Meet Our Staff

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) Mykut started dancing at age 7 and started to train to teach at the age of 14. She is a former student and teacher of Kristie Wright and Betty Hayes.  Dawn also studied under several accomplished Instructors, including:  Ellis-DuBoulay School of Ballet, Chicago (former soloists with the Royal Ballet); Robert Steele, (former member of the Danish Royal Ballet); and has attended numerous Master Classes with various guest artists from Philadanco, Harrisburg Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet.    Marcia Dale Weary at a Teacher Workshop at internationally known Central PA Youth Ballet   Dawn is a former member of Orchessis, the Penn State Dance Company and has performed in "The Nutcracker" with the Indianapolis Ballet Theater.  She was also active in the Kokomo Civic Threater and has performed in "Hello Dolly", "Oliver" and "Showboat".   Dawn's began training to teach at the age of 14 and has taught for both Kristie Wright and Betty Hayes.  She has also passed the Cecchetti teacher exam I.
	Carolyn Konopa began her dance training at Kristie Wright School of Dance at the age of eight.  Before joining the faculty, she was an assistant tacher for five years.  She continues to study Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and Pointe at the studio and is a member of the performing company, Stage Struck.  At competitions, she has had multiple solos receive first place.  Other training experiences she has received have been through Tremaine conventions and Cecchetti summer school seminars in Michigan.  She has also passed the Cecchetti graded exams I-V.
	Caitlyn Haworth is a Senior at Kokomo High School.  There she is involved with the choir department, the Drama Club, Best Buddies program and is the Mascot.  She has been dancing since age 4 when she began at Betty Hayes School of Dance, doing Ballet and Tap.  She later began Jazz with Maggie Rawls.  After Betty retired, she began dancing with Kristie Wright school of Dance, doing Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Lyrical.  She gives thanks to God and her family for everything.
	Miss Christina Deyoe is a homeschooled junior.  She has danced at the Kristie Wright School of Dance for thirteen years, and has been a member of the Stage Struck performing company for eleven years.  She has also passed the Cecchetti Student exams I-VI.  Miss Christina has danced in the Ballet International Nutcracker, and the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble Nutcracker.  She has danced in many community events including the Kokomo Civic Theater and with the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra.  Miss Christina has taken lessons from Wayne Williams of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Christiana Pawl, New York at Beginnings Workshop in New York.  Christina is currently teaching Cecchetti grade IV and assists in Primary I and Beginner I dance.
	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.

Assistants

Miss Diana Deyoe is a homeschooled 9th grader.  She has danced at Kristie Wright School of Dance for eleven years and has been a member of Stage Struck Performing Company for eight years.  She has passed the Cecchetti Student exams grades I-IV.  Miss Diana has danced with the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble Nutrcracker, in many community events including Kokomo Civic Theater, and has represented Howard County at the Indiana State Fair.

Miss Ginger White is a seventh grade student at Eastern JR Sr High School.  She has danced at the Kristie Wright School of Dance for nine years and has been a member of the Stage Struck performing company for seven years.  Ginger has passed the Cecchetti student exams grades I-IV.  She has performed solos at area talent shows and has represented Howard County at the Indiana State Fair.

Miss Vivianne White --Vivianne is 10 years old and has been dancing since 2003.  She is currently working on completing her Grade II Cecchetti exam.  Vivie has performed solos and in groups at area nursing homes, talent shows and competitions.  Vivianne is currently assisting Primary I and Beginner I.