S L D
SEVEN LAKES DANCE
EST. 1997
Meet our Staff
Meet the exceptional instructors and choreographers who inspire excellence at our studio. Our faculty brings a wealth of professional experience. Beyond their technical backgrounds, our teachers are deeply passionate about mentorship, fostering a safe, nurturing, and high-energy environment for every student. Whether guiding a toddler's first classes or polishing an elite company routine, our team is dedicated to helping every dancer reach their full potential and discover a lifelong love for the arts.
Marcie Milbredt
Co Owner
Marcie is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Elementary Education, a concentration in Psychology, and a minor in Dance. Before college, Marcie studied tap, jazz, and ballet for 10 years, as well as dancing competitively in many regional and national competitions. Marcie was a member of the Appalachian Dance Ensemble while in college. A first-grade teacher for 13 years, Marcie decided to give up teaching to pursue full-time studio ownership and instruction for Seven Lakes Dance. Marcie has trained with many world-renowned choreographers including Kit Andre, Mallory Graham, and Mia Michaels, to name a few. Marcie's choreography has won many special awards at various competitions, with her dance also receiving various top 10 and first-overall placements over the yars. She has been teaching dance for 26 years and continues to instruct and choreograph at Seven Lakes Dance.
Lauren Tierney
Co Owner
Lauren is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in Psychology, and a concentration in Business. Lauren studied tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop for 13 years, as well as dancing competitively before college, and was a member of the Appalachain State University Dance Team. Since college Lauren has continued developing her dance and choreography skills by attending class and conventions at Millennium Dance Complex in LA, BuildaBEAST Intensive, Dancer Palooza, and Hollywood Vibe Nationals to name a few. She has been fortunate through these opportunities to train with world-renowned professional dancers and choreographers such as the infamous tWitch, Blake McGrath, Bobby Newberry and Misha Gabriel. As lead competition choreographer at Seven Lakes Dance, Lauren's choreography has won various special awards including numerous entertainment and choreography awards. Her routines have also been anmed as highest scores of the day at regional compeititions and she also has earned 13 years of consecutive national titles. Lauren has been teaching and choreographing with Seven Lakes Dance for the past 20 years, with her focus being on contemporary, hip-hop and jazz.
LeAnn Garrison
Instructor
LeAnn Garrison studied tap, jazz, and ballet for 12 years before attending college to pursue a degree in business. LeAnn also competed for many years in regional and national dance competitions. She has been instructing and choreographing for Seven Lakes Dance for 18 years. As the lead tap instructor at Seven Lakes Dance, LeAnn has trained under world-renowned tap artists including Aaron Turner and Anthony LoCascio, as well as attending classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. LeAnn's tap choreography has been awarded with many choreography awards, as well as top scores of the day at regionals. LeAnn has also earned many National titles. LeAnn's focus is tap choreography/instruction for our competition teams.
Hannah Punimata
Instructor
Hannah was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and was blessed enough to be born into a family of artists and grew up in a town full of creativity and art. She says, "Throughout my small professional career, I found that teaching was my true passion. I have dedicated my teaching career to being the teacher I always wanted. You don't have to be "THE best", in order to do "YOUR best." Every student is different and everybody has a different way they learn best My goal is to find the best way for every dancer I come in contact with". Hannah competed professionally in college with her college dance team then moved to NYC to train and work as an amateur performer in New York in off Broadway productions and workshopped two Broadway shows. Through networking and training, she also worked in production, music videos, movie production, commercial industry, and competitive hip hop crews and heels teams after moving back to Los Angeles and signing with an L.A. based talent agency.
Kate Medlin
Instructor
Kate started dancing at Seven Lakes Dance around the age of five beginning in jazz, tap, and ballet. After several years, she joined the competition team and found her second family. Throughout her years at the studio, she had additional training by attending conventions, Governors School, and Rockette summer intensives. In 2016, she graduated from high school to continue to NC State where she double majored in statistics and economics, minored in dance, and was a member of the NC State Dance Team for all four years. While on the NC State dance team she led the morning stretch and across the floor technique at their 6am practices, competed at Nationals in Daytona, FL in both routines every year (minus 2020 due to COVID resulting in the cancellation of the competition). She danced at all home football and men's basketball games, and was a captain her senior year. upon graduating at the peak of COVID, she began her carrerr at Blue Cross NC. Last year was Kate's first year back to the studio as an instructor, helping Marcie and Lauren with multiple routines as well as taking on a few of her own.
Ashley Lafell
Instructor
Ashley Lafell, has been a part of the Seven Lakes Dance family for 15 years. She started out as a competitive dancer with SLD where she was in numerous national winning dances and she then competed at the Worlds Dance Championship. Ashley transitioned into teaching upon graduating high school. This is her fifth season teaching and she has already choreographed National winning dances. Ashley is also an X-Ray Tech at First Health Convenient Care.
Gracie Vest
Instructor
Gracie has spent most of her life at the seven Lakes Dance Studio. Beginning at the studio at the age of 2 she hasn't stepped away since. At a young age she also joined the Seven Lakes Dance competition team and loved it. While competing with the studio Gracie was apart of dances that won National Championships, special awards, and highest scoring routines of the day. After graduating from Pinecrest High School Gracie attended East Carolina University where she was a member of the collegiate dance team. While on the dance team at ECU Gracie danced at all sporting events, attended NDA camp, and made public appearances with the team. Since coming home Gracie has found her love of teaching at the studio with her favorite styles being hip-hop, tap, and contemporary. ​
Danielle Duncan
Office Manager
Danielle graduated from Watertown High School in New York. She went on to graduate from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo with a Bachelor's Degree with a Major in Mathematics and dual certification in Special Education and Elementary Education. She received her Master's Degree in Elementary Education in Mathematics from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She teaches at Southern Pines Elementary School. She is currently in her 24th year of teaching Special Education. She has been with Seven Lakes Dance for 14 years. She enjoys spending time with her family (Jim, Will and Maggie), watching her daughter dance, and the Carolina Hurricanes