New Center Stage Teachers

We are VERY excited to welcome three new teachers to Center Stage this year. You can start getting to know them by reading some fun facts and their dance backgrounds below. Please help us welcome them to the Center Stage family with a smile when classes begin, as they look forward to meeting you all!

Ms. Kelly

Kelly comes to Center Stage with well over 30 years of dance experience. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance, and was a member of the Kilgore College Rangerette dance team. As a Rangerette, Kelly was given the opportunity to perform all over the world. She then went on to complete her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin and began her teacher career. Kelly has since directed dance and drill teams at high school and middle school levels. Her teams have won numerous choreography awards for her work and many overall titles under her direction, including a National Championship award in modern. Currently, Kelly is a dance teacher for Leander Independent School District where she built a dance program of over 130 members. Her drive and passion for dance makes her an exciting teacher, but her true gift is helping students fall in love with the art. Kelly balances fundamentals with challenging choreography that keeps students wanting more. She looks forward to working with Center Stage students in Leander for years to come.

FUN FACTS:

1. Kelly has met, and performed for, two former Presidents of the United States: George Bush, Sr. and George W. Bush.
2. In her career, Kelly has taught dance to 2,174 students!
3. Her favorite hobby (besides dancing, of course) is kayak fishing.

Ms. Stefanie

Stefanie began her pre-professional dance training at 7 years old at Ballet San Antonio Academy. Throughout her dance training, she was a member of the Insight Dance Ensemble, Ballet San Antonio Junior Company, and the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas. Stefanie competed at numerous dance competitions and performed in many productions with the professional Ballet Sat Antonio, including “Dracula,” “Coppelia,” “Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella,” and “The Nutcracker”. Stefanie has also attended summer intensives with Ballet Austin, Kansas City Ballet, Morgan Scott Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Stefanie has performed in multiple shows with the Georgetown Palace Theater including “Beauty & the Beast,” “Tarzan,” “Camelot,” “Legally Blonde the Musical,” and “Smokey Joe’s Cafe.” After being named valedictorian of her high school and graduating Summa Cum Laude from St. Phillip’s College with her Associate’s degree, she earned a full scholarship to the University of Texas. Stefanie is currently a Liberal Arts Honors student at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is earning her Psychology degree with a minor in History.

FUN FACTS:

1. Stefanie loves animals and is very passionate about animal rights.
2. Her favorite place in the world is Disneyworld.
3. She loves staying up late and watching TV.

Ms. Chess

Since her sophomore year of high school, dance has been at the forefront of Ancheska’s life journey. After high school, Ancheska (Chess) became a member of the Lon Morris College Dance Team. During her time on the team, Chess served as their Captain and assisted with team choreography for games, performances, and competitions. In 2010, Chess became a member of the Stephen F. Austin State University Jack Attack Dance Team. With Jack Attack, she competed in NDA Nationals for the first time and won 1st place in their division. The team went on to win the National Championship title for Division I Hip-Hop at NDA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. After college, Chess has spent her time traveling and choreographing  for middle school and high school dance teams and cheer teams. She served as the Assistant Drill Team Director for the Heritage High School HighSteppers, and is now the Dance Director for the Dailey Middle School Dazzlers. Chess greatly looks forward to working with the wonderful students at Center Stage.

FUN FACTS:

1. Chess loves to eat ice throughout the day.
2. She only drinks water and Starbucks.
3. Her best choreography comes to her in the middle of the night or when she’s driving, so she’s the girl people see dancing at stoplights!

Thank you for helping us welcome these wonderful ladies to the team. We can’t wait for this upcoming dance year to finally begin!

Voted Best Dance Studio in Cedar Park and Leander!

Providing quality dance classes to the Cedar Park and Leander area since 2004.