Meet Our Staff
Julie Embrey Colgan
Director/Founder
Julie founded Stage Door Dance Studio in 1992 and is enjoying her part time retirement. She is so proud that her daughter Kelly Colgan has fully taken over the company. She truly enjoys watching all of these kids grow up and becoming life long friends.
Kelly Colgan-Thaxton
Studio & Competition Director
Kelly has been teaching and a choreographing for the Stage Door Dance Studio and Company for the past 10 years. Kelly Spent 3 years training at New York Cities Broadway Dance Center. Kelly is on the staff for On Stage America National Talent Competition. As well as the Choreographer for their National opening numbers. Kelly’s numbers at Stage Door have won numerous over-all top scores, choreography, entertainment and many special awards this year at competition. In 2013 and 2017 Kelly was awarded OSA’s teacher of the year at their national awards gala. Kelly also has a Certification as a Flexi Stretcher Instructor and AcroArts instructor. Kelly was also awarded PWC Dance Instructor of the year for 2018.
Candra Eglin
Lyrical & Contemporary Instructor
Candra is the Artistic Director of fusiondance and IMPACT DANCE Candra began her training in Northern Virginia and studied under Michelle Sarson, Mark Mejia, Linda Kintz, and with various professional teachers/choreographers through workshops locally and nationally. After attending Point Park University and finishing her degree in psychology at George Mason University, Candra began teaching and having success at the regional and national level with her choreography, winning high score and choreography awards at the solo and group level both regionally and nationally. This along with Candra’s artistically demanding and innovative class structure has made her a highly sought after master instructor. Candra co-founded fusiondance in 2006 and through this professional company, her choreography graced the stages of the Lincoln Theater, The Lang Theater, The Lisner, The Jack Guidone, The Ernst Cultural Center, Synetic Theater, Schlessinger Center, the Workhouse Arts Center, and in 2015 premiered an evening length work at Dance Place in the 10th Annual Capital Fringe festival to rave reviews. In 2009 Candra co-founded IMPACT DANCE, a pre-professional company with unique and dynamic choreography, technical excellence, and unparalleled artistry cultivated by fusing the elements of concert dance with contemporary movement and creating a captivating performer. fusiondance and IMPACT dance aim to elevate the contemporary dance scene with a dynamic group of dancers who excel in all areas of dance to create a visual explosion of movement and creativity.
Gianna Mollica
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, & Hip-Hop Instructor
Gianna has been dancing since she was two years old. She began dancing at Stage Door in 2007. She is trained in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. While in high school she was on the Battlefield Varsity Dance Team all four years and was captain her senior year. She graduated from Beauty School and loves doing hair and makeup and how it all ties into being in the dance world. Gianna has a very outgoing personality that everyone who knows her loves her and she has a gift working with children. Gianna loves teaching the kids and being apart of the Stage Door Staff.
Meghan Cree
Hip-Hop & Jazz Instructor
Meghan started dancing at Stage Door when she was 11 years old. She attended James Madison University where she was a part of the Madison Dance and choreographed for the Madison street team. Meghan has also been a choreographer for multiple high school competition dance teams.
Kelvin Marmol
Tap Instructor
Kelvin Marmol began dancing at the age of 4 in Los Angeles, California. A year later him and his family moved to Bristow, Virginia and he began dancing along side of his brother at Stage Door Dance Studio under the direction of Julie and Kelly Colgan. He took part in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. Kelvin has been trained under Josh Nixon and Heidi Stafford as they played a huge role in his journey with tap. He hopes to give back to his Stage Door family by educating and pushing the students to be the best dancers they can be.
Lauren Griffis
Ballet / Hip Hop / Tap Instructor
Lauren started dancing at the age of 3. She quickly fell in love with the sport and continued dancing and competing until the age of 20. Lauren taught all ages and genres at Prince William Dance Academy for 5 years. Lauren is trained in both the Twinkle Star Dance and Acrobatique program. Along side teaching, she was an office and social media manager for PWDA. Lauren also coached Gainesville Middle School dance team in 2019-2020, sadly ending the season when the pandemic shut down schools that spring. Lauren has an AA in Psychology and is graduating in May of 2023 with a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice at Waldorf University. Lauren works for National Peace Corps Association in D.C. in the operations and finance department. Lauren loves the community that dance brings to children’s lives. She embraces the fact that as a dance teacher, you are not just there to teach steps on a dance floor. You are there to guide dancers through life and teach them the qualities that ensure they become the wonderful young adults that we get to see when they graduate. Lauren is excited to be apart of the diverse and inclusive community here at SDDS.
Minda Hunter
Office Manager & Instructor
Minda has been dancing since she was 2. She trained in all areas Loved assisting in classes whenever she could. After her family moved to Virginia in 2010, she started dancing at Stage Door. Minda graduated from the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at Woodbridge High School in 2014. Minda went on to study Elementary Education at the University of South Carolina. Now that she’s back home and teaching fifth grade in Prince William County, she’s ecstatic to be back at Stage Door working with the competition company.
Sydney McBride
Acro and Jazz Instructor
Sydney McBride is a graduate of Canon McMilian High School. She has trained in dance, acrobatics, and contortion since the age of three. At age eleven, Sydney was chosen to train in Las Vegas, Nevada with Ska Von Schöning under the art of contortion. At sixteen, Sydney was selected to perform her acrobatic and contortion skills for the Pittsburgh Soul Food Dinner and Jazz Night at the Rivers Club. Upon graduation she was hired to teach and run the Acro and Contortion department/programs at Synergy Performing Arts Academy located in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. During her time with Synergy Performing Arts Academy, Sydney also worked for On Stage America National Talent Dance Competition as a Backstage Assistant and a Clothing Sales Representative.
Amanda Chadwick
Ballet
Amanda Chadwick began dancing at the age of five years old and has been dedicated to dance her entire life. Starting at age 12 Amanda received acceptance letters, scholarships, and awards from the following schools- School of America Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg Russian, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Houston Ballet, Maryland Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Ballet Met, and Dance Masters of America. After Graduation from high school, Amanda was hired to dance tis the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City. Performances included, "The Four Temperaments" - Grade Batma Girls - George Balanchine, "Seranade" - George Balanchine. "Creole Giselle"- Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and "Firebird" - John Taras; Ian Strauinsky (1945 Version) After New York City Amanda moved to Virginia, started a family and has a daughter seven and son five years old. She began teaching at Ballet Nova, Rhythm Street Dance Center and now teaches at Stage Door Dances Studio and Studio Bleu. My goal is to enrich the lives of children though the art of dance.
