Mrs. April
Owner, Director, Instructor
Ballet 1 , 2 - Jazz 1 ,2,4 - Lyrical 2,3-Contemporary 4- Technique/Conditioning - Tiny Tot- GSMD Competition Team
Grace Studio of Motion and Dance is owned and operated by April Grace - a native of Southwest Virginia and a graduate of Radford University with a Bachelors Degree in Dance. While in attendance at Radford University Grace studied Choreography, Dance Production, Improvisational Dance, Pilates, Creative Dance for Children, Dance Education, Dance History and Acting. Her technique experience includes Modern, Ballet and Jazz dance. Performance experience includes rolls in Fall Dance Fest, Dancing on the Edge, Student Choreography Showcase, Choreographic Studies Showcase and “danabella Dance Works.” Grace also served as Assistant Stage Manager for productions produced by RU’s Department of Dance; other backstage rolls included lighting, music and curtain. Grace has over seventeen years experience teaching dance, gymnastics and creative movement in dance studios, gyms, gymnastics training centers and master classes as far as Colorado. Grace was also the choreographer for "Bye Bye Birdie' in 2013, "Anything Goes" in 2014, "Guys and Dolls" in 2016, "The Drowsy Chaperone" in 2017, and "Oklahoma" in 2019 for Abingdon High School. Grace has also choreographed "Beauty and the Beast" for Theatre Bristol in 2017. Grace Studio of Motion and Dance opened in September 2011. As director, Grace is eager to share her knowledge and passion for dance with the community.
Grace has also earned her Pilates instruction certification from AAAI/ISMA.
Grace has also earned her Pilates instruction certification from AAAI/ISMA.
MRS. KELLI
INSTRUCTOR
HIP HOP 2,3,4- JAZZ 1 - GSMD COMPETITION TEAM
Kelli DePaolo has been with GSMD since 2011. Kelli has been dancing for 19 years, with experience in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. She discovered her passion for Hip Hop when she was 13. A couple of years later she began competing and studying Lyrical. Kelli has won several gold metals in Hip Hop at various competitions including; Maytrix, Smokey Mountain and Encore... just to name a few. Miss Kelli is also a choreographer for the GSMD competition team.
INSTRUCTOR
HIP HOP 2,3,4- JAZZ 1 - GSMD COMPETITION TEAM
Kelli DePaolo has been with GSMD since 2011. Kelli has been dancing for 19 years, with experience in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. She discovered her passion for Hip Hop when she was 13. A couple of years later she began competing and studying Lyrical. Kelli has won several gold metals in Hip Hop at various competitions including; Maytrix, Smokey Mountain and Encore... just to name a few. Miss Kelli is also a choreographer for the GSMD competition team.
MRS. KATHY
INSTRUCTOR
PRESCHOOL TAP - TAP 1,2,3
Kathy Gibian Tap danced from the time she was 4 years old through college. During her professional career she took and taught various tap classes. Since retiring from the William King Museum she has been taking adult Tap classes. She is very excited to share her love of tap with GSMD students!
Kathy is a professional artist and teacher.
MRS. OLIVIA
INSTRUCTOR - *Adjunct
Olivia Ratliff began her dance training at the age of nine at Highlands Center for Ballet Arts and continued dancing there through high school and college. She attended Radford University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance with a classical concentration. While attending Radford, she studied a wide variety of dance styles under Inessa Plekhanova, Deborah McLaughlin, and Bob Boross. While at Radford, Olivia was selected to perform in a jazz dance showcase at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center in New York City as well as an Appalachian-based modern work at the College of New Jersey. She has performed many lead roles including Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Clara from The Nutcracker “Beauty,” in Beauty and the Beast, and Puck from A Mid-Summer Nights Dream, to name a few. She furthered her education at King University where she obtained a master’s degree in Elementary Education while also teaching and dancing at Highlands Center for Ballet Arts. She is now teaching first grade at Abingdon Elementary School. She recently conducted a summer dance camp at Southwest Virginia Community College with her colleague Regina Blankenship.
INSTRUCTOR - *Adjunct
Olivia Ratliff began her dance training at the age of nine at Highlands Center for Ballet Arts and continued dancing there through high school and college. She attended Radford University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance with a classical concentration. While attending Radford, she studied a wide variety of dance styles under Inessa Plekhanova, Deborah McLaughlin, and Bob Boross. While at Radford, Olivia was selected to perform in a jazz dance showcase at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center in New York City as well as an Appalachian-based modern work at the College of New Jersey. She has performed many lead roles including Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Clara from The Nutcracker “Beauty,” in Beauty and the Beast, and Puck from A Mid-Summer Nights Dream, to name a few. She furthered her education at King University where she obtained a master’s degree in Elementary Education while also teaching and dancing at Highlands Center for Ballet Arts. She is now teaching first grade at Abingdon Elementary School. She recently conducted a summer dance camp at Southwest Virginia Community College with her colleague Regina Blankenship.
MRS. REGINA
INSTRUCTOR - *Adjunct
Regina Blankenship began her dance training at The American Academy of Ballet WNY at the age of 5. From there she went on to graduate from Walnut Hill School in 2005 on a dance scholarship. In addition, she attended The Boston Conservatory from 2005-2006. She spent the summer of 2007 at Nashville Ballet’s pre-professional program. Regina graduated with her Bachelor of the Arts in dance from the University at Buffalo in 2011 where she also trained at Classical Ballet of WNY under the direction of William Gentes and Susannah Dwyer Gentes. She also performed with Buffalo Inner City Ballet as a guest artist. Regina moved to the area in 2011 and has danced with Ballet Arts Academy as well as Highlands Ballet Company. She has also performed many lead roles including, Sugar Plum Fairy, The Queen of Hearts, Maleficent, The Grand Pas from Don Quixote as well as many others. She has been teaching Ballet, Jazz and Modern for 12 years and has recently conducted a summer dance camp at Southwest Virginia Community College with her colleague Olivia Ratliff. Furthermore, she is in the process of getting her graduate degree from American Public University in Exercise Science.
INSTRUCTOR - *Adjunct
Regina Blankenship began her dance training at The American Academy of Ballet WNY at the age of 5. From there she went on to graduate from Walnut Hill School in 2005 on a dance scholarship. In addition, she attended The Boston Conservatory from 2005-2006. She spent the summer of 2007 at Nashville Ballet’s pre-professional program. Regina graduated with her Bachelor of the Arts in dance from the University at Buffalo in 2011 where she also trained at Classical Ballet of WNY under the direction of William Gentes and Susannah Dwyer Gentes. She also performed with Buffalo Inner City Ballet as a guest artist. Regina moved to the area in 2011 and has danced with Ballet Arts Academy as well as Highlands Ballet Company. She has also performed many lead roles including, Sugar Plum Fairy, The Queen of Hearts, Maleficent, The Grand Pas from Don Quixote as well as many others. She has been teaching Ballet, Jazz and Modern for 12 years and has recently conducted a summer dance camp at Southwest Virginia Community College with her colleague Olivia Ratliff. Furthermore, she is in the process of getting her graduate degree from American Public University in Exercise Science.
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MISS SOPHIE
INSTRUCTOR BALLET 1 Sophie is a Senior at Abingdon High School and has been with GSMD since 2011. She studies Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop. Sophie has served as the student assistant and lead teacher for the Pre-K and Level 1 classes. Sophie has been a member of the GSMD competition team and won several overall awards and scholarships. Sophie traveled to California in the summer of 2019 to study with Royal Flux Dance Company as part of their Flux Factor Intensive. |
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MISS KATIE
INSTRUCTOR HIP HOP 1 - PRE-K BALLET and JAZZ-POP Katie is a Senior at Abingdon High School and has been with GSMD since 2015. She studies Ballet, Jazz, Modern/Contemporary and Hip Hop. Katie is a member of the GSMD competition team and has worn several overall awards. Katie is also a member of the dance team at her school. She has been assisting and leading classes since 2018 and is enjoys sharing her love of dance with others. |
