Our Dancers

Melanie has been dancing since age 7 and has never left the studio. A lieutenant of her high school drill team, she went on to dance at Kilgore College and earned a BBA in Accounting from Texas State along with her CPA license. She founded her own dance studio, then taught dance for 13 years at Dance Movement Studio — directing and choreographing hundreds of dances, productions, and competitions. Today she performs annually at Prestonwood Church's Gift of Christmas, teaches Zumba, competes with an adult hip hop team, and performs with the Spectacular Follies twice a year.

Gina has been dancing and performing since her youth — drill team, cheerleading captain, and then a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader performing at Texas Stadium. Gina performs with various dance companies throughout the metroplex and most recently The Spectacular Follies. Gina holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from UNT and is a Texas Board Certified EC-12 P.E. and Visual Arts teacher. She has been married to her husband Alan for 30+ years and they have three adult children.

Debbie began teaching baton twirling and dance while in high school and earned a college scholarship as feature twirler at The University of Texas. She holds degrees in Theatre and Communications along with Master's degrees in Education and Management Administration, and has served as a teacher, counselor, and school principal for Plano and Frisco ISD. Debbie continued her dance studies at SMU and performed with the David Kirby Dance Group and Dallas Ballet Theatre. She is a nationally recognized winner of the Ms. Senior America Contest and is currently a Realtor with Ebby Halliday. Debbie is an original Sassafras member.

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Kathy has always loved to dance ever since her nine years as a cheerleader. She has performed in the dance ensemble at the Spectacular Follies, tapped with the Dallas Tap Dazzlers, and is an original member of Sassafras. Kathy is an avid Jazzerciser participating in several Dallas Mavericks' half time shows and once danced for 27 consecutive hours in a fundraiser.

Kathy has been a Docent Educator for the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum for over 10 years, where she leads student and adult tours as well as mentoring new docents. Originally from Kansas City, she earned her BA and MBA from the University of Texas in Austin before moving to Dallas. She has been married for 39 years, and is the proud parent of two married sons and four wonderful grandchildren.

Nancy discovered early that there is great joy in being on stage. Her Colorado background in music theater and modern dance led her to the Follies. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Nancy is a retired speech pathologist who enjoys tango and ballroom performance. When not dancing, her heart is in flowers — she is a Sogetsu ikebana teacher giving demonstrations and workshops throughout the Dallas area.

Betsy took her first dance lesson at 43 and hasn't stopped since. She is one of the original founders of USA Dance Dallas, a local chapter of USA Dance, Inc., serving 12 years as Treasurer. Through the years she has learned ballroom, Argentine Tango, West Coast Swing, and Salsa. In 2016 she took on tap with the Dallas Tap Dazzlers and joined the Follies cast in 2017, becoming a showgirl and dance ensemble member. She joined the Follies board as Treasurer in 2022. Betsy is an original Sassafras member.

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Stacie Martin is a Dallas native, a vocalist and a dancer. She loves performing West Coast Swing and Hustle and continues to enjoy singing with the classical choir at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. Stacie is also an alum of the Plano Civic Chorus and has always had a deep love for music, dance, and the performing arts.

Professionally, Stacie spent more than 30 years as a broadcast television Account Executive before founding her own advertising agency, Free Martin Marketing. She is a Past President and Advisory Board member of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation in Dallas–Fort Worth, where she has supported and mentored women in media and communications.

As a single mom, Stacie's personal journey inspired her to found the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Single Parent Advocate in 2009. The organization supports single mothers, single fathers, and their children with resources, community, and encouragement as they build stronger futures. Her son now lives in Hawaii with his wife. At home in Dallas, Stacie shares life with her college‑age nephew & mom, a parrot (Miss Scarlett), and a chihuahua named Mercutio.

Erin started dancing at age five in ballet, tap, and jazz, studying with Buster Cooper, Gus Giordano, Lea Darwin, and Doug Caldwell. She also performed in community theater productions including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In 2022 Erin joined the Texas Glammas and performed throughout Ireland, including marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Limerick. She is an original Sassafras member, a grandmother to twin baby girls, and competes in the National Reining Horse Association with her quarter horse.

Liz is a dedicated dancer and choreographer, previously a member of J. David Kirby's Dance Energy and Jazz City Dancers, with stage credits including Oklahoma!, 42nd Street, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she serves as Artistic Director of Evoke Dance Company in Plano. She is grateful for the support of her husband of 30 years and their four sons.

Audra took dance lessons as a child at Frieda Sexton's dance school in Garland and went on to attend Booker T. Washington High School (The Arts Magnet), majoring in dance. In 2018 she took her first ballroom lesson and was hooked. She continues to study contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and ballroom dance, and is a member of Sassafras and Movement Loft's dance company, performs in the Spectacular Follies, and appears with Mary Ruiz Entertainment.