Pamela Merkel
Pamela Merkel (ballet, pointe, pre-ballet & tap) is the founder and director of Alabama Dance Academy. A highly accomplished teacher, Ms. Merkel's dancers have performed across the globe in Europe and as featured performers at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. A native of Trenton, NJ, she began her training at the Royal Ballet Centre and continued studying with Harkness House for Ballet Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York City. Ms. Merkel began dancing professionally at the age of 16. She enjoyed a lengthy career with the State of Alabama Ballet and also danced with Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre, Hartford Ballet, and Connecticut Ballet Theatre. Prior to founding the Alabama Dance Academy in 1995, Ms. Merkel taught for the State of Alabama Ballet and the Alabama School of Fine Arts.
Tammi Carr (ballet, pre-pointe, jazz) has been teaching at Alabama Dance Academy since 1997. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College with a B.A. in Dance with an emphasis in pedagogy and a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education grades K-6. She is currently working on a Master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in teaching English as a Second Language. A Florida native, Tammi attended the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg. She has also trained with the Atlanta Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando. Tammi has danced with the Atlanta Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Florida West Ballet. In addition to teaching at Alabama Dance Academy, Ms. Carr is a fifth grade teacher at Oak Mountain Intermediate School in Shelby County.
Jamie Hinson (ballet, pointe, pre-ballet & tap, jazz, lyrical/contemporary) began her dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and pointe in Huntsville, Alabama under the direction of Barbara Ellen Smartt and Wendy Gibb Graham. Jamie attended the University of Alabama and graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with degrees in Dance and Political Science. While at UA, Jamie was a member of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and was a frequent dancer and choreographer for Dance Alabama. Jamie’s choreography was UA’s 2006 selection to the American College Dance Festival where her work was critiqued by the Editor of Dance Magazine, Wendy Pierron, and Ann Rienking. In 2006, Jamie was awarded the Lou Wall Award from the University of Alabama Department of Dance to recognize her contributions to the department. Jamie’s choreography has twice been featured at the Panoply Choreography Competition, as a Finalist in 2005 and Honorable Mention in 2006. In 2009, Jamie was selected by audition to attend the Alabama Dance Festival’s choreography workshop which was instructed by Robert Battle, the Interim Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching and choreographing, Jamie received her Juris Doctor degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2009 and is a licensed attorney. Jamie joined the faculty at Alabama Dance Academy in June 2006 and is blessed to be part of such an amazing and inspiring dance family.
Erin Finney (ballet, pointe, jazz, pre-ballet & tap, lyrical/contemporary) proudly joined the ADA family in 2006. She began her dance training at the early age of 4 and continued to explore all facets of the dance community. She received instruction from various professionals throughout the years such as, Kim Wolfe, Marcus Alford, Teri Weksler, and Mira Popovich. An Alabama native, she attended Birmingham-Southern College and received a BFA in Dance in 2005 with a concentration in choreography. She has choreographed works for Panoply Arts Festival, Alabama Dance Showcase, as well as for local studios and schools. Ms. Mason has participated as a principal dancer/choreographer in several community theater shows such as, Kiss Me Kate, Fame!, and High School Musical. She began her teaching career in 2003 as the director of the junior ballet company at Exclusively Ballet while gaining experience teaching master classes and workshops across Alabama.
Tammi Carr (ballet, pre-pointe, jazz) has been teaching at Alabama Dance Academy since 1997. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College with a B.A. in Dance with an emphasis in pedagogy and a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education grades K-6. She is currently working on a Master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in teaching English as a Second Language. A Florida native, Tammi attended the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg. She has also trained with the Atlanta Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando. Tammi has danced with the Atlanta Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Florida West Ballet. In addition to teaching at Alabama Dance Academy, Ms. Carr is a fifth grade teacher at Oak Mountain Intermediate School in Shelby County.
Jamie Hinson (ballet, pointe, pre-ballet & tap, jazz, lyrical/contemporary) began her dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and pointe in Huntsville, Alabama under the direction of Barbara Ellen Smartt and Wendy Gibb Graham. Jamie attended the University of Alabama and graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with degrees in Dance and Political Science. While at UA, Jamie was a member of the Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre and was a frequent dancer and choreographer for Dance Alabama. Jamie’s choreography was UA’s 2006 selection to the American College Dance Festival where her work was critiqued by the Editor of Dance Magazine, Wendy Pierron, and Ann Rienking. In 2006, Jamie was awarded the Lou Wall Award from the University of Alabama Department of Dance to recognize her contributions to the department. Jamie’s choreography has twice been featured at the Panoply Choreography Competition, as a Finalist in 2005 and Honorable Mention in 2006. In 2009, Jamie was selected by audition to attend the Alabama Dance Festival’s choreography workshop which was instructed by Robert Battle, the Interim Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching and choreographing, Jamie received her Juris Doctor degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2009 and is a licensed attorney. Jamie joined the faculty at Alabama Dance Academy in June 2006 and is blessed to be part of such an amazing and inspiring dance family.
Erin Finney (ballet, pointe, jazz, pre-ballet & tap, lyrical/contemporary) proudly joined the ADA family in 2006. She began her dance training at the early age of 4 and continued to explore all facets of the dance community. She received instruction from various professionals throughout the years such as, Kim Wolfe, Marcus Alford, Teri Weksler, and Mira Popovich. An Alabama native, she attended Birmingham-Southern College and received a BFA in Dance in 2005 with a concentration in choreography. She has choreographed works for Panoply Arts Festival, Alabama Dance Showcase, as well as for local studios and schools. Ms. Mason has participated as a principal dancer/choreographer in several community theater shows such as, Kiss Me Kate, Fame!, and High School Musical. She began her teaching career in 2003 as the director of the junior ballet company at Exclusively Ballet while gaining experience teaching master classes and workshops across Alabama.
