KRISTINE ANDERSON moved to Wichita from Minneapolis, Minnesota where she directed a Youth Ballet Company.  Her choreographic credits include Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Sleeping Beauty, among others.  She has a BFA in ballet from the University of Utah and has performed with the Brelsfoard Dance Theatre Co. in Chicago, Arizona Ballet Theatre, and Minnesota Dance Theatre.

STEPHANIE BOYLE has a BA in Art History from Washburn University.  Originally from Concord, MA, she studied and taught dance with the West Concord Dance Academy for 11 years.  While teaching first and second grade at an International School in Cascais, Portugal, she performed with the Portuguese International Dance Academy.

DENISE CELESTIN, Associate Professor of Dance at Wichita State University, received her early training in New Orleans and completed the MFA in Ballet from the Texas Christian University.  She has danced professionally with the Fort Worth Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, and Ballet Met of Columbus, Ohio.  She has served on the faculties of the Ballet Met Academy, Otterbein College, and the Ohio State University.  Ms. Celestin has participated as a coach for the Fifth USA International Ballet Competition, and has choreographed a wide range of works for ballet and opera.  Her special interests in creative work involve an inter-disciplinary approach, combining elements from music and visual arts.

SHANNAN GRILLIOT is a former student of WCT&DC having danced here for 12 years.  She is a graduate of WSU with a major in Nursing and a minor in Dance.  Shannan has performed with WTC&DC, Ballet Wichita, Music Theatre of Wichita, WSU Dance Ensemble, & the Mid-America Dance Theater.

KATIE HARMON is a graduate of Friends University where she double majored in Musical Theatre and Math Education.  While attending Friends, she was also a member of the Singing Quakers.  Katie has been performing since 1990.  In the past, she has performed for the Wichita Center for the Arts and the Once Upon A Time Players at WCT&DC.  She is currently a teacher for USD 259.  This is her eighth year to teach at WCT & DC.

HAYLIE HEATWOLE is currently an Emory Lindquist Honors Student at WSU majoring in Dance and Psychology.  She was previously a student of Modern, Jazz and Tap at WCT&DC and has studied ballet for fourteen years under the direction of Jill Landrith at Nancy Hervey’s School of Ballet and Lori Remington-League with The Wichita School of Performing Arts.  She has attended intensive studies with Texas Ballet Theater, The Tulsa Ballet and Ballet Met Columbus and has performed locally with Ballet Wichita over the past nine years.

SUZIE JESTER is a graduate of Butler Community College where she majored in Elementary Education and received a dance scholarship.  She has been studying dance for the last 18 years and is currently attending WSU.

HEATHER JOURNELL is a professional actress and singer, who has performed in several theatres in Wichita, including Wichita Center for the Arts, Big Mike’s Little Theatre, and Wichita Children’s Theatre.  She has studied theatre and music at Butler Community College and Stetson University. This is Heather’s fourth year teaching for WCT&DC.

JILL LANDRITH was a soloist with the Aachen Ballet in Germany, after an apprenticeship with Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio.  Her ballet training began in Wichita, with June Landrith, she then studied extensively in New York City with David Howard, Maggie Black, and at the Joffrey School. Jill has been Artistic Director of Ballet Wichita since 1997, is a University Lecturer in Dance at WSU, and was Director of the Nancy Hervey School of Ballet.  She was recently a guest teacher for the Washington Ballet School in D.C. and has also been a guest teacher in New Jersey and Florida. Jill has also received several grants to work with disabled students in dance projects with USD 259.

BRENDA LAWTON earned her undergraduate degree in theatre and music from Northwestern University and an MFA in theatre arts from the University of Iowa.  She has 18 years experience teaching children’s theatre.  Before joining the faculty of WCT&DC in 1998, she taught at the Children’s Theatre of Western Springs in the Chicago area, working with students to create original dramas.  She has also performed at theatres in Iowa and Chicago.

AMY MENAS earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Wichita State University.  She performed extensively with WSU Opera Theatre and also in local Wichita theatres. She sang as a chorus member with the Wichita Symphony Chorus as well as a soloist with the Wichita Chorale Society.  Amy has taught private voice lessons for over 20 years.  She taught PK-8th grade vocal music for the Catholic Diocese school system for the last five years and continues to work as a private vocal coach and teacher.

KELCY FOWLER-MOHR has studied dance at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University.  She was a member of the Shockette dance team for two years and competed nationally with a competitive dance team at Extreme Athletics.  She has been performing professionally with her family’s band since the age of eight all over the Midwest.  She has starred in many shows locally at the Crown Uptown Theatre and other venues as a featured dancer and vocalist.  Kelcy is also an award-winning choreographer for the theatre.

JOICE HENRY has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from SUNY at Buffalo. She also received her certification from Dance Master’s of America “Teacher’s Training School” to teach in all disciplines.  Past performance credits include “Swing!”, “Steel Pier”, “Walt Disney World”, Sesame Street Live’s “Elmo’s Coloring Book” National Tour, and Broadway’s “Evita” North American Tour to name a few.  She is pleased to work with young people and share her experiences in dance and theatre with them in classes and shows as well.

BETH SMITH has a Bachelor in Fine Arts from WSU where she performed with the Mid America Dance Theater and WSU Dance Ensemble.  Her passion for dance began while she was growing up performing with Ballet Wichita and the Nancy Hervey School of Ballet.  After graduation she went on to dance at Walt Disney World.  She returned to teach at WSU and Nancy Hervey School of Ballet and also at schools in Pennsylvania and Texas.

JULIE SHARP a native of Illinois is a graduate of Butler Community College with an Associate in Arts Degree.  While at Butler, she was a member of their dance team and Headliners show choir, serving as their dance captain.  Before arriving in Kansas, Julie had studied dance and performance for fifteen years. She currently plays French horn in the CCC orchestra.  She has choreographed for various community theaters; show choirs, churches, and pageants.  She has also done some private teaching.