The St. Cecilia Dance Academy (SCDA) is an after-school program for girls from 3 years old to adult. The SCDA provides budding dancers in the Nashville area with excellent training in the techniques, communication, and artistry of dance. Through their introduction to and immersion in the universal language of dance, girls learn to express their God-given beauty and dignity through their growing bodies. Dance also helps students grow in important virtues like discipline, grace, perseverance, healthy self-expression, resilience, critical thinking, a broad sense of musicality, and collaboration skills that are crucial for a life well-lived. Most importantly, the fine arts—and dance in a very particular way—open young people up to all that is good, true, and beautiful as they use their bodies, their minds, and their talents to glorify God.
“To everything, there is a season . . . a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3
The St. Cecilia Dance Academy offers after-school and Saturday classes during the school year in ballet, tap,
jazz, musical theatre dance, tumbling, contemporary, and hip hop for girls 3 years old to adult.
SCDA Instructors Leigh Anne Ervin SCDA Director
Sophie Gaccetta
Leigh Anne has taught dance at St. Cecilia Academy since 2014 and also serves on the teaching faculty at Lipscomb University. A professional dancer with a B.A. in political science and dance from BirminghamSouthern College and an M.F.A. in dance and arts management from Oklahoma City University.
Sophie is a 2017 graduate of SCA. In college, she attended the University of Alabama. After graduating from UA in 2021, she is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Social Work, focusing on children and adolescents. In addition to her experience teaching dance, Sophie is excited to share her talents at SCA!
Melissa Yokom Koehn
Andrea Roberts
Melissa is a St. Cecilia Academy graduate and native Nashvillian. She has performed, taught, and choreographed ballet since graduating from Butler University in 1983 with a B.A. in Dance. For the past 13 years, she has been the Artistic Director and Owner of her home studio called Studio “M.”
Andrea Roberts, a Nashville native, has her BFA in Performing Arts with an emphasis in dance from Western Kentucky University. She is a dance educator with 30 years of experience, a TPAC Teaching Artist, and has certifications in Pilates and Progressive Ballet Training. Andrea is elated to be part of this growing community and excited to have the privilege of working with the amazing children of SCDA!
Caren Lyons
Maddie Williams
Caren Lyons is a native Nashville performer, dance instructor and choreographer. Caren received her undergraduate training in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University, and her Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy from Lesley University. Caren is excited to bring her passion for tap dance to the SCA community.
Maddie grew up studying various styles of dance in Central Pennsylvania, performing annually in the Company Project at the Hershey Theatre. She then went on to earn her Bachelors of Science in Dance Pedagogy from the prestigious Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment at Oklahoma City University. Maddie finds the most joy when teaching and is excited to share her love of dance with new students!
Founded in 1860, St. Cecilia Academy is the oldest school in Nashville. A private all-girls Catholic college preparatory academy for grades 7-12, St. Cecilia is owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and is named after the patron saint of music and the arts. SCA offers young women an intellectual foundation in the liberal arts that encourages them to love knowledge for its own sake and to excel in scholastic, artistic, and athletic pursuits within the context of a joyful, Christ-centered community. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: stcecilia.edu/SCDA CONTACT: Leigh Anne Ervin at ervinl@stcecilia.edu