Meet the Artists
Olivia Rowe
Founder, Artistic Director
Olivia Rowe is a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher, and stage manager in the Atlanta area.
As a choreographer, Olivia seeks to discover and reflect the beauty of the human experience through expressionism. With members of The Esthete Collective, she presented two new works in 2021 including Nubivagant, performed alongside Profectus Dance in their production "The Seeds We Plant." In 2020, she was commissioned by musician Desmond Meyers to choreograph music video Real Man. That same year, she presented two new works in collaboration with The Esthete Collective; The first being aphotic|lucent at Excuse the Art presented by Fly on a Wall, and the second being ALPHA STATE, a dance film presented at FEMMEfest. She has also presented works in festivals such as Fall for Fall Dance Festival, 3 Contemporary Dance Project, and Palette Project. In 2018, her work, Matutine, was danced by Ballet Southeast in their inaugural mixed repertory showcase. Also in 2018, her senior capstone project, Dichotomic, was presented by the Kennesaw State Dance Co. in their annual Senior Spring showcase.
​
Olivia's professional performance endeavors include companies Fuerta Dance Company, City Gate Dance Theater, Ballet Southeast, and Gotta Dance Contemporary where she has performed both classical and contemporary works. At Kennesaw State, she has been honored to work with choreographers such as Christine Winkler, Martha Goodman, Lisa Lock, and Dr. Ivan Pulinkala.
​
Olivia graduated from Kennesaw State University in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. In high school, she trained at Atlanta Academy of Ballet as a professional trainee, as well as Balletmet Columbus and Nashville Ballet. She received her early dance education at Impact Dance of Atlanta. In college, she was privileged to study Gaga dance technique at the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, Israel.
​
​
Olivia received her dance production training at Kennesaw State under the guidance of David J. Tatu, and has gone on to work for well known dance productions such as the Vail Dance Festival. She now works as a freelance stage manager in Atlanta for companies such as Terminus Modern Ballet Theater, Staib Dance, Fly on a Wall, ImmerseATL, Bluebird Uncaged, and the Kennesaw State Dance Theater.
​
Olivia is passionate about educating the next generation of artists, and is currently the Assistant Artistic Director at Druid Hills Dance Center and an instructor at Peachtree Dance.
Calla Vaughn
Executive Director, Dancer
Located in the Atlanta area, Calla Vaughn is a professional dance performer and instructor. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University in May of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Accounting.
Calla has danced professionally with City Gate Dance Theater, Ballet Southeast, and most recently, both with The Esthete Collective and choreographer Ashley Gibson as a part of Spring for Spring Dance Festival. In college, Calla performed with the KSU Dance Company in works by Christine Welker, McCree O’Kelley, Martha Goodman, and Dr. Ivan Pulinkala. She is also a current ballet, tap, and creative movement instructor with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education.
Growing up in Middle Georgia, Calla trained with several dance studios in the area including Academy of Dance in Warner Robins, Georgia, International City School of Ballet in Warner Robins, Georgia (now located in Smyrna), and the Madison Studio of Dance Education in Macon, Georgia. Calla also trained for six consecutive summers at the Joffrey South Summer Intensive hosted by the Joffrey Ballet in Milledgeville, Georgia. Here, she studied with such instructors as Valerie Madonia, Olivier Wecxsteen, and Elizabeth Parkinson.
Aside from performing and teaching, Calla also enjoys working in arts administration and organization. In college, Calla was a member of both Nu Delta Alpha and the National Honor Society for Dance Arts at KSU. She had the privilege of serving as a student leader in both organizations, being elected Historian for Nu Delta Alpha her junior year and President of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts her senior year. Additionally, Calla has worked with projectENCORE, a charitable organization that collects and redistributes gently used dance costumes and attire.
Lily Helmly
Collective Administrator, Technical Advisor, Dancer
Lily is originally from Savannah, Georgia but grew up in Marietta. She began dancing at the age of three and trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap for sixteen years prior to graduating high school. She danced pre-professionally with the Academy Dance Company at British Academy of Performing Arts where she performed in classical and original ballets as well as works in all styles of dance.
After high school, Lily went on to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Kennesaw State University. During her time at KSU, Lily was a member of the KSU Dance Company for five semesters. With the KSU Dance Company she got the opportunity to perform in Off the Edge, a contemporary dance festival based in Atlanta, as well as at the American College Dance Association’s Southeast Conference. Not only did Lily gain experience in dance technique and performance, but she was also able to gain skills in the areas of dance production, administration, choreography, and research.
​
Since graduating from KSU in May of 2020, Lily has created a career for herself in several aspects of dance. She has pursued performance opportunities in the Atlanta dance scene including being a member of The Esthete Collective since its conception in 2019. She has been a dance instructor since 2016 teaching various genres of dance to students of all ages. She also works in dance production as a stage manager and theater technician. Lily loves getting to pursue her different passions in dance throughout the Atlanta area!
Cara Celeste
Guest Artist, Dancer
Enrolled by her mother when she was 4 years old, Cara Celeste became obsessed with dance. She loved pretending that she could be anything in a given moment or story by feeling the music.
She grew up with Buford School of Ballet under the direction of Bernadett Campbell. It was here that sparked the importance of connecting her love for dance with God's creation. Unfortunately, she was later asked to leave the school due to financial difficulties. From there, she joined the Dance Line at Buford High School and was told by her coach that Diane Callahan at Gainesville Ballet would work with her and her financial needs. Later, she would leave Gainesville to further her ballet training with 2nd generation Vaganova trained ballerina Valeria Sinyavskaya at Kingsport Ballet. These two teachers really believed in her! However, the world thought otherwise.
Cara graduated high school and furthered her dance training at Kennesaw State University (KSU). This time, however, she would drop the pointe shoes (though not completely) and change course to focus her energy on more contemporary movements. At KSU, she was able to work with choreographers such as Ivan Pulinkala, Lisa Lock, John and Christine Welker, Ido Tadmor, and Helen Picket. This is also where she would also meet Lauri Stallings.
After her graduation from KSU, Cara dove right into the dance scene, working with gloATL directed by Lauri Stallings, and freelancing as a choreographer working on several music videos for people such as Chelsea Shag and Cory Smith. Though it seemed like the time of her life, she felt empty and alone. The summer of 2020, Cara accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and left the Atlanta dance scene only to be a teacher and evangelist of the truth. That same year, she met Rebekah Diadiggo and began dancing with Rebekah’s company Bluebird Uncaged in their annual performance of Sterling’s Path.
Now that her life is more put into perspective than it ever has been, Cara is a 1st grade teacher at Ethos Classical Charter School, and a dancer with Bluebird Uncaged and The Esthete Collective.
Audrey Crabtree
Guest Artist, Dancer
Audrey Crabtree holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University. Her performance work includes the theme park stages of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Six Flags Magic Mountain dancing at Howl-O-Scream, Christmastown, Looney Tunes Kids Club, Fright Fest, and Holiday in the Park. Living in Los Angeles, Audrey performed with L.A. Unbound, the Speak Hill Dance Project, City Ballet of Los Angeles, Amaterasu Dance Company, and J Sutta.
Moving back to Atlanta, Audrey worked with Watershed Dance Theatre and performed six concert seasons in leading roles with Sideways Contemporary Dance Company. Choreographic works by Audrey were presented in 2021 at Atlanta's Spring for Spring & Fall for Fall dance festivals.
A dance educator at RISPA and mother of two, Audrey is honored to be in rehearsals as a company member with Fuerta Dance Company, ALA Dance, Monica Hogan Danceworks, and guesting with the Esthete Collective for 2022! Audrey first appeared with Fuerta Dance Company as a performer in the 2016 dance film collection "en la mente" in the titles Id, Choice, & Detach. Her appearances with Fuerta continued through Dance Canvas, Zoetic's Mixtape dance festival, and other showcases.
For Audrey, this 2022 presentation of "Wake" is an exciting culmination of Fuerta's work as incubated in the past half decade. This excitement is furthered by partnership with The Esthete Collective, through which "Wake" is fully realized. Audrey is thrilled and thankful to share the studio space and stage with the artists of Esthete!
Lauren Hermann
Guest Artist, Dancer
Lauren Michelle is a freelance movement artist new to Atlanta. She has performed in soloist and ensemble roles throughout the U.S. with Chicago Repertory Ballet, the Portland Opera, Point Park University's Conservatory Dance Company, and in other freelance projects.
Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Point Park University. Her diverse training has included studying and performing alongside companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, NW Dance Project, Shen Wei Dance Arts, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
She is thrilled to be back on stage, making her Atlanta debut with Fuerta Dance Company and The Esthete Collective.
Ashlyn Bronner
Guest Artist, Dancer
Ashlyn Bronner is a professional dancer and instructor located in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Psychology.
​
Ashlyn has danced professionally with Metayer Conservatory for the Arts, City Gate Dance Theater, Southern Arc Dance, and The Esthete Collective. In college, Ashlyn performed at the American College Dance Association, and the KSU Spring company various times. Not only does Ashlyn enjoy performing, but she loves sharing her passion through dance instruction. One of her proudest moments was being invited to Haiti to be a guest teacher at Kav Academy.
​
Ashlyn has trained with several studios including Dazz with Jazz, Ballethnic, and Metayer Conservatory for the Arts. During those years, she has had the pleasure of being coached by Author Mitchell and Lydia Abarca Mitchell.
​
Ashlyn is excited to guest with The Esthete Collective once again this season!