Wanda plemmons - owner & president
Wanda Plemmons serves as Owner and President of the Academy of Dance Arts, Inc. where she studied Ballet at an early age. Wanda's training continued at the University of N.C. School of the Arts where she serves currently on the Board of Associates. She helped found the Alumni Association and served as President of the Alumni at U.N.C.S.A for several years. Wanda also sat on the Chancellor's Search Committee and the Governor's Choice for Teaching Excellence Committee. Wanda was designated "Outstanding Teacher in the Arts" by UNC School of Arts in 2009 and participated in the graduation ceremonies. She performed with the Winston-Salem Civic Ballet Co., Governor's School and University of N.C. School of the Arts productions. Wanda has been a guest teacher for Wake Forest University and the N.C. Governor's School , served as dance consultant for C.M.S. and choreographed numerous pieces for local concerns including R.J.R's The Vantage, the City of Winston-Salem, Hanes Mall and Disney's 'Kid Jam". Wanda served on the President's Advisory Council for Small Business Leaders of the U.S.
Follow this link to see a short film about North Carolina School of the Arts alumnus and ADA owner, Wanda Plemmons, This film was produced by the school as a part of their This School, This City project.
Madisyn thomas - owner & director
Madisyn Thomas grew up dancing at the Academy of Dance Arts, where she developed her love for dance. After graduating from ADA, she went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of South Carolina. While at USC, she performed in classical ballets including Walpurgisnacht and The Firebird..
Madisyn teaches Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, and Lyrical classes to dancers of all ages. As Owner and Director of ADA, Madisyn is committed to honoring the studio’s long-standing traditions while continuing to grow its legacy. She feels grateful to lead the studio that shaped her, and looks forward to many more years of sharing the joy of dance with the ADA community.
Laura Barber
Laura Barber grew up dancing in Kentucky where she attended Governor's School of the Arts at age 17. She graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from Radford University. Laura was a dancer with d a n a h b e l l a DanceWorks from 2008-2017, traveling up and down the east coast performing and teaching in residency. She has performed for various choreographers since moving to W-S in 2012. Laura began teaching at ADA in 2013 and has since had 2 children, who you might see running around the studio from time to time.
David Hawk
David Hawk, a hip hop dancer, has been dancing since the fourth grade. This included being the leader of various dance groups and dance ministries throughout middle and high school. He then traveled with the recording artist Eddie James where he was the leader of the hip hop dance group Excalibur. David is the founder of the Hip Hop Out the Box dance workshop. He has been teaching hip hop dance to students around the triad from ages 6 to adult since 2006. From old school, new school, popping, locking, animation, krump or the latest viral dance craze David is a constant learner of the Hip Hop dance scene. You can also find David teaching ballroom dancing within the local school systems as a Dancing Classrooms teaching artist. You can follow him on Instagram @thedavidhawk
Claire Ketner
Claire Ketner began dancing at the Academy of Dance Arts at the age of 9 and continued through high school. She graduated from Salem College with degrees in Dance and English. At Salem, Claire choreographed for multiple dance concerts and performed and presented works at the American College Dance Association conferences. Post college she worked in the administrative arm of dance education in Brooklyn, NY, where she developed as both an administrator and teacher. She’s happy to be back “home” at ADA and looks forward to sharing the legacy of the teachers and mentors who have shaped her.
Samantha Donley
Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Samantha received her preliminary training at Academy of Dance Arts before attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She spent numerous summers training at many different companies including, The School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Chautauqua Institution of Dance. After graduating from UNCSA high school program, Samantha danced professionally with Charlotte Ballet from 2013-2015 before joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2015. She was quickly promoted through the ranks at the Cincinnati Ballet, and spent 11 years dancing as a company member there. In 2018, while Samantha was at Cincinnati Ballet, she was recognized in Pointe Magazine’s “Stars of The Corps.” While being at Charlotte Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet she had the opportunity to perform multiple principal and soloist roles in a variety of classical and contemporary works. Some of those works include Jewels by George Balanchine, Serenade by George Balanchine, The Four Temperaments by George Balanchine, Kiss by Stephanie Martinez, Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin, Petite Mort by Jiří Kylián, Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp, Petal by Helen Pickett, Don Quixote by Anna Marie Holmes, Swan Lake by Kirk Peterson, Evermore by Dwight Rhoden, Ibsen House by Val Caniparoli, In the Middle by William Forsyth and many many more. Samantha has performed in a variety of dance festivals and in theaters around the world. Some of these include performing at Laguna Dance Festival (2023) Ballet West’s National Choreographic Festival (2018) The Nutcracker at Michigan Opera House (2017) and the Nutcracker at The Kennedy Center (2016). She has done freelance work with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance and with Moving Arts Summer Dance Company. Samantha recently retired in May 2025 with her final performance with The Cincinnati Ballet. On her down time Samantha enjoys spending time with her husband and her three needy cats. She enjoys eating good food, traveling, and exploring new places.
Kaci Hedgecock
Administrative: Crystal Thomas
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Debbie Sayles
Debbie Sayles has been teaching for over 40 years, all including the Academy of Dance Arts. She received her B.F.A. in dance from the University of N.C. at Greensboro. She received training at East Carolina and performed with the dance companies at both universities. Debbie joined the faculty at the Academy of Dance Arts, Inc. in 1983 and has trained and inspired thousands of dancers in her years of teaching as well as being instrumental in developing the Tap program. She also taught Tap at Wake Forest University as an adjunct professor since the fall of 2010. She has completed tap pieces both in 2012 and 2015 to present in the Wake Forest University Fall Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert. Debbie's versatility in teaching has included the pre-ballet program as well as Jazz. Debbie is Mother to two daughters who are both graduates from the Academy, Megan and Katie.
Debbie recently retired in May 2025. We are forever grateful for her endless contributions to the Academy of Dance Arts!