Bravo Dance Centre' Staff
Amber Michael
Amber Michael is the owner of Bravo Dance Centre'. She began her training from her mother, Gayle Burbank, the previous owner of Gayle's Studio/Bravo Dance Centre'. She studied Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Gymnastics for 16 years under her mother's instruction. She has had further dance education in Oklahoma City, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Shreveport, Conway and New Orleans. She has studied jazz from Allen Sherwood of Star Search, and has attended tap workshops with Savion Glover, who you might remember as the "Tap Dance Kid", or more recently from the Cingular Wireless commercials. Amber trained in Clogging and Riverdance and introduced it to Bravo in 1997. Amber also attended Henderson State University Dance intensive with Guest Artists in 2008.
Amber has been teaching for 14 years, with four years also teaching in Magnolia at Kathy's Dance Arts Studio. While there, she was the Magnolia Dance Team choreographer. She has been the choreographer for the Ouachita Sounds at Ouachita Baptist University for four years. She has had extensive instruction from Frank Vega and Aaron Girlinghouse, the owners of the professional jazz company LaJazDanz. Amber was invited to perform with this group, which performs all over the United States. She also choreographed the South Arkansas Arts Center summer musical "ANNIE" in 2004. She has judged numerous pageants and talent contests over the years, and is dedicated to instilling values and morals in her students as well as dance education.
Amber has a bachelor's degree in psychology. She and her husband, Kyle, have one son, Keaton. They attend First Baptist Church, and have been involved in the children's ministry. She has been the choreographer for many church musicals as well as a Vacation Bible School instructor. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, golf, and cooking.
Valerie Johnson
Valerie Johnson is a 19 year old sophomore at South Arkansas Community College, where she is working toward her major in middle school education. She has been studying dance for 17 years, particularly ballet, lyrical, toe, tap, jazz, and gymnastics. She has been involved in gymnastics workshops with Steve Biondo of River City Gymnastics in Monroe and Grady Brown of River City Gymnastics in Little Rock. . In her years of taking dance at Bravo she has been instructed by Gayle Burbank, Amber Michael, and Pam Vernon.
At college she maintains a cumulative GPA of 4.0. On the weekends she works at The Slaughter House of Gifts. On November 17, she is getting married to Jess Lockey, who is a third year mechanical engineering student at Louisiana Tech University. During high school she was captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, and was a 4 year UCA All-Star Cheerleader. Her high school honors included being a member of National Honors Society, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, Beta Club, Key Club, Arkansas Scholars, FBLA, Student Council, Steering Committee, Teenage Republicans, and being elected to represent her junior class on the Sweetheart Court. She attends church at Mt. Union Baptist Church.
She has been a teacher’s assistant for 6 years, and is entering her third year as a teacher for Bravo.
Pam Vernon
Pam Vernon is a native of El Dorado. She is an artist and a teacher. She attended Louisiana Tech University and Henderson State University where she majored in graphic design.
Pam has been teaching art for five years at Bravo. She began her study of art under the instruction of the late Betty Norman at El Dorado High School where she received the Barrett Hamilton and Spirit of Youth Art Awards.
Pam specializes in watercolor and has done numerous paintings for people in the community. She has also designed logos for the Lion's Club Golf Course and the former Horn's Animal Clinic in El Dorado.
Pam began taking dance at the age of three. Under the instruction of Gayle Burbank, she discovered her love of gymnastics and ballet. Pam has been teaching dance and gymnastics at Bravo for 11 years.
Pam is a member of the South Arkansas Arts Center and is a parent volunteer at Hugh Goodwin Academy for the Arts. She has choreographed numerous productions for Hugh Goodwin.
Pam and her husband Trey have one daughter, Kate. They are members of First Baptist Church and are involved in several ministries including sound and TV tech, youth Sunday school, sanctuary choir, and praise team.
As an instructor at Bravo Dance Centre', Pam's desire is to instill confidence in the lives of her students. She believes that through the arts, children can learn to believe in themselves, reach their goals, and lead productive lives.
Betsy Eads
Betsy Eads is a lifelong resident of Union County and has been dancing for many years. She has been an instructor with Bravo Dance Centre’ for three years.
Betsy began taking dance lessons when she was three years old. She enjoyed learning from instructors Gayle Burbank and Terri Tennyson. She was a teacher’s assistant at Gayle’s Studio while in High School and had several lessons there after in college. Betsy has also received dance instruction in Little Rock, Arkansas and Biloxi, Mississippi. Her dance education includes tap, jazz, ballet, gymnastics, clogging and hip hop.
Betsy has served on the Board of Directors of the El Dorado Council of CampFire USA and is a past member of the El Dorado Service League. She is a college graduate with a degree in graphic design. Betsy and her husband Ryan have a daughter Macy, and are expecting a son this year.
Tommye Croft
Tommye Croft is from Magnolia, AR and has been teaching at Bravo for three years. She also has a gym in Magnolia where she keeps a full schedule. Over the past 27 years she as taught gymnastics locally to all ages, as well as teaching on college campuses. She has conducted workshops and camps at colleges including the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and ASU in Jonesboro.
Tommye began gymnastics in junior high, competing throughout the state in high school, and receiving a gymnastics scholarship to UCA. After getting married she attended UAMS where she earned a surgical nursing degree. However, she eventually returned to her love of gymnastics. She has also taught cheerleading and served as a collegiate sponsor.
Tommye is involved in church activities and volunteers at her daughter’s school during her spare time. She is involved with the Boy Scouts and Camp Desoto, and enjoys cooking, gardening, snow skiing, hunting, camping, hiking, and biking. She is married with two children, Blain, who is in college, and Maddy, who also enjoys Bravo. Her goal is to give as many kids as possible a physical foundation through gymnastics, while building self-esteem and confidence. She believes this will spill over to other areas of their lives, and she believes it an honor to teach where the teachers truly want to make a difference in each student’s life. She loves each of her students!