Holy City Dance Center Faculty

Hayley Zammuto is originally from the greater Boston area and took her first hip hop class at the age of nine. Her passion for dance was immediate, leading her to expand the following year by taking numerous dance classes in various styles and joining her home studio’s competition team. Throughout her competitive dance years, Hayley had the privilege of taking classes with industry leaders such as Mia Michaels, Teddy Forance, Stephen “TWitch” Boss, Gaby Diaz, Allison Holker, Alex Wong, and more. Competition judges frequently recognized her for her emotion and musicality in performances. During her teen years, Hayley broadened her dance experience beyond her local studio, participating in ballet intensive courses at the Hanover Theater and, at age 16, traveling to Boston to apprentice for The Boston Community Dance Project, a professional dance company. Hayley later attended Dean College, majoring in Arts and Entertainment Management with a concentration in Dance. While at Dean, she was granted numerous performance opportunities, including dancing on an award-winning Dance Team and performing with Flo Rida in front of 60,000 people at the Patriots Opening Game after winning the Super Bowl in 2017. However, she quickly discovered that her unique niche academically was centered around balancing business logistics within the creative atmosphere of the arts, which led her to focus much of her energy backstage and in the classroom. It was during this time that Hayley recognized her love for teaching. She began working as an assistant dance teacher at age 13 and started teaching her own classes at 17. This hobby turned into a true passion during her college years, as she continued to teach dance classes across Central Massachusetts and the Greater Boston area until moving to Charleston in 2020. Hayley thrives on watching her students grow and excel at something that has meant so much to her throughout her life. Observing students dedicate their time and energy to the art of dance, which has added immense value to her own life, is something she considers priceless. Hayley is excited to continue her dance journey with the formation of Holy City Dance Center, where she aims to create an environment for her students to express themselves freely through dance. As part of the Holy City Dance Center faculty, she is committed to ensuring that her students know that as long as they are willing to work hard, she will tirelessly support them in becoming the most talented and well-rounded dancers they can be.

Izzy Byers, originally from Greenville, SC, has been living and dancing in Charleston for four years now. She began her journey in dance classes at the age of six, quickly advancing to a competitive level and discovering her passion for contemporary and hip hop styles. Alongside these favorites, she also trained in the classical forms of Modern and Ballet, and participated in musicals at the local professional theatre during high school. The College of Charleston provided her with the opportunity to major in Dance, where she performed and presented choreography in main stage shows and at the American College Dance Association annual conference. Recently, Izzy showcased her Capstone work from her undergraduate studies at the Alumni Concert held during the Spoleto Festival. As her performance chapter comes to a close, Izzy has developed a true passion for teaching over the last three years at various local dance studios. Her mission as one of the dedicated dance instructors is to help kids build their confidence, passion, and artistry through dance. Izzy is thrilled to join the Holy City Dance Center faculty and eagerly anticipates watching her students shine!

Maya Everett-Wilson is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and has been dancing since the age of two. She trained competitively in a wide range of styles, including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and musical theater.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dance from the College of Charleston, with a concentration in performance and choreography. During her time there, she presented original student choreography in multiple productions, attended the American College Dance Festival in 2023 as a dancer and as a dancer and choreographer in 2024. She also completed multiple residencies with Annex Dance Company, performing in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Maya is currently a company member with Annex Dance Company along with teaching dance in Charleston. Her choreography has received multiple awards and national recognition. Maya is dedicated to providing strong technical training while emphasizing movement-based choreography. She strives to instill both discipline and a genuine love of dance in her students.

Morgan Bennett is originally from Boston and has been a part of the dance world since she was 2 years old. She discovered her passion for dance through her aunt, who owns a studio in the Boston area. Her love for competitive dance ignited at the age of 7, and the thrill of competition captivated her from day one. She performed her first tap solo at the age of 8. As she continued to embrace the competition experience, she also fully engaged in the competitive cheer world during her teenage years, competing both locally and across the country. This helped her build confidence on stage in front of thousands of spectators. Ultimately, she returned to her roots during her senior year in high school, focusing solely on competitive dance. Morgan attended Dean College, where she earned her BA in Dance and her AA in Sports Fitness/Exercise Science. Her training at Dean included ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, and jazz. While her time there solidified her passion for dance, she discovered a newfound interest in working alongside the athletic trainer of the dance program. This experience allowed her to learn how to help each dancer improve and build strength for the demanding schedule of a college dance major. Morgan has always been intrigued by how the body moves, especially for those in the arts. She is currently pursuing her Personal Trainer certification and aims to attend graduate school for Physical Therapy. Throughout her time at Dean, she was a member of the performance team for Sophisticated Productions, performed with the Impact Dance Company, and joined the Boston Tap Company. Although she never envisioned herself as a teacher, her experiences with the Boston Tap Company inspired her to explore this path. After graduating, she taught master classes and discovered her passion for teaching. Prior to moving to Charleston in 2020, she had the pleasure of teaching dance classes at various studios in the greater Boston area. Now, she is part of the local tap company, Holy City Hotfoot, and is thrilled to be included in the Holy City Dance Center faculty. Morgan's favorite aspect of teaching is witnessing her students succeed and seeing her choreography come to life on stage.

Allie Renner began her dance training at Cary-Grove Performing Arts Center in Cary, Illinois,

and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western Michigan University. Following her

graduation, she relocated to Salt Lake City, where she joined SALT Contemporary Dance

Company’s second company, SALT2. From Fall 2021 through Spring 2024, Allie performed as a

member of SALT’s main company, appearing in works by renowned choreographers including

Lauren Edson, Peter Chu, Garrett Smith, Olivier Wevers, Micaela Taylor, and Joni McDonald.

Since Fall 2024, she has been performing and touring internationally with Odyssey Dance

Theater. To further enrich her training, Allie has participated in numerous prestigious intensives,

including Springboard Dance Montréal, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the B12 Berlin

Workshop Festival, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit, among others. In Summer 2024, she made

her debut with Hale Center Theater, performing the role of “Viv” in The Nutty Professor. In

addition to her performance career, Allie has spent the past five years directing the Varsity

Ballet Program and the Junior Varsity Competitive Team at Utah Dance Artists in Draper, Utah.

Harper is originally from Wichita, Kansas, where she began taking dance classes at three years old and danced competitively through high school, training in jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and tap. She completed one year as a dance major at Wichita State University, focusing on jazz, modern, and ballet. After stepping away from dance to pursue a career in science, Harper earned her PhD in entomology from The Ohio State University, studying honey bee health. With extensive experience working with both recreational and competitive dancers, she has eight years of experience teaching and choreographing in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and tap as part of the Holy City Dance Center faculty.

Melanie Hall has been dancing since the age of four, training in tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and acro-dance. From ages nine through eighteen, she competed extensively, earning numerous awards and developing a strong technical and performance foundation. In addition to her extensive background in dance, Melanie is a full-time preschool teacher at Daniel Island Academy, where she has spent the past four years deepening her knowledge of early childhood development. As one of the dedicated dance instructors at Holy City Dance Center, she thoughtfully applies her expertise in the dance classroom, using age-appropriate techniques that support coordination, confidence, and a love of movement. Melanie is passionate about creating fun, engaging dance classes that build strong foundations while allowing young dancers to learn, grow, and enjoy every step of the journey.