"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 - III 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.
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.
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.
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.
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-V. 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.
Caitlyn Haworth --Caitlyn is a Junior 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 Rawis. 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.
Assistants:
Miss DianaDeyoe is a homeschooled
8th grader. She has danced at Kristie Wright School of Dance for ten years and has been a member of Stage Struck Performing
Company for seven years. She has passed the Cecchetti Student exams grades I-III. 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 sixth grade student at Eastern Elementary School.
She has danced at the Kristie Wright School of Dance for eight years and has been a member of the Stage Struck performing
company for six years. Ginger has passed the Cecchetti student exams grades I-III. She has performed solos
at area talent shows and has represented Howard County at the Indiana State Fair.
Miss Vivianne White --Vivianne is 9 years old and has been dancing since 2003.
She is currently working on completing her Grade I 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.
