OUR FACULTY
KEELEY PRATT
Keeley is the proud owner of Shreveport Dance Academy. She has been dancing for over 40 years, and teaching tap, jazz, and ballet for 20+ years! This year she worked with all Academy and Elite Level tap classes, Academy younger ballet classes, and Team SDA.
When speaking about the role dance has played in her life, she said, “My passion is for investing in my dancers and the people they become. There is no greater joy than pouring into a child for years, and then having the opportunity to watch them bloom into amazing and successful young adults. I am so thankful for the teachers and mentors that poured into me, and I can think of no greater tribute than to share that with my students. Dance has given me the opportunity to share the love of God and serve so many different families.”
MORIAH GRAPHIA
Moriah began dancing at the age of 3, and trained under the direction of Emily Seale at Theatre School of Dance for 14 years. While there she studied ballet, RAD, jazz, and modern. In 2017 she received a scholarship to study with Sarah Johnson in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 2019 and 2020 she attended ballet intensives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Arkansas. She is a Principal dancer with the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, and she is excited to perform as a principal for the 2025-2026 season. This is her third year teaching Beginning and Intermediate Modern at SDA. She also worked with the younger Academy Ballet and Jazz classes.
Elite Academy Jazz and Ballet student Milly Morehart said:“I loved that she was Glenda in the Wizard of Oz and I want to dance in the spring performance and be just like her! She is a very good teacher, and I hope to be in her class next year!”
JOSH JORDAN
Team SDA Acro Instructor
DIANNE MARONEY
Ms. Dianne has been dancing and sharing her love of dance for all of her life. She began her career in dance many years ago as a child in Norfolk, Virginia. Under the tutelage of Inez Howard and Dan Wagner, Ms. Dianne was accepted as a member of the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, extensively touring the U.S. She also performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, touring in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In 1983, Ms. Dianne moved south to Louisiana and became the third artistic director for GSU’s Orchesis Dance Company. After 39 years with Orchesis, Ms. Dianne officially retired last year. We were happy to have her work with our Elite Level students in Advanced Modern.
Lainey Fortson, SDA Alumnus and former Team SDA member, said:“Ms. Dianne is an amazing hands-on teacher who is constantly showing her passion for dance through her teaching and she inspires all of us to be our very best in every class we take with her.”
KATHRYN McDOWELL
Kathryn has been dancing for over 40 years! She began her training under the founder of our studio, Ms. Marion Mills. She continued on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Math minor from the University of Oklahoma; and a Master of Arts in teaching from Centenary College. After graduating from OU, she danced professionally with Tulsa Ballet Theatre, the Lexington Ballet Company in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Universal Ballet Company in Seoul, South Korea. Kathryn is the Artistic Director of the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet.
At SDA, Kathryn works with the Beginning Pointe, Advanced Pointe, and Variations & Repertoire classes.
Ellie Chafin, a SMB principal dancer and Team Intensity member said, “Mrs. Kathryn is an amazing teacher and person! I love her teaching style - she is always helping her students reach their full potential by providing the necessary corrections in a way that is very easy to understand. I am very thankful that she provides a nice and safe learning environment for everyone. I also appreciate her effort to ensure that everyone is valued and recognized!”
GRETCHEN ERICKSON MECHLING
Gretchen teaches Elite Academy Advanced Ballet Technique and Pre-Pointe.
KATE PEDROTTY
Kate received her initial classical ballet training at Theatre School of Dance under Marion Mills. She performed with the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet for 12 years and was a principal dancer with the company from 1993 through 1996. Kate attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (R-MWC) in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she earned degrees in dance and history. Through R-MWC’s Visiting Artist Program, she was able to study ballet, modern dance, and jazz under noted instructors from around the United States and the world. She was also a featured member of the College’s performing ensemble for four years.
While earning a master’s degree in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Kate began dancing at the Champaign Park District’s DanceArts program, a Royal Academy of Dance school, and eventually became an instructor in the program. She has taught all levels of ballet from pre-primary through adult and advanced classes, both in Illinois and locally at Shreveport Dance Academy, Theatre School of Dance, and Dance Arts Academy.
Kate served as the executive director of the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet from July 2009 through April 2014. She is currently the Senior Director of Community Investment at the Community Foundations of North Louisiana in Shreveport. Kate is married to Mike Pedrotty and is very honored to be the mother of a beautiful dancer, Mary Rose, and Gil, an outstanding writer and scholar.
This year Kate taught pre-pointe at SDA.
Rayna Gamble, an Elite 2 dancer and pre-pointe student says: “Ms. Kate is an amazing teacher. She helps us when we can’t do a skill, makes learning fun for us, and always wants us to go above and beyond, in and out of the classroom.”
KATHRYN HARRIS PRUITT
Known affectionately as Mrs. Kat, Kathryn grew up dancing with the Longview Ballet Theatre. While at LBT, she performed in many well known ballets, and had the opportunity to perform the role of “Clara” in The Nutcracker twice! Her time with LBT continued after her time as a dancer as Pat George Mitchell’s assistant. Mrs. Kat was also fortunate enough to dance, study and work with Salt Lake City, Utah’s Ballet West and Ballet West II. She has also previously served as Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet’s Assistant Artistic Director and Production Assistant. This year, Kat taught Elite Level 2 Ballet, Lower Level Ballet Technique, Elite Level 1 Ballet, Contemporary Ballet, and Intermediate Pointe. Mrs. Kat also has had the opportunity to teach under our Tiny Dancer program at La Petite École this year. Kat has a newborn daughter, Zoe Jane.
Adeline Kirsch, Elite Level 1 dancer said: “I think she is fair, strict (sometimes) when it is needed, and I think she is really nice.”
LAVENDER STRIPLING
Lavender began dance in the 4th grade. After several attempts at a wide variety of hobbies, dance was the one thing that seemed to click. She fell in love with it and has been a dancer ever since! She trained originally at Dance Loud Academy in Bossier City, where she danced competitively performing hip hop, jazz, lyrical, and ballet. In 2021, she made the switch to Shreveport Dance Academy, and experienced so much growth in her technique, performance, and attitude towards dance. Over this past season, she completed her final performances of her dance career as a principal dancer with the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet. She is moving on to pour all of her focus into her education at Centenary College of Louisiana. This year, she was thrilled to have the opportunity to teach dance as she began her first year teaching Lyrical and Hiphop at Shreveport Dance Academy. She is eager to continue on this path and looks forward to several more years with Shreveport Dance Academy as a teacher!
Lydia Smith, Team SDA member and Elite Level 2 dancer says: “Ms. Lavender is not only the best teacher but is an amazing person. She teaches us the moves in hip hop and lets us have fun every class. Ms. Lavender’s hip-hop class is fun and creative.”
SOFIE PAYNE WARD
Ms. Sofie is entering her sixth year of teaching at SDA. She is an alumnus of both Shreveport Dance Academy and the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, and she has over 21 years of continuous dance experience! Not only is Ms. Sofie the Team SDA Director, but she also taught all Elite Level Jazz classes. She is also the proud new mother of Margot Mae.
Elite level 3 dancer and Team SDA member Brynnan Pratt says: “Ms. Sofie is the reason for my love of dance. She’s taught me discipline, and respect. She notices my potential and pushes me to be the best I can be. She gave me abs too!”