THE DANCE SHOPPE - Dance Studio, St. George, Washington, Utah

The Dance Shoppe Instructors:

	Melanie Suman – Owner/Artistic Director Melanie has over 30 years dancing, performing and competition experience. She has been teaching, choreographing, and directing for more than 10 years. Melanie has a bachelor’s degree in Dance Education from Brigham Young University. BYU is also where she danced, traveled, and competed (nationally and internationally) with the BYU Ballroom Dance Tour Team. In 1995 she was chosen as 1 of 8 couples to represent the BYU Ballroom Dancers on a dancing tour in China for 6 weeks. Since graduating in 1997, Melanie has taught professionally at ‘The Dance Shoppe’ in Phoenix, AZ. During her time at this studio, she also served as a Director of 5 different performing and competition teams. Melanie is proficient in many styles of dance including jazz, ballet, tap, pointe, modern, hip hop, spirit-line, and ballroom. She has taught ages 3 through adults and enjoys each age as they come with different challenges. Melanie has taught numerous Master classes for studios and High School Dance Symposiums. She also has served as a judge for several dance team auditions.


	Lexie Watson – Director Lexie moved to St. George 9 years ago. She has been dancing since the age of 3. She has been involved in many performance and competition teams. She was on the Pine View Pantheras Drill Team for 3 years and competed with them at Nationals in California where they took 1st place. She served as an officer on that team for 1 year. She has worked with well known dancers such as Tam Jams Tamara Squires and Joe Tremaine. She has experience in ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, drill, modern and loves all the many different styles of dance. She loves teaching, dancing, learning, and choreographing and is excited to be a part of the Dance Shoppe!


	Mark Baker – Ballroom Dance Director Mark received his BA in Ballroom Dance in 2005 from Brigham Young University. During his time at BYU he trained and performed with the BYU Ballroom Dance touring company. Mark has toured extensively throughout the United States, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. In 2004 and 2005 Mark won two US Ballroom Dance Latin Formation titles as well as won the prestigious Blackpool England Latin Formation Title in 2004. Mark is currently the Director of Ballroom Dance at Southern Utah University where he has taught and grown the successes of the ballroom dance program there. Previous to coming to SUU, Mark taught for BYU for 5 years and UVU for one. In 2004 Mark received BYU's "top teacher" award for teaching excellence. Mark is currently a US Ballroom Dance professional and travels to compete all over the US and internationally. He has won numerous competitions and is a highly sought after teacher throughout Utah and across the United States. He brings a tremendous amount of experience and teaching expertise gained from an extensive professional performing and teaching career. And he can shake his hips like you can't believe.


	Erin Brophy Erin is from Taylorsville, Utah. She is trained in many different genre’s of dance including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and pom. In high school, she was the captain of the Nationally-Ranked Taylorsville Drill Team and served as a member of the 5A All-State Drill Team. Erin was awarded Sterling Scholar in the Dance Division for her school. After graduation, she made the move to St. George to attend Dixie State College on an academic and dance scholarship. This is Erin’s 5thyear studio teaching and her 3rd year teaching in St. George. Along with studio teaching, she has judged many regional dance team tryouts and competitions including Sterling Scholar Auditions for the local high schools. Erin was featured in last years Odyssey performance of “Thriller” at Tuacahn Amphitheater. Her past summer was spent in China teaching ballet at Zhong Xin Academy of Art. Recently, she was awarded “Dance Star” by renowned choreographer Tony Gonzales at the USA College/Pro Team Dance Camp. She was a former member of the Dixie State College Dance Team and graduated with a Bachelors in Public Communications.


	SuLynn Coombs SuLynn was born and raised in Enterprise, Utah. At the age of 3 she started performing and has been performing ever since. SuLynn has always loved dancing, singing, playing the piano, performing and anything that has to do with music and dance. Due to her love of dance, SuLynn has been involved and participated in many different styles of dance from jazz, ballet, hip-hop, drill, and clogging for over 20 years. While attending high school, SuLynn was chosen to be on the high school drill team for 4 years. It was during her senior year on the drill team that she was voted president of her team. In addition, while on the drill team SuLynn assisted in choreographing many competition dances including state competition routines. She also represented her squad and her school as a member of All-State drill team. She loves drill competitions and placed 3rd in the state in a drill down competition. She was invited to be a staff member for the USA dance company, but she declined because she fell in love and got married. After getting married SuLynn moved to Orem, Utah where she had the opportunity to teach at the Spot Light Review dance studio. Now a busy mom of two girls and a little boy, SuLynn is thrilled at the opportunity to be part of the Dance Shoppe and be able to share her love of music, dance, and performing with her children and other children.


	Courtni Giles Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Tap, Ballroom, Gymnastics, and her favorite, Modern has been keeping her attention for over 25 years now. During her High School years she was a member and President of the Performing Arts Company at Davis High in Kaysville, Utah and the Teen Representative for Ririe-Woodbury. She then went to Southern Utah University where she became a member and then President of Orchesis, the Modern Dance Company. She was recognized with a special honor for her choreography of "Fences" from the Professors and Dean of Dance at SUU. In 1996, she graduated with a B.A. in French and Dance and also a Teaching Certificate. The following year she began teaching at Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada. There she started a new Dance Program and was coach of the Dance Pack. Starting with just 40 students the first year, the program exploded to over 250 the second and kept growing. She taught ballet, jazz, musical theater, hip hop, and modern and provided an after school Swing class. While teaching at Basic, She directed over 6 successful recitals and Dance Reviews. She continued her education in dance during the summer studying at UC Irvine with Donald McKayle. In 2000, her first son was born, and she left her teaching assignment. By the following year she became involved with Talent Team, Henderson.( a children's performing group) and taught for the next 6 years the 3 through 7 year olds and the Team Group, Ovation. The last three years were spent as Director of Talent Team. In December of 2006, Courtni and her family moved to Saint George, Utah. For the past 2 years she has been spending her time as mother to her 3 sons and her beautiful daughter. But her toes won't quit tappin' and the buzz in her body is still electrified to dance. She can't wait to teach again.


	Sherie Hafen May Sherie Hafen May, a native of St. George, has enjoyed and been involved with dance in various ways as long as she can remember. She has over 15 years of formal dance training which began at age 3. She is experienced in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop, cheerleading, gymnastics, lyrical and drill. She attended Dixie High and as a senior was selected as Head Song leader (co-head cheerleader) which gave her the responsibility and opportunity to choreograph the dances the squad would perform. She attended Dixie State and enjoyed choreographing the "opening" dance for the college homecoming Queen Pageant and dancing on the Rebelette drill team. While attending dance camp in CA, she was selected and invited to the USC dance team try-outs. At that time she decided to pursue her education closer to home and her future husband, whom she married and then later received her bachelors in Elementary Education from SUU. She taught kindergarten for two years. Now a mom of 3 girls and 2 boys, she is excited about getting more involved with dance again and looking forward to teaching at the Dance Shoppe.


	Mallory Morby Mallory was born and raised in St. George, Utah. Mallory has been involved in dance since she was six years old, she has experience in jazz, hip-hop, and drill. She attended Dixie High School and danced on the drill team for three years, she was selected as an officer and served as the Drill Mistress throughout her senior year. Mallory also represented Dixie High on the 3A All-State drill team. She is starting her third year dancing for the Dixie State College Rebelettes, she has a passion for dance and is excited to teach and choreograph at The Dance Shoppe.


	Cassie Swenson Cassie is from Billings, MT where she discovered her passion for dance at the young age of 3. Since then she has been trained in jazz, ballet, lyrical/contemporary, hip hop, tap and modern. In high school, she was a cheerleader for 3 years and taught dance at Tracy's School of Dance. She has had the opportunity to travel all over to perform, compete, and attend many conventions and workshops, where she has taken classes from Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Wade Robson, Shane Sparks, Dave Scott, and more. After graduating high school, Cassie moved to St. George to attend Dixie State College where she is on the dance team and plans to get her bachelor degree in Business. She is so excited to teach, choreograph, and be a part of the Dance Shoppe.

The Dance Shoppe, LLC • 969 N. 3050 E. Ste A-4 St. George, UT • (435) 313-4021
email: info@thedanceshoppeut.com