"You can't see a painter or a writer or a musician
if you just look at them, but you can see a dancer in a child if they've studied ballet for a year."
"The Dancer and the Dance" Movie
Our Dance Instructors
Kristie Wright Smith began dance training
at the age of seven with Betty Hayes. While at Hayes School of Dance she trained as a dancer and a teacher.
She has also trained with Ellis-DuBoulay School of Ballet, Chicago (Former soloists with the Royal Ballet): Margaret
Saul (while Miss Saul was at Butler University and continued teacher's training from 1972-1978), and Joyce Sheitze (Fellow
and Examiner I.S.T.D. {Canadian Society Branch}). Currently, she is studying with Eleanore Brown (Permanent Examiner
Cecchetti Council of America). She has studied and been examined in the Cecchetti Method of teaching ballet and is a
"Certified" member of the Cecchetti Council of America. During her dancing and teaching career, she has been active
in the community; doing choreography for the Junior Miss Scholarship Program, performing in numerous Civic Theater productions,
and taking dance to elementary schools, retirement homes and various other organizations.
April Atherton, a 2005 graduate of Butler University, who has many years
of teaching experience, choreographs the advanced Tap, Jazz and Stage Struck levels silver, gold and platinum. April
is from New Albany, Indiana area where she teaches, part time, at the nationally acclaimed Dance Works Dance Studio (which
was voted Kentuckyanna's most favorite place to dance). She has passed I-V Cecchetti Ballet teacher's examinations.
She has studied and performed extensively with Louisville Ballet. She is certified through Little People's Creative
Movement Workshop. Annually, she attends Broadway Dance Center Teacher's Workshop in New York. She has many awards
including: 2001 and 2002 Louisville's I Love Dance Sweatheart, 2002 I love Dance top teacher, 2004 Kid's Artistic Review national
top teacher, 2005 Applause Talent Production's National choreographer, and numerous dances that she has choreographed which
were national overall competition winners. April is also available to choreograph solos.
Anne Meriwether started dancing at the age of six. She studied Ballet,
Tap and Jazz under Simone Hendrix at "A Star is Born" Dance Studio in Abilene, Texas. Anne has studied Liturgical Dance
under Dr. Peter A. Field of Fisk University and is currently the Artistic Director for the Mt. Pisgah Liturgical Dance Troupe.
She began studying with Kristie Wright in 1999 and has completed student exams I - IV and teacher's certificate I, II, and
III in the Cecchetti Ballet method. Anne also teaches Stage Struck Bronze level. She is currently a dancer with
GMWA Dance Troupe.
Amii McCord began her dance training at the age of five with Jeane Marie
School of Dance in Ottawa, Ill., where she also became a teacher. She became certified with Dance Educators of America
in 1987. Amii also studied with and taught for Pat's School of Dance in Logansport, Indiana. She was the assistant
choreographer for "Guys and Dolls" at Logansport High School. She has passed the I, II, III and IV Cecchetti Ballet
teacher's examinations. Amii is our Logansport teacher. She also teaches classes at the Kokomo location.
Dawn (Hall) Mykutgrew up studying dance with Kristie Wright
and Betty Hayes. During that time she also studied with Richard Ellis and Catherine Duboulay (former members of the
British Royal Ballet) in Chicago. Dawn was active in the Kokomo Civic Theater performing in "Hello Dolly", "Oklahoma",
"Oliver" and was Assistant Choreographer in "Show Boat." She also performed in the "Nutcracker" with the former Indianapolis
Ballet Theatre. While attending Penn State University she was a member of the Orchesis Dance Company, the student dance
company on campus.
Dawn was a member of the teaching faculty at the Arts Conservatory of Central Pennsylvania (formerly the Ballet Theatre
of Central Pennsylvania) under Andrea Hill for 9 years. While at the ACCP Dawn was involved in teaching, choreography,
performances, syllabus development, and was Assistant Director of the Preschool and Begining Ballet programs. She was
also able to take and/or observe many master classes from guest artists such as Robert Steele, Cheri Noble, and members of
the Philadanco, Joffrey, Harrisburg Ballet, and American Ballet Theater dance companies.
Karen Rigle studied dance at Kristie Wright School of Dance and under Betty
Hayes at Hayes School of Dance. She is the choreographer for Civic Players of Logansport and is also in many of their
productions, as well as other community organizations and events. Karen teaches the Teen Technique class in Logansport,
where she also takes Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Pointe. Currently, she is studying for the Cecchetti Ballet teacher's examinations.
