The teachers at Julie Moffitt Ballet School are dedicated to the success
of every child. JMBS teachers have a positive attitude and have a respect
for self and others. Please take a minute to review each teacher individually.

            Julie Moffitt / Owner, Director, Instructor

                             

Dance teacher, choreographer, judge of dance, artistic director and the owner of Julie Moffitt Ballet School, Julie has lived in North Ogden for 21 years. Julie has been training dance teachers and teaching dance for over 25 years in private studios, public and private elementary schools, and at Weber State University. She has developed her own dance syllabus bringing innovative dance curriculum and teaching methods to her studio.

Julie's passion for teaching dance began at age 11 as a student teacher. When she was 18, she joined a performing dance company and also performed in community theatre,and WSC Theatre. At 19, she opened her first dance school while attending college. She furthered her education at University of Utah, Ryrie Woodbury Dance Company, Royal Academy of London Accredited Teachers and Weber State University. Julie became skilled in a strong classical ballet background of Cecchetti, Vaganova and Royal Academy ballet methods. She also trained in a variety of dance forms including, jazz, tap, modern, creative dance, character ballet, pointe, musical theatre and folk dancing. Julie continues attending master classes and dance teaching methodologies.

As the owner of the studio, Julie oversees that the studio is running smoothly. She writes the curriculum for the studio and trains her teachers to be the best they can be. She also choreographs the Nutcracker Ballet and teaches all the Nutcracker classes.

Julie teaches: Ballet Technique / Character / Pointe, Adult tap, and ALL Nutcracker classes.

                 Melinda Montgomery / Instructor

                      

Melinda Montgomery has been teaching dance with JMBS for 4 years and has fallen in love with her students! Melinda started dancing ballet and tap at the age of 4. At the age of 10 she trained with Ballet West. During this time, she danced in the Nutcracker Ballet for several seasons in various roles. While attending Snow College, she continued studying ballet. Currently she enjoys participating in the adult class a JMBS.

Melinda teaches: Children's Creative Dance/Tap/Tumbling, Ballet II, Tap II, Ballet III/Tap III/Jazz I, Saturday Ballet Technique

                            Natalee / Instructor

                             

Natalee has been dancing since she was 3 years old, and tumbling since she was 8. She loves helping students develop a love of both dance and tumbling. Natalee received her Associated degree in General Education of Science and her Bachelors Degree in Family Studies from Weber State University.

Natalee teaches: Pre-Ballet/Tap and Saturday Ballet Technique

                      Gabrielle Maddox / Instructor

                                

Gabrielle is a dance major at Weber State University, she has been performing with their Orchesis Dance Theatre for the past year. Gabe first studied ballet with Eleanor Fredrick at the Wilma K. Maddox Studio of Dance for 8 years. During this time, she performed in Ballet West's Nutcracker. She studied for 2 more years at the Cache Valley School of Ballet. She performed with the Cache Valley Civic Ballet Company in performances of The Nutcracker, Dracula, and Cinderella.

Gabe teaches: Advanced Ballet, Pre-Ballet and Tap, Adult Advanced Ballet and Saturday Ballet Technique.

                        Andrea Brandon / Instructor

                                 

Andrea has loved dance from the time she learned to walk! She danced with JMBS for 10 years, performing on the JMBS Elite Performing Troupe for 3 of those years. The Troupe competed and performed in many places, including Tuachan and Universal Studios. Andrea is very excited to be "back home" teaching!

Andrea teaches: Children's Creative Dance/Tap/Tumbling, Ballet I and Tap, Ballet III/Tap III/Jazz I, Ballet IV/Jazz II/Tap IV, Advanced Ballet, Teen Tap and Saturday Ballet Technique

                         Sharon Dove / Instructor

                      

Sharon has enjoyed dancing since she was young. She began dancing first with Ballet West and the with Penny Duttleson for many years. Sharon enjoyed her opportunity to dance in various performing groups including a few years in Ballet West's Nutcracker. Sharon's love of dance began, in part, with watching her grandmother tap dance and taking lessons form her. Sharon received her Bachelors of Science Degree from Weber State University in respiratory therapy. She worked many years as a respiratory therapist. Now, she enjoys teaching the children's creative dance program at JMBS.

Sharon teaches: Children's Creative Dance/Tap/Tumbling

                       Karen Roylance / Instructor

                         

Karen started ballet when she was 5 years old and continued to dance through high school. She danced in Ballet West's Nutcracker for four years and was on her high school drill team. Karen graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and earned her Professional Engineer License before retiring to be a mom. She has spent many hours teaching children in pre-school, musical theatre, soccer and ballet. Karen appreciates that each child is unique. She loves helping children learn and develop their talents while having fun.

Karen teaches: Children's Creative Dance/Tap/Tumbling

Alicia Smeding / Instructor

Alicia started formal dance lessons when she was 11 years old, but her love for dance began years earlier. She studied at Larae's Dance Unlimited and Clytie Adams School of Ballet. She's studied ballet and jazz primarily, along with tap, modern, Irish step, and hip-hop. Her dancing experience also includes dancing in Ballet West's Nutcracker, Clytie Adams' Nutcracker, BYU summer intensive workshops, and two years in Layton High School's dance company (serving as president her senior year.)

Alicia's interests range from fashion, to photography, to music. But that which she is most passionate about is the ability to create, express herself, and share with others by teaching and performing the beautiful art of dance. Alicia lives in Ogden with her husband and two cats and works as a full-time visual merchandiser for Macy's department store.

Alicia teaches: Teen jazz and tap.

Emily Swaner / Instructor

Emily began dancing at the age of 3. At the tender age of 5 she discovered her passion was classical ballet. She began training with Miki Casalino. When she graduated from Casalino's School of Creative Arts, she moved on to The School of Ballet West until she was old enough for college. She then spent two and a half years at the University of Utah working towards her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ballet performance and began to experience the great joy of teaching. At that point family became more important to Emily than performing with a Ballet company, so she focused on her teaching and raising her own little family. Her passion for teaching has been going strong now for 20 years. Emily receives great joy as she notices the same sparkle in the eyes of her students that she had in her own.

Emily has had many opportunities over the years to perform. She has been apart of Ballet West "The Nutcracker" as a paige and oriental servant; Salt Lake Community Theatre's production of "The Snow Queen" as the Ballet Corps; Several performances at the University of Utah; and as a soloist for a Japanese guest artist at Weber State University.

Emily is thrilled to be teaching at Julie Moffitt Ballet School and is looking forward to working with the talented students there.

Emily teaches: Pre-Ballet and tap, Advanced and Intermediate Ballet and Pointe, and College Intermediate Ballet and Pointe.