The staff of Joy’s School of Dance consists of highly qualified group of instructors whose primary concern is education, enjoyment and enrichment of their students. Their specialties include Classical Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Modern and Hip Hop.
Natalie George
Owner/Director, Dance Company Director; Ballet, Tap, and Jazz Instructor for all levels; TATD President of the Board of Directors; Baylor University Faculty HHPR Dance Professor; Baylor Dance Company Advisor, TATD Member Teacher and Guest Faculty Teacher; BA Public Relations Baylor University; Former JSOD Dance Company Member; More than 25 years of teaching experience
Amanda Alman
Ballet, Tap, Jazz/Hip Hop and Lyrical Worship Instructor Junior Company Director; TATD Board Member; Member Teacher and Guest Faculty; BS Elementary Education Baylor University; Former JSOD Dance Company Member; More than 20 years of teaching experience
Leelee Holmes
Studio Operations Coordinator, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Dance Team Prep, and Hip hop Instructor, Baylor Dance Company Director, BBA Human Resources Management Baylor University, Dance minor, 10 years of teaching experience
Viola Babbino
Coming Soon
Cadence Bever
Ballet, tap, and jazz instructor. Pursuing a degree at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor majoring in Clinical Exercise Physiology with a minor in Chemistry. JSOD Company alumni with 13 years of dance experience.
Megan Black
Ballet, Tap, and Jazz Instructor, Baylor University BS Degree in Child & Family Studies, JSOD company Alumni
Megan Braswell
Junior Company instructor, graduated with a minor in Dance from Texas A&M, Waco Civic Theatre Choreographer, six years of teaching experience
Mikayla Del Rio
Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Dance Company Instructor, Baylor University graduate, 3rd Year River Valley Math Teacher, 6 years of competitive dance, 14 years of training at Deborah Case Dance Academy, Showtime International Kick Club member, 9 years of teaching experience
Hallie Echols
Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Hip Hop Instructor, Baylor University student majoring in Elementary Education, JSOD Company Alumni, former Midway Goal Tender social officer, and 15 years of dance experience
Hannah Gochis
Dance Company, Jazz, Contemporary, Dance Team Prep and Excellence, Leaps/Turns/Tricks, Flexibility/Stretch/Strength Instructor. Hannah has a degree in Corporate Communications from Baylor and is currently pursuing her Master Degree. She is a JSOD Company Alumni and a 4 year member of the Baylor Songleader Dance Team.
Ava Hansen
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary Instructor, Baylor University student studying All-Level Special Education, JSOD Company Alumni, Former Robinson HS Drill Team Captain (2 years)
Kaitlyn Helona
Ballet and jazz instructor, Baylor University student majoring in Business, JSOD Company Alumni with 10+ years of dancing experience across various styles
Annika Hintz
Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Contemporary Instructor, Baylor student studying finance, from Orange County California where she trained at West Coast School of the Arts and PAVE, Captain of the Varsity Song team at Tesoro High School with 14 years of dance experience
Clara Holmes
Junior Company, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop Instructor, Baylor University student majoring in Business Fellows and minoring in dance. Clara is a JSOD Company alumni with 15 years of dancing experience.
Jorja Ibanez
Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Lyrical Instructor and Baylor university student studying Elementary Education. She is from Frisco, TX, where she served as Sergeant and Lieutenant on her high school drill team for 4 years with 12 years of dance experience.
Sophia Hoff
Ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop instructor. Studying at McLennan community college majoring in political science. JSOD company alumni with 14 years of dance experience.
Lacie Jones
Jazz, tap, and hip hop instructor. Baylor university student majoring in Apparel Studies, JSOD company alumni, former member of the MHS Goal Tenders with 15 years of dance experience.
Gia Karter
Gia is a Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre instructor from Katy, Texas. She has 12 years of dance experience including Top Flight Dance Center, Modern Conceptions of Dance, and was a Jordan High School Legacy. She is also a Baylor student studying Health Science Studies on the PreMed track.
Kaija Kennedy
Junior Company, Musical Theater, and Jazz Instructor, Kaija is a JSOD Alumni currently in Graduate school at Baylor University. She has over 10 years of dancing experience in various styles along with company performances at local fairs and events
Lillie Kennedy
Junior Company Director, Jazz, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Instructor, Dallas Baptist University Graduate, Waco Civic Theater Choreographer, JSOD Alumni, 2 years of teaching experience.
Kristen Knapp
Hip Hop and Dance Company Instructor, BA in Psychology Baylor University, Dallas Mavericks Dancer, Texas Legends Dancer, Baylor Songleader, Baylor Dance Company, MCC Dance Team, Former JSOD Dance Company Member, more than 15 years of teaching experience
Emily Luft
Ballet, Tap, and Jazz instructor, Baylor University student majoring in Public Relations with minors in Dance and Business Administration, JSOD Alumni, former Live Oak Classical School Varsity Cheer Captain (2 years), 15 years of dance experience
Jess Meissner
Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Dance Team, and Musical Theater instructor. Graduate of University of Wisconsin - Madison and member of UW Dance Team. Former NBA dancer with the Milwaukee Bucks. 5 years of teaching experience in Milwaukee, WI. 20 years total dance experience. Full time occupational therapist with Encompass Health
Mia Minatrea
Coming Soon!
Katie Mowatt
Katie is a Baylor University student studying Corporate Communications and Religion; she’s the former vice-president of her high school dance team with 14 years of competitive training in Phoenix, AZ!
Adyson O’Donnell
Adyson O’Donnell is from McKinney, Texas, and is currently a sophomore at Baylor University studying Child and Family Studies. She has danced for 15 years and trained in a variety of dance styles. Adyson was a member of a competitive dance team for 13 years and served as an officer on the McKinney Boyd High School drill team. She has been teaching dance for the past 3 years and loves sharing her passion for dance with her students!
Samantha Peters
Hip hop, jazz and Dance Company instructor. Competed on industry and national competition hip hop teams for six years in Orange County, CA. Studio trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop! Seven years of teaching and assisting experience! Hip hop danced in a televised commercial. Education degree from Baylor University. Math teacher at River Valley Middle School
Caroline Prickette
Coming Soon!
Hannah Qsar
Jazz, ballet, tap, and hip hop teacher from Orange County, CA, studying Business and minoring in Corporate Communications at Baylor University
Addi Rogers
Coming Soon!
Anna Rohrer
Junior Company, Ballet, Tap, and Jazz Instructor, Masters Degree in Child Life Specialty at Texas Woman’s University. 17 years of dance experience and five years of teaching experience. Former DBU Patriette and NDA/DTU National title winner and JSOD Company Alumni
Hannah Requa
Hannah Ernest Requa is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Waco, TX. As Director of {254}DANCEFEST, she has elevated the festival into a vibrant cornerstone of Central Texas’s arts scene, celebrating professional contemporary dance. Originally from Colorado, Hannah came to Texas and earned her BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from TCU. She has performed with Bruce Wood Dance, Corpus Christi Ballet, Ad Deum Dance Company, and currently dances with Ventana Ballet and TY&CO in Austin. A passionate educator, she has taught and choreographed for local Waco studios and theatre groups as well as at universities such as TCU, Baylor University, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Hannah brings movement into community spaces through partnering with Healing Harmonies, a program with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, and "The Mama Project" which honors motherhood in dance. She is a current adjunct faculty member at Baylor University teaching contemporary dance classes. She also serves as the lead pointe shoe fitting specialist at From The Top, where she is passionate about helping dancers find the proper fit to support their training and artistry. She is thrilled to return to Joy’s this season and looks forward to working with its dancers.
At home, she finds joy in spontaneous kitchen dance parties with her husband and two children.
Genevieve Rizzo
Junior at Baylor University studying Marketing and HR Management. I was a competitive performance company dancer for 12 years, studying styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern, lyrical and ballroom. I have previously thought students at my home studio in ballet, tap, jazz, and tumbling. I received dance scholarships, which lead me to train at Broadway Dance Center in New York City for two summers. A highlight of my dance journey was competing with my studio, Next Step Dance, in the 2023 Studio of the Year Dance Off at The Dance Awards in Las Vegas
Rainey Scheffe
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Parent & Me Instructor. Studying at Baylor University, majoring in Great Texts of the Western Tradition, minoring in Religion. Former Captain of the Hudson Highlights Drill Team. Former student and staff member at Susan’s Studio of Dance, six years of teaching experience.
Maeve Spiegel
Dance Team instructor, 18th year of dancing with 15 years studio experience in call genres most recently NB Dance and Company, 4 years on Hays Highsteppers line and elite team as well as 2 years as Junior Lieutenant and Co-Captain, Junior at Baylor University studying Speech Pathology and a 3rd year Baylor Songleader
Anna Schmidt
Anna is a native Wacoan and proud product of Joy’s School of Dance! She graduated from what is now Bishop Louis Reicher in 2018 then attended Oklahoma City University where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Dance Management from the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment in 2022. At the Ann Lacy School, Anna took classes in dance pedagogy, dance studio management, stage management, entertainment business, as well as daily ballet technique. After college, Anna came back to Waco to attend Baylor Law School and graduated summa cum laude in May 2025. Anna is working in Waco for the year and overjoyed to be back at JSOD getting to assist with and teach ballet classes!
Lydia Spano
Advanced Ballet/Pointe Instructor, Ballet Magnificat Omega Company Member, Assistant to the Artistic Director, Master Teacher in USA, Belize, Honduras, Czech Republic, and Prague, Ballet Austin Company Member, Northwest Pacific Ballet, More than 15 years of teaching experience
Chloe Switzer
15 years of dancing training in all dance genres, 10 year of competition experience, Marketing Major at Baylor University, 3rd year Baylor Songleader
Lindsay Vaughan
Tarleton State University student studying Accounting, 12 years of dance experience, JSOD Company Alumni
Rachel Vitela
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre Instructor, Baylor University student studying Business Management and Dance. Rachel is from Fort Worth, Texas where she trained at Miss Persis Studio. She has 15 years of dance experience and 4 years of teaching experience
