staff

Owner and Director of Callahan Dance Academy. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. My father was the Owner and Director of Buddy Sherwood School of Dance for 70 years where I was brought up all my life around dance. I had the chance to travel all over to conventions and learned from some of the best dance  chorographers  in the U.S. I became a dance teacher at the age of 16, graduated high school and went on to be a cosmetologist. At the age of 19 I opened Callahan Dance Academy and continued to work on cosmetology. While teaching dance and getting my business started, I taught at the local high schools all around working on choreography for musicals, dance teams, beauty pageants and working with special needs students. After 36 years in business, my studio has grown to be a great success. I will continue to provide the best dance training to all ages and always carry on my father’s legacy. I thank each and every one of my staff and dance families that have come into my life and helped make my business a success. 

Nancy was raised in the life of dance at Buddy Sherwood School of Dance where she went from being a student at 3 years old, then an assistant teacher and eventually became a teacher for many years in the Jacksonville and Hilliard studios. She worked as a teacher with Callahan Dance Academy from 1982-1995 before taking a break to raise her boys. Nancy attended many conventions and competitions over the years learning. Even though she has never left Terri as her family, last year she  was asked to  come back to work for her as her studio manager. 

Nancy is so excited to be at CDA and can’t wait for many years of fun! 

Ashley has been with Callahan Dance Academy for over 30 years, she began taking dance classes at the age of 2.5. At 10 years old, Ashley became a student helper at CDA & continued on to be a student teacher, an assistant teacher and then became a teacher at the age of 16. Ashley was also a member of a competitive dance team for 4 years during High School and competed throughout the city of Jacksonville and Orlando. A number of dances that Ashley has choreographed have been performed for Christmas events, local vendor festivals, National Dance Week at the Jacksonville Landing and intermission entertainment for local talent shows, beauty pageants and Senior Citizen luncheons. Ashley, along with Jena, has also created and organized Summer Camps at CDA for children in Nassau County. Ashley has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and is a first grade teacher at Callahan Elementary School! Ashley’s daughter Kasidee is a student at Callahan Dance Academy as well! Ashley truly loves teaching & working with all of these kids! 

Jena has been a part of the Callahan Dance Academy family for 24 years now. She began dancing at 3 years old, and over the years has taken tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, clogging, and acrobatics at the studio. Jena worked as a student helper and assistant teacher before getting a class of her own when she turned 16. She will be going into her 11th year as a teacher at CDA and is so excited to see all of her returning students and meet the new dancers coming in. Jena earned her bachelor’s degree in Management & Marketing, and her MBA from Jacksonville University. She now works at her alma mater full time as the Director of Advancement Reporting & Analytics, and recently joined Florida Prime Sports as the Director of Marketing. She also manages the marketing efforts for Callahan Dance Academy. At the studio, she loves getting to witness each dancer’s skills, confidence, and love of dance grow year after year. She can’t wait to get back in the dance room for another year of fun with her students!

 Shannon is a wife, mama of three, and teacher at Callahan Dance Academy. She has been with CDA since the year 2001. She learned tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and clogging for 9 years at CDA. In 2010, she left to further her education in dance at Brigham Young University. She continued her learning in jazz, clogging, and classical ballet during college and picked up contemporary and world dance. That is where her love for ballet started to grow. She competed in ballroom competitions and enjoyed learning various styles of swing dancing, quickstep, foxtrot, tango, and salsa. After ten months of dancing in Idaho she returned to CDA and started teaching. She says she teaches dance because it allows her to help each student find the beauty within themselves. Being able to watch the dancers’ self-confidence grow throughout the year is a wonderful experience to be a part of. She hopes that through her influence and love of dance, the students will be able to find the best in themselves. Her love of dance, and teaching dance, grows with each passing year. She looks forward to the continuing opportunity of teaching the art of dance at Callahan Dance Academy. 

 Cammie has been dancing for 29 years, and joined the CDA family after moving to the Callahan area 18 years ago. Before coming to CDA she lived and danced in California and Utah. In college, she danced and took theatre classes in the Florida State College of Jacksonville fine arts program, where she learned even more dance knowledge to bring back to the studio. She has been teaching for 13 years at CDA and has a special love for ballet and Broadway! Her favorite thing about teaching is watching the new dancers overcome their nerves to grow and become more comfortable in expressing themselves to music through dance. 

Tammy has been teaching acrobatics at Callahan Dance Academy for over 20 years. She has enjoyed being not only a teacher, but also a dance mom over the years. Her daughter and fellow teacher, Jena, has grown up at the studio and she has loved getting to share memories with her at CDA. You can also find her behind the desk during the year, helping in the office and assisting with anything else the studio may need done. She loves getting to know her students each year and watching them grow and develop their skills in class and putting on a show at recital. 

  Meet Amber She has been a part of CDA for 19 years now. She started dancing at the studio when she was 3 years old with her twin sister, Brittany. She continued dancing for 16 years. Her favorite classes throughout the years have always been hip hop and clogging. She is entering her third year as a teacher at the studio and couldn’t be more excited! Amber also works as a firefighter for Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, where she has worked for 2 years now. She is so excited for this dance season and all the fun that is in store! 

Haleigh has been dancing with CDA since she was 5 years old. Haleigh has learned every style taught at CDA but says her favorite style is clogging, which she is teaching this year for the first time! She has always had a passion for clogging and is very excited to begin her first year as a teacher and meet all of her students. Haleigh has been a student helper, student teacher, and assistant teacher during her time at the studio, always willing to jump in and help with any class she can. CDA has been a huge part of her life since she started dancing and she says the studio is where she met her best friends and also now gets to share her love of dance with her cousins and nieces. We’re so excited to have Haleigh join us as a teacher this year after spending her life dancing with us! 

Michele’s daughters, Caitlin and Faith, both started dancing at CDA as soon as they could. Over the years she has watched them grow into amazing dancers and take on the roles of student helpers, student teachers, and assistant teachers. When she isn’t cheering on her favorite girls as a proud dance mom, you can find Michele behind the desk in the office at CDA helping keep us all organized!