ABOUT US

Meet Our Faculty

"At OYB, we are a family and give our dancers the opportunity to make lifelong friendships. The studio is a second home to our students and we encourage friendship and fellowship..."

Laura Peterson

FOUNDER | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Laura Peterson grew up dancing in the Spartanburg Civic Ballet, known now as Ballet Spartanburg. She studied under many great ballet teachers and was selected for the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts. Laura attended Coker College where she earned a BA in both Dance and a BFA in Psychology, focusing on dance as a creative educational process.

Mrs. Peterson has been teaching youth-focused dance for over 20 years and has owned and operated successful dance studios for over 17 years. She founded the Laurens Dance Theatre and Laurens Youth Ballet as well as the Louisiana Youth Ballet and  is the founder and visionary at Okatie Youth Ballet.

Laura taught for 13 years with the South Carolina Arts Commission as an artist in residence for the Target 2000 project. She was the first teacher in South Carolina placed by the state department of education to implement dance on the elementary level in public schools across South Carolina. She taught all levels of dance for the Beaufort County School District and has directed major performances including The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid, and many more original  Ballets and pieces of choreography.

Mrs. Peterson taught dance in the East Baton Rouge School system as an artist in residence for the Arts Council of Baton Rouge. She is past president of the Louisiana Alliance for Dance and a certified comprehensive BASI Pilates instructor.

Mrs. Peterson has completed the Leap 'N Learn teacher program and has been teaching using the world-renowned Leap 'N Learn ballet curriculum for many years.

Abby Rosenbaum

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Abby Rosenbaum has been dancing for the past 25 years. During her years as a dancer, Abby trained in many styles, including: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Contemporary. She decided to focus on professional ballet training and spent her final five school years studying under former ABT principal ballerina, Karina Brock.

Abby's favorite roles performed include the Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and the White Cat in Sleeping Beauty. She has also competed in the Youth American Grand Prix in 2014. She developed a love for choreography, choreographing her first contemporary group piece for a local student company during her senior year of high school, as well as choreographing the contemporary solo she performed at YAGP.

Abby has been teaching Ballet, Contemporary, Acro and Tap since 2014, and has been teaching with Okatie Youth Ballet since 2015. Abby has continued her education with certifications in Leap 'N Learn, Progressing Ballet Technique, and Alixa flexibility.

Hailey Dunn

BALLET INSTRUCTOR

Hailey Dunn’s early training began in Mechanicsville, Virginia at the age of three. After moving to Bluffton, South Carolina, she began training at Okatie Youth Ballet. During her last two years of high school, she trained at Hilton Head Dance Theater under the tutelage of Karina Brock–Carlyle.

Hailey joined Savannah Ballet Theater in 2019 as an apprentice. While dancing, she obtained a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Minor in Nonprofit Management from Georgia Southern University. In 2022, Haley joined Savannah Ballet Theater as a Company Artist.

Cassidy Dunn

STEPS OF PRAISE & LYRICAL JAZZ INSTRUCTOR

Cassidy began studying dance in Virginia at the age of 3.  After moving to Bluffton SC, Cassidy began studying ballet at Okatie Youth Ballet.  While dancing with OYB Cassidy danced solo roles such as the White Rabbit, Sugar Plum, Wendy in Peter Pan and Ursala in the Little Mermaid. 

Cassidy has a love of choreography and God.  She has combined those two loves in her calling to teach and choreograph our Steps of Praise class.  Cassidy has been teaching at OYB for 8 years and prior to that she was a teaching assistant for OYB. Cassidy has completed the Leap N Learn Teacher training.

Shannon Mayhew

LYRICAL JAZZ INSTRUCTOR

Shannon Mayhew began dancing at the age of five in her hometown in Virginia. She grew up taking Ballet and Pointe, Tap, Jazz and Lyrical. Beginning in high school, Shannon knew she wanted to share her love of dancing with others. She went on to study at Radford university in Radford Virginia, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. During college she attended various conferences including ACDFA (the American College dance festival association) and performed at the Kennedy Center.

Shannon moved to North Carolina in 2009 with her husband who was stationed there for the US Marine Corps. She started teaching there when her daughter started dancing. Shannon loves teaching and having her daughter along beside her.

Sarah Provencher

BALLET INSTRUCTOR | DANCE EDUCATOR

Sarah Provencher is a dance educator with a BFA in dance education K-12 from Columbia College.   While at Columbia College Sarah studied choreography and education for her teaching ceritficate in K-12 dance. She is a cerified teacher for S.C. 

Sarah grew up dancing ballet and pointe in Greenwood S.C. She has been teaching ballet  to age 8 and Lyrical  toage 7and 8.Sarah recently added  teaching the Beginning Pointe class  at Okatie Youth Ballet She has been teaching at OYB for 8 years.

Mrs. Sarah is a dance educator teaching for the Beaufort County School District for the past 10 years concentrating in elementary students and dance. Mrs. Sarah enjoys time with her husband, home reno projects and all of her cats and dogs in Bluffton.

Reagan Wyatt

PRE SCHOOL TEACHER | BALLET INSTRUCTOR

Reagan Wyatt was an early High School Graduate with honors.  She recieved the National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude award three years in a row.  She trained in Ballet for 12 years and was president of Okatie Youth Ballet National Honor Society of Dance Arts Chapter. 

Reagan has studied classical piano for fourteen years and was a finalist for the ISCA Rising Stars competitiion for five years.  She currently teaches ballet for ages 9-10  at OYB.  Reagan began dancing with the  Savannah Ballet in 2023 and is in flight school pursuing a career as a professional pilot.  Reagan also teaches at Learn together Low Country and is a piano teacher along with our pre - school Roots and Wings teacher.

Caralynn Scott

TEACHING ASSISTANT | TAP INSTRUCTOR

Caralynn is a Senior teacher with OYB. She began dancing at Okatie Youth Ballet at age 5 and has progressed to the Advanced level in her training.  Caralynn has studied at College of Charleston Summer program and many other programs in the summer. Caralynn has competed in the Youth American Grand Prix and Grand Jete.  She has danced the solo roles of Mouse Queen, Snow Queen,Clara, as well as many other solo roles with Okatie Youth Ballet

  Caralynn looks forward to dancing in her senior produation of Sleeping Beauty in May 2026,   In the Summer of 2025 Caralynn was cast as the Black swan and enjoyed bringing a dramatic flare to a classical role. Caralynn is a teaching assistant, and teaches the multi-age tap class on Saturdays,