Who We Are
Our mission
We aim to provide developmentally appropriate dance classes that inspire creativity, imagination, and a lifelong love of fitness and the arts, while respecting the artistic and technical progress, body autonomy, health, and safety of each dancer. We aim to foster an inclusive atmosphere regardless of a student’s age, ability, gender, race, or background.
Learn more about Our Values here.
meet our staff
Brianna Hickman
Brianna Hickman (Ms. Bri) is the director of ABC Dance and an instructor. She has over ten years teaching experience at area studios with children and adults in a variety of dance genres. She trained at Oglebay Institute School of Dance, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she completed a minor in dance, a bachelor’s in arts administration, and a master’s in business administration. She danced the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and the Jaguar in The Rainforest with Virginia Civic Ballet. She also performed with Allegro Dance Company, JADCO Contemporary Dance Company, and with Mountain Moves WV Performance Project. She participated in summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre and Ballet Austin, as well as numerous festivals including West Virginia Dance Festival and American College Dance Festival. Ms. Bri is Acrobatic Arts Certified.
Ms. Bri lives in Charleston with her two cats and a dog. In her spare time she loves to read, garden, watch birds, and go camping.
Heather Looney
Heather Looney (MFA University of MD, BFA Brenau University GA) maintains a choreographing, teaching and performing schedule with private studios, dance and theater performing groups, universities and public schools in the WV area. These include ABC Dance, Huntington Dance Theater, the Charleston Light Opera Guild and Shanna’s School of Dance in Spencer, WV. She has served as the festival director for Dance WV and spearheaded over a million dollars in scholarship opportunities to summer intensives and university dance programs for WV dancers. Prior to returning to WV, she held the position of artistic director and ballet mistress for The Dance Theatre of Fairbanks in Alaska creating new full length ballets and recreations of classical works. While pursuing her masters degree she taught ballet for the University of Maryland. In NYC she taught with Ballet Academy East and worked as a contemporary freelance performer, choreographer and costume creator. She was privileged to work with The Mark Morris Dance Group, Merce Cunningham and members of the American Ballet Theater.
Ms. Heather resides on her family's farm in Roane County with her son, enjoying the outdoors.