epastaffbios

Miss Amy Rose – Miss Amy grew up with Encore Dance Company playing a big role
in her life. After graduating high school, she went on to receive her Bachelor of
Performing Arts degree at Oklahoma City University. She has performed in Branson,
MO at A Grand Palace Theatre with Dino Kartsonakis in the Music For All Time
show. She has also performed at Jazz Dance World Congress in Wiesbaden,
Germany, and has instructed dance at many studios and Southwestern Michigan
College. She has choreographed for musicals and for the Miss Dowagiac Pageant.
Amy serves on the board for the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, and is the chair of the
dance event. She currently holds the position of Artistic Director of Encore Dance
Company.

Miss Kathy Bishop – Miss Kathy grew up in Dowagiac dancing with Miss Kathy's
School of Dance and Encore Dance Company. While in the area she performed in
many shows at Southwestern Michigan College and other local theatres. She was
part of First United Methodist Church's liturgical dance choir, Parables, and was the
director of Visions there also. Miss Kathy went to college at Southwestern Michigan
College and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she received her Bachelor of
Arts in Dance. Some of her most memorable performances are dancing alongside
Weird Al Yankovic and Elton John. Miss Kathy also works for KRESA’s Education for
the Arts' PACE and Aesthetic Education programs in Kalamazoo's public and
private schools. Kathy was a founding member of Underground Collaborative
Dance Company, a Kalamazoo-based group that performed in schools. She loves
to spend time with her cats Annie and Augie, and puppy Ailey. She currently holds
the position of Studio Director at Encore Performing Arts.

Miss Kristie Kelley - Miss Kristie is proud to be back once again serving the fine arts
community of Dowagiac after a stint in sunny Los Angeles. She was once heavily
involved with the theatre/dance/vocal arts at Southwestern Michigan College
before transferring to Western Michigan University from which she holds a B.A in
Theatre Performance. Kristie has performed in several shows, as well as directing,
choreographing, and coaching acting. Of these shows some of her most
memorable were "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!", "Our Town" with world
renowned SITI company member Leon Ingulsrud, "Metamorphoses" under the
guidance of Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, "Brigadoon" directed by Off-
Broadway playwright Jay Berkow, and "The House of Bernarda Alba" with
Manhattan based progressive director Tara Matkosky. Kristie also has significant
experience with jazz and cabaret singing, and is pleased to be passing this
knowledge on to her voice students. Kristie has many years dancing and teaching
several different types of dance, but her area of expertise is the stylings of Bob
Fosse. Kristie's proudest achievement is her son, Sebastian, and she shares this
triumph with her husband, Mr. Oscar. (See below.)

Miss Misty Calhoun

Miss Casey Kener - Miss Casey is from Niles. She attends Southwestern Michigan
college majoring in Dance, as well as pursuing a degree in Early Childhood
Education. At 4 years old, she joined a cheer/dance program called Cheer
America, today known as Young Champions with a team called Niles Elite. She was
on Niles Elite for 11 years. They competed at MANY competitions, almost always
taking 3rd or better (including 7 National Championships). Currently she
choreographs Niles High School's pom routines, and well as helping at Niles Elite
practices. She also danced at Miss Kathy’s, and Niles Academy. She went to
Beijing, China twice for various training in gymnastics, acrobatics and dance. Niles
Elite was the first cheer team from the US to travel to China introducing cheer to
the Chinese culture called Cheer China. They performed and trained at The Beijing
Dance Academy, as well as multiple schools including the very popular Li
Xiaoshuang Gymnastics School and Shi Cha Hai Gymnastics Sports School. Then in
2008, she was accepted on an audition only, Young Champions team called
“SuperTeam.” They traveled to Beijing, China and performed for one of the
Olympic opening ceremonies and for the Olympic Committee, campaigning
competitive cheer to become an Olympic Sport in future games. When Miss Casey
isn't busy with all of the dance/ cheer/ gymnastics madness she likes to spend time
with her friends and family, her Chihuahua Shadow and her horse Sable, go
shopping and getting her homework done, but is always glad to be back in the
madness when Monday comes!

Miss Kimberly Martz - Miss Kimberly is excited to be back teaching at Encore. She
grew up in La Porte, IN but danced in southwestern Michigan most of her life.
Kimberly has been dancing since the age of three. Kimberly received her B.S.
Degree in Dance Performance and Dance Education at Ball State University. As
Ball State she started the Burris Dazzlers Dance Team at Burris High School. Besides
directing and teaching the Dazzlers, Kimberly performed in many Junior and Senior
choreography shows and Dance! Dance! Dance! at Ball State. She has also
performed in the Brachs Holiday Parade in Chicago, the Florida Citrus Bowl and the
NCA College Cheer and Dance Nationals. Choreography is Kimberly's passion.
Besides choreographing for Encore Dance Company she has choreographed for
various pom, dance and cheer teams, choirs and other competition dance teams.
Kimberly is lives in South Bend, IN and works at Enzyme Research Laboratories as an
Administrative Specialist.

Miss Audrey Maxey

Miss Valerie Moore - Miss Valerie grew up in Dowagiac, Michigan dancing with the
Encore Dance Company and Miss Kathy’s School of Dance. She received her
Bachelors of Science in Dance Performance and Psychology at Ball State University.
During her time at Ball State, she danced at the London Conservatory and also
attended many years of the American College Dance Festival. Miss Valerie has
taught dance at Camp Chen A Wanda, Camp Friendship, Muncie Center for the
Arts, VSA Arts Indiana, Utila Honduras, and Northwest Arts Center. Miss Valerie
currently lives in Chicago and has performed with Massivivid, Lavender Cabaret,
Vaudeville Underground, Solestance, Dance Chicago, Love Me Love Me Not, The
Collective, and Clown Head. Miss Valerie teaches dance with Ballet Chicago and is
an independent choreographer. She is also the co-founder of Rebound Dance
Company and will invite you to all of their showings. When Miss Valerie is not busy in
the dance world, she enjoys collecting Hello Kitty and loves playing with her cat.
Miss Valerie is very excited to teach at Encore Performing Arts. Click here, then
click on bios to read more about Valerie Moore!

Miss Kim Rice

Miss Sarah Smallbone - Sarah Smallbone was born in Dowagiac, Mi and was a
member of the Encore Dance Company and Miss Kathy's School of Dance starting
at the age of 4. After completing high school, she received her Bachelors Degree
in Performing Arts with an emphasis in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City
University. The three years following her college graduation, Sarah danced in the
world famous Jubilee! show in Las Vegas, NV. She is very excited to be back in
Dowagiac teaching at Encore and is looking forward to a great year with great
students.

Mr. Oscar Sulecio - Mr. Oscar hails from Guatemala City, Guatemala, and holds
degrees in Telecommunication and Journalism with an emphasis in television
production. He grew up dancing and teaching all types of Latin dance including
Salsa, Merenge, Tango, Flamenco, and Cha Cha. He currently teaches both kid's
and adult's salsa. We here at Encore are proud to be able to offer this kind of
diversity to our students. In addition to dance, Oscar is quite an accomplished
musician. He drummed for several years with Ad Populum, a renowned band
circulating throughout Latin America. Oscar teaches private drum lessons, and is
hoping more kids will sign up for this unique opportunity. Oscar is married to Miss
Kristie and they have one child together, a son Sebastian, whom they are very
proud.

Mr. John Wallace - Mr. John has played guitar for more than thirty years. From
garage bands as a teenager to touring bands of every style from R&B to Country.
Currently playing jazz and blues venues with the Billy Nicks Trio, Crystal Blue Jazz,
and appearing as a soloist and in a duo with Josef Szaday on bass. John also
appears with his own quartet JWQ, featuring more R&B and Blues. Most recently
the Billy Nicks Trio has become a quartet with the addition of Jackie Ivory on
Hammond Organ. John has been called on for recording sessions for artists as well
as local ads. He has been living and gigging mostly in South Bend, IN and
surrounding areas for the last 15 years, with occasional gigs in Chicago and
southwestern Michigan.