Instructors
Paula Powell
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) - Modern Dance Emphasis.
Utah Valley University.
Bio
Paula Powell is passionate about creating, inspiring, and healing. Movement and music have always played an integral role in her life. She grew up playing the piano, clarinet, violin, and guitar. Since the age of three she was involved in several dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, irish, martial arts, hip hop, and contemporary. While training at Ballet West Academy, she performed in Snow Maiden and Pinocchio under the direction of Jennie Creer-King and Lindsay Folkman. In 2020, Paula graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Utah Valley University with an emphasis in Modern Dance.
While attending Utah Valley University, opportunities arose such as performing with several companies, presenting her choreography at the Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research, and representing the dance department at Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative. In 2016, Paula was part of UVU’s Most Artistic Inspired Creators hip hop dance crew. The following year Paula became a member of Contemporary Dance Ensemble and debuted in Monica Campbell’s research, Turas, based on an Ethics Center Faculty Fellowship to accompany UVU’s Peace and Justice Studies Program to Northern Ireland. While on CDE, Paula also performed Andy Noble’s Tower with Repertory Ballet Ensemble and Repertory Dance Theatre. Paula received performance scholarships and collaborated with the directors of Synergy dance company and founders of the UVU dance department, Kathie Debenham and Doris Trujillo. While working with Synergy, Paula was selected as a soloist in Francisco Gella’s Horn of Plenty and later awarded the Connie Reynolds Memorial Endowed Scholarship, honored in rejoicing and giving gratitude to the power dance has to enrich and transform lives.
Paula became immersed in Dance Movement Therapy and began healing others through the medium of somatics, integrating the mind and body. She has treated physical, psychological, and cognitive health disorders. Paula considers herself to be a life long learner who continues to further her education and research to facilitate enhanced understanding and connectivity. She is also a four year graduate from a seminary of religion as well as a four year graduate from a collegiate institute of religion with an emphasis in family studies.
Paula is a reflective person who thrives from the positive impact that the arts provide through cultivating creativity, fostering growth, implementing mindfulness, and providing purpose. The arts have the power to educate, heal, express, communicate, testify of truth, and unify. She plans to continue sharing the joy of art, education, and spirituality throughout her entire life to nourish and strengthen individuals, families, and communities throughout the world.
In 2022, Paula and her husband, Ari Powell, moved to Georgia and founded Powell Performing Arts: Music, Dance, Theater. She is currently the Artistic Director of Movement Expressions Dance Co. and serves the community of Jackson County as an Instructor, Choreographer, Dance Movement Therapist, Family Herbalist, and Doula. Paula enjoys her work thoroughly however, her favorite and most important title is being a full-time mom to her daughters, Eliza Rose, and Acacia Eve, while living simply on their aspiring homestead.
Ari Powell
Bachelor in Science (B.S.) - Dance, Theater, Business.
Utah Valley University.
Bio
Ari is a trained performer and teacher in music, dance, and theater. Ari began training in the performing arts at the young age of 8, beginning his journey at the Brigham Young University (BYU) Creative Dance program where he began choreographing and performing in community musicals and dance teams consistently. At this time he also began speech level singing voice lessons.
Ari continued to perform across a wide variety of mediums and genres throughout teenage hood. He performed in multiple musicals and plays every year including junior varsity and varsity ballroom dance, creative dance, and choral teams. He choreographed and performed in multiple award winning pieces and wrote, directed, and staged his own play. Ari was awarded the Sterling Scholar in dance award and takes the most joy in crafting works of art that inspire change in those that perform in pieces and those who get to view those pieces.
After serving a two year church service mission in South Korea for the Lord he returned to pursue his bachelors Degree from Utah Valley University with an emphasis in Dance, Theater, and Business. During his collegiate training Ari studied Modern Dance, Ballet, Dance History, World Dance, Partner Work, Choreography, Teaching Dance to Children and Teens, Dance and Theater Improvisation, Bartiniff Fundamentals of Movement, Script Writing, Directing Actors for Stage and Screen, Dramaturgy, Theater History, Stage Craft (designing and building stage sets), and much more. Ari performed with many collegiate dance company’s on performance scholarship. He continued to take voice lessons and perform in musicals professionally, including Hello Dolly, Newsies, and the U.S. Premiere of Strictly Ballroom the Musical.
Despite Ari’s background in the performing arts he also believes in the importance of being well rounded. He is a four year graduate from a seminary of religion as well as a four year graduate from a collegiate institute of religion with an emphasis is ancient scripture, church history, and Christian history. He is also a Certified HVAC technician with experience in handyman work, and is currently pursuing a masters degree in Herbology from the School of Natural Healing. In his free time he likes to spend time with his beautiful wife Paula, his lively daughters Eliza & Acacia, and creating a sustainable food forest.
Cara Celeste
Masters of Arts in Teaching.
Relay Graduate School of Education
New York, NY.
Bio
Cara trained with Ms. Diane of the Gainesville Ballet and Vaganova trained ballerina, Valeria Sinyavskaya, with Kingsport Ballet. These two teachers truly believed in Cara and pushed her to reach her potential. Upon graduating high school, Cara furthered her dance training at Kennesaw State University (KSU). This time, however, she would drop the pointe shoes (not completely) and change course to focus energy on more contemporary movements. At KSU she was able to work with choreographers such as Ivan Pulenkala, Lisa Lock, John and Christine Welker, Ido Tadmor, Helen Pickett, and Lauri Stallings. After graduating from KSU, Cara dove right into the dance scene working with gloATL directed by Lauri Stallings and freelanced as a choreographer working on several music videos for people such as Chelsea Shag and Cory Smith. Cara is grateful for the many opportunities that have arisen through dance such as choreographing, performing professionally, participating in a Batsheva Dance Workshop in Tel Aviv, Israel — Gaga Dance Language Repertoire and being awarded at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) nomination and performance. Cara has been guided to take a new path of becoming a dedicated educator along with freelance work. She is now a visual arts teacher at Legacy Knoll Middle School and guest teacher and dancer with Blue Bird Uncaged as well as Movement Expressions Dance Co.
Dr. Kim Miller
Chiropractic Physician and Former NYC Rockette
Bio
Dr. Kim began dancing at the age of four, taking lessons in tap, ballet, and jazz. Her primary instructor was in Washington D.C. and Europe. She attended the University of Georgia (UGA) and Florida State University (FSU) on a dance scholarship. While at FSU she danced with the acclaimed Florida State dance team “The Golden Girls.” She was lead choreographer and dance captain for the team. While in school she also taught tap at several studios in Tallahassee. Dr. Kim took a break from her studio at FSU to dance with the NYC Rockettes. After graduating from FSU Dr. Kim moved back to Atlanta and helped start the dance team for the Atlanta Hawks. Dr. Kim entered chiropractic school in 1990. She then created a dance team for Life Chiropractic College, known as the DC dancers. She was lead choreographer and captain. Dr. Kim is currently the chiropractor for Infinity Wellness Center located in Braselton, GA.