chere gafney
Chere Gafney
Chere Gafney's twirling career began at the age of 8 years old in Crescent, OK. She joined the local twirl and dance studio at the age of 9 where she took ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling, and twirling until graduating from high school.
Chere was a 6 year member of the United States Twirling Association (USTA) registered Orange Blossom Twirl Team under the instruction of Adana Bryant, a former feature twirler for The University of Texas and a USTA judge. She participated in numerous USTA and National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) twirling competitions and won various awards. Chere has performed locally and statewide at various events and parades. She was the feature twirler for Crescent High School and took private lessons to prepare for solo competitions in one and two baton events for 7 years. Through the years, Chere competed in twirling competitions and pageants winning various individual and team awards. Chere began teaching beginning twirlers at the age of 16 until she graduated high school. Her other activities and interests were head cheerleader, drum major, band member (playing the Flute and French Horn), choir member, and homecoming queen. Chere participated in the Miss Black Oklahoma State University Pageant her sophomore year in college, performing a combination twirl/dance routine for the talent portion of the competition. Chere started McKinney All Star Twirlers in October 2011 and taught baton twirling at McKinney Dance Academy for 4 years. For 3 years she taught the Pre-Combo classes at MDA as well as the Heart and Sole dance class. This is her 6th year teaching the Cornerstone Dancers.
She is married to Chris Gafney and has two beautiful children, Jordan and Cherra. Chere is excited to be to be teaching at DT Dance PAC to continue the development of successful and self-confident dancers.
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Suzan Ponthier
Suzan Ponthier
Suzan has been a dance instructor for 26 years and counting. She is a degreed accountant from Texas A&M University (Class of ’89). But after working for five years as an accountant, she decided to leave the rat race and return to her true love – dance.
Suzan is a studio trained dancer, who continues her dance education by attending summer intensive programs, college courses, local master classes and conventions. She received most of her early training from Mary Six Rupert, who later moved on to become a Rockette and to teach at New York’s famed “Steps” on Broadway. She later studied with ballet masters such as Ms. Victoria Vittum of the Houston Ballet Academy, Chrysalis repertory Dance Company, and Director of the Houston Repertoire Ballet Company. More recently she has studied with former American Ballet Theater company member Robert Underwood. Her studies also include jazz and tap masters such as Joe Istre, Keith Clifton, Rhonda Miller and locally with Buster Cooper.
She believes in developing the entire child, teaching not only dance and appreciation of music and movement; but also discipline and respect for oneself as well as others. She takes pride in growing well rounded students, who are receiving strong technical instruction, focusing on quality over quantity.
Suzan’s students have gone on to major in dance in college and graduate with outstanding programs such as NYU, UCLA, TCU, SMU, Arizona State, Indiana University and Loyola Marymount University. She has had several recognized students at YAGP regionals and several invitations to YAGP finals as well as regional placement awards. She has had a student apprentice with Houston Ballet and her students have received many scholarships to TBT and Houston Ballet intensives and company training programs. She also trains competitive dancers and has had numerous convention company dancers, scholarship winners and awards.
Suzan loves all forms of dance, but Ballet is her main passion leading her into full productions of ballets formatted to fit studio dancers. To date her productions include: The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, La Fille Mal Gardee, Don Quixote, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and Raymonda. One of her goals is to show her students that comedy and entertainment are integral to the story of a ballet, which brings life, love and appreciation for Ballet.
KATIE WILSON
Katie Wilson
Katie began dancing at age four and immediately fell in love! She has trained in all styles including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theater and Hip Hop. She spent two summers at Ballet Workshop New England as well as one at Slide Tap Intensive in New York City. At her dance studio, she danced the iconic roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. After graduating from McKinney High School in 2008, Katie moved to Los Angeles to pursue further training at studios such as The Edge and Millennium Dance Complex. She took classes next to multiple dancers from So You Think You Can Dance; Kent Boyd, Matthew Kazmierczak and Audrey Case; from Mandy Moore, Erica Sobol and Nick Lanzisera to name a few.
Her award winning choreography has been recognized by Celebrity, Starquest, Kids Artistic Revue, Talent on Parade and numerous other National Dance Competitions. Not only was she the youngest recipient of Celebrity Dance's CREATE Choreography Award, she was also the only two-time winner! Katie spent a year touring with Celebrity Dance Competitions as the Administrative Assistant to the Director. She traveled all over the country from Arizona to Georgia, and Colorado to Michigan.
She loves sharing her love and passion of dance with dancers young and old. Whether you or your dancer are 2 or 92, Katie would love to teach you all!
natillie nelson
Natillie Nelson
Natillie has trained in the multiple styles of dance including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, tap, and hip-hop starting when she was 3 years old! She was a competitive dancer growing up who earned numerous awards, accolades and scholarships throughout her competitive dance career. She has proudly carried multiple roles in many ballet productions such as Dew Drop Fairy and Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker as well as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream at her studio home training under her mentor Suzan Ponthier.
She started teaching in 2011 when she quickly found out teaching was something she would never be able to give up. She has been teaching recreational and competitive dance ages 2-adult ever since. Her favorite styles are lyrical and tap! However, her most favorite thing to do is to bring magical fun to summer with her fantasy dance camps!
Natillie continues to expand her dance education taking classes at intensives and conventions such as Celebrity dance, Hollywood vibe and more! Dance education is her passion, she loves the opportunity to work with children and adults alike and is thankful everyday for the ability to live her dream as a dance educator. She hopes to teach all her students there is much more to dance then just doing steps across a floor and to fall in love with dance just as she has!
hailey summers
Hailey Summers
Hailey Summers is a freelance movement artist based in Dallas, TX. They specialize in freestyle, choreography, storytelling, dance education, event curation, and artistic direction. Summers’ focus has been to nurture innovations in movement expression by expanding the creative spirit through high levels of body awareness and exploration. Summers dance journey began with ballet and jazz; during their time at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Vidual Arts Summers was introduced to modern and contemporary. Within the past four they have immersed themselves in styles such as hip-hop, house, popping, waving and animation, participating in various dance competitions around the country. The nucleus of Summers’ work resides within their movement collective, “Discovery Movement,” an artist sanctuary where people of all movements and mediums may come together to create powerful resonance and harmonious collaborations. They have provided movement classes for organizations/institutions such as Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Junior Players, Joffrey Ballet Texas, Oak Cliff Dance, University of North Texas, and Booker T. Washington HSPVA. Their belief is that young designers of tomorrow can plant seeds of wisdom today, watering their innovations with limitless courage and curiosity
Brandon johnson
Brandon Johnson
Passionate about my work, I have 25 years experience coaching. My journey started in Karolyi's Gymnastics in 2004 assisting with his camps for 12 years, and began coaching team in 2009. During my time in club, I have worked for such gyms as World Champions Centre (Home of Olympic Champion Simone Biles), WOGA (Home of Olympic Champions Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson) and Texas Dreams (Home of Olympian Chelsea Davis). Throughout my career I have gained skills to plan practice, assess development and ability, peak performance in practice and enhance quality in competition settings, while communicating with staff, parents and athletes regarding the athletes's progress.
We get a wonderful opportunity everyday in this sport and I just love what I do. Getting to meet and build relationships with some amazing people, training the athlete as if they were my own kid, in addition to collaborating, learning, and growing professionally. I am goal-oriented to perfect skills enabling move-up ability and encourage the importance of teamwork through team building assignments.
In 2009 I was awarded a certificate for completing J.O. Elite Compulsory 5,6,7 & 8 clinics held at the Women’s National Team training center. Coached Multiple State Champions, Regional, and National Qualifiers. Primarily a coach on Uneven Bars, Vault, and Floor during my tenure. I love how gymnastics builds an athlete that is eager, disciplined and committed to being the best they can be whether its striving toward the Olympics or a level 6 State meet. Currently I am married 13 years and live in Coppell, TX with my wife Tunde and our son Brayden.
Brandon's Philosophy
To influence and empower others, to make an impact, inspire and use my knowledge to find the most out of my athlete.
What I like most about coaching is witnessing the process, growth as athletes, people, and graduates, ready to make something great of their lives, and most importantly how it creates lifelong relationships.
To be able to have some part in their development is really at the heart of why I coach. I persist in the activity toward championship habits and national finishes, helping athletes to their greatest heights.
I love the energy acro, tumbling, dance, cheer, and gymnastics brings and how it's growing all the time. There is a tremendous bond to be gained, one that lasts a lifetime, making it truly a family, one that is there in the good times and the bad times.
