Meet the Team!

Christina Hicks

Executive Artistic Director, Teaching Artist, Principal Dancer

Christina is an Alabama native and graduated from Troy University BS in Communication Studies and Dance. She was a founding member of the Troy Dance Repertory Ensemble (TDRE). While with TDRE, she traveled to China on a dance concert tour in 2010. In 2011, she was awarded the Chicago Arts fellowship and worked with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago on their development team. She danced with The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC and is a Guest Artist with DraMAStic Dance Works in Onancock, VA. She has worked and performed with Patti Rutland Jazz since 2013 and proudly took on the role of Director in 2018.

Falin Williams

Director of Operations, Photographer, Content Creator

Falin has been with ADW now for nine years. Her many roles include managing the ADW Studio in Dothan, working for the ADW professional company with photography and videography, and also providing the marketing and graphic design for ADW as a whole. Outside of work, Falin enjoys participating in community theatre with SEACT and also loves performing with the ADW company every now and then!

Kerry O'Brien Herring

Teaching Artist, Company Director, Principal Dancer

Kerry O’Brien Herring received a B.F.A. in dance from Marymount Manhattan College. As the result of a choreography and performance focused dance degree, Kerry’s own choreographic works have been presented in collaboration with Troy University, Pikes Peak Community College, The Confucius Institute, the Southeast Alabama Dance, Ormao Dance Company, Shachah Touring Company, and the Dance Theater Workshop. Kerry's more recent endeavors include teaching dance for the Young Actors Theatre, the South Georgia Ballet, Lucretia's School of Dance, and Alabama Dance Works as well as dancing with the ADW Professional Company. Currently, Kerry serves as faculty at The Southern Dance Collective as well as the ADW Studio and is honored to be performing for a 7th season with ADW Professional Company.

Madison McGriff

Teaching Artist, BEYONDance Teacher, Principal Dancer

Elizabeth McGriff

Teaching Artist, Performance Team Director, Principal Dancer

Elizabeth is a 9th year instructor at ADW. From her first dance class at 4 years old until today, dance has been a part of her every day. During her teenage years she dedicated herself to competitive dance and enjoyed it immensely. She is certified in Acrobatic Arts module 1 and Alixa Flexibility modules 1, 2 and 3. In addition to teaching multiple styles of dance, she has spent the last 10 years dancing professionally with Alabama dance works including performances at Jazz on Tap, The Alabama Dance Festival, Catharsis Series, The Impact Project and guest performances with Troy University.

Kiser Olds

Development Coordinator, Teaching Artist, Principal Dancer, Content Creator

Before joining the professional company in 2019, Madison danced as a student and competed with the ADW Performance Team at the dance center. She has been working as an ADW Company Dancer for four years now and also teaches for the ADW Dance Center and the BEYONDance outreach program. She recently choreographed a piece for our advanced performance team and won the Excellence in Choreography Award at the Dance Educators of America competition in Atlanta, GA. Other choreographic acknowledgments include being selected to perform at the Alabama Dance Festival. In addition to these recognitions, Madison is certified in Acrobatic Arts and utilizes this in her dancing and choreography. McGriff looks forward to more opportunities with the ADW company.

Lauren Hart

Teaching Artist, Principal Dancer

Lauren is in her 9th season with the company. Lauren began her training in Owensboro, Kentucky with Owensboro Dance Theatre where she studied ballet, jazz, and tap. She received her professional training at Western Kentucky University where she was a dance major with a stage electrics minor. Lauren has worked as a counselor for Jazz on Tap on tour, with various color guards throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, and has performed throughout the country as well as in Costa Rica at Jazz Dance World Congress. She worked for a variety of touring Broadway shows including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Drowsy Chaperone”. She is extremely excited to be returning to the ADW studio!

Arianna Pruitt

Principal Dancer

Arianna began dancing at the age of 9 and received her training at the Kelly School of Dance. She also received training at Alabama Dance Works as a student, teacher, and Performance team member. During her time as a competition dancer, she was awarded with many scholarships and special judges’ awards for her passion, emotion, and talent. In 2013, she was one of four dancers chosen in an audition at Dance Educators of America Nationals in Las Vegas to be represented by Jim Keith at The Movement Talent Agency as a commercial dancer. After two years of being an apprentice, and one year of being an intern, she became a company member of Alabama Dance Works in 2023. Arianna is extremely grateful for this opportunity and to be a part of ADW!

Ethan Tyler

Principal Dancer, BEYONDance Teacher, Teaching Artist

Ethan Tyler started his dance training at the age of 17. He was trained at Panama City Dance Academy in Florida under the guidance of Lance Washington, Michelle Williams, and Troy alumni Kaitlyn Morgan. He was on Panama City Dance Academy's competition team and placed at many competitions, including Inferno, Masquerade, Platinum, and Applause. He has a Bachelors in Dance from Troy University from years of studying under James Boyd, Adrienne Hicks, and Dominique Angel. Currently, he has danced with multiple non profit dance organizations and choreographed a multiple of stylized works. Details and artistic narrative are major importance for his teaching and performing styles.

Kiser Olds obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Troy University. Training in dance and musical theatre most of her life, Kiser finds that her true home is onstage. Kiser’s choreography has been nominated and or showcased with organizations such as Drapinsky Company’s Catharsis Series, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Some of her recent credits include “Blanche” in “Bonnie and Clyde” at Spanish Trail Playhouse, and “Lead Singer” in “SplashDance!” at OWA Parks & Resort. As a third year company member with ADW, Olds is thankful for the opportunities she has been given and looks forward to her future with the company.

Michaela Pearse

Teaching Artist, BEYONDance Teacher, Principal Dancer, Content Creator

Michaela Pearse is a graduate of Troy University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. In her time at Troy, she had the opportunity to choregraph and produce original work, as well as perform featured roles in many Troy Theatre and Dance productions including work from Marcus Allen Cobb. Michaela was one of ten dancers from the University to be chosen to study dance abroad in Pietrasanta, Italy. While in Italy, she took was chosen to perform original work by Alice Klock and Florian Lochner of Flockworks and received a summer scholarship to train with MNDance Company in Slovenia. Michaela has had the opportunity to teach, judge, and set work at various studios around Alabama the past several years. She is now apart of Alabama Dance Works in Dothan, AL, serving as a principal dancer in their professional company, teaching artist for their dance center, and is a dance educator in Dothan City Schools with ADW’s BEYONDance outreach program.

Crystal Dubose

Teaching Artist, Principal Dancer

Crystal DuBose is from Panama City Beach and grew up dancing locally. She attended Troy University, where she received her BFA in Dance and was featured in various productions as a dancer and soloist. Her original works have been showcased at the IMPACT project and Alabama Dance Festival. She is currently a principle dancer and teacher at Alabama Dance Works.