Board of Directors

ARKANSAS DANCE NETWORK BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Arkansas Dance Network is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors with directors serving two-year terms. The 2020 board is as follows:

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Amy Bramlett Turner, President
Amy Bramlett Turner (Hot Springs, AR) received her early training from Andrea Pierkowski and Edmond Cooper. She completed her BFAs in Ballet and Modern Dance as a Nordan Fine Arts Scholar at Texas Christian University in 2011 and her Masters of Arts in Dance Education at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 2019. Amy has been the Director for Hot Springs School District’s 7-12 Dance Program since 2014. She founded the Hot Springs Dance Troupe in 2015, and has trained and led this student company to perform all over the state and fundraise over $40,000 to perform in Austria with the Stars of Tomorrow tour in 2018. She has had the opportunity to perform and study all over the world with several international choreographers and dancers including performing with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Young Tanzsommer, and studying dance abroad in England. She has been a guest artist with North Arkansas Dance Theatre and Hot Springs Children’s Dance Theatre, and was resident choreographer and principal dancer with the Muses Creative Project (2014-2018). Amy is a four-time Oaklawn Foundation Scholar (2016-2019), was nominated for the 2015 Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year, and awarded the Avant-Garde Honoree Award by ACANSA Arts Festival (2015). Amy earned the title of 2019 Teacher of the Year for Hot Springs World Class High School and was most recently nominated for the 2019 Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year. She is now a board member for the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Hot Springs and the President of the Arkansas Dance Network (NDEO State Affiliate) where she helped establish the first Arkansas High School Dance Festival & Dance Teacher Professional Development. Amy truly believes movement has the power to create change and works tirelessly to use dance education to build community and student, organization, and community partnerships within the state of Arkansas.

Christen Burke Pitts - Vice President
Christen Burke Pitts has been a dance instructor in central Arkansas for more than 30 years and is Founder/Director of the Theatre Dance Program and Dance Troupe at North Little Rock High School where she has taught since 1996. Christen is the Director of the ACTing Up Performing Arts Camp at the Argenta Community Theater and is also a Teaching Artist on the Arkansas Arts Council Arts in Education Roster. She is the 2019 recipient of the inaugural Argenta Community Theater Award for Excellence in Arts Education. She received the Governor’s Arts in Education Award from the Arkansas Arts Council and was named the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association Teacher of the Year in 2012. Christen holds an MEd from UALR and a BA in Drama/minor in Dance Performance from the U of A. She has performed and danced professionally in more than 50 shows, plays, and musicals. She appeared on both the Disney and Family Channel and in numerous commercials, films, and shows. Christen has choreographed more than 70 musicals and is thrilled to continue to support and promote dance in education in Arkansas! She is a board member/co-founder of the Arkansas Dance Network, Argenta Community Theater, Acansa Arts Festival, TeeBoDans, and Untapped. Christen is a member of the National Dance Education Organization, Arkansas Dance Network, and the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association. She is married to Kyle Pitts and has two children, Grace and Corbin, who all share in her love of the arts!

Stephanie Thibeault - Secretary
Stephanie Thibeault, M.F.A., worked in the DC/Baltimore area, as a professional dancer, choreographer, and dance educator, before serving as a dance faculty member at several institutions, including University of Maryland, Dickinson College, and Wichita State University. She danced professionally for Kinetics Dance Theatre and SURGE Dance Company of Baltimore, and has worked with Deborah Hay, Joe Goode, Doug Varone, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Parsons Dance Company. Thibeault’s teaching and choreography have taken her from the U.S. East Coast to Canada and Europe, and from the American Midwest to Hawaii and Taiwan. Since 2008, she has served as Associate Professor of Dance at UA Little Rock, where she helped establish the state’s first and only B.F.A. degree in Dance. In 2010, she received the Arkansas Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship award for Choreography, and in 2013, she presented her choreographic work in NYC and Baltimore with her tee·bo·dans company, as part of their State of Being project. Ms. Thibeault has been a long-standing member of the National Dance Education Organization, serving on the Policy Board of Directors from 2017-2020. Having served on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Dance Network since 2009, Stephanie Thibeault is passionately dedicated to the expansion of dance education across her native state of Arkansas.

Amy Kessler Weber - NHSDA Representative
Amy Kessler-Weber is currently a dance teacher at Arkansas Arts Academy High School. She has over 25 years of teaching experience including The New School (Fayetteville, Ar) and Shreveport Dance Academy. (Shreveport, LA) She is a certified ballet teacher with the American Academy of Ballet and trained with Kansas City Ballet School, Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education, Jacob’s Pillow (Lee, MA) and Webster University (St. Louis,MO). Her performing background includes Ozark Dance Theatre, Louisiana Dance Theater, Intercity Row Modern Dance Company, and Springfield Ballet.

Liz White - Secretary and Newsletter Queen
Liz White started dancing at the age of two at Ms. Karen's Dance Studio in North Little Rock; she continued learning and performing throughout high school with the NLRHS Dance Troupe. While in college at the University of Central Arkansas, Liz taught part time at Danceworks Studio in Maumelle. While at UCA, Liz volunteered her time choreographing dances for organizations including Alpha SIgma Alpha and the Boys and Girls Club. She continued her education at the University of Arkansas earning her M.A. in Communication and M.A.T. in Secondary Education. Once Liz moved to Northwest Arkansas, she worked as an instructor at the Academy of Dance in Springdale teaching ballet, tap, and jazz to students ages 18 months to adults. Liz began teaching at Rogers High School in 2011 as a debate coach and oral communications teacher. In 2013, she created the Dance course and started teaching Dance I at both Rogers and Rogers Heritage High Schools. She now teaches Dance I-IV at RHS.

Karen Castleman - Board Member at Large
Karen Castleman is a dancer, choreographer and educator based in Rogers, AR. She holds a BA in dance from Belhaven University and has had the pleasure of performing all over the world with companies such as MOMIX, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and RUBBERBANDance Group. She has educated dancers in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance at schools all over the country, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Youth Education Department which she helped to create, and Loyola University Chicago. Karen currently teaches in the dance department at Arkansas Arts Academy High School, and at the Northwest Arkansas Conservatory of Classical Ballet, and serves on the board of directors of NWA Ballet Theater. She is a 2015 recipient of the Arkansas Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship award for choreography and had the pleasure of creating an original ballet on the dancers of Tulsa Ballet II in the summer of 2017. In 2018, Karen was in the first cohort of artists to receive the Artists 360 grant, awarded by the Mid-America Art Alliance and the Walton Family Foundation.

Jennifer Maddox - Board Member at Large
Jennifer Maddox is currently Instructor of Dance at HSU. Since 1987 she has worked diligently and passionately to build the dance program; where she has been the program director, Instructor for the dance minor courses, and the Dance Company Director and Faculty Choreographer. She is also currently Instructor of Dance at OBU, teaching the dance technique courses for the BFA Musical Theatre degree program; and Movement Instructor for The Arkansas Arts Center Theatre Academy, where she helped to develop the movement class curriculum for the academy. Maddox was honored with The Arkansas Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, recognizing her artistic ability in choreography. She has received several grants from the Arkansas Arts Council, and was instrumental in HSU receiving the NEA Choreography Initiative Grant for Arkansas. Maddox has devoted much of her career promoting the art of dance throughout the state of Arkansas. She has served on boards, and volunteered for, nonprofit art organizations around Arkansas. She has taught numerous workshops for students, educators, and professionals, across the state and the region. Maddox's proudest moments over the years have been to witness the power of dance and its transformative impact on students’ creative minds and bodies.

Lakeisha Sharpley - Board Member at Large
A native of North Little Rock, Lakeisha Sharpley received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Theatre and Dance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a proud dance educator of 24 years.

Her dance training began at the Centre for the Dans Arts of Little Rock, Arkansas directed by C. Michael Tidwell, where she served as instructor and choreographer. Her Ballet and Contemporary dance training continued at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Fine Arts/Dance Department under the instruction of Dorothy “Dot” Callanen-Gravett and Kathleen Majewska. She’s also received training from the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater, the American College Dance Festival and the Joe Terry Dance Theater.

Mrs.Sharpley has varied experience in the field of dance performance and instruction. As a student in college she founded her non-profit Danz Univerzity, Inc., an organization that provided free dance training and entertainment to underprivileged youth across the state of Arkansas. As she managed her organization she continued to perform with such groups as the Tidwell Project Dance Ensemble, Joe Terry Dance Theater, University of Arkansas at Little Rock DansCompany. Upon graduating, she continued to share her talents with the community by coordinating and facilitating dance classes and programs for children and youth at organizations such as the Better Community Developers, Inc., Dunbar Community Center, Millennium Music Foundation and Philander Smith College-Upward Bound. She served as instructor of dance for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Community School of the Arts, Adjunct-Instructor of Dance for the Fine Arts Department at Arkansas Baptist College, dance teacher for the North Little Rock School District, and Centre for the Dans Arts Dance Studio. She went on to open her own dance studio, The Movement Studio of Sherwood, Arkansas to provide quality dance training to local youth and adults. She also has completed two residencies as Guest Choreographer and Movement instructor for the Henderson State Dance Department and the Wildwood Park for Performing Arts Youth Opera. She is an active member and presenter for the National Dance Educators Organization.

Currently, Mrs. Sharpley is the Fine Arts Department chairperson and lead dance instructor for Horace Mann Middle Arts and Science Magnet School of the Little Rock School District where she trains over 150 male and female dance students in Ballet, Jazz and Performance Studies. Her curriculum includes learning strategies for students to learn literacy and math through the art of dance.
Recently, Mrs. Sharpley has been selected on a national platform as a 2020 Global Learning Fellow of the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship. She will participate in a year of professional development on building a global learning classroom. The fellowship will convene with a field study Peru to study their culture and educational system.

She continuously facilitates workshops and classes for individuals and organizations locally and across the nation in hopes of continuing to educate on an international level. Her repertoire of dance includes Classical Ballet, Modern and Jazz.

Julie Kay Stallcup - Board Member at Large
Julie Kay Stallcup now based out of Little Rock, AR, is a nationally recognized leader in dance education. Her seminars and keynote addresses are sold out at dance teacher conferences and conventions across the country & her success is a result of integrating high quality, rigorous dance training, and a commitment to mentor each and every dancer with integrity and compassion. Julie Kay and her husband Darrell owned and ran their studio “Revolution Dance Center” in Los Angeles, CA, for 15 years. Julie Kay believes in nurturing the spirit of collaboration by giving back to the community and enriching the lives of all those involved.

Julie Kay has taught for Dance Life Retreat Center for Rhee Gold, Dance Teacher Web Live for Steve & Angela Sirico, Dance the Magic for Debi Barr, Dance Studio Owners Association for Clint Salter, Hollywood Dance Jamz for Barry Youngblood, LA Dance Magic for Jackie Sleight, Encore Performing Arts National Dance Competition for Caron Moore, Dance Teacher Network Convention and Dance Ideas Seminars for Liz Imperio. Julie Kay is certified in teaching special needs children dance through the Rhythm Works Integrative Dance method and volunteers at The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, Glendale Unified School District and The Pasadena Pioneer Club.

As a dance professional, Julie Kay performed as a Las Vegas showgirl at the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino in the hit show “American Superstars”, a magician’s assistant in the Kirby Van Burch Magic Show in Branson, MO and has also danced with the American Basketball Association’s dance team in Los Angeles, “The L.A. Stars”. She has choreographed for short films and children’s choirs and has also danced on the American Music Awards for the latin artist Maluma. In 2019 Julie Kay won best convention dance teacher at the Industry Dance Awards in Los Angeles. Julie Kay has taught Billy Ray Cyrus, Noah Cyrus, Tinashe, Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell Julie Butters & Liisi Lafontaine.

Check out her Caligo Consulting page for creating transformational strategies for your dance studio at: www.caligoconsulting.com

Eric Williams - Board Member at Large
Eric Williams has studied all forms of dance and attended various workshops across the country. He has taken classes at some of the most prestigious schools in the nation such as The Edge Performing Arts Centre. He trained under Michael Tidwell at the Center for the Dansarts and was a principle dancer in the Tidwell Project. Eric’s performance credits include not only local pageants and competitions, but also work with several major companies including: LA Culture Shock, a Nike Sponsored Hip-Hop Dance Team in Los Angeles, California and Nathan Burton’s Comedy Magic Show in Osaka, Japan. His teaching credits include: The Showbiz Convention as master teacher for “The Class”, instructor and dance coach for the Hot Springs School District, hip-hop instructor for North Little Rock School of Dance, and teacher for Miss Sharon’s in Jacksonville, AR. Jazz/Hip Hop Instructor for Western Arkansas Ballet He also choreographs award winning pieces for dance studios all over the country. Eric currently tours with Showbiz National Talent has one its Show Directors and has also toured in production with Star systems Dance Competition. He enjoys giving back to the community while sharing his talents with the local Boys and Girls Club.

Michelle Culhane - Board Member at Large
Michelle LeBlanc has served at the University of Arkansas as a dance instructor, dance educator, and choreographer since 2018. She holds a BS in Secondary English Education from Louisiana State University and an MA in Dance Education from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She is a firm believer in arts integration in all levels of education. She is an American Ballet Theater NYC certified ballet instructor and a Horton certified modern dance instructor. Originally trained in classical ballet, Michelle also has extensive training in Giordano technique of Jazz dance, Graham and Horton modern dance techniques, and Laban movement technique. Michelle’s professional credits include, Principal dancer La Jazdanz, Principal dancer On Stage Productions, Principal dancer USO Tours, and Principal dancer Kaleidoscopes NYC . Michelle has performed and presented work in New York, NY; Fayetteville AR; Little Rock, AR; Shreveport, LA, Naples, Italy; Marseilles France; Cairo, Egypt, and Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Much of Michelle’s choreography explores pedestrian movement combined with artistic technique. Michelle continues to use her experiences to encourage and provide a safe space for movement for all. She is a proud member of the National Dance Education Association and the American Dance Therapy Association.