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.
Student Teachers
We are so pleased that these students have chosen to stay with our Motion Dance Family and use their knowledge of dance to enrich our current and future students!
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 sophomore at UNC - Greensboro where she is a Dance major and a Nutrition minor.
Ian Burke will be joining us this season to lead the Boys class and Hip - Hop classes at the Lake studio. Ian is a previous student from Motion Dance. He brings his experience and training in Hip - Hop, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Tap and Broadway styles. He studied locally with Karen Deese, Sadie Robberts and has taken from Nationally known Dena Rizzo and Jessica King. He has assisted many celebrity teachers at Star Systems, Showstoppers and Kids Artistic Revue. Ian's competition honors most recently include: " Mr. Smooth" at Star Systems and Nexstar, a 4th Overall Nationals at N.C. Ballroom competition , and Top Adult Dancer at Showstoppers Nationals 2009! Welcome Back to Ian!
Guest Teachers: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.
Susan Wright was a student at Motion Dance from 1996 until her graduation from North Meck High School in 2003. She then went to study dance at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and graduated in 2007.Miss Wright will be substituting for us as often as possible this season. Susan's experience in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, pointe, lyrical and gymnastics will help further the education and enthusiasm for dance in Motions' students.
Beth Hinnant is a former student of Motion Dance Studio. In her twelve years as a dancer, she actively participated in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, and lyrical. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in English, with a specific focus in creative writing, and minored in American Studies. Beth plans to move onto further education to receive her Masters of Fine Arts.
Demonstrators:
Alana Guerry, Rachel Peterson
Assistant Teachers:
Naomi Nash, Caroline Fullen, Mariah Starnes
Office and Reception;
Christy Cowan, Melanie Westbrook, Karen Peterson
Last Updated 06/30/10
