2024 Macon's Got Talent

 

Mary Priestly Jarrard McLendon began her training at Dance Arts Studio under the direction of Jean Evans Weaver and Alice Sheridan. She spent her summers training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education and on scholarship with Nashville Ballet. Mary Priestly continued her training at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors in Dance Performance. After graduation, she was invited to join Nashville Ballet II where she performed in company shows and outreaches around middle Tennessee. 

 

After spending a year teaching full time for the School of Nashville Ballet, she relocated to Dallas, Texas where she was a faculty member with the Texas Ballet Theater School in Ft. Worth under the direction of Ben Stevenson for 5 years where she was named ‘2016 Teacher of the Year.’ Mary Priestly is certified in Mat Pilates and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). She currently teaches at The Jean Evans Weaver Center for Dance in Macon and is involved with several organizations throughout the community.

Kelsey Hollis is currently a 23 year old student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville; from Warner Robins, Georgia. She has interned for VFL Films and the SEC Network, and one day plans to pursue a career in sports psychology, opening her own firm of traveling sports psychologists.

 

Growing up with her older brother, Jeremy, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at a young age, pushed Kelsey to advocate for not only the joys and struggles of the disabled, but also their families. Kelsey founded the nonprofit organization “TAABS: Teaching Autism Awareness By Siblings” in 2014. In March of 2015, Kelsey was able to meet privately with Georgia legislatures to discuss and advocate for the passing of SB118; Ava’s Law. This proposed bill was to potentially provide up to $35,000 in insurance coverage per year towards the psychological care of those diagnosed with ASD in the state of Georgia and was successfully passed the very next week on March 31, 2015. For the past 6 years, Kelsey has been the founder and director of the “Miss Queen of Summer Pageant,” which honors girls in both middle school and high school with diagnosed disabilities. Kelsey has also had numerous opportunities to work with and support many national organizations including the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Preemie Closet, Fluffy Friend 3C, Navicent Health, and Autism Speaks. In these opportunities, she has been able to raise more than $10,000 for CMNH. 

 

This year, Kelsey has expanded her Social Impact Initiative “Autism Acceptance: A Platform for Change" on an educational level by creating an education initiative entitled “A-Cubed.”  This initiative promotes inclusivity through teaching Awareness, Acceptance, and Advocacy of the Autism community in order to spread ways for everyone to cohesively exist, while feeling appreciated and understood within different environments. She has been able to teach this initiative in 15 schools within the Georgia School System throughout this past year. 

 

In 2016, Kelsey served as Miss Georgia’s Outstanding Teen where she placed 2nd runner up to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen and took home the overall vocal talent award. At the Miss Georgia Competition this past June, after earning preliminary wins in both Onstage Interview/Social Impact Pitch, Talent, and being awarded the Women in Business Award; Kelsey was honored to earn the job and blessing of Miss Georgia 2022. 

 

At the Miss America Competition this past December, Kelsey was blessed enough to win her group’s preliminary award for her Social Impact Pitch, and place 4th runner up to Miss America 2023. Kelsey will crown the next Miss Georgia this summer in June and is honored and thankful for the opportunity to continue to represent the state of Georgia for the rest of her reign! 

Awarded Wesleyan College Alumna of Year 2014

 

DSCG Judges Choice

Awarded 1st Place in Dancing Stars of Central Georgia 2014

 

5 Leaders Under 40

Recognized as Macon Magazines's 5 Leaders under 40 2011 

 

Young Alumna Award

Young Alumna Award

Leadership Georgia

   

Leadership Georgia graduate 2014

 

Georgette Pilar Wilder Lowden founded both Hayiya Dance Theatre (22nd Season) and Hayiya Dance Theatre, Inc. (27th Season) as a student at Wesleyan College.  She is a second-year doctoral student in Texas Woman's University's Dance PhD program. In 2017, she was selected by the International Association of Blacks in Dance and currently serves in the Next Generation Leadership Program as well as the inaugural COHI | MOVE cohort.  Pilar teaches dance at Hayiya Dance Theatre and Cutno Dance in Augusta, GA.  She also teaches West African dance at Wesleyan College as an adjunct professor.

 

 

Pilar taught dance as an adjunct professor at Fort Valley State University, continuing education instructor at Macon State College, dance teacher at Tubman African American Museum and Artist-In-Residence for the Macon Arts Alliance. Pilar also served as the first dance instructor and Fine Arts Department Chair for Miller Fine Arts Magnet Middle School from 2004 to 2009. While there she was also awarded the honor of Teacher Of The Year 2008.  Pilar served as the Performance Arts Technology Consultant, Fine Arts Department Chair and dance instructor at West Side High School in Macon, GA until 2018.  

 

 

An active member in the community, Pilar is currently the Executive Director of Hayiya Dance Theatre, Inc. and is a member of the Tubman Museum board.  She is a new member of the Theatre Macon Board and Production Committee for Macon Little Theatre.  She has served on the boards of Firehouse Productions and Middle Georgia Food Bank. She is Macon's only representative for Leadership Georgia's class of 2014. Pilar is also a member Macon Magazine's 5 Leaders under 40 (2011) and the I Love Macon Campaign as well as Leadership Macon's class of 2012. Pilar serves on the Bibb County Judicial Citizens Review Board and was a member of the Museum of Arts and Sciences executive board and Pan African Festival Executive Planning Committee. Pilar has volunteered as a docent and environmental science teacher for the Museum of Arts & Sciences and currently serves as ministry leader for Fellowship Bible Baptist Church's Praise and Worship Dance Ministry. Pilar formerly served as a member of the Convention and Visitor's Bureau and Macon Arts Alliance boards as well as Tattnall Square Center for the Arts Programming Advisory and Friends of Historic Tattnall Square Park Boards and Junior League.

 

She currently holds professional memberships with the National Dance Education Organization and the American Alliance for Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In April 2014, Pilar was honored by Wesleyan College as Young Alumna of the Year and was also awarded Judges Choice Champion of Dancing Stars of Central Georgia that same year. She is a founding member of the Medical Center's Champions for Children and was selected by the Knight Foundation and Dance/USA to serve on a national panel of dance instructors. She holds a Master's Degree in Dance Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  Pilar is the wife of Reverend Tony Lowden. The two reside in Middle Georgia along with their daughter Tabitha.