STAFF
Janda Cearley Earnest: Owner/Director
Janda brings over 45 years of dance experience, with training in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, hip-hop, and musical theatre. A graduate of Hardaway High School, she was a Governor’s Honors semi-finalist in Dance, served as captain and choreographer of the HHS Dance Team, and choreographed several theatre productions including Fame, The Wizard of Oz, and Blame It On Broadway. As a Universal Dance Association All-Star, she was invited to perform in both New York and Paris.
She earned a B.S. in Humanities from Columbus State University in 2000, followed by a Master of Public Administration in 2002. While at CSU, Janda performed with the Cougar Heat Dance Team, later becoming Assistant Coach in 1999 and Head Coach and Choreographer in 2001. Under her leadership, the team earned a State Title, three PeachBelt Conference Titles, and consistent national recognition from the Universal Dance Association.
Janda has served as an instructor, judge, and choreographer for Eastern Dance Association and was the Resident Choreographer for Chattahoochee Valley Community College’s Music Department. She was also the coach and choreographer for the River Rage Dance Team, affiliated with the NBA D-League’s Columbus Riverdragons. Her high school choreography work includes award-winning routines for Smiths Station High School (JV and Varsity) and Wacoochee Junior High, earning multiple national titles and Best Choreography awards.
On stage, Janda has performed in numerous productions at the Springer Opera House, including A Chorus Line, Will Rogers Follies, Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady, Grease, A Christmas Carol, and as Dream Laurey in Oklahoma!. Her choreography credits include The Sound of Music, Phantom, School House Rock, Reefer Madness: The Musical, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Company.
Beyond the stage, Janda is a long-time supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Dancing Stars of Columbus” and has been an integral part of the Miss Georgia Pageant for over 23 years, serving as assistant, stage manager, choreographer, and Assistant Producer. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition and serves as its Executive Producer and Director.
Rachael Cearley Venegas: Choreographer, Assistant Creative Director
Rachael brings over 35 years of dance experience with training in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip-hop. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Columbus State University and was captain of the Hardaway High School Dance Team, earning titles such as UDA All-Star and Drill Down Queen, with performance invitations in both Paris and New York.
As a member of the Rivertown Dance Theatre competition team, Rachael earned numerous regional awards across the Southeast. At CSU, she was a member, choreographer, and two-year captain of the Cougar Heat Dance Team, competing at the UDA College National Championships and achieving top national placements—9th in Jazz and 4th in Hip-Hop.
Rachael has choreographed for various high school cheerleading squads through United Cheerleading, including Shaw, Pacelli, Calvary Christian, and currently Chattahoochee County’s Varsity Squad. She also served as Dance Captain for two years with the NBA D-League’s Columbus Riverdragons Dance Team.
Her stage credits include lead dancer roles in the Springer Opera House production of Phantom and Chattahoochee Shakespeare Company’s Reefer Madness: The Musical and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where she also served as Dance Captain. A two-time “People’s Choice” Award recipient, she competed in both the Miss CSU and Miss Columbus pageants.
Rachael is a former instructor for UDA and has received multiple Best Choreography awards for her senior competitive routines. She has choreographed for the Northside High School Varsity Dance Team as well as the Smiths Station and Wacoochee Junior Pantherette Dance Teams.
Her leadership extends beyond the studio and stage—Rachael has served as assistant choreographer and stage manager for the Miss Georgia Pageant. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition and serves as its Assistant Director.
Brittney Peterson: Head Instructor
Brittney has been dancing for the past 28 years. Her areas of study include ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and musical theatre. Brittney attended Hardaway High School, where she spent two years on the dance team. While dancing at Hardaway, she made the All-Star dance team at UDA, was nominated for Governor’s Honor in the subject of dance, placed 2nd overall in the solo division at state, and went on to win first in state for both the jazz and hip hop group routines. Since graduating from Hardaway, she has returned to choreograph for their dance team, where they ranked 1st in class and received superior ratings in competition. Brittney has also choreographed for Harris County High School, Chattahoochee County High School, the Columbus State University winter guard team, and various area dance camps. She has choreographed many award winning routines and has led her dancers to consistently place in top overalls as well as win scholarships to dance all over the country. Brittney has been a dance instructor for the last 14 years, while the past 10 years have been with Company C Academy of Dance. She works with all ages and levels, and currently assists with Company C’s award winning competition team. In addition to being the head instructor at Company C, Brittney owns her own business, Faded Sparrow, where she restores and paints furniture. She resides in Phenix City, AL with her husband, Perry, and their 3 dogs: Bubba, Bennie, and Bandit.
Ashlyn Shoup: CCAD Mobile Director/Instructor
Ashlyn is from the small town of Forsyth, Georgia where she grew up dancing at her mom's dance studio! While she primarily trained in Clogging, which was the first style of dance that she fell in love with, she also trained in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and more. She has been teaching for 11 years in various styles of dance, and loves spreading her passion with the CCAD family. Ashlyn has a love for Musical Theatre and has performed in a variety of productions, some of which include "Guys and Dolls," "42nd Street," and "Crazy for You." Ashlyn is a graduate of Columbus State University where she pursued a degree in Kinesiology, as well as a minor in Dance. During her time at CSU, Ashlyn was a 2 time scholarship recipient for the Dance Minor Program as well as Co-Captain of the CSU Cougar Heat Dance Team. In addition to teaching, Ashlyn loves being a part of the production staff for the Miss Georgia Competition, dancing as a Pro Dancer for Dancing Stars of Columbus, and working for the GHSA Dance Team Championships each year. When she is not at the studio, you can find her working as a Realtor, or judging dance competitions across the country. Ashlyn is so happy to be taking on year 8 as an instructor and choreographer for CCAD!
Roseann Torbert: Instructor
Roseann hails from Buena Vista, GA and her passion for dance began at a very young age. A self-taught hip hop dancer, known for regularly showcasing her talent at local events in her small rural town. Though formal training opportunities were limited, she made the most of what was available—studying ballet, tap, jazz, and clogging. Her creative spirit found a home in high school as a member of the marching band’s dance line, where she served as choreographer and co-captain. Her journey continued in college through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she was Step Master for her chapter—further fueling her love for movement and leadership. After graduating, Roseann moved to Tampa and reignited her training in ballet, jazz, and hip hop. She was recruited to teach Jazz and Hip Hop for AAYA, where she instructed until returning home to Georgia. Now entering her 8th year teaching at CCAD and 5th year coaching the Jr. Dazzling Devils, Ms. Roseann is known for her high energy, creative choreography, and the love she pours into each dancer she teaches. Her specialty is hip hop, and she’s passionate about helping students freely express themselves while building confidence, discipline, and joy through dance.
Sarah Weber: Instructor
Sarah Weber has been in the Columbus area for over twenty years. She is a military wife with two children, and by day, a high school principal at Central Freshman Academy. She has coached both recreational and high school cheerleading. Sarah has been teaching contortion and acrobatics at all skill levels at Company C since 2014, and also taught previously for Company C in 2006. She is a certified yoga and meditation instructor and is also a choreographer for award-winning competition acrobatics routines. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys running, hiking, and biking with her family.
Sherman Williams: Instructor
Sherman is a Columbus native hailing from Hardaway High School class of 2010. He’s an air force veteran of 6 years. During his time of service he traveled around the world learning from various crews and hiphop dancers (when time permitted) while doing street performances and dance battles. Sherman is both a published author and music artist (Emusical). In his spare time, he loves playing various instruments/ performing live music, making TikToks, gaming, traveling and cooking. Among all the activities he loves, he will always naturally gravitate towards teaching something. Sherman has been teaching dance for 9 years and 8 of those years have been with Company C Academy of Dance.
Sydney Van Heuvel: Instructor
Sydney attended Columbus State University where she pursued a degree in Kinesiology, along with a minor in dance. Her love of dance began at age 4 when she began training at Patty Taylor's Academy of Fine Arts. She was a member of the competition team and competed at many competitions, including Dance Masters of America Chapter 33 and Showstoppers. She had the opportunity to train and take master classes from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Sonya Tayeh and Twitch. She has also trained at the Rockettes Summer Intensive to help her achieve her goal of becoming one. She continued to train as a dance minor at CSU and was awarded two dance scholarships and was a member of the CSU Cougar Heat Dance Team.
Brooklynn Taylor: Instructor
Lena Smith: Instructor
Peighton Freeman: Operations Manager/Front Desk/Instructor
Peighton has been part of the Company C Academy of Dance family for 13 years. A former member of the competition team, she has taught pre-dance classes, served as a substitute instructor, and now supports the studio as Operations Manager. She attended Columbus State University where she was a member of the Cougar Heat Dance Team and is currently attending Chattohoochee Valley Community College to complete her degree in Business. Her passion for dance and dedication to the CCAD community continue to shine through in all she does. She lives in Harris County, GA with her fiancé, Parker, and their daughter, Harlow.
Taylor Culpepper: Guest Instructor
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Taylor is a Columbus native and is a graduate from the University of North Georgia with a bachelor's degree in political science. She is currently working on her Master's degree in the Art of teaching from Columbus State University. Taylor grew up at Company C and has competed regionally and nationally, winning numerous titles and overall placements throughout her dance career. She has also won many judges’ choice awards and was named an All-American Dancer in 2016. Taylor is currently working as an elementary school teacher in Gwinnett County. Taylor strives to create an environment where all students feel loved and included while they meet not only their academic goals but their personal ones as well. Taylor has also worked on the production team for Miss Georgia for 8 years.
Karen Cearley: Accounts Manager
