Core Dance
Morning Class
​
After more than a decade without a change Core Dance has increased our class fees this year in order to help cover increasing costs. Thank you so much for your continued support and involvement.
​
Led by established, progressive dance artists, Morning Class is offered to the community for $15 per class. Registration and payment must be made online before class time. Any questions or concerns, please contact outreach@coredance.org.​
​
Morning Class for Fall 2025 includes:
​
Mondays: Morning Flow and Stretch with Cheryl Burnette
Tuesdays: Cognition Ignition with Faith Fidgeon
Wednesdays: Capoeira with Professor Dandley
Thursdays and Fridays: Contemporary & Traditional Modern Dance Moves with Kristin O'Neal
Special guest instructors are noted within the calendar.
​
Sign up through the calendar below. Click on the date for the registration link.
​
NOTICE : Advance registration is required. All attendees must follow the instructions of the class leader with regard to masking. Hand sanitizer is available in the studio and each studio is equipped with a high-powered air cleaner. The HVAC system has also been upgraded to clean and sanitize the air.
Core Dance Morning Class Faculty
Cheryl Burnette
Morning Flow and Stretch
Cheryl has been teaching group exercise classes for over 30 years, and after discovering a love of yoga, became a certified yoga instructor in 2010. She studied Pranakriya yoga with Yoganand Michael Carolle and has become proficient in Yin yoga as well. Cheryl has taught and practiced at a number of studios and gyms in Decatur. She is retired from the City of Decatur and spends her time biking, traveling, reading, practicing yoga and enjoying living in the City.
Class Description: This class is for the person who wants a moment in the morning to focus on centering themselves for their best possible day. It is perfect for moms returning from school drop offs, seniors looking to maintain their flexibility and small business owners looking for a moment of calm. It will focus on linking breath to movement. A gentle warm up followed by simple standing and balancing poses will culminate in slow and steady Sun Salutations followed by a centering Savasana to carry you into your day. The class is designed to meet participants where they are and Cheryl is experienced and creative in offering alternatives for each pose and movement.
Faith Fidgeon
Cognition Ignition
Faith Fidgeon is a dance artist currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. A graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts, they have a BFA in Contemporary Dance with a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship. Faith’s movement practices are influenced by Countertechnique, Release technique, contact improvisation, yoga, and bouldering. They are currently a company member with staibdance.
Class Description: Want to move with more clarity, ease, and presence? This class gives you mental tools to self-assess, problem-solve, and drive your own movement practice. Through exercises and flying phrasework, you'll sharpen your awareness of your body in space—a moving meditation that fuels both mind and motion.
Fire the brain. Drive the body. Dance bigger. Dance longer. Dance happier!
Professor Dandley
Capoeira
With more than 20 years of experience training and teaching capoeira, Professor Dandley, a member of Capoeira Maculelê and a capoeira world champion has helped to build a strong and energetic community of students that reflects the rich physical, social, mental, and spiritual elements of the art. Professor Dandley has taught capoeira for over 15 years. His approach encourages discipline, focus, and respect in students and immerses them in Brazilian music, language, and culture. His belief in the positive, lasting impact of capoeira on all aspects of a capoeirista's life permeates his classes.
Class Description: These are ongoing classes where anyone can join, no previous experience necessary. It covers all aspects of Capoeira; martial-arts, dance, music, acrobatics, culture, language and more. It focuses on developing the students rhythm, reflexes, balance, coordination and increasing strength and flexibility as they learn. All the necessary skills are taught in class.
​
We recommend this class for anyone wanting to start in the art of Capoeira. Class prepares each student at their own pace to join into our beginner Capoeira lessons in which they will start getting a better understanding of the art. You will work on basic steps of Capoeira; Ginga, Esquivas, Attack / Defence / Counter-attacks, dance elements, musical skills, and basic acrobatics. Should you wish to go further than just basics, you should then join our Beginner class to start progressing through the different levels of Capoeira. Capoeira is a great form of fitness and exercise that works not only your whole body, but also your mind.​
Kristin O'Neal
Contemporary & Traditional Modern Dance Moves
Kristin is a Dance Lecturer at Emory University (Atlanta) and teaches contemporary modern technique at Core Dance (Decatur, GA) for intermediate to professional dancers.  Kristin is an avid practitioner of Contact Improvisation and organizes CI workshops, classes and jams for the Atlanta Community.   Kristin also assists in the operations of National Water Dance under the direction of Dale Andree (Miami, FL)—a movement choir that activates artists and their communities to spread water awareness across the nation. Kristin creates and performs solo dances based on the lives of her Grandmothers and Great Aunts, and also co-teaches Contact Improvisation at Emory University with her husband, Greg Catellier, with whom she also collaborates in curious dance-making.
​
​
Class Description: Considering the weight of our bones to activate deep core muscles, we will invite ease and efficiency into our movement phrasing while conditioning thoughtfully and readying the body for the myriad physical relationships that contemporary modern dance asks of us. We will sense all surfaces of our bodies in contact with the floor, noticing anchor points of stability to find freedom of movement in our joints and in space with others, while sliding, swinging, suspending, falling, pouring, gliding and all the things that inspire us along the way.  This class is geared for the intermediate to professional mover. Kneepads and long pants recommended.
Photo by Christina J. Massad
Guest Faculty
Guest Faculty for Fall 2025 Season Coming Soon!
Directions: Our back entrance is accessible by way of North McDonough Street, at the intersection of Trinity Avenue and the Decatur Square. Look for the entrance past Waffle House.
Parking: The Core Dance Parking lot is a public, paid lot. If you are visiting the Core Dance Studios, there are instructions in the studio for a stipend toward that payment. A portion of your Parking Fee is donated to Core Dance. Core Dance does not have any control over the lot or parking fee enforcement.
MARTA’s Decatur Station will plop you down right next to us in the Decatur Square. Visit itsmarta.com for details on Decatur Station and for train and bus schedules.