Mrs. April
Owner, Director, Instructor
Ballet 1 , 2 ,3, 4- Jazz 4 -Contemporary 4- Technique/Conditioning - Tiny Tot- acro- 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 twenty 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 and is certified in Acrobatic Arts.
Grace has also earned her Pilates instruction certification from AAAI/ISMA and is certified in Acrobatic Arts.
MISS KATIE
INSTRUCTOR
GSMD COMPETITION TEAM COACH - ACRO - BALLET 1 - JAZZ 3
Katie Crosswhite danced with GSMD through high school. She has experience in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern and Contemporary. While she was a student Katie won several awards as part of the GSMD competition team. She also taught several pre-k and level 1 classes. Katie is currently a student at E&H. She is so excited to share her knowledge with the completion team again year as a coach for a second season. Katie is also certified in Acrobatic Arts.
INSTRUCTOR
GSMD COMPETITION TEAM COACH - ACRO - BALLET 1 - JAZZ 3
Katie Crosswhite danced with GSMD through high school. She has experience in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern and Contemporary. While she was a student Katie won several awards as part of the GSMD competition team. She also taught several pre-k and level 1 classes. Katie is currently a student at E&H. She is so excited to share her knowledge with the completion team again year as a coach for a second season. Katie is also certified in Acrobatic Arts.
MRS. KATHY
INSTRUCTOR
TAP 1, 2, & 3/4
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.
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MISS HAILEY
INSTRUCTOR HIP HOP 1, HIP HOP 3, JAZZ 2, LYRICAL 1, 2 & TECHNIQUE/TEAM Hailey Byington began her dance training at the age of 3 at Studio one in Kingsport, TN. While her time there she was a member of the competition team where she won many awards and a scholarship to the Broadway dance center in New York. She also was a junior assistant and then became a teacher at Studio One. She has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Musical Theater. After high school she went to Radford University where she studied dance and education but after a year she came closer to home and went to Southwest Community College. There she studied dance, education, and music. She graduated in spring 2022 with education and music. Now she is going to King University where she will finish her education and be a member of their dance team. She still takes dance classes all the time so she can grow as a dancer and a teacher. |
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MISS SADIE
INSTRUCTOR BALLET 1, JAZZ 1, PRE-K BALLET, PRE-K JAZZ My name is Sadie. I have been homeschooled my whole life and I’m currently a Junior in High School. I have been dancing with GSMD for 12 years. I study Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, and Technique. Since I was little I’ve always dreamed of becoming a dance teacher. In 2021, I started assisting in several classes. GSMD is a wonderful environment for students to learn dance while also having fun and making friendships! I have enjoyed dancing at GSMD all my life and I’m so excited to continue teaching for my third year! |
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MR. BOBBY
INSTRUCTOR LYRICAL 3, HIP HOP 2 Bobby Wheeler has danced since 2015 when he started training at Bristol Dance Academy. He has been studying Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, and Clogging throughout his career. He has been a part of the BDA competition team, The University of Tennessee's BOSS dance company, and Southern Appalachian Dance Collective. Bobby has taken dance and acting from master teaches across the country and is excited to share his knowledge with GSMD's amazing students. Ms. Laura Info coming soon! |
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MISS D'Arcy
INSTRUCTOR PRE-POINTÉ , MUSICAL THEATER D'Arcy Morrell began her dance training at age four under the instruction of Jo Rosser at Ballet Arts Academy. At age eight she began training and Highlands Center for Ballet Arts, where she studied classical Ballet, Pointé, Jazz and Contemporary dance styles. While at highlands Ballet, D'Arcy danced several leading roles, including Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Upon high school graduation, she moved to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, while continuing her dance training at Steps on Broadway. D'Arcy graduated from FIT wth a degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications in 2021. Since moving back to the area, D'Arcy has taught, choreographed, and guest-danced for several local ballet companies, and recently made her acting debut in Theatre Bristol's Grease. D'Acry also serves as Barter Theatre's Marking & Advancement Communications Specialist. After tome time away D'Arcy is thrilled to be back a GSMD and can't wait for another spectacular season! |
MS. LAURA
INSTRUCTOR
POINTÉ CLASS
Laura Markus received her formal training from Karen Gibbons-Brown at the Kingsport Guild of Ballet. Prior to that, she studied and danced locally under Louise Bailey-Dickenson, Reese Toohey and Susan Pace-White of the Inter-City Ballet Company, giving her strong ties to the dance community of the Tri-Cities. In addition to her formal training under Karen Gibbons-Brown, she spent four consecutive years at Western Michigan University’s Russian Method for Teachers and Students Summer Intensive under the direction of Jurgen Schneider. Her instructors included Mr Schneider, Sulamith and Mikhail Messerer, Janina Ciunovas and Victoria Schnieder. While with the Kingsport Guild of Ballet, Ms Markus rose quickly from the rank of student, to student teacher, to full faculty member and Assistant to the Director under Karen Gibbons-Brown’s mentorship from 1983-1997.
After leaving the Kingsport Guild of Ballet and State of Franklin Dance Alliance, she relocated to Florida. Ms Markus became a dancer for the Northwest Florida Ballet, where she ended up serving as the administrative assistant to Director, ballet mistress, rehearsal coach, satellite program instructor and performer. After five years with Northwest Florida Ballet she stepped down from her positions to pursue developing a dance program with the Walton County, FL School District. Which, in turn, led her to open her own school, Ecole de Danse. During this same time period she became involved with the Northwest Florida State College Dance Program. She performed and taught with the NFSC program for several years.
Ms Markus returned to the Tri-Cities in 2015 where she taught for Revolution Dance Company before joining the staff of Kingsport Ballet in 2016 as one of the ballet school’s primary program instructors. Miss Markus also developed an adult ballet program that outgrew the advanced ballet levels during her time with the KB. Ms Markus has also served as the ballet instructor for the Tri-Cities Dance Company.
Her past classical performing credits include most of the classic ballets. She has performed for the State of Franklin Dance Alliance, Tennessee Association of Dance, Chattanooga Ballet, Fayetteville Ballet Theatre, Northwest Florida Ballet, Ballet Conservatory of NWFL, Gainesville Ballet, and Northwest Florida State College.
INSTRUCTOR
POINTÉ CLASS
Laura Markus received her formal training from Karen Gibbons-Brown at the Kingsport Guild of Ballet. Prior to that, she studied and danced locally under Louise Bailey-Dickenson, Reese Toohey and Susan Pace-White of the Inter-City Ballet Company, giving her strong ties to the dance community of the Tri-Cities. In addition to her formal training under Karen Gibbons-Brown, she spent four consecutive years at Western Michigan University’s Russian Method for Teachers and Students Summer Intensive under the direction of Jurgen Schneider. Her instructors included Mr Schneider, Sulamith and Mikhail Messerer, Janina Ciunovas and Victoria Schnieder. While with the Kingsport Guild of Ballet, Ms Markus rose quickly from the rank of student, to student teacher, to full faculty member and Assistant to the Director under Karen Gibbons-Brown’s mentorship from 1983-1997.
After leaving the Kingsport Guild of Ballet and State of Franklin Dance Alliance, she relocated to Florida. Ms Markus became a dancer for the Northwest Florida Ballet, where she ended up serving as the administrative assistant to Director, ballet mistress, rehearsal coach, satellite program instructor and performer. After five years with Northwest Florida Ballet she stepped down from her positions to pursue developing a dance program with the Walton County, FL School District. Which, in turn, led her to open her own school, Ecole de Danse. During this same time period she became involved with the Northwest Florida State College Dance Program. She performed and taught with the NFSC program for several years.
Ms Markus returned to the Tri-Cities in 2015 where she taught for Revolution Dance Company before joining the staff of Kingsport Ballet in 2016 as one of the ballet school’s primary program instructors. Miss Markus also developed an adult ballet program that outgrew the advanced ballet levels during her time with the KB. Ms Markus has also served as the ballet instructor for the Tri-Cities Dance Company.
Her past classical performing credits include most of the classic ballets. She has performed for the State of Franklin Dance Alliance, Tennessee Association of Dance, Chattanooga Ballet, Fayetteville Ballet Theatre, Northwest Florida Ballet, Ballet Conservatory of NWFL, Gainesville Ballet, and Northwest Florida State College.
GSMD Teaching Assistants
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MISS SOPHIE
TEACHING ASSISTANT PRE-K ACRO, BALLET, JAZZ I am in eighth grade, and I have been dancing since I was three. I’ve grown a lot in this studio whether it’s in my dance abilities or socially. Grace studio has easily became a second home for me over the years. When I first started dance, I began in ballet. I was only studying ballet until I was about nine years old. When I turned nine, my mom pushed me to try pointe and lyrical dance. I immediately fell in love and I continued to try new things. Now, I study ballet, jazz, pointe, contemporary, and acrobatic arts. When I’m not at the studio, I enjoy petting and helping work my grandparent’s cattle, and spending time with my family and friends. I love getting to spend time with the little kids and I love seeing them grow and develop into amazing little dancers. I’m so thrilled to be a part of their journey and to be a good example for them. I’m so excited to meet and share my love of dance with the kids! |
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MISS ANNDREYA
TEACHING ASSISTANT PRE-K BALLET, JAZZ My name is Anndreya and I’m in 8th grade at E.B. Stanley Middle School. I’ve been doing dance for almost 4 years at GSMD and have loved it since the first day I started! I study Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Lyrical at GSMD. This year i’m starting to take Contemporary and I have also joined the competition team and can’t wait to learn so much more! I love to help others and that’s why I’m so excited to start being a teachers assistant! |
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MISS ARIA
TEACHING ASSISTANT BALLET 1, JAZZ 1 I am in 8th grade at E.B Stanley middle school. I have been dancing for eleven years at Grace Studio. I love being there and dancing. I started with ballet but I soon fell in love with jazz, lyrical and acro. I can't wait to start helping with the littles this year. I have wanted to help since I first started. I am so exited to see all the new faces. I think this season will be great. |
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MISS OLIVIA
TEACHING ASSISTANT PRE-K BALLET, JAZZ Olivia is an 8th grader at Tennessee Middle School, where she’s a proud member of the dance team. She has been dancing ballet since she was 3½ years old and recently added lyrical and acro to her training. Olivia is excited to share her love of dance with the littles and help them grow as dancers! |