TAYLOR PITTMAN:
Owner, Instructor, Choreographer
Miss Taylor is from Dale, Texas a small town just south of Austin. She started taking tap and ballet lessons when she was eight years old which led her to a spot on a competition team later on that year. She continued dancing competitively through her senior year of high school at various competitions and conventions primarily in the central Texas area. However, she has also traveled to New York where she trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performed at Encore Nationals in Las Vegas where she danced with the Encore Elite Dance Team. Since she started dancing, she has had extensive training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe, contemporary, and acro-dance. She started assisting classes when she was fourteen and began teaching at FCDC at sixteen. She graduated from Texas State University in the spring of 2020 with degrees in accounting and marketing. She was promoted to Company Director spring of 2019 in which she took on more responsibilities around the studio such as planning performances, leading the competitive companies, and creating and planning studio classes and camps. She took ownership of FCDC in 2020 and continues to share her passion for dance with San Marcos youth while helping them reach their fullest potential both in and outside of the studio.
MACEY PHILLIPS :
Assistant Director, Hip-hop Program Director
Meet Macey! Macey is from Buda, TX. She started dancing when she was two years old and competed for eleven years winning regional and national titles with her studio. She is trained in tap, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, jazz, and contemporary. In high school, she was on her drill team, Jack C. Hays Highsteppers for all four years. She was on the Highsteppers Elite Team for three years and was an officer her senior year.
After graduation, she started working for Crowd Pleasers Dance Company where she teaches and choreographs for high school drill teams across Texas. Macey was also a Texas State University Strutter throughout college where she served as an officer for three years and was head captain her senior year. During that time, she performed at football and basketball games, several away game stadiums such as A&M University and University of Texas San Antonio, the Royal Caribbean cruise line Liberty of the Seas, the San Antonio Spurs Game and opened the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Macey graduated from Texas State University with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education and with a business minor. She was the dance Director at Miller Middle School for the 22-23 school year. Now, she is the Assistant Director of FCDC where she plans to push herself and her students to new levels of artistic and technical excellence.
ADDISON KEY : Company Choreographer, Instructor
Meet Miss Addison! Addison was born in Austin and grew up in San Marcos, Texas. She did not follow the traditional path of a dancer. Growing up, she participated mostly in cheerleading and gymnastics with Texas State University. It was at the age of 11 that she took her first dance class and realized her passion. She quickly became part of the Elite Company at her Jr. high and competed multiple group dances and solos. She became a member of her high school drill team Elite Company and was a lead in multiple group routines as a freshman, while also competing a solo and a duet throughout the year. She joined the FCDC family at the age 15 and continued her training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, lyrical, musical theater, and hip-hop. Throughout her dance career she has been invited to perform at Pro-Bowls and dance in several performances at Texas State University. She is now the head athletic trainer at Luling High School. Addison has been a part of the FCDC family teaching for 6 years and loves being here.
SCARLETT MCGRAW : Ballet Instructor
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Scarlett came from the Ozsoy School of Ballet in Duncanville, TX, where she danced for 14 years. She began dancing at the young age of 3 at Stacia’s School of Dance. Her mother realized that her daughter’s true passion was ballet, so she found a more ballet-focused school. Scarlett went through her years at Ozsoy striving to be the best. At the age of 12, Scarlett received her letter that deemed her strong enough to begin pointe. That same year Scarlett auditioned for Joffrey Ballet’s summer intensive where she attended for four consecutive years— three years in New York City and one year in Denton, TX. Scarlett then went on to lead the ballet program at Oak Cliff Dance in Dallas for 3 years, before moving to San Marcos. She enjoys teaching the discipline and technique to beginners and more advanced students.
KIERSTEN FLORENCE : Instructor
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Meet Miss Kiersten! Kiersten is originally from the DFW metroplex where she began dancing at Dana’s Studio of Dance at the age of 3. She began dancing competitively from the age of six and continued through her senior year of high school. After moving to central Texas, Kiersten trained and was on the competition dance team at Illusion Dance Center, NB Dance and First Class Dance Center of San Marcos and also trained at MUV Dance and Fitness. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, pom, hip hop, and ballroom.
Kiersten was a dancer on her middle school dance team for two years. She was also on her high school dance team for all 4 years and served as a Lieutenant and later the Captain of her team. She has lead and choreographed multiple group routines and won numerous team awards. She was a solo finalist every year during her middle and high school years and won multiple years.
Kiersten attends Texas State University and is a Texas State University Strutter. She is excited to be on staff at First Class Dance Center!
CATHERINE WRIGHT : Instructor
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Catherine is from Texarkana, Tx. She began dancing when she was three years old at Judith McCarty School of dance in Texarkana. She has studied tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and Spanish dancing. In high school she was a member of her drill team, the Pleasant Grove Showstoppers, for fours years and served as junior and senior lieutenant. Catherine has won two national high kicking competitions, along with two other regional titles, and is a member of the national kick company. Catherine has been cast as principal dancers in her communities' ballets, attended multiple dance conventions, and taught master classes and private lessons for 4 years. After high school, Catherine auditioned for the World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes and made the 80th line. During her time as a Rangerette, she performed in Cotton Bowl two years in a row, the 2021 presidential inaugural parade, in Virginia, and London, England. Catherine has since finished her time at Kilgore College with her associates degree in fine arts and has transferred to Texas State to continue her education. She is now continuing her love of dance, teaching at First Class Dance Center and is so excited for this upcoming year!
Leslie Ellingburg : Instructor
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Leslie Ann Ellingburg (she/her) is a trauma informed movement educator who is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine, has a degree in Exercise Science from East Tennessee State University, is a certified Yoga instructor, and completed a trauma informed certification through Yoga 4 Trauma. Leslie has over fifteen years working in the dance & wellness industry. Leslie has taught dance to a variety of age groups primarily working with Pre-Ballet & Early Elementary divisions and working as a coach for act & performance development. Leslie’s main area of focus is Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Burlesque/Heels. Her approach and teaching philosophy is rooted in the notion that we are all dancers. Dance and movement is part of who we are. It can help us express ourselves when words fail, and it can heal what hurts us. She also believes in honoring every person in her classes--seeing them as individuals, making sure that everyone feels welcome, safe, and loved. When not teaching, she works as a performing artist (independent burlesque performer and an apprentice with Artisan Oddities Performance Group), studies aerial & circus arts on the Lyra apparatus, spends time with her dog Winston, enjoys all of the arts, coffee, and loves to travel and experience what the world has to offer.
Loralei Vergara : Instructor
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Loralei was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She started dancing at the age of three at The Dance Spot. Then at the age of seven she joined Rise Dance Company and competed with them for seven years. She traveled to competitions with them all over Texas and even traveled to Florida and Las Vegas to compete nationally. At the age of 13, she started assisting and teaching the Pre-co & Mini Company teams. Once she got to high school, she decided to join the Anderson Trojans Belles Drill Team.
In addition to the Belles, her Senior year she joined Cheryl Copeland’s company Bhumn Art Ensemble. She has enjoyed teaching camps and classes in Cedar Park, Round Rock, & Austin. She has trained in many styles including ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, modern and lyrical. She recently moved to San Marcos to start her first year attending Texas State University. Loralei has 15 years of training and counting, she’s excited to join the FCDC family and continue teaching dance.
Julia Runne : Instructor
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Julia Runne is a passionate and dedicated dance teacher with a connection to the art of dance, emphasizing the profound link between mind, body, and soul. With 18 years of personal performance experience and 7 years of coaching, Julia has become inspired by the world of dance education and encourages healing through the art form of dance.
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Born and raised in the vibrant city of Dallas TX, Julia’s journey into the world of dance began at the age of 4 and she started dancing competitively at the high school level. Julia's leadership abilities quickly came to the forefront as she took on the roles of Junior Lieutenant and Captain, guiding her team with grace and poise.
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Julia's time on the drill team honed her skills and deepened her understanding of the intricate connection between dance, discipline, and teamwork. Her leadership roles allowed her to inspire and motivate her fellow dancers, fostering an environment where they could collectively excel.
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Upon graduating from high school, Julia continued to pursue her passion for dance by enrolling at Texas Tech University. There, she became a member of the university's Vitality Performance Team, bringing her years of experience, leadership, and a profound connection to dance to a new stage.
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She found her calling off the stage, where her innate talent for movement and her deep-rooted appreciation for the mind-body-soul connection converged under the umbrella of coaching. She has directed drill teams and taught various studio classes for the past 7 years. She is looking forward to bringing fresh, healing-centric lessons and methods to the FCDC students.
Shannon Mathis : Instructor
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Bio & Headshot- Coming Soon!
Sam Porter: Instructor
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Sam porter is from El Paso, Texas where she began dancing at age 3, when her doctor told her mom to enroll her in ballet to stop her from tip toe walking.
She’s trained and competed in almost every style but has a soft spot for Acro. She loves the elegance and strength required of the genre.
In 2020, Sam moved to central Texas for college where she earned her degree from UT Austin. She’s excited to begin this new adventure at FCDC!
Paige Fry: Office Manager
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Bio - Coming Soon!
Sandra Thompson: Jr. Staff, Intern
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Bio - Coming Soon!
Rose Leal: Intern
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Bio - Coming Soon!
Marlowe Condgon: Intern
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Bio - Coming Soon!
