About Atlanta Creative Arts

Zara Estelle is a multidisciplinary artist and educator dedicated to liberation of the creative spirit. With two decades of experience and a foundation in technical dance, Zara began teaching at age 15, using movement as a catalyst for healing and community building. As the founder of Atlanta Creative Arts (ACA), Zara has built a cultural hub that empowers artists of all backgrounds. A Black, Queer, Woman/Non-binary leader, Zara prioritizes the visibility of marginalized voices, ensuring every body is celebrated and every story is told with integrity. Their specialized background as an ABA Play Therapist informs a customized, empathetic approach to instruction, making ACA a truly accessible sanctuary. Whether mentoring instructors or producing large-scale showcases, Zara’s mission remains constant: to provide the tools, space, and radical permission for artists to step into their fullest power.

Axel Estelle has lived on stage since birth. Theater is in their DNA. Sure, it put them in student loan debt, but at least they have a pretty diploma! Axel is an emcee and masclesque performer for multiple productions (including The DragonCon Burlesque Show) and a teacher. They are also a member of Down South Delectables.

A chair Acro artist for 5 years, Ava is an energetic teacher who focuses on making chair Acro as accessible as possible. Ava has been teaching chair dance and Acro for 3 years, has taught at burlesque festivals, and in Europe. Ava has a yoga and aerial teaching certification, which means she is trained to teach all bodies and has in-depth knowledge of anatomy.

Champagne Sugar grew up dancing in the Mojave Desert, performing, teaching, and choreographing competitively. Her BA in Theatre and Dance cum laude from Sacramento State University, specializing in Afro-Caribbean and Dunham Technique, included training with: ACDF, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Rene Harris Dance Company, Katherine Dunham Seminars, International Association of Black Dance (IABD), Evidence/Ron K. Brown, Alvin Ailey school, Nicholas Leichter Dance Company, and CalArts innerspark. Her New York City training included masters Baba Richard Gonzales, Denys La Mora Perez, Baba Chuck Davis, Nadia Dieudonné, Jean-Sebastian, Roseangela Sylvestre, Madame Penny Godboldo & Ms. Rachelle Tervanier. Champagne performed, taught, and choreographed with Sacramento/Black Art of Dance (S/BAD) as a company member, AfroCaribbean Soul Collective at SXSW, and rumba group Quimbata based in Austin, Texas. She was also a go-go dancer on the Latin club circuit in the Bay Area and a guest instructor with ACDF Phoenix & CSUS. With an MA in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University, Champagne taught Deaf youth STEM and Mass Media for 10 years. She now gets to travel as a dance artist, nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, and a proud performing musician of Egbe Sekere Atlanta.

Dorothea is an Atlanta based burlesque artist and theatre maker. They can be found onstage, offstage, backstage, and generally tend to be spotted near shiny objects, where dance music is heard. Watch your step, and welcome The Copperhead of burlesque!

A lifelong performer Juniper Fizz joined the Atlanta School of Burlesque as a student in the Spring Semester of 2022 and sped her way to graduation in Spring of 2023. She has been running ever since. Burlesque as a space for the sexy, the silly, and the serious has long fascinated Miss Fizz. She has enjoyed adding their own contributions as a teacher, not only of movement, but of self-love, confidence, and exploration. A big believer in making art with community, Juniper is excited to continue sharing her knowledge and love with Atlanta Creative Arts.

Juniper believes movement and connection are exceptionally powerful and that providing space for exploration and care for every person to feel through their body is a radical act.

La Flaca is a biligual Venezuelan instructor with dancing experience in salsa/bachata and twerk for 5+ years, and pole 3+ years. She is a new teacher and loves creating a loving and welcoming space for everyone in her classes.

La Flaca encourages you to allow yourself to be a beginner, enjoy the journey, and do not be embarrassed by it; it is the only way to become the dancer that you wanna become.

Leela Lox has been teaching group fitness since 2015, when the GSU recreation center served as her outlet during graduate school. She has taught in a variety of settings, even including some local breweries! In 2022, she shimmied to the Atlanta School of Burlesque to continue exploring her relationship with herself and her body, and graduated in February 2025 with an emotionally vulnerable solo debut.

Her teaching philosophy focuses on intuitive movement and body awareness. Exercise can be fun AND approachable for all bodies of all abilities. Her classes incorporate a killer playlist and a focus on body-weight resistance for a full-body workout!

Leon Brown is an international master dance teacher and choreographer. Mr Brown has shared the stage and screen with such famous names as Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson, Alfre Woodard, Laurence Fishburne, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Queen Latifah, and Courtney B. Vance. He has taught with such prestigious institutions as the Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Dance & Music Academy, Agnes Scott College, Black College Dance Exchange, Horton Summer Dance Intensive, and the Tanztheater Aachen in Germany.

Lola LeSoleil is an award-winning artist, headliner, host, and burlesque educator. She teaches a range of movement, costuming, prop, and history classes and enjoys the allure of feather fan dancing.

Majda Anwar is a versatile dancer and musician based in Atlanta, GA, with nearly 30 years of experience in Middle Eastern dance and music. Raised in a Jordanian family, she was immersed in Arabic music and dance from a young age, later expanding her studies to include Egyptian, transnational fusion, and classical styles. As a musician, she has studied Arabic violin, performing both traditional and world fusion music for dancers. Majda is also the Director of the Awalim Dance Company, a nationally renowned world fusion dance company known for its dynamic performances and rich legacy within the dance community.

She holds multiple certifications from the Salimpour School and FatChanceBellyDance® and is committed to preserving and evolving the art of Middle Eastern dance. Whether teaching, performing, or playing live music, Majda strives to create meaningful cultural experiences that celebrate the richness of Arabic and fusion traditions.

Atlanta’s deranged darling, Minnie Mercury, brings her talents for dancing, choreographing, stage managing, and spreadsheets to the burlesque arena. A connoisseur of the creepy, executor of Excel, and master of the maudlin, this award-winning glam-murderous has traveled nationally and internationally to showcase her many assets. She is a former grinduate and instructor of the Atlanta School of Burlesque as well as the former Director of Production for the Candybox Revue burlesque troupe. Her theatrical polish and deranged charm seduces, startles, and…squelches and has earned her the title “Sweeney Todd of Strip!” You never know if you’ll find her lurking in the shadows backstage or singing Sondheim in the spotlight, but you can guarantee that she has a Google Form ready for any occasion!

Mona Lata, “The Desi Dream,” is a Southeast Asian burlesque performer and instructor specializing in Bollylesque: the fusion of Bollywood and burlesque dance styles. A graduate of the Atlanta School of Burlesque, she blends cultural flair with a taste of the tease.

Mona's classes are centered around building confidence, connecting with music, and embracing unique expressions.

Nia Lancelin, MSW, is an artist, educator, choreographer, and mental health advocate with over 25 years of experience in the performing arts. She is the Founder + Director of THRIVE | Arts + Mental Health, an organization dedicated to supporting emotional wellness and creative growth through trauma-informed arts programming, workshops, performances, and community-centered experiences. A graduate of Spelman College with a degree in Theatre & Dance and Howard University with a Master of Social Work degree, Nia’s work bridges professional artistic training with healing-centered wellness practices. Her background includes performance, choreography, and teaching work with organizations and productions including NBC’s This Is Us, Brooklyn Ballet, Rosie’s Theater Kids, Moving in the Spirit, Dance Canvas, and more. Known for creating authentic, expressive, and emotionally grounded creative spaces, Nia integrates movement, storytelling, reflection, improvisation, and collaborative art-making into her work with artists, students, and communities. Through THRIVE, she is passionate about helping people use creativity as a tool for connection, self-discovery, resilience, and collective healing.