Amy Cadenhead

Amy Sparks-Cadenhead, Owner and Artistic Director of Axis Dance
Center began her dance training 27 years ago.  She has since studied
under such well-recognized choreographers and teachers as Joe Tremaine, Mia Michaels, Steven Boyd, Frank Hatchett, Doug Caldwell, Llana Burrows, and Janet Roddy.  Amy has continued her dance education as a young instructor by attending classes at prominent dance conventions and by traveling to Manhattan to study at Broadway Dance Center, STEPS, and Alvin Ailey. 

As a performer and choreographer, Amy has participated with many
sucessful competitive dance teams.  Her most recent choreography was
seen on Downtown Dance's Company members for the past three years and 2008 on the East Paulding Middle School Cheerleaders.  For three
years, she was asked to dance, and did, in the pre-show for the Miss Georgia pagaent and has participated in many theater productions
including 'Will Roger's Follies' for the State Theater of Georgia. 

In May of 2008, Amy opened Axis Dance Center in Dallas, Georgia.  After two successful years on the Northwest side of Atlanta, the Cadenhead family decided to relocate back toward their hometown area.  Amy is now very pleased to be able to move the studio to Richland, GA. 

In addition to Axis, Amy also graduated with a degree in Criminal
Justice in 2000. For the past seven years Amy has lived in Dallas, Georgia
with her husband, Clay Cadenhead of the Paulding County Sheriff's Department, and their six children; Brian, Tommy, Justin, Jesse, Blaire, & Sarah.   They have recently relocated back to their home county, near their extended family, friends, and could not be happier.  Clay is transferring in as a detective for Randolph County Sheriff Department. 

She has particpated with the Dallas Angels Special needs Baseball Team, as well as having been the coordinator for the Paulding.Com Christmas Parade float 2007.  She is also in the process of raising money for AutismSpeaks.  Amy stays very involved with the special needs community through the Atlanta Autism Meet Ups.  Amy also integrates many Special Needs children into her dance classes.  She has experience with Autism, ADD, ADHD, SID, PDD-NOS , CP, and several other special needs children.  Her own son, Jesse, is Autistic and has been diagnosed since the age of 2.   Working with typical and atypical children to bring the love of dance and the arts to them is a goal Amy is steadily working toward for Axis. 

Opening Axis Dance Center has always been one of Amy's dreams and she is thrilled to have this opportunity to teach dance to you and your children! So, let's DANCE!

Jenny Sparks

Choreographer, Dancer, Actress, & Singer

Jenny is a 24-year old firecracker!  She hails from Columbus, Georgia and earned a B.A. in Dance with an emphasis in Performance and Choreography with a minor in English from the University of Alabama.  She has been studying dance performance, pedagogy, choreography, and singing for 22 years.  Jenny has had the pleasure of working under the direction of internationally and nationally recognized choreographers such as 2002
Carnegie Professor of the Year, Cornelius Carter, Edith Barnes, Rita Snyder, and Lori Bellilove.  She loves that as a child she was 'competition kid' and attended many classes in Manhattan every summer at Broadway Dance Center and at conventions such as NYCDA, Tremaine, Co. Dance, and West Coast Dance Explosion.  While attending UA she was a member of Dance Alabama, Alabama Reperatory Dance Theater, and received a scholarship to work with Eileen Grace during the NYC Rockette Summer Intensive.  Also during college, Jenny had a wonderful opportunity to perform the Spanish Variation in The Nutcracker with the Great Moscow Ballet.  She has been a member of and run numerous sucessful competitive dance teams.  During that time she took home many titles including 2006 Alabama Teacher State Dance Champion, Miss UDA Georgia 2001, Miss Winners Regionals and Nationals and she was also named Whos Who in Performing Arts for 2002.  In 2001, Jenny was named a Universal Dance Association All-Star and asked to perform in New York and Paris! Jenny's choreography was featured in an article in the 2005 October issue of Dancer Magazine.  She has worked in several theatre productions as well and prides herself on being a triple threat!  We are thrilled to have her on staff for a third year!!!!

   Melanie Moran has been dancing since the age of 2.  Melanie is a true "Triple Threat".  She sings, acts, tumbles, and dances.  Melanie has toured with the international performance group "Up With People" as a singer and dancer.  Melanie also danced on the award winning Columbus State University Dance Team, as well as having been a cheerleader through highschool.   Mel also danced in the opening of the Miss Georgia Pagaent, and has held many pagaent titles herself.  Melanie has competed both regionally and nationally and has won numerous awards.  Melanie has also danced on the professional dance team, the Columbus Mud Dogs.  She is returning to the Axis dance Staff for a third year 2010-2011.

Shane Hall

Shane is straight from Broadway!!  He has been dancing for 27 years and has held numerous titles both regionally and natonally.  Shane was cast as Mr. Mistofellees in the CATS National Broadway Tour, he has also been in Beauty and The Beast, and most recently White Christmas.   Shane also has been running the Prodigy Dance Company for many years and two years ago returned to Columbus, GA to open Prodigy Dance Centre.  Shane most recently has been seen performing in Atlanta with Project7 Dance Company, and has been working for ShowStopper National Dance Competitions as a judge.  Shane also recently won  Dancing With The Stars:Columbus Fundraiser for Alzheimers.  This year we were also very pleased to have him able to come and see our teams compete in Gwinnett and visit with them at the studio, as well as come in and judge at auditions for this nex season.  Shane is always a welcome addition and face at Axis!!