DANCE TEACHERS

Meet Our Dance Teachers

Kristine Anderson

Miss Kris moved to Wichita from Minneapolis, 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

Miss Stephanie 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

Miss Denise is a professor of dance at Wichita State University who received her early training in New Orleans and completed the MFA in Ballet from the Texas Christian University. She performed with the New Orleans Ballet, Fort Worth Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, and Ballet Met of Columbus, Ohio and served on the faculties of the Ballet Met Academy, Otterbein College, and the Ohio State University. Ms. Celestin participated as a coach in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and has choreographed a wide range of works for ballet and opera. Her choreography has been presented throughout Europe and parts of Asia. She has received numerous awards including an Individual Artist Fellowship Award for Choreography from the Kansas Arts Commission in 2001, the Mortar Board Educator’s Appreciation Award, and the WSU President’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2005. She is also a Dorothy Johansen Hauck Faculty Fellow in Dance. Ms. Celestin has studied teaching methods at Canada’s National Ballet School Teacher’s Seminars in Toronto, Canada, and at the International Vaganova Method Conference/Demonstration in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Resa-Marie Davenport

Miss Resa graduated from Wichita State University with a BFA in Dance. Resa-Marie has attended Summer Intensive Programs with Ballet Austin, Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio, The Rock School of Dance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and American Ballet Theatre in Austin, Texas. She has also had the privilege of dancing in Ballet Wichita’s productions such as the Nutcracker and Ballet in the Park. She is excited to be teaching where she first learned how to dance at the age of four, and where she continued to dance through graduation.
Makayla Evans

Miss Makayla began studying dance at the age of three and studied with WCT&DC for ten years. She graduated from Butler Community College and received an Associates of Arts in Dance. She was on the Butler Dance Team and was asked to choreograph for the team as well. She also received a dance scholarship to BCC. She has danced in Ballet Wichita’s The Nutcracker and Ballet in the Park for the past ten years performing numerous roles in each. She is attending WSU pursuing a major in Dance. She is very excited to begin her third year of teaching for the studio in which she grew up.
Shannan Grilliot

Miss Shannan 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.

Blair Hanning

Miss Blair began studying dance at the age of 4. At 12 she started actively training under Suzanne Moreau of Suzanne’s School of Dance in College Station, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts: Concentration in Dance from Colorado Sate University in 2010. While attending CSU, Blair studied Vagonava Ballet, Limon-based Modern Technique, and Jazz Techniques, as well as Modern Choreography and Ballet Pedagogy. She has worked with Katie Elliot, Philadanco, Robert Moses-Kin, Mary Wohl Haan, Ailey II, Judy Bejarano, Kim Neal Nofsinger, Gabriel Masson, Diavolo Dance Theatre, and Viktor Kabaniaev. Her choreographic works were selected to be a feature of the CSU Tour Dance Company and several main stage performances. After graduation she studied with 3rd Law Dance Company of Boulder and then moved to College Station, Texas to teach and manage Suzanne’s School of Dance. She is currently the Dance Coach for Collegiate High School and very excited to join the staff at Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Center.
Joice Henry

Miss Joice 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. Joice was hired by USD 259 to establish a dance program at Brooks Middle School, where she is currently teaching full time. She is pleased to work with young people and share her experiences in dance and theatre with them in classes and shows as well.
Mariah Ross

Miss Mariah began dancing at the age of three. She graduated from Colorado State University with a B.A. in Dance & a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Occupational ‘Therapy. She performed at CSU in the Tour Dance Company in lecture demonstrations in schools all over Colorado. She also has choreographed pieces and musicals while living in CO. She taught hip hop in an after school program in Fort Collins. Her dance background includes ballet, modern, tap, clogging, Irish step dance, jazz, lyrical & hip hop.

Maddy Thiessen

Miss Maddy studied dance at WCT&DC for 15 years, beginning at the age of three. In recent years she has studied at Ballet Magnificat! in Jackson, Mississippi, Kansas City Ballet, and The Kirov Ballet in Washington D.C. She also spent a year of study at The Joffrey Ballet School in NYC. Maddy began teaching at WCT&DC of El Dorado last fall as the lead dance teacher there but she also continues to teach at the Wichita location. She has been enjoying teaching young dancers for the last eight years.
Julie Sharp

Miss Julie earned her Associate in Fine Arts Degree at Butler Community College. Originally from Illinois, she began dancing at age three, discovered her love of performance through her Jr. & Sr. High Show Choir competitions, and found her first theatre experience as “happy” in Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs! In 2002, Julie joined the WCT&DC family, teaching dance and theatre classes. She currently plays French horn for her church orchestra and loves to choreograph for local children’s musicals. She is honored to share the joy of performance with all of her students!
Suzie Shogren

Miss Suzie has studied dance since the age of four. She danced competitively for twelve years. She received a dance scholarship at Butler Community College and has performed on local dance teams. She has choreographed for various dance teams and studios. Suzie received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wichita State University in Elementary Education and currently teaches for USD 259. She loves sharing her love of dance with the students of WCT&DC.

Sarah Walden

Miss Sarah earned her Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance from Wichita State University. During her studies at WSU she toured and performed around the United States. She’s taught dance for over twelve years, including five years as the only elementary school dance teacher in the state of Kansas at Buckner Performing Arts & Science Magnet. She still enjoys performing as a soloist with Ballet Wichita. Sarah has dedicated her professional career to supporting the arts in Kansas schools.
Grace Wiens

Miss Grace is attending Wichita State University majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in dance. She has trained at WCT&DC for fifteen years during which she was a teacher’s assistant for eight years. Grace also performed in Ballet Wichita’s production of The Nutcracker for ten years. She will be teaching at our El Dorado studio.
Gabrielle Wiens

Miss Gabi is attending Wichita State University majoring in Music Education. Gabrielle has sixteen years of dance training with fourteen of those being with WCT&DC. She has been a teacher’s assistant for eight years. She will continue her dance training at Wichita State. She has also been honored to dance in Ballet Wichita’s production of The Nutcracker the last eight years. She will be teaching at our Wichita and El Dorado location this year.