South Carolina Dance Company of Lexington SC Alumni are experiencing success on and off the dance floor. This page is dedicated to our former students — we are so proud of your accomplishments!

Hanah Smith of Batesburg-Leesville, SCDC Alumni 2012

Hanah Smith 2013

Hanah Smith 2013

Hanah began dancing at the age of 3. She has studied ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and tumbling. She has been involved with dance competitions for 14 years, as a competitor and choreographer. Hanah has done  most of her studying in South Carolina under the instruction of Danyele Gardner at South Carolina Dance Company. Her  national studies include Traci Stanfield, Bobby Newberry, Mandy Moore, Twitch, and Kim McSwain to name a few. Hanah has won many awards at dance competitions including first place overall at Starbound, Encore, Dance Platinum, Applause, and Star Talent productions. She has been named “Most Powerful Dancer” and won highest score of the weekend at Star Talent Productions. Hanah was the assistant competition team director of the South Carolina Dance Company. Many of her students have won prestigious awards and she has also won multiple choreography awards for group dances. After Hanah graduated high school, she attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City to further her studies. During her time in New York, she studied jazz, tap, ballet, partnering, theater dance, gymnastics, modern, musical theater, acting, dance history and voice.  Hanah studied with Casey Colgan, Ramon Galindo,  Billy Johnstone, Jena VanElslander, and Michelle Bruckner, which have all performed in multiple broadway shows all across the country. Hanah is newly engaged to Lucas Moreland and resides in New Philadelphia, Ohio.

Jennifer Harper of Lexington SC, SCDC Alumni 2011

Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

Jennifer began dancing at the age of 3.  She has studied tap, clogging, ballet, lyrical ballet, hip hop, and jazz.  She has attended Dance Techniques Dance Studio, Stepping Out Dance Company, and Pointe of Grace.   Beginning in 2008 she studied under the tutelage of Danyele Gardner  of South Carolina Dance Company and began teaching ballet, tap, and hip hop as well as developed her dancing technique to earn her many Platinum awards by her senior year in high school.  She graduated from Lexington High School a Palmetto Fellow Scholar in 2011.  Jennifer has performed in the Nutcracker with the Columbia City Ballet as a mouse in 1997 and 1998; several minor roles and Lead Marzipan ballerina in A Nutcracker Fantasy in 2003 and 2005; Blue Bird, a major ballet role in Ballet de Salvation ballet created by Susanne Sanders-Baker in 2008; and lead ballerina in Odette a recital edition of Swan Lake in 2009.   In addition to her dancing experiences, Jennifer was a member and lead choreographer of the Lexington High School Golden Blues Show Choir from 2008-2011.  She was chosen by MTV to participate in a reality taping of Show Choir Camps of America in 2009.  Jennifer has received many Platinum awards and Overall awards for her solos, duets, and team dances.  Currently, Jennifer is attending Winthrop University majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in dance performance.

Brandon Whitmore of Orangeburg, SC – SCDC Alumni 2011

Brandon Whitmore

Brandon Whitmore

Brandon Whitmore  of Orangeburg, SC, started dance at the age of 2 at Cheri Brown Dance Center. Then at the age of 3, Brandon transferred to Tamalyn Dance Center in Orangeburg, SC. In 1999, Brandon began to attend the Carolina Ballet Summer Intensive under the instruction of John Whitehead, where he studied from world renowned ballet instructors such as: Mimi Worrell, Valarie Salnikov, Elberto Jimenez, Warren Conover, Servy Gallardo, Sarah Hairston, Joseph Phillips, Brooklyn Mack, Serguei Chtyrkov, Joulia Moisseeva,McCree O’Kelly, Keith Mearns, and ballet master Shamil Yagudin. While taking classes at Carolina Ballet, he also started training under Valerie Salnikov full time at the Salnikov School of Ballet on full scholarship. Then in 2002, he started to compete with Stepping Out Dance Company under the instruction of Rhonda Marchant, and Danyele Gardner. He won numerous awards at numerous competitions. In 2004, he won Junior State Dance Champion, Mr.Junior Nexstar, and also went to Atlantic City, NJ to compete at Starbound National Talent Competition and placed top ten.

In 2005 Brandon became one of the original members of South Carolina Dance Company under the instruction under Danyele Gardner, where he traveled to competitions and conventions all over the east coast. While amember of the South Carolina Dance Company team, Brandon won many titles such as: Mr. Teen StarQuest, Mr. Teen Starpower, Mr. Teen Dance Xplosion, State Dance Champion, Mr. Junior Nexstar, and Mr. Teen Dance at competition Kids Artistic Revue. Also won scholarships at Kids Artistic Revue and took classes at Broadway Dance Center, and also STEPS on Broadway, Adrenaline Dance Competition/Conventions, and also became a JUMP VIP Scholarship winner.

In 2007, Brandon was accepted and attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities where studied under ballet legend, Stanislav Issaev. Brandon also had the opportunity to work with former New York City Ballet principal, Robert Barnett, Nina Danilova, Marat Daukayev, Sandra Neels, and Lloyd Whitmore. While attending the Governor’s School, Brandon got accepted into numerous summer dance programs, including: American Ballet Theater, Rock School of Philadelphia, Ballet Austin, Joffery Ballet New York (trainee position), Alonzo King LINES Ballet of California, and he attended the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater summer of 2010.

Brandon is currently attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia on full scholarship majoring in Dance Performance.  Brandon was accepted to other dance schools with scholarship such as: Boston Conservatory, Point Park University, The Ailey School, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and SUNY Purchase.

Leslie Arlington of Irmo SC, SCDC Alumni 2007

Leslie Arlington

Leslie Arlington

Leslie began dancing at the age of 3 and started dancing competitively at the age of 9 with the Columbia City Jazz Company.  She has also danced for Stepping Out, and was one of the very first members of the South Carolina Dance Company.  During her time at SCDC, she had the opportunity to attend many dance competitions and conventions where she has won many solo, duet, and group awards.  Over the years, Leslie has had the opportunity to train with choreographers such as, Doug Caldwell, Jason Parsons, Mia Michaels, Ray Leeper, Dan Karaty, Napoleon D’umo, Christopher Robbins and many more.  During her dance career, Leslie has won many Regional titles including: Miss Elite Dance Challenge (2004), Encore DCS Top Senior Super Soloist (2006), South Carolina State Dance Championship’s top overall senior soloist & top overall duet/trio with Brandon Whitmore (2007), and Regional Miss Starquest (2007).  She was also Irmo’s Junior Miss and South Carolina’s Junior Miss Talent Winner Class of 2007.  During her time at SCDC, Leslie also had the pleasure of teaching hip-hop, jazz and lyrical to many of the students.

After graduating from Dutch Fork High School in 2007, she began attending Nursing School at Lander University in Greenwood, SC.  During her time there, she was a member of the Lander Dance Company under Bess Park Reynolds (2008-2009).  She will be graduating in December 2011 with her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.  Shortly after graduation, Leslie will be getting married and will reside in Columbia with her husband.

 

Lexi Owen of Lexington, SC SCDC Alumni 2023

Lexi began dancing at young age. She danced with SC Dance Company for over 7 years and was an award-winning dancer. In 2023 she was selected to be a Rally Cat at Clemson University.