MAXINE PATTERSON SCHOOL OF DANCE
celebrating 55th season
We provide guided instruction in the art of dance in all skill levels. Our emphasis is traditional and classic technique training.
We offer classes in ballet, pre-pointe/pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, and stretch/conditioning.
Classes at Savannah and Pooler locations
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.
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.
Meet The Team
OUR GOAL:
We care greatly about the dancers at our studio. We want them to learn to dance but also to learn to love themselves. We want to teach them that success is doing their best and instill in them positive traits of high esteem, high morals, high level of happiness, and self pride. Our students will learn responsibility, self discipline, and self control.
Stephanie Cummings
Pre-school ballet and tap - ballet - tap
jazz - lyrical - conditioning
Savannah & Pooler
Company & Performance Team
Stephanie Cummings is an alumni of Maxine Patterson School of Dance where she trained in ballet, tap, and jazz. She started at the age of 4 and has been dancing ever since. Stephanie had the opportunity to attend Master Classes, workshops, dance camps, and conventions taught by a variety of teachers including Debbie Dee, Tommy Alexander, and Jo Rowan.
Stephanie was a member of Position One Dance Company at The University of West Georgia where she served as co-captain and choreographer. She graduated with a BBA in Marketing. Stephanie later trained in tap at Dance Stop in Atlanta under Lynette Strickland.
She has choreographed award winning routines for the competition team for many years and has been teaching at Maxine Patterson School of Dance for 15+ years.
Shaundria DeLoach
lyrical - conditioning
Company & Performance Team
Asia Grant
Kinder ballet and tap - ballet
jazz - hip hop
Company & Performance Team
Asia began her dance career at a young age at MPSOD where she was also a student teacher and had the opportunity to participate in many convention/competitions and workshops. Asia was a member of Ballet South for 6 years and was also a part of Columbia City Ballet. She graduated from Savannah Arts Academy where she studied dance and was part of the Royal Dance Ensemble and Hyperforms. She was also chosen to attend Governors Honors Program in Valdosta, GA. She attended and graduated from Paine College where she was the co-captain of Mahogany Essence Dance Team. After graduation she went on to teach dance at Cutno Dance Center where she taught ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop. She has taught at various dance institutions in the Savannah area.
Asia has one son and a Masters Degree in Education from Georgia Southern University. She loves to teach and loves sharing her passion with her students.
Kate Lehr
ballet - pointe
Kate Lehr is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she earned a BA in Dance from Slippery Rock University. She trained under Lindsay and Steven Piper of Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh as well as with Maria Caruso of Bodiography Contemporary Ballet. She has extensive knowledge in Balanchine and Cecchetti training technique methodologies. She moved to Savannah in early 2020 and began teaching dance movement therapy classes to assisted living facilities before finding different dance studios to teach at.
She is excited to be a part of the Maxine Patterson School of Dance’s 55th season!
Pam Tucker
ballet/pointe privates
Pamela Tucker began her early dance training in Macon under Gladys Lasky (Royal Ballet & Royal Danish Ballet). She continued her dance studies at the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee where she performed with the UTK Dance Ensemble under Richard Crosky. As a teacher for the deaf for over 25 years she has continued dancing while working in the field of education. While working in Chattanooga, TN she studied and performed with Chattanooga Ballet under Alexander Bennett (Royal Ballet) and Barry and Anna VanCura (Ruth Page's Chicago Ballet & American Ballet Theatre)Upon moving to Savannah she performed with Ballet South under the direction of Karina Brock and John Carlyle (American Ballet Theater) while working in Chatham County Schools.. Ms. Tucker holds a BA degree in Speech Pathology/Audiology and an MS degree in Deaf Education. In addition to her work in field education, she has had a carer with Delta Airlines and Flight Safety Schools.
Nakia Young
Guest Ballet Instructor
Company Adviser
Nakia Young is a native of Savannah, GA. She began her early dance training under the direction of Madame Coy. By the age of 10, Ms. Young started dancing at Maxine Patterson School of Dance where she studied and trained in jazz, pointe, ballet, and tap. Two years later, Ms. Young was accepted as a member of Ballet South. For six years, she enhanced her dance training at Ballet South under the tutelage of Gayla Davis-Lehotay, Gaye Baxley, Karina Brock-Carlye and John Carlye.
Ms. Young's performance repertoire includes Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Swan Lake, Coppelia, and Snow White. She has appeared as a guest dancer with Sankofa Dance Theatre's "Collages" and Savannah Danse Theatre's "Nutcracker". As a performer Ms. Young competed in dance competitions in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.
With more than 30 years of dance education and experience, Ms Young serves as consultant for Rhythm In Motion Dance Company.