Brenda Wolfe Brunelle
Originally from South Louisiana, Brenda has been a native of Murfreesboro for over twenty years. Brenda founded Dance Works in 1997 with a vision of creating a new and positive approach to the art of dance. Under her direction, Dance Works has grown into Rutherford County’s largest and most prestigious dance studio.
Stephanie Bottenfield
Stephanie Bottenfield originally from Indianapolis, IN started dancing in 1998 at the age of 12. She was under the direction of a broadway sensation Ron Morgan. She continued her education at Ball State University in Muncie Indiana receiving her Bachelor of Science in Dance Performance and a minor in Educational Dance. After college she moved to Florida where she taught at Jump Dance Company while also judging dance competitions for 9 years before moving to Murfreesboro TN with her husband. Currently she is raising her 2 boys while also continuing her passion for teaching ballet at Dance Works for the past 6 years.
Angela Ramos
Mrs. Angela Sartain Ramos, a Nashville native, embarked on her dance journey at age 3 under the expert guidance of Jean Vaughn, and later, Anne Holland Cole in college. She holds a B.B.A in Finance with a Dance Minor and has a Master of Science with an emphasis on Dance Performance and Fitness. Currently, she serves as a master instructor at MTSU, celebrating her 28th year as faculty and Director of MTSU Performing Arts Dance Company (MPAC). Her areas of expertise encompass Dance, Kinesiology, Pilates and Somatic Movement. She finds immense fulfillment in teaching dance, and she is thrilled to be sharing the love of dance at Dance Works with the next generation of dancers!
Ann Long
Ann Long discovered her love for dance growing up in Texarkana, Texas, training in conventions, summer intensives, and performing annually in The Nutcracker. She continued dancing after high school as a member of the North Texas Dancers at the University of North Texas.
After college, Ann performed for two seasons as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, representing the organization at events and sharing the stage with artists such as Keith Urban, Enrique Iglesias, and Drake.
“With a foundation in ballet and a lifelong passion for the art of dance, I’m honored to invest in our community. Murfreesboro is a city I’m proud to call home.”
Izabell Lopez
Izabell began dancing at the age of three at Dance Works. She trained in a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. During her time at Dance Works, she was a member of the recreational competition team for four years before joining the competition team, where she danced another four years and graduated as a Diamond (Dance Works’ elite senior team).
In high school, Izabell continued to grow as a dancer, being on the Rockvale High School dance team and grew as a leader, serving as captain her senior year. Outside of the studio, she is working toward her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting at Middle Tennessee State University.
Dance has always been an important part of her life, and she is excited to continue inspiring and encouraging the next generation of dancers at Dance Works!
Jessica Boyd
Jessica was born and raised in Murfreesboro. She has been with DanceWorks for 28 years, as a student, a Diamond, a student teacher, and after college graduation as a teacher. She has a degree in Child Development and Family Studies and loves working with the precious little ones.
Maddie Maxwell
Originally from Illinois, Maddie started dancing when she was 3 years old. Growing up she always loved ballet. At the age of 13, she attended a summer ballet intensive at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago. In her hometown, she performed with Dimension Dance Academy in roles such as Myrtha in Giselle, Spanish Soloist in The Nutcracker, Swanilda in Copellia, Odette in Swan Lake, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and also performed in various other roles. While performing, she also found her passion for teaching and taught classes ages Preschool to 12th grade at her home studio for 6 years. She attended Northern Illinois University for Elementary and Special Education and trained in ballet until her sophomore year in college.
When Maddie is not teaching dance, she is teaching ELA to 3rd graders in Smyrna. She loves to spend time with her friends, two cats, or with her church family. Maddie hopes to give her students skills and strategies they can use in dance and out of dance. She hopes that her students feel her love and passion for their success!
Natalie Gish
Originally from Topeka, Kansas, Natalie Gish is a 2025 MTSU Music Business graduate. While at MTSU, she danced all four years with the DTU College Classic National Champion winning Middle Tennessee State Dance Team. A two-time NDA All American Dancer, Natalie began dancing at the age of 3, and has been involved in competition dance at the elite level since she was 6 years old. Natalie has attended Tremaine, NYCDA, WCDE, Monsters of Hip Hop, Jump, Revel, and Nuvo. She has trained with Holly Ryder, Molly Long, G Madison, Derrick Schrader, Ed Moore, and Tiffany Maher, among many others. She has attended several commercial dance intensives in Los Angeles, and danced in the Hello Kylee and Lexee Smith music video, “The Party Follows Me”.
Rosa Hale
Rosa is a creator, choreographer, and instructor, and a nationally recognized, award-winning choreographer. Her work has earned top scores at multiple competitions, including the prestigious “Best of the Best” title.
Rosa began dancing at age 2 and competed with the Dance Works Competition Teams from ages 7–17. She fell in love with conventions early on, and in 2022 began working for Platinum National Dance Competition as an apprentice and pro-apprentice, leading classes and learning from industry professionals.
Since teaching and choreographing with Dance Works, she has earned numerous choreography awards and continues to showcase her talents in jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop. Her students have gone on to dance with the Joffrey Ballet and even perform on Broadway. Rosa is passionate about mentoring young dancers—supporting them in the studio, on the convention floor, and on the competition stage as they pursue their goals, scholarships, and apprenticeships.
Rylee Mallicoat
Rylee Mallicoat is a dance artist, teacher, choreographer, and student in Middle Tennessee State University’s dance program. Her hometown is Mt. Juliet, TN, and she is currently living in Murfreesboro, TN, as she completes her Bachelor of Science in Dance with a focus on Pedagogy in Practice, a minor in Theater, and a minor in Health & Human Performance. She has trained in dance for 18 years, performing competitive and recital dances, teaching, choreographing. Rylee currently performs and choreographs for the shows in MTSU’s Dance and Theater Program. She hopes to share her love of dance with those she teaches and works with.