Faculty
Ashia Carpenter- Owner
Ashia Carpenter found her love for dance and gymnastics at just 3 years old. She has traveled the country training and competing in national dance and gymnastics competitions while training competitively at Action Gymnastics, DC Dance Factory and Nashville School of the Arts. She moved to Chattanooga, TN in 2009 for college at UTC where she danced on their dance team for 4 years while teaching gymnastics. There she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies while minoring in Entrepreneurship. She graduated in 2013 and decided to pursue her graduate degree from Tennessee Technological University. She graduated from TTU in 2014 with her Master’s in Business Administration with a Human Resource Management Concentration. That very month she established Divine Dance Studio in Chattanooga, TN. In 2019 she relocated her studio to Marietta, GA. Ashia has a passion for teaching dance and gymnastics and finds the greatest joy in having a positive influence on the lives of young people
About Us
Alexandra Murphy
Alexandra Murphy, a New Jersey native, began training in both gymnastics and dance at age 3, with an emphasis in ballet. Growing up, Alexandra studied with The School of American Ballet, The New Jersey School of Ballet, and many notable New York City Ballet alumni. She also continued studying modern dance, jazz, hip-hop and other dance forms as a member of a variety of NY Metro dance schools.
At The Florida State University, Alexandra fell back in love with jazz funk and hip-hop and was introduced to a new love, Miami Bass. She cut her teeth in commercial dance in both Atlanta and Miami, dancing for 6 years total in the NBA with both the Atlanta Hawks and Miami HEAT.
Alexandra is currently based in Miami and has been touring with Maluma since 2017. She has also worked with artists such as Pitbull, Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Jason Derulo, Ricky Martín, Romeo Santos, Luis Fonsi, Robin Thicke, CNCO, Don Omar, among many others. Her recent credits include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, MTV VMAs, Coca Cola, Capital One, NCAA, Zumba, Telemundo, Univision, and more.
Alexandra enjoys helping aspiring dancers learn from her experience, teaching that anything is possible through passion, hard work, and a positive mindset.
Ashley Gonsalves
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Ashley Gonsalves is an Atlanta native trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, clogging, hip hop, drill, heels and pointe. She began her training at Jacobs Dance Academy where she competed nationally in tap, jazz, and contemporary. She’s won awards at StarBiz and Showstopper Dance Competitions in tap and musical theater. At the age of 14, Ms. Gonsalves continued her training at DanceMakers of Atlanta. She served 4 years on their competition team and won numerous awards from Jump and NYCDA Competitions in tap, jazz, and contemporary. As a teenager, Ashley performed on her high school’s dance team and competed regionally in various drill team competitions.
She continued her studies in dance at the University of Georgia where she served as principal choreographer and on the leadership board for Paloma Dance Company. While in Athens, Ms. Gonsalves began teaching youth ages 4-15 years in areas like KidStart Ballet and Tap, Intermediate and Advance Tap, Competition Hip Hop, and Advance Contemporary. After graduation from UGA, she continued teaching tap, jazz, heels and hip hop at Dancing for His Glory, DanceMakers of Atlanta, and DareDreamDance. For two years, Ashley trained and taught ballet and jazz in the New Jersey/New York area. In addition, Ashley is a second-year member of the Atlanta Hawks Dance Team.
Chenise Johnson
Growing up, Chenise earned scholarships through top dance conventions like The Pulse and more! She competitively danced throughout middle and high school winning special stand-out awards. While earning her B.A. at Florida State University, Chenise continued her training at the school and with her mentors. Her choreography has been seen with school sororities, dance teams, and the National Dance Alliance. After graduation, Chenise was an Orlando Magic Dancer where she performed high energy routines to over 17,000 people! Throughout the season she also performed at Disney World and Universal before her move to the seas dancing in broadway-caliber shows on the Norwegian Star! Most recently, she has finished a contract dancing at the Crazy Palace in Germany!
E.C. Fajardo
Having danced since 2009 and taught since 2013, EC has been a part of both the collegiate and street dance scenes all along the East Coast. With a passion for teaching and a love for street dance forms like popping and house, he seeks to inspire and educate people into caring for the culture in real and meaningful ways.
She is currently attending Kennesaw State University to pursue a career in dance and political science.
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Isabel Blackburn
Isabel has been dancing since she was very young and grew up training at Bravo Dance Center. She trained in all styles, including ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She also pursued performing arts and theatre throughout high school. After graduating, she attended Broadway Dance Center's Professional Semester, where she studied hip hop and street style technique, along with other styles of dance. She now in her second season as a dancer for the Atlanta Hawks. She is also signed to MSA Agency and performs throughout the Atlanta area.
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Jaleah Roscoe
Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Jaleah discovered a passion for dance at the age of three and has been moving to the beat ever since! She began competing at the age of nine. Since competing, she has earned several awards on a regional and national level in jazz, hip-hop, lyrical clogging, and tap. Including titles such as Dancer of the year, and The Excellence of Dance Award. Jaleah expanded on her creative arts journey, branching off into pageants. She has since won the titles of Miss Kappa Alpha Psi, and Miss South Eastern Province for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Her talent for pageants, was of course dance! After her reign, she furthered her pageant career choreographing multiple opening number routines and custom dance pieces for other pageants within the community! Jaleah is a former member of Georgia Southern University’s national award-winning dance team, Southern Explosion! Now, dancing professionally Jaleah is currently in her second season with the “ATL dancers” for the Atlanta Hawks. She has performed with famous artist such as Ciara, and Lil Scrappy, New Kids on the Block, and K. Camp! Jaleah continues to share her passion for dance with others by teaching and choreographing! She is committed to providing innovative choreography that challenges and motivates the dancers she works with!
Jasmine Lee
Jasmine Lee is a Maryland native who has over 20 years of dance training and experience. Trained under prestigious dance studios, companies, and teachers such as the Dance Theater of Harlem and the Joffrey Ballet School. Loving dance led Jasmine to attend Towson University receiving her BFA in dance performance and choreography and her teacher certification.
While at Towson, Jasmine was on the Pom Squad for three years, held leadership positions, and competed at UDA College Nationals in 2015 and 2016. The Towson University Pom Squad helped Jasmine discover her passion for performing on the football field and basketball court.
Jasmine has auditioned and prepped with teams in the DMV area and was a member of the first ever Arena Football League dance team in Baltimore. For two years Jasmine danced for the NBA team in DC, The Washington Wizards and has recently relocated and dances for the Atlanta Hawks!
Len Jackson
Len Jackson is a native of Louisiana and a two-time graduate of Grambling State University, a former member of their renowned Orchesis Dance Company, and nationally ranked Varsity Cheerleading Team. He started dancing at the late age of 18 years old and trained extensively under the artistic direction of Dianne Maroney-Grigsby where he gained a strong foundation in the Lester Horton Modern Technique. Len is also a former member of the Louisiana Ballet Dance Theatre/Foundation.
After moving to Dallas, Texas in 2016 he trained alongside several teams such as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Dallas Sidekicks, Texas Legends, and Dallas Mavericks Dancers. Choreographing halftimes and quarter-change performances for the Dallas Mavericks Dancers, Dallas Sidekicks, Mesquite Darling Deputies Dance Team, Texas Revs Dance Team, etc. Most excitingly, he performed center court as a featured dancer with the Dallas Mavericks Dancers during their annual Christmas Halftime Special.
Len recently relocated to Atlanta, GA, and is a member of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders.
Nacoleon Hillsman
Nacoleon Hillsman III was born in Atlanta, Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Oklahoma. Taking his first dance class at the age of 14 at the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School, Hillsman fell in love with it and has trained in Jazz, Ballet, Modern, and Hip Hop. He has performed on stage in New York, San Francisco, Beijing, China, and just to name a few. Hillsman is currently on faculty at Decatur School of Ballet, Berry College, and is excited to continue to inspire students in their love for dance and artistic creativity at Divine Dance Studio.
Perlizbeth De Leon
Perlizbeth De Leon is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher originally from North Carolina, graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Art Education (K-12) B.S., but based out of Atlanta for the last year. She has choreographed for artists local Atlanta artists like Sadie Nicole, Ambra Denise, Zeke Taylor, etc. Along with choreographing for artists, she also creates work for showcases, video concepts, and has recently been accepted to Dance Canvas’s and Atlanta Contemporary’s Summer Choreographic Residency. Her style is a fusion of foundations she has trained in: hip hop, contemporary, jazz, popping, house, and waacking.