MEET OUR STAFF
CALLI WEISS
OWNER / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / TEACHER
Calli began dancing at age three under the direction of Janice Cater. She has education and performance experience in Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Pointe, Tap, and Theatre. In 2013 she graduated from Brenau University with a BFA in Dance Studies and a minor in Marketing. While at Brenau, Calli performed choreographed works from top choreographers such as CiCi Kelly, Cassandra Alvarado, Juel Lane, Danita Emma, Nikki Bybee, Jolie Long, and Diavolo Dance Theatre. Calli has also performed with Dance 101, Fuse Dance Company, and Expansions Dance Company. She began teaching in 2008 at a local studio and took the role of Artistic Director in 2012. In 2014, Calli opened the doors of INSPIRE School for the Arts in her hometown community.
SAMANTHA PEDEN
OFFICE MANAGER / TEACHER
Samantha fell in love with dance at age three while attending the LaGrange School of Performing Arts, where she performed as a senior company member. She is a Brenau University honors graduate with a BA in Dance Studies and a minor in Small Business Management. Samantha trained and performed for nineteen years in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Pointe. Throughout high school, Samantha worked at Techniques School of Dance and Gymnastics as an assistant teacher for various classes and was a member of the Senior Jazz Company for three years. She graduated from Brenau University in 2015, where she performed and choreographed in eight performances hosted by the Brenau University Department of Dance, and joined INSPIRE School for the Arts in 2015.
KALLI DRAKE
IDE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / TEACHER
Kalli was born and raised in Loganville, where she grew up dancing. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, with a bachelor's in Journalism, and a graduate of Georgia Southern, with a master's in Higher Education. She spent her years at the University of Georgia performing and choreographing for the UGA Tap Dawgs. Kalli is trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, and Tap. She has taught as a resident and guest teacher for studios in the Athens area for the past 8 years. While her specialty is Tap, Kalli also loves teaching Contemporary, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. Her goal as a teacher is for her dancers to find their confidence and personal artistry through rhythm, groove, and expression.
CAMERON BRAKE
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT / TEACHER
Cameron has had a passion for dance since the age of three. She grew up in Loganville, Georgia, where she trained in various styles such as Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Pointe, and Tap. During that time, she competed at various competitions and performed for numerous events and recitals. After fifteen years of training and competing, she gained a newfound love for teaching. She has been teaching the past five years and continues to share her love and passion for dance with the next generation of dancers. Cameron graduated from the University of Georgia in 2022 with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Dance.
AARON JAMES
TEACHER
Aaron was born into a family of athletes, music lovers, and creators. He has performed across the country for many artists (both major and independent) and has appeared on many movies and TV shows as an actor and/or dancer. Some of his credits include: America's Best Dance Crew, Pharrell, Little Big Town, T- Pain, Jacob Latimore, Jack Harlow, Est Gee, Lecrae, Kanye West, and the CMT Awards. Aaron teaches industry leaders at Xcel Talent where he shares his love for dancing and performing with other aspiring artists. Aaron has been teaching at INSPIRE School for the Arts since 2016 and prides himself in helping cultivate a true love and passion for dance in each of his students.
OLIVIA MOTT
TEACHER
Olivia has been dancing for eighteen years and teaching for six years. During those eighteen years, she trained under Fiona Fairrie from the Royal Ballet, Momchil Mladenov from the National Ballet of Bulgaria, Orlando Molina from Orlando Ballet, Atlanta Ballet faculty, and Danita Emma, founder of International Ballet Intensive. Olivia spent her summers at Houston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and International Ballet Intensive on a full artistic scholarship. Olivia has performed many lead roles such as Giselle in Giselle, Clara in The Nutcracker, and Medora in Le Corsaire, among many other lead roles. Olivia is continuing her dance career, along with sharing her love of dance to students of all ages.
DEANNA LANIER
TEACHER
Deanna's love for dance started at the age of three. Her dance training includes instruction at TAZZ Dance Studio, Carol Walker Dance Studio, Phusion Performing Arts, and Studio 1 Dance Company. She won numerous awards such as Miss Xplosion Dance, Junior and Teen Miss Nexstar, and numerous technical high score awards. Deanna has trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Modern, Musical Theatre, and Tap. In 2018 she joined her college dance team, Mahogany-n-Motion, at Spelman College. She later became Captain and choreographed for pageants and performances across campus. In 2019, she became an NBA Dancer with the Atlanta Hawks. Deanna is currently a bioinformatics Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia and dances professionally in Atlanta.
JILLIAN REID
TEACHER
Jillian grew up in northern Illinois, where she danced from an early age and began competitive dancing at age 10. At 16 years old, she joined the pre-professional program, Visceral Studio Company under the direction of Nick Pupillo. Throughout high school she taught and choreographed at various studios and for all variations of dance. She attended Point Park University for one and a half years, majoring in dance. She studied Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Commercial Jazz, and Tap. She has since taught and choreographed numerous classes and pieces for competitions, recitals, and special performances. Her experience includes groups, duets, trios, and solos of ages as young as 3 and as old as 18.