Staff

Motion Staff

Motion Dance Studio

We Educate and Motivate

Jina Yelton - Motts serves as the Director/ Owner and is celebrating the 20th dance season this year. Ms. Jina takes great pride in planning educational events for the studios. She assembles a motivational staff to provide a family valued and educational studio. "Ms. Jina" continues to enjoy teaching dancers of all ages to pursue their personal best. Her philosophy with her students is to educate and motivate - make the most of every movement! Jina's professional dance experience carried her from the West coast back to the East coast. Her B.F.A. in dance from East Carolina University, Cecchetti Council of America, and DMA certifications continue to serve her well.

Holly Westbrook serves as manager / instructor for the studios and provides leadership in all levels of dance at both studios. Miss Holly has had over 20 years of dance experience and training. She has her degree in Dance from UNCC, with a Child and Family development minor. As a previous student at Motion Dance Studios , she continues to teach with a caring dedicated style. She creates positive relationships with both students and parents assisting them with Motion events. Miss Holly will brighten your child's dance experience and inspire them to a new level of confidence in dance.

Christy Cowan is a familiar face to many at Motion Dance because she is the mother of two young dancers Bryn and Reese. She will be adhering her love and knowledge for dance as a teacher for preschool dance classes. Christy has many years of dance experience in Tap, Ballet, and Jazz from Nina's School of Dance in Durham, North Carolina. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at charlotte where she earned a degree in Management Information Systems. Christy's' creativity in dance also shines through in her favorite hobby, scrapbooking. She is also very involved in her daughter's school as the PTA board president. Christy and her husband, Brent, have been happily married for eleven years. We are so excited to have her in the Motion family.

Hannah Rickard has been dancing for 17years and has been with Motion Dance for 12 years. during her competition experience with Motion, she has received numerous first place awards and was awarded a scholarship to the Peridance Center in New York. Hannah also plays the pain, guitar and violin. Miss Rickard graduated with the Cabarrus County Home School Association in 2007. She is currently a student at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Miss Hannah really is a beautiful dancer and enjoys sharing her knowledge with students of all ages..

Katie Culp has been dancing at Motion Dance since the age of 4, enjoying jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, ballet, pointe, and hip - hop. Dancing competitively since the age of seven. Katie has been an assistant teacher at Motion for the last several years. Her Motion Dance family is pleased that she can now become a studio teacher and assist with Contemporary choreography for competition and specialties as well as Character Ballets. Miss Culp graduated from Concord High School in 2007 and is currently a senior at UNC - Greensboro where she is a Dance major and a Nutrition minor and will graduate in the spring of 2012.

Chrstina Natichioni - A wonderful giving spirit who will offer some gentle yoga classes at the Lake Norman studio. She was a dancer for many years and then later became certified in Kripalu Ygoa dn is a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association. Christina also has studied and is certified in Restorative Yoga wtih PT for osteriopsosis patients. We welcome her classes and mini courses to further adult offerings at Motion dance.

Amanda Troutman has been a native of Statesville, NC her entire life. She started dancing at age 5 and tained in classical ballet, tap, jazz and acrobatics. She attended Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, NC then transfered to Lenior - Rhyne Universtiy formerly Lenoir rhyne College, in Hickory, NC and received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management. In addition to her passion for dance she enjoys fitness and is licensed inYoga and Turbo Kick and Zumba as well as Zumbatomic ( Zumba for kids). Click here for Zumba flyer

Guest Teachers:

Bree Branker - studied at North Carolina School of the arts and then she set out to live her dream! She has been with NYC / tours with: Spamolot, Radio City Rockettes, Cirque de Soliel, White Christmas, West Side Story, Will Rogers Follies, Finian's Rainbow, and Girl Crazy. Choreography: N.Y. Philharmonic's Company, Beauty and the Beast, My Way, Love to Man and Brankers. Bree teaches master classes that are truly motivational for our students.

www.breebranker.com

Lauren Linville ( Cast of Wicked) - has her BFA from OCU. She is dedicated to family and career ..loves tourig with Wicked where she is in the Ensemble in Munchkinland.. Other shows she has appeared in 42nd Street ( Asian tour) and Swing ( U.S. tour)

Sara Andreas - cast member of the First National Tour of Broadway's Legally Blonde, directed and choreogrpahed by Tony Award winner, Jerry Mitchell. She was born in Los Angleoes, CA where she graduated from the prestigious Hamilton Academy of Music and continued her studies at the Universtiy of Miami. She was proud to graduate magna cum laude with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Sara moved to New York City where she she has performed Off-Broadway with the JARADOA Theare Co. and the Connelly Theatre. She appeared regionally in Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls, and Kiss Me Kate. She earned her Screen Actors Guild card by performing on NBC,WB,FOX and CBS programming.

Demonstrators:

Rachel Peterson, Meredith Haddock, Makayla Davis

Assistant Teachers:

Corey Curry, Amanda Rivera, Naomi Nash

Office and Reception;

Christy Cowan, Melanie Westbrook, Kristy Westbrook, Vicki Cunningham

Last Updated 10/5/11