Meet our amazing faculty!

 Director of A Step Ahead, Bernice Drothler, has been teaching dance for newarly 40 years. She has owned and directed A Step Ahead Performing Arts Studio since it opened in 1999. Bernice received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University, and is certified to teach by Dance Masters of America. Ms. Bernice has extensively studied Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Musical Theater. She has spent years studying the stylized techniques of Ailey, Humphrey, Weidman, Cunningham, Jose Limon, Jack Cole, Bob Fosse and Eric Hawkins. Ms. Bernice has had the privilege of dancing and taking classes from some of the industries finest performers and educators: Tom Ralabate, Bob Rizzo, Cubie Burke, Jeanne Farnarola, Roberto Villanueva, Beverly Fletcher, Barb Denney, Diane Gudat, Elaine Gardner, Jonette Lancos, and many others. To further her ability to teach Kinesiology to her students- the anatomy of movement- she has studied Pilates, Alexander technique, and Gyrokenisis. She loves inspiring others to love performing arts as she does - to breathe it!

Ms. Bernice's students have received scholarships to prestigious performing arts training such as The Ailey School, Brokess Conservatory, The Atlanta Ballet, The Joffrey School. Oklahoma City University. Her theater students have been awarded professional contracts with City Springs Theatre and Atlanta Lyric and are noted for their professionalism and quality of skill.

 Miche’ Smith is thrilled to be teaching at ASA again this year! She began her formal dance training at age 5 at Robin Adams Performing Arts Center in Pascagoula, MS where she trained in ballet, lyrical, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and tap. She went on to receive her bachelors in both dance and theatre at Troy University and recently moved to Atlanta as an acting apprentice at Aurora theatre in Lawrenceville.  Miche’ is excited to continue working professionally in Atlanta and sharing her knowledge and love of dance with her students!  

Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical  

& ASAPC Choreography

 Haley is an Atlanta native, and has been moving and shaking around the city and surrounding suburbs for 20+ years. Her training is based out of Lawrenceville, GA from Susan Chambers School of Performing Arts, where she was introduced and extensively trained in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip-hop, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and musical theatre. Out of high-school, she took a hiatus from dance to attend college and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Promotion and Behavior from the University of Georgia with a focus and study on injury prevention in dancers. After college, her dancing feet couldn’t keep still any longer, and she went on to teach and perform whilst implementing her college degree on herself as well as her students. She currently teaches multiple genres to all age groups all around Georgia while staying active as a professional performance and industry dancer. (Who says dance isn’t a “real job?”) Her most recent successes include traveling to Niger, Africa to perform with local celebrity Hassane Boukary, under the direction of Stephan Reynolds, as well as starring as a principal dancer in the Netflix Original, “Step Sisters.” Haley is currently, deeply involved with The Tap Rebels, Atlanta’s only professional tap company, who just kicked off their inaugural season. Haley finds so much passion, freedom, release, and happiness from music and movement and hopes to share that love with her students and fellow dancers.