Mission of the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts Dance Program
The mission of the Rainey-McCullers Dance Program is to instill artistry, creativity, technique and passion in young dancers, and send them into the professional world on a platform of knowledge and inspiration. Middle school students are accepted into the school based on grades and teacher recommendations. High school students must audition for acceptance into the Dance Major. Dance students at RMSOTA train in ballet, modern and jazz styles with introductions to other forms like musical theater, hip hop and cultural dance forms. Each dance major will take one technique class, and one academic class which rotates each year, such as World Dance Forms, Dance Anatomy, or Dance History. It is our goal to provide students with opportunities that expand their knowledge beyond dance technique, through experiences like guest choreographers, guest performances, and community involvement. The dance department hosts a Student Choreography Showcase each year, allowing dancers 8th grade and older to submit proposals for choreographic pieces, and facilitate their own rehearsal and performance process upon selection. The department also puts on an annual Spring Concert, where every student enrolled in a dance class will perform a routine with their class. This concert also features performances from the RMSOTA Dance Company, an elite audition-based performance group selected at the beginning of each school year. As a department, we believe in cultivating a well-rounded dance community, fueled by passion and supported by knowledge.
Our Dance Faculty
Ms. Maddie Tweed is a choreographer, dancer, and director from Atlanta Georgia. Since graduating from Columbus State University with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance in 2016, Ms. Tweed has choreographed for film, theatre, schools, and studios across the Southeast. She has also directed and performed regionally in productions that include West Side Story, The Little Mermaid, and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Before returning to Columbus in 2023, Ms. Tweed taught for The Atlanta Dance Academy, while creating and developing their Musical Theatre program. This is her third year as Director of Dance at Rainey McCullers School of The Arts. During the 2023-2024 school year, she choreographed the award-winning production of Memphis The Musical and directed Rainey-McCullers’ first-ever competition dance team which went on to place first and second during this year’s GHSA Competition Dance season. Ms. Tweed is a Georgia certified dance educator and a member of the National Dance Education Organization. Ms. Tweed believes in life skills through stage skills always striving to instill a strong sense of passion and pride in each of her students.