Our Team

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Laura Hamm founded Balance in 2021 to provide quality dance training for students of all ages. The studio experienced tremendous growth, and in the summer of 2022, it moved to a larger space on Broad Street and added recreational gymnastics to the class offerings. Balance Dance + Gymnastics is committed instilling confidence and perseverance in students of all ages in a safe, supportive environment that is FUN! 

A former professional ballet dancer with The Georgia Ballet, Laura has taught various dance styles at several schools, including Cincinnati Ballet, The Georgia Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. For 15 years, Laura worked at Coxe Curry & Associates where she provided strategic fundraising consultation to nonprofit clients including: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, and The Woodruff Arts Center. Prior to joining Coxe Curry, Laura was The Georgia Ballet’s director of marketing and development. 

Laura is a graduate of L.E.A.D. Atlanta and a founding board member of Dance Canvas Inc. She earned an M.B.A, an M.A. in Arts Administration and a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Cincinnati. She and her husband, Darren, have two young children (and a puppy) who keep her on her toes.

Brandi grew up involved in programs offered by The YMCA where she learned to honor and facilitate the core values of respect, responsibility, and honesty. She began teaching gymnastics to special needs children in 2007.  This acted as a catalyst into the world of coaching gymnastics, and she has been in love ever since. Having worked in the industry for almost 15 years in both Georgia and California, she is USA Gymnastics certified with a background in preschool, recreational, men’s, and competitive gymnastics. “There is a reciprocity that comes with childcare that is intangible. While instructors teach children, we are also in a unique position that allows us to constantly learn from them. As a coach it has been the privilege of my life to learn, help and grow with my students as we try Tumbling Up and taking on the world.

"Mr. Mikey" is an Atlanta, Georgia based artrepreneur, instructor, dancer, choreographer. Mikey has trained with well-established dancers and choreographers such as Jeremy Strong, Dave Scott, Robert Hoffman, Codie Wiggins, and variety of members from different infamous dance crews across the globe. He has performed with a variety of artists from different genres like Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Porter, Darth & Vader and perform on stages of Tomorrow World USA, Hip- Hop International, and Imagine Festival. From all his good fortunes, he’s given back to the community by performing on stages for the American Cancer Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Orange Conference and more. Mr. Mikey's main focus and belief is "People change People". He continues to teach students across the world to show that their passions can support anything in life.

Kelsey, a Marietta native, received her ballet training at The British Academy of Performing Arts and The School of The Georgia Ballet. She is currently in her tenth season as a Georgia Ballet professional company member. She has enjoyed dancing principal and soloist roles with the company. As a student, Kelsey attended summer programs at Carolina Ballet, The Georgia Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and Atlanta Ballet. Kelsey has taught at several schools around the Atlanta area. Her goal as a teacher is to help each individual student improve their ballet technique and artistry.

Joy trained in gymnastics, acro and dance throughout her childhood and teen years. She attended La Roche University, majoring in dance and minoring in education. During her time at LRU, she performed works by Melissa Tyler, Kelly Basil, Gia Cocalano, Callan Newman, and Christina DiMarco. Joy has been educating young dancers for many years and is dedicated to pedagogy. Joy is certified in Bodiography Fitness and Strength, and she danced with Bodiography’s second company, BCB 2, for one season. She currently dances and choreographs professionally with CityDance Collective. Joy also is the active Artist Assistant of Atlanta Dance and Music Academy. 

Hoke brings a wealth of experience to Balance from his background in gymnastics, acrobatics, cheer, and dance. He coached various ages and levels at the Trousdell Gymnastics Center in Tallahassee, FL, as well as at Project S.L.I.D.E and Rhythm Academy in GA. He received his bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University and since then has worked with various companies such as, The Tallahassee Ballet, Dance AEGIS, and Fly on a Wall. One of his main focuses in teaching and coaching is to make sure his students are only striving to become the best versions of themselves 

A teacher at The Lovett School by day, and a dance instructor at Balance by night, Abigail brings a wealth of experience to her students. She trained at the Georgia Academy of Dance, where she later facilitated over one thousand hours of dance classes as a lead instructor or assistant instructor in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern. She loves mentoring children and worked as the Activities Coordinator at WinShape Camps for several years where she designed and implemented activities to target specific emotional and social milestones of campers. Abigail is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tiffany, a Connecticut native, joined Balance in the summer of 2022 as Customer Experience Manager.  She attended Clark University, where she ran a mentorship program for young girls of color. There she learned the importance of building strong connections with families and children to instill confidence, integrity, and safety into their lives. Over the years she has continued to work with children in various settings, as well as other positions in management and customer relations, most recently with State Farm. Her passions include writing, dancing, creative projects, and anything nature and animal related.  

Rhetta Weeks joined Balance Dance in 2022 as a ballet and pre-ballet instructor. She grew up dancing under the direction of Lovedy Griner at Rose City Ballet in Thomasville, Georgia where she also began assistant teaching. She is a graduate of Elon University in North Carolina where she earned her degree in Exercise Science and Dance while furthering her dance teaching career under the guidance of early childhood dance educator Kim Black of Miss Kim's Children's Dance and Arts in Burlington, North Carolina. In her free time, Rhetta enjoys grabbing coffee with friends, taking aerial silks classes, and exploring her new home: Atlanta.

Naya West joins Balance as a creative movement teaching assistant. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Naya brings a wealth of knowledge to the studio from her experience teaching tap, musical theatre, ballet and jazz with the Augusta Youth School of Dance and Building Kidz of Roswell, among others. While in college, she spent her summers working in various dance-related jobs/internships, including a summer dance camp for underprivileged children in Augusta, GA. She has also interned at the Alliance Theatre, helping with drama, choreography and video editing classes for ages 3 – 12. In her free time, she loves to go thrift shopping, spend time with friends and family, and work on creative writing,