, Ursula became an instructor with a local studio where she taught classes in the disciplines of ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and pointe. She has also served as coach and choreographer for several school dance teams.

Ursula moved to Pensacola in 2007 to complete her Bachelor of Arts Communications from Communication at the University of West Florida. After a brief hiatus from the dance world, she realized nothing could be as fulfilling as sharing her love and passion for dance with others. Ursula is very excited to become part of the FFDA family!

Joanne Adams

Joanne has come to you with over 20 years of experience. You will find her to be very motivated and eager to share her knowledge and love for the art of Ballet. Ballet has been a passion of hers for most of her life, and she truly loves to share her gifts with students. Joanne was born in England and started her ballet training in Spokane, Washington with Tessa Williams (RAD). She passed up to Grade level 4, with honors from the Royal Academy of Dance Program. She received a half scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet Company and performed in numerous productions which include Aida & Oklahoma. She has recently passed her Grade 1 level with Cecchetti and hopes to pursue further levels in the future.

Joanne has also staged and choreographed numerous productions which include: Coppelia, Stone Flower, Paquita, Le Corsaire and Sleeping Beauty. She has started a ballet program for the American Youth Association at the Bitburg Air Base in Germany and worked with a competition team in Tampa, Florida.

Mallorie Okahashi

Miss Mallorie began her dancing career at Five Flags Dance Academy at the age of 3 and quickly excelled in her training. She took part in all FFDA had to offer including Competition Team, assistant teaching and the final step of completing the teachers training course. Mallorie is also a member of Five Flags Dance Academy's Classical Ballet Company. Miss Mollorie enjoys sharing her love of dance with the children's classes and watching each of them grow as dancers! Mallorie is also a member of Five Flags Dance Academy Competitive Team.

Kris Williams

Kris Williams has always had rhythms in his body. He grew up in Virginia Beach, VA listening to Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and etc. He decided to move to the beats and rhythms while also impersonating Michael Jackson and trying to learn the choreography of Janet Jackson videos. When he became a senior in high school, he joined a crew of friends call the League of Extraordinary Dancers (L.E.B) but do to family issues he had to break away from his crew and home town to move to Pensacola FL. In Pensacola he learned Ballroom and joined Ballet Pensacola to expand and develop his dance vocabulary. Kris continues to educate himself with every opportunity that comes his way, including auditioning for SYTYCD "golden ticket award" and on the horizon-America's Got Talent. Now he is on striving to become a working dancer and choreographer one step at a time and looks forward to sharing his talents with the dancers at Five Flags Dance Academy!

Sakina Bailey

Sakina Bailey comes to us from Panama City where she has been dancing for 19 years. Sakina has been a student at Bobbie Massey School of Dance for 17 years and a teacher for six years. She was a part of the Bay High School Dance Academy, Bay High Rockets and the Bay High Twisted Dance Team. Sakina also plays a part in the Red Stocking Review held in Panama City every two years in February. Sakina has studied Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Contemporary. She has attended the Dance Masters Convention for 6 years and learned from some of the best choreographers. She strives to keep up with the new dance styles and steps. Sakina enjoys learning new dance steps and routines, dancing and teaching future dancers.
 
 

Latasha Weinmann

Latasha Weinmann is a native New Yorker where she began dancing at a local Long Island studio, Mickey Lebrecht's School of Dance with Mrs. Mickey Lebrecht, a former Radio City Rockette and Broadway performer. At the age of 15, Latasha began attending open classes and intense training in Manhattan NY at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Dance New Amsterdam. Latasha has trained with many choreographers and dance makers such as Tracie Stanfield, Michelle Barber, Calen Kurka, Chris Hale, Jason Winters and Anna Vollmar. In her time a Broadway Dance Center she interned for The Pulse on Tour and the work-study exchange program. Latasha's performance credits include performing for Broadway Dance Center Winter Student Showcase for Anna Vollmar as well as with Clarity in Motion at the Bridge for Dance summer festival and for choreographer Lauren Barrett in the Exchange showcase series. Most recently Latasha performed with Charleston Dance Project in their 2nd Annual Cancer Benefit concert. Latasha holds an A.A in Dance with a concentration in Choreography from Nassau Community College on Long Island where she trained with Stanley Berke a former member of the legendary modern choreographer Martha Graham's Dance Company and with Ballet Mistress Parsala Vintere of the Kiev Ballet in the Ukraine. In 2008 Latasha trained at The Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California with notable choreographers such as Erica Sobol, Keri LaGrand, Rob Schultz and Mandy Moore (choreographer for FOX's hit TV show "So You Think You Can Dance"). Latasha has taught at countless amounts of studios in New York, Connecticut, South Carolina and Florida. Since 2008 Latasha's competition choreography has earned top honors at regional and national competitions all over the East Coast. Latasha is currently a senior at University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL majoring in Exercise Science, She is an intern for Head Coach Kent Morgan and the Strength and Conditioning Department at the University as well as an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer. After graduation she plans to go on to be a strength and conditioning coach for athletes and dancers.

Catherine (Katy) Anne Salisbury

Mrs. Salisbury, (Ms. Katy) is originally from Colorado. She has been dancing since the age of three. She studied dance with Elizabeth Tolerton, formerly of the Royal Danish Ballet for four years in Wyoming. During that time she performed with the Tulsa Ballet Company and the David Taylor Ballet Company in their annual Nutcracker Productions. Katy was a member of the Tolerton Dance Company and entered the world of competitive dance where she won several awards from the Stars of Tomorrow and Dance Caravan competitions. Katy danced with Down East Dance, in North Carolina. She auditioned and was given the opportunity to attend Dance Aspen in Colorado. There she studied dance for several weeks with accomplished dance instructors from all over the world and worked with dancers from the Ballet West Company. For four seasons, Katy performed with the Crystal Coast Amphitheatre's production of Worthy Is The Lamb Passion Play. While a part of that cast she fulfilled the role of dancer, head dancer, choreographer, singer, actress and prop support. In 1998, Katy was a character performer for Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida. She was a part of the opening crew for Disney's Animal Kingdom. She worked for Disney for 6 years. In 2001, Katy was the Office Manager and Dance Instructor for the Dancer's Pointe, in Orlando. Over the years, Katy has performed and been a part of several civic theater productions, community events, recitals and other functions. Katy was the choreographer for the Allendale Civic Theater's Spring production of Enchanted Sleeping Beauty. Katy was a dance instructor for The P.A.C.E. Studio in Pace, Florida for two seasons. She is very excited about starting her first season with the Five Flags Dance Academy.

Katy's philosophy is that dance brings coordination, discipline, respect and confidence to the dancer. It is a beautiful and fulfilling way to express one's personality and spirit. The gift of dance is to be shared with others and the community.