Meet The Team

Madeleine Rady Hall

Madeleine opened the studio 10 years ago in 2016. She wanted to create a dance space that she had not experienced in her personal dance career. A place of body positivity, morals, love, and encouragement. She started dancing at the age of 3 with her main focus on ballet, but she had a joy in learning all styles of dance growing up. Ms. Maddie went on to win first place at the Youth American Grand Prix, one of the highest honors in the dance world. She then went on to open Dance Collective at only 18 years old! Crazy dreams lead to amazing things...Ms. Maddie has now gone on to be a multiple time award-winning choreographer with pieces winning regionally and being nominated for multiple awards including Choreography of the Year at many competitions throughout the past 7 years. She continues learning and growing her own personal abilities and goals and recently was a part of a professional contemporary company in Atlanta. She has extensive teaching experience in multiple genres including Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Hip Hop. Of course when not dancing, Ms. Maddie loves spending time with her family!

Michael and Heather Rady

A love for Jesus, children, young adults and the performing arts led Michael and Heather Rady to create what has now become Acting Collective over 18 years ago.  Through creating captivating stories along with elaborate production elements and stage sets, the main goal of Acting Collective will always be to spread the word of Jesus to everyone who walks through our doors. Michael and Heather developed a love for community theater upon their children's interest in the arts. Years later, they now work with their daughter Madeleine to not only bring joy to children through acting but through dance as well with the creation of Acting Collective's sister company Dance Collective founded in 2016. Managing the business aspects and supporting each other in this endeavor has brought them as a family -  happiness and joy to reach the community through the arts!

Alicia Leslie

Alicia grew up dancing in middle GA starting at the age of 5, and was a competitive dancer for 6yrs. She holds a BS in Psychology and a minor in Dance from Georgia College & State University.

While studying at GCSU, Alicia had the opportunity to teach/ choreograph in the GC Community Dance Program for ages 4-22, teach in the Bibb County School System, as well as choreograph for the GC Theatre Department Musicals and Dance Minor concerts. She also held the roles of Community Service Chair and President for the Dance Honorary Society, Chi Tau Epsilon.

Alicia attended the ACDA South Eastern Conference, representing GCSU by performing in both informal concerts (2022) and formal adjudications (2023). 

Once Alicia started teaching dance in college, she never stopped. Her favorite genres to teach are lyrical and pointe. Alicia's choreography has won overall awards as well as Judges' Choice Awards. 

Alicia has spent four seasons with Burlap Sakk Dance Company as a Pro Company member, performing and taking classes, based out of McDonough, GA. She also had the opportunity to perform in Airianna Tauanuu's first full length tap and contemporary show "Heartstrings" in 2024.

In addition to teaching and performing, Alicia enjoys reading and binge watching any and all Disney movies!

Mackenzie Short

Mackenzie has had the love for dance ever since the age of 13. She danced competitively all 4 years of high school and in those years, she won numerous awards with her award winning team and for her solos as well! She has had extensive training in ballet, jazz, pointe, musical theater, lyrical, contemporary and more. As a graduate of Dance Collective, Mackenzie is excited to share her passion for dance with her students and hopes that they will find as much joy in dancing as she did 5 years ago. While she loves for her class to be a fun environment, she is also passionate about putting in the work to achieve your goals. Mackenzie is thrilled to be coaching with DC again this year and is ready to work with you!

Kyla Coakley

Kyla has been dancing for 11 years, competing for 8 and coaching for 2! As an alumni of Dance Collective, she is getting the opportunity to work with adults for the first time this coming season and is more than excited. She enjoys working with students who are eager to learn as much as possible. Her favorite style of dance is ballet and she has spent the majority of her dance career focused on the technical genre. Her specialty in coaching is private lessons and smaller classes where each student gets the help they need. If you are serious about improving your skills, Kyla is your girl. Contact @ Kylamichelle06@gmail.com for classes taught and lessons hosted @dance.collective

Alaina Martin

Alaina started dancing at 9 years old and has been dancing ever since. She began competing in 2021 and started teaching in 2023. She specializes in contemporary, jazz, and musical theatre. In 2022, she was awarded the “Artist of The Year” nomination at Platinum National Dance Competition with her contemporary solo. She aspires to teach her students the ways of dance while keeping an energetic and safe environment for the kids.

Shayla Hohenstern

Shayla started dancing at 5 years old and joined Dance Collective in 2020 where she was a member of the award winning Senior Competition Team for many years, competing in numerous competitions and taking away numerous awards including 1st place over all in the teen duo/trio category at Imagine Dance Challenge 2024.  She is trained in many styles of dance, including tap, ballet, pointe, acro, jazz, hip hop, contemporary/lyrical, and musical theater but her favorites are tap and musical theater!

Jillian Rady

As the sister of a dance studio owner, Jillian was put straight into dance classes the moment that she was able to walk. From then on, she began her dance journey for herself to see if she too was passionate about dancing - and she found that she couldn't love it more. Yet more than that, she found a love for teaching little ones to dance their hearts out! So along with competing and winning many accolades and awards, Jillian teaches Minis weekly and is fondly known by her students as silly Ms. Jill!