Ava Lyne started dancing at age 3 years old and continued dancing throughout her  high school career at a competitive level, winning numerous of awards.  She went on to Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, NC clogging on the Bailey Mountain Clogging Team and a member on the Mars Hill Dance Team. While on the Bailey Mountain Clogging Team they won 4 National Championships.  After graduation, Ava Lyne moved back home to Fairmont NC and started teaching dance classes at Carolina Performing Arts Company in Lumberton, NC.  In 2014, Ava Lyne had the opportunity to buy Carolina Performing Arts Company and changed the name to Southern Sapphires Dance Company. This has always been a dream of Ava Lyne’s to own her own dance studio and now she is living her dream.

 In 2016 at Ultimate Starz Dance Production National Competition, Ava Lyne was awarded Dance Teacher of the Year and at 2017 Ultimate Starz Dance Production National Competition, Southern Sapphires Dance Company was awarded Studio of the Year.

Suzanne Hodge lives in St. Pauls with her husband Daniel and their four year old daughter Peyton. She has danced since she was five years old taking ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and pointe from Karen Gibson School of Dance until she graduated high school. She has a degree in Accounting from NC State where she was a member of the Wolfpack Clogging Team for five years. She earned her MBA from Campbell University and is currently employed by St. Pauls Farmers Exchange. Suzanne has helped to coach teams with the Robeson County Dancing with the Stars for three seasons, and is looking forward to teaching and sharing her passion of dance at Southern Sapphires Dance Studio.

Rachel Jacobs is a Junior at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke majoring in Elementary Education. She started dancing at age four with Karen Gibson School of Dance taking tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, and lyrical and also clogged competitively with Triple Toe Cloggers. While clogging with TTC she got to clog at Disney World twice and was also a captain and a hoedown caller. While at Karen Gibson School of Dance she was able to choreograph many routines for different dance styles. Rachel is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with the students of Southern Sapphires Dance Company.

Kaylee is in 10th grade at Lumberton High School and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Kaylee in on the Senior Competition Team and has won numerous of awards for solos and groups. 

Emma is a Senior at Lumberton Senior High School and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Emma is on the Senior Competition Team and has won numerous of awards for  solos, duets and groups. 

 Jamie Kessinger resides in Lumberton with her husband, Stephen, and daughter, Linley. She graduated from UNCP with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014. Jamie works at Gibson Cancer Center as a registered nurse. This will be her third year as an instructor at Southern Sapphires Dance Company.  She has always had a love for dance, which started at the young age of three. Jamie danced competitively for numerous of years, from elementary to high school, winning various awards. While in college she danced two years for the UNCP dance team, frequently coming up with routines for performances. Jamie is looking forward to sharing her experience and knowledge in dance with the students of Southern Sapphires Dance Company.

Madison Horne is currently a freshman at University of North Caroline of Pembroke where she is majoring in Nursing. She is on the Dance Team.  This will be her first year with Southern Sapphires Dance Company as an Instructor.  She has always had a strong love and compassion for all dance types which started at the age of three.  She was on the competition teams at Southern Sapphires Dance Company. Madison is really looking forward to sharing her experiences and knowledge of dance with the students as well as learn from them.

Kara Moore is in the 8th Grade at Southeastern Academy and has been dancing since she was 3 years old.  Kara is on the Junior Competition Team and has won numerous of awards for groups. This is Kara’s 1st year of being an assistant  instructor.