Pamela Brushwood

Pam has been the Owner/Director of Brushwood’s School of Dance since its beginning in Orange County in 1975. Pam studied dance in Richmond under Julia Mildred Harper, was a member of the Richmond Ballet until 1971, and was a member of Miki Liszt Dance Company in Charlottesville. She is a member of Dance Masters of America. Pam lives in Gordonsville with her husband Steve, and when not teaching she enjoys her family (including her 4 granddaughters and one grandson), sewing, church activities and traveling.

Michelle Cooper

Michelle began her dance training at BSD in 1982 and joined our faculty in the fall of 1994. While training at BSD, she was a charter member of Performance Company and danced with Miki Liszt Dance Company II. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from James Madison University. She has taught dance in a number of programs throughout Central Virginia over the past two decades, most recently as adjunct faculty at Piedmont Virginia Community College (2007 - 2019). Currently, Michelle is the Business Administrator for Zion Christian Children's Center.

Regina Delman

Regina has been part of Brushwood's School of Dance faculty for twenty-five years, but has been teaching ballet, tap and jazz for over twenty-nine years. Of her twenty-five years with BSD, she has been teaching Petite Performance for twelve years. She found her love of dance while growing up in the Bronx, NY at age three and began her performing career at age ten. After graduating from high school, she expanded her studies of dance in college and was nominated and published for the "Extraordinary Students of America" for Performing Arts in 1987. When Regina is not dancing, she is the barber at Fork Union Military Academy. One of Regina's proudest accomplishments is raising two dancing daughters, Jessy and Stephanie. Jessy comes back to serve as our stage manager each year. She and her husband, Taylor, just blessed Regina with another another precious grandson, Lex! Stephanie lives in Arizona with Regina's first grandson, Jace. 

Shannon Higginbotham

Shannon has studied ballet, tap, and jazz since the age of nine. At age twelve she expanded her studies to include modern, lyrical, hip-hop, and pointe. She studied at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota and University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point focusing on Modern and African dance as well as choreography. As a professional dancer she has performed for a number of companies including Tapestry Russian Ballet Company, Repertory Dance Theatre; a modern and African based repertory company, a featured guest performer throughout the Twin Cities area and a break-dancing troupe based out of Minnesota. She has taught a variety of dance techniques through inner city outreach programs and oversaw the dance department at Camp Matoaka for girls. Shannon joined Brushwood faculty in the summer of 2005. After a break from teaching in 2013 and 2014, Shannon returned as a Brushwood instructor in the fall of 2015.

Ashley Tucker Kisamore

Ashley danced at Brushwood's School of Dance for fourteen years where she was a member of the Performance Companies, as well as assisted in classes of younger students. She earned a Master of Arts in teaching degree from James Madison University in 2010. In 2009, Ashley graduated cum laude from JMU, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance and a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. At JMU she was a member of both the Virginia Repertory Dance Company and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble. Ashley has performed throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including at Dance Place and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, as well as Miami Florida, and London, England. Besides teaching at BSD, Ashley is currently dancing as a founding member of Dogwood Dance Project based in Richmond, Virginia, as serves as the Director of Education and Youth Ensemble Coordinator. Ashley also is currently a fourth-grade teacher in Ruckersville, VA.

Racheal LaBonte

Racheal believes that home is where the heart is. Currently, she and her daughter reside in Louisa, Virginia but loves traveling as often as possible. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and performance and a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certification. Prior to this she has received an Associates of Arts for Dance, an Associates of Science for Exercise Studies from Anne Arundel Community College, a graduate from the Kirov Academy of Ballet and has performed with Corps de Danse, previously DragonFly Dance Experiment. Racheal has taught at both Towson University and Anne Arundel Community Colleges’ Departments of Dance as an adjunct faculty member, worked with CREDO (Capital Region Education Dance Organization) as a board member, and CORPS de Ballet International as an intern to the President of the Board. She has traveled and lived throughout the US and abroad, most notably she initiated a collaboration where she staged and managed Amman, Jordan’s first “Nutcracker Spectacular,” which included a children’s choir, local dance students, and the Amman Symphony Orchestra.


As an Artist, there is no greater honor than to serve a purpose in opening the minds and hearts of an audience member or student. As an Instructor/teacher it is her belief that every person deserves the opportunity to share thoughts through movement, kinetic and potential spaces, and to engage in critical thinking as a result. It is a kinesthetic awareness that unleashes the mind to open within a diverse environment, develops the brain through multi-intelligence processes, and allows organic freedom to begin from within. To see, to experience, and to acknowledge a cultural aspect of life, is a passion for life!

Geri Carlson Sauls ~ substitute teacher

Geri moved to the area from California in 2008 and jumped right in. She has trained in tap with the American Tap Dance Institute and has kept up her skills by attending the DC Tap Festival and the Bay Area Tap Festival, along with several master classes. An accomplished stage choreographer, director, and performer, recent credits include "Bye Bye Birdie" at 4CP and "A Chorus Line" and "The Producers" at Live Arts.

Sarah Herndon Sydnor ~ substitute teacher

Sarah began her dance training at BSD at a very young age and continued throughout her childhood and youth. A charter member of the BSD Performance Company she gained an appreciation and love for the performing arts. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance and theater from Sweet Briar College and has performed as a member of Artichoke Dance Company in New York City. Sarah has taught dance and drama in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Sarah and her family live at Woodberry Forest School where she also choreographs musical productions and serves as Director of Events and Hospitality.

Bridget Cornett ~ substitute teacher

Bridgett began learning dance at the age of two and a half and until the age of 13 focused on ballet and tap.  After taking a break from dance for a few years, she made her way back to it in high school where she once again took up ballet.  At 17 she began teaching pre-k ballet and substitute teaching for the older ballet classes in her studio.  In college she expanded her dance repertoire to include jazz, modern, and musical theater. She was a member of the Frostburg State University Dance Company for two semesters.  She is excited to have found Brushwood School of Dance and be able to continue learning and teaching not only dance, but Injury Prevention and Care as well.

Kayla Jones ~ substitute teacher

Kayla started dancing while in middle school and simply fell in love. Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Musical Theater, and Hip Hop gave her a way to express herself physically. After dancing though grade school Kayla studied dance at Lynchburg College, where she was a part of the Lynchburg Dance Company for one season before an injury interfered. Redirecting her attention, Kayla earned her Bachelor's in Fine Arts Education while simultaneously teaching dance and color guard for local high school students. In more recent years, she has been teaching studio art, theater, coaching color guard, and giving private dance lessons to the youth around her. Kayla is extremely excited to be a part of the Brushwood's School of Dance staff.