Our Faculty
Debra Bricker
Director & Owner
Debra Bricker (Director) enjoyed a brilliant dance career with national ballet companies in the United States and Canada. Ms. Bricker’s poise, style and versatility were recognized early as she began her career in Rochester, NY. Ms.Bricker trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, National Ballet of Canada and the prestigious American Ballet Theater where she was on full scholarship. Later, Ms. Bricker appeared with ABT and National Ballet of Canada including televised LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER performances of such ballets as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beautyand Firebird. She has also delighted audiences in solo and guest artist performances with the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Wilmington Ballet, New Orleans Ballet, Alexandra Ballet, SC Ballet Theater/Ballet Michigan and the Ruth Mitchell Dance Company.
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Ms. Bricker has inspired other artists as well. In fact, as Ruth Mitchell tells it, “it was her phenomenal jumps” that inspired Emmy-award winning choreographer, Dom Orejedos , to create a version of the magical Firebird solely for Debra in the title role. Debra was a principal dancer with Columbia City Ballet in addition to serving as Company Ballet Mistress and assistant to the director. She has taught at USC, the SC Summer Dance Institute, Tri-District Arts Consortium and Columbia College. Ms. Bricker has starred in local productions of a Chorus Line and West Side Story. She choreographed Town Theater’s production of West Side Story for their 90th season.
She has also been a winning contestant on the popular TV game show, Jeopardy! When she is not teaching dance, you may find her next door at her husband, Joe’s store, Brewer Decorating, or windsurfing!
Alyssa Stephens
Alyssa Stephens began her dance career in Columbia under the direction of Debbie Spivey at Footnotes. She later danced at The Center for Dance Education and with Carolina Ballet under Mimi Worrell. She attended Palmetto Center for the Arts Dance Program at Richland Northeast High School, directed by Nicole Czekalski, participating in both PCA dance and theater productions. She has taught at Footnotes, and the Center for Dance Education. She attends the University of South Carolina where she is a Chemistry major, with a minor In dance.
We are happy to have Alyssa join the ADA staff.
Susan Hancock
Susan Hancock was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina and began her ballet training at the Columbia Conservatory of dance where she trained under Debra Bricker In 1989, Susan entered the School of American Ballet, and studied there for three consecutive summers. Ms. Hancock then attended North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Hancock went on to join The Los Angeles Classical Ballet in 1994. In 1998, Ms. Hancock joined Francisco Martinez Dance Theater while continuing to dance with Los Angeles Classical Ballet. During her time in L.A., Susan was a featured dancer on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as the VH1 comedy hour featuring Wendy the Snapple Lady. After her time in L.A. was over, Susan moved back home to study at the University of South Carolina. While dancing with the USC ballet company she danced numerous featured roles in George Balanchine’s Apollo, Western Symphony, Who Cares?, Walpurgisnaught, Allegro Brilliant, Mozartiana and Serenade. Susan performed alongside members of The New York City Ballet. Ms. Hancock was featured in SCETV’s documentary following the re-staging of Martha Graham's Sketches from Chronicle. While at USC, Susan represented the dance company at the American College Dance Festival and Spoleto Festival, and received the Director's Award for Outstanding Artistic Merit. Susan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography.
Rain Hicks
Coming Soon
Caitie Sweeney
Caitie Sweeney was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in multiple states including Georgia, and Arkansas and she currently resides in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She grew up as a dance competition and convention dancer training in styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern, etc. and then graduated High School from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, NC with a concentration in contemporary dance under the instruction of Brenda Daniels. Caitie is a rising Senior at The University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC as a Dance Performance and Choreography Major and expects to graduate in May of 2025. Some of Caitie’s favorite performances so far at USC include dancing at ACDA, André Megerdichian’s “Belly of the Whale”, Complexions working with Miguel Solano, and Janis Brenner’s “Lost, Found, Lost”. As much as Caitie loves dancing, she has also found love in teaching and choreographing. While attending The University of South Carolina, Caitie has had the opportunity to choreograph two pieces which she is extremely proud of and will definitely choreograph more as she continues her time as a student and beyond college. She has also taught tap and ballet for a few years at The Movement Dance Studio and hopes to start teaching at a local studio in Columbia, SC. In the future, Caitie’s passion is to pursue dance professionally for many years before settling down and opening up her own dance studio to continue sharing her passion for dance with others.
Jaquelin Bailey
Coming Soon
Darby St. Onge
Coming Soon
Kaelee Christian
Coming Soon
