Meet Our Faculty
Our instructors bring professional experience, technical expertise, and a passion for teaching. Each faculty member is dedicated to helping every dancer reach their full potential.
Every teacher is carefully selected for their training, classroom leadership, and commitment to safe, age-appropriate instruction.
Interested in our advanced Company Team? Learn more about the program and audition expectations here.
Melissa Patterson Covo
Director & Founder
Melissa is the owner, founder and artistic director of Gulf Coast Dance Alliance in Spanish Fort, AL. She graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Psychology. While attending USM, Melissa was a member of the USM Dance Reparatory and was an American Dance Festival (ADF) scholarship student in 1999. Melissa has trained at prestigious institutions including the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet, studying under ballet legends like Melissa Hayden, Warren Conover, and Gyula Pandi. Her performance credits span celebrated choreographers like George Balanchine and Marius Petipa. Her choreography over the past 13 years as artistic director of GCDA has won numerous accolades including choreography awards, overall placements at Universal Ballet Competition (UBC), Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), and many national competitions. She continues to pursue her passion for training the next generation of young artists.
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Brittany Tolbert
Teacher
With a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi, Brittany has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in dance and choreography. Her performances include 'Dracula' with the New Orleans Ballet Theatre and 'Sleeping Beauty Ballet' with Mobile Ballet. Her choreographic works include 'Not a Farewell' and 'Say It,' performed at USM's Repertory Dance Concerts. Brittany has served as a teacher's assistant at Gale's Studio of Dance and USM, and has participated in residencies with Axis Dance Company and Pilobolus. She received the Donald Drapeau Prize for Excellence and the Emerging Artists Grant.
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Chassitie Smith
Teacher & Choreographer
Chassitie began dancing at age seven and, twenty years later, shows no signs of stopping. By age 15 she was assisting at the renowned dance convention Company Dance. In 2006, she clinched the National Title of Miss VIP at the National VIP Dance Competition in Panama City, Florida. She has served as a guest choreographer at Tribe Studio in Elba, Alabama for a decade and devised competition choreography for the Tribe Dance Company. For the past twelve years, Chassitie has dedicated herself to teaching and choreographing various dance styles including lyrical/contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, ballet/pointe, tap, acrobatics, and baton. She's returning for her 9th year with GCDA.
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Jessica Treherne
Teacher
Jessica brings unmatched expertise from prestigious ballet institutions including the Baltimore School for the Arts, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet. She studied under legends like Melissa Hayden, Warren Conover, and Gyula Pandi. Her professional career includes dancing with Carolina Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. She has also spent 11 years leading Harford Dance Theatre as Artistic Director. Jessica's greatest pride is her students—many have gone on to dance professionally with major companies including Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, Miami City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Dutch National Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet.
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Wendy Langham
Teacher & Choreographer
Wendy has been honored with the prestigious title of Dance Teacher of the Year for seven consecutive years. Her expertise extends beyond dance to baton twirling and competitive gymnastics, achieving national recognition as a competitive gymnast. Wendy's talent has graced renowned stages across the country including Six Flags New Orleans, Opryland Nashville, and the televised Showstoppers East Coast National Finals. She was named a Top 10 Talent Winner in the Baldwin County Junior Miss competition and rebranded her studio as Southern Strutt in 2013.
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Andrei Ivanko
Acrobatics & Tumbling Instructor
Andrei is a highly experienced gymnastics and tumbling instructor with a diverse background in the circus and performing arts industry. Born in Moscow, he trained from 1976-1987 at the Professional Gymnastics School and Moscow Circus School. From 1987-1999, he was an acrobat and juggler in a five-person troupe led by Andrei Keruschen at the Russian State Circus, performing across Russia, Japan, and France at venues like the Bolshoi Circus in Nagoya and the coliseum in Paris. Since 1999, he has been a Gymnastics and Tumbling Instructor at the Andrei Ivanko Gymnastics and Tumbling School in Moscow, and has also taught at Cirque du Monde, Spotlight Elite Dance Center, Lanier's Gymnastics, and the Conservatory of Dance Arts.
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Kyndall Ransom
Teacher
Kyndall graduated from the University of South Alabama with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Kinesiology and Health. She brings 17 years of recreational training, five years of dance education, and five years of teaching experience. She has trained at Melinda Leigh's Performing Arts Center, Broadway South Dance, and with Davidson High School's Kinetics dance company. Her training spans contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop, and musical theater, with additional experience in weight sharing, ballroom, African cultural dance, yoga, and Pilates.
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Maren Cunningham
Teacher
Maren trained at GCDA as a competition team member, developing a strong foundation in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and acro. She was captain of the Fairhope Dance Collective and is now a member of The University of South Alabama Prowlers Dance Team. Currently pursuing her dreams of becoming a physical therapist, Maren aims to merge her love for dance with physical therapy to help athletes recover from injury. Her true passion lies in teaching, with a nurturing and supportive approach that helps students of all ages and skill levels thrive.
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Abbie Ware
Teacher
Abbie has danced competitively and professionally since age 7. Classically trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and tap, she has performed across the U.S., working with choreographers and companies in Austin, Las Vegas, Portland, and New York City. For the past 14 years, Abbie has trained competitive dancers and choreographed for companies in Portland, Oregon, earning numerous overall placements, special awards, and choreography honors throughout the Pacific Northwest. Most recently she taught and created work in Manila, Philippines, with Nude Floor Studio, Elan Ballet, and Daloy Dance Company.
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Our Teaching Philosophy
At Gulf Coast Dance Alliance, we believe that dance is more than just steps and technique—it's about building confidence, discipline, and a lifelong love of movement.
Our faculty creates a nurturing environment where dancers of all ages and abilities feel supported and challenged. We focus on age-appropriate training that develops proper technique while fostering creativity and self-expression.
Whether a student is dancing for recreation or pursuing a professional career, we're committed to helping them achieve their goals and discover the joy of dance.