Ayanna discovered her first love, dance at age three at the Pat Brown School of Dancing in Jackson, Tennessee, where she trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, and acrobatics. She spent eight years performing with the former Ballet Arts, Inc., a distinguished pre-professional company founded by Pat Brown and Jacqline Rawls and later directed by Pat Brown and Stephanie Freeman, appearing in timeless productions such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Alice in Wonderland, and more.

A dance scholarship recipient at the University of Memphis and former collegiate cheerleader, Ayanna has continued her professional training in New York and Los Angeles, studying at Broadway Dance Center (NYC), The Edge Performing Arts Center, and Millennium Dance Complex (LA). She has also trained under world-renowned instructors including Gus Giordano, Joe Tremaine, Marcus Alford, Sheila Barker, and others.

As an award-winning choreographer, Ayanna’s work with her student company Xpressions earned national acclaim, including Top Teacher of the Year (2004) and recognition for her studio as one of the Top 50 in the Nation (2006). In 2001, she founded Mid-South Academy of Dance, later transforming it into the Premier Performing Arts Center – Memphis, creating a complete and innovative performing arts program.

After stepping away from studio ownership in 2009 to focus on freelance projects and her family, Ayanna came full circle in 2025 returning to teach at the Pat Brown School of Dancing, the very place that sparked her lifelong passion. Today, she continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of dancers through artistry, discipline, and love for the craft.