Stage Door Dance Studio

About Us

Mission Statement

The mission of the Stage Door Dance Company is to give youth in our community the opportunity to participate in the cultural arts through the discipline of dance. The Dance Company provides cultural activities, enrichment programs, artistic inspiration, career training, and employment opportunities for many young adults.

Students participating in the Dance Company’s program will help youth develop and broaden their interest in the performing arts. Through dance, children will earn to express creative movement of their feelings. Our dance programs will give children self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Hopefully, dancers will receive discipline that will carry with them for life; while enjoying the much-needed fun that comes from their classes.

Meet Our Staff

Julie Embrey Colgan
Julie Embrey Colgan (Director) founded Stage Door Dance Studio in September 1992. She has been teaching in the Manassas area for over twenty years. She has studied ballet with Dean Crane and Nina Stroganara, jazz with Nat Horn at Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Center, tap with Amelia Gillmore, and is also a member of the Tap America Program. She has attended many jazz workshops with Frank Hatchett, Tremaine Dance Workshops, and Jeff Shade’s Workshops.

Having completed Dance Masters, Inc. courses and taken classes at Harkness Scholl of Ballet in New York City, Julie also studies at the Broadway Dance Centre and Steps, both located in New York City. She has taken a performing arts medicine seminar at George Mason University. Julie is also a member the Professional Dance Teachers Association and the International Association of Fitness Professionals.

Julie Colgan in China!
Julie Colgan

Julie choreographs for the Battlefield High School Dance Team, local beauty pageants, and several area show choirs. Her students have won local, regional, and national dance competitions. Her students have auditioned and been accepted at the Virginia High School for the Arts, the Kennedy Center, the Dance Center of Harlem Community Dance Residency program and Shenandoah University intense summer dance program. Her students have also attended the Virginia Governor’s School for the Performing Arts.

Her graduating students are in college dance companies, college dance teams, touring with music groups, and performing in music videos. Julie’s students have been invited to perform as All American Dance team members, Star Powers-STARR PAC Dancers, professional dance companies, and are now instructors with the Eastern Dance Association. Her Senior Dance Company was rated #1 by the Professional Dance Teacher’s Association and her Junior Dance Company was rated #3 in the nation!

Julie has had a busy year conducting many dance workshops and clinics for junior high, high school and college students. Her latest accomplishments are being awarded the Junior and Senior Best Choreographer Award from the Professional Dance Teachers Association and Dance Troupe’s all Around Choreographer Award for her musical theatre choreography, choreographer awards from L.A. Dance Force, choreography award from the Starquest National Dance Competition, outstanding choreographer for NexStar Competitions and Dynamite National Talent Competition. Julie has been invited to join the staff to judge Regional and National dance competitions.

Kelly Colgan
Kelly Colgan (Director) has been teaching and a choreographing for the Stage Door Dance Studio and Company for the past 3 years. While attending college in Myrtle Beach South Carolina, Kelly auditioned and was selected for an internship at New York City’s leading multi-disciplinary center, The Broadway Dance Center. She has performed as a backup dancer on The View for Jessica Simpson and Chris Brown. Kelly has now been invited to join the staff and teach at On Stage America National Talent Competition. As well as Choreograph their opening numbers for their end of the year showcase. Kelly’s numbers at Stage Door have won numerous over-all top scores, choreography, entertainment and many special awards this year at competition. Kelly also is the Co – Coach of the Battlefield Dance Team. She has trained students who are now dancing at George Mason University, East Carolina University and Point Park University.

Nicole A. Goodson
Nicole A. Goodson is a dancer/instructor/choreographer in the Washington, DC metro area. She grew up performing and competing in the area, nationally and internationally. She trained with Ronen Koresh of Koresh Dance Co., Henry LeTang, Joe Lanteri of NYCDA, Tommy Ralabate, Christine Grogis, Fran Peters and Jimmy Peters. Nicole received her undergraduate degree at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. She has been on staff at Stage Door since 1999. She was the technique coach at Woodson High School from 1999-2011. Nicole has judged numerous dance competitions and dance team tryouts from High School teams to NBA teams.

Nicole Goodson

Several of her students are pursuing professional dance careers and many are on nationally ranked College Dance Teams (Towson University, East Carolina, James Madison University, Radford University, Christopher Newport, George Mason University, Penn State, Point Park University, and Virginia Tech).

Currently, Nicole is an adjunct professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In addition to teaching at Mason, she recently received her Masters of Fine Arts degree. She has been selected for inclusion in Who's Who in Fine Arts Higher Education. She is the founder and co-director of "Break It Down" (a dance team training program) that gives kids a chance on their high school dance team. Nicole is not only a dancer but also a certified Pilates Instructor. Pilates is beneficial to dancers because it improves and restores the dancers muscles and movements adding strength and agility without injury.

Ms. Goodson was recently named Executive Director of Karen Reedy Dance, a professional modern dance company in the metropolitan area. She brings a unique combination of managerial skills and professional experience as a performer, artist and teacher to her role as executive director. She has spent more than 20 years honing her craft as a dancer and administrator. Nicole has produced award winning routines as well as, well-trained dancers. She looks forward to fulfilling her dream and sharing her knowledge with as many young dancers as possible.

Donna Reed
Donna Reed is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been dancing since the age of five where she studied at the Durden School of Dance. Donna’s dance studies include ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and modern. She was captain of both the majorettes and dance team in high school. She attended Louisiana State University where she took both modern and jazz and was also an assistant aerobics instructor. Donna has attended dance workshops at the professional Dance Teacher’s Association, Tremaine Dance Workshops, and Hollywood Vibe Dance Workshops. She has also taken master tap classes with Tony LoCascio and Rolandas Hendrick. Her latest accomplishments are being awarded the Petite Duo/Trio Best Choreographer Award from the Professional Dance Teachers Association and Dynamite Dance Competition. Donna has three children: a son, Gervais, and two daughters, Victoria and Lauren, who are in the Stage Door Dance Company.

Donna Reed

Nikki Jackson
Nikki Jackson, a Northern Virginia native, began dancing at the age of six. She trained at Stage Door Dance Studio and attended the Virginia Governors School Summer Program. Nikki graduated with honors from Towson University, receiving her B.S. in Business Marketing. While pursuing her degree, she was a member of the Towson Dance Team, thirteen consecutive year college national champions. Nikki is currently a member of both Dissonance Dance Theater and Asaph Dance Ensemble, where she performs regularly in and around Washington, DC.

Nikki Jackson

Heather Davis
Heather Davis is a student a George Mason University where she plans to major in Communications and minor in dance. She danced at Stage Door for thirteen years and competed with the company for six years where she won numerous awards. She also was a member of her middle school and high school dance teams for numerous years. In 2007 she traveled to China with Stage Door where they performed at many different venues for ten days. She also was a dancer in Nicole Goodson's thesis performance, "Letting Go," which was performed in January of this year.

Candice Ehrheart
Candice Ehrheart has rejoined the Stage Door staff after graduating Cum Laude from California Statue University Long Beach with a BA in Dance. While at Cal State Long Beach, she choreographed and performed in the contemporary concert ’05 and was chosen by another choreographer to perform the lead in “When I Crawl into the Unknown.” She began dancing at the age four under the training of Julie Colgan in which she studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop. She was a member of Stage Door Dance Studio’s competition team in which she competed regionally and nationally for 10 years. Candice is currently the manager at Heathers Dancewear Boutique in Stafford.

Candra Preshong
Candra Preshong holds a degree from George Mason University in Psychology. After studying at Point Park College for 3 semesters majoring in dance, she transferred to GMU to complete an undergraduate psychology degree. She has trained with Michelle Sarson, Mark Mejia and Linda Kintz, and master instructors all over the country through classes and continuing education workshops. She has extensive training in jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, and modern techniques and has been teaching since 2000. After forming her own professional contemporary company, Fusion Dance, along with Kellie Payne, she has broadened her master teaching and choreographic skills to the pre-professional level with their company Impact Dance and through working with various studios and companies in the DC Metro area. Teaching at the pre-professional level allows the younger dancer the opportunity to get the highest level of technique and experience concert choreography. Performing with Fusion Dance has allowed her to grace the stages of the Lincoln Theater, the Lisner, the Jack Guidone, Ernst Cultural Center, and the Lang Theater. Candra enjoys the satisfaction that comes from training dancers and helping them achieve their full potential through a mixture of technique, style, and conditioning.

Candra Preshong

Victoria Reed
Victoria Reed danced at Stage Door before becoming a member of the staff. She was a member of the Stage Door Dance Company where she won many numerous awards locally and nationally. She will be attending NOVA in the fall getting her general studies done, and in two years will transfer to a four year college to study fashion merchandising. She is excited to be apart of the Stage Door staff and can't wait to see what the year brings.

Cassie Swartz
Cassie Swartz is happy to be a part of the Stage Door Staff as a former Stage Door Dance Company member. She began training at the age of three in tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, pointe, and lyrical. Cassie was also a part of Team USA in September 2007 that was honored to travel to Beijing, China for the Beijing International Cultural Tourism Fesitval. She has been competing since the age of seven. Cassie is currently a student at Northern Virginia Community College, where she is studying Business Administration, in hopes to obtain her Associates Degree there. She plans to transfer to the University of South Florida to study both Business Administration and Dance Choreography. Cassie is also a member of the Mayzsoul Dance Company of Vienna, VA. She plans to continue her dream of performing and choreographing for children all over the DC area, to pass down the passion of dance she found at such a young age.

Victoria Reed