Maxine Patterson

Owner/Instructor

After dancing her first eight counts at the age of 6, Maxine Patterson knew what she wanted to do in life was dance. At the age of 8, she became a demonstrator for her teacher, Rosalie Cotler. As a teenager, Maxine began teaching classes and performed and studied dance as a charter member of the Savannah Ballet Guild. Both as a young dancer and as an adult, Maxine has attended many dance workshops, affording her the opportunity to further her dance education with excellent classes in all disciplines.

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Maxine began teaching at the May Street YMCA in 1969 and presented her first student recital at Savannah State University in 1970. Recitals have been held annually every year since. Maxine Patterson School of Dance accepts all students in classes at schools throughout the city, and especially at her studio. Maxine has been based at her studio at Lincoln and 39th Street since 1985.

In addition to dance classes, students of the Maxine Patterson School of Dance have had the opportunity to perform with Ballet South, The Columbia City Ballet , Off Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz, perform within the community at events such as Christmas on River Street and Black Heritage Festival, attend master classes of Savion Glover, Anthony LoCascio, The Russian Ballet Company, and travel to New York to attend classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. 

Her award winning dance company, Rhythm IN Motion performs and competes all year at competitions such as ASH, Radix, Velocity, and NYCDA.

All Maxine Patterson ever wanted to do was teach children the art of dance. Over the last 50 years, she has both accomplished that goal and succeeded in helping her students reach their highest potential as dancers and human beings.

A native from Savannah, Maxine Patterson has been married to "Mr. Don" Patterson for 50+ years. They are the parents of 2 children, Brian and Laura, both married, and two grandchildren, Micah and Tamar.