WINTER INTENSIVE HOST HOTEL:
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Elkin/Jonesville
628 Cc Camp Road, 268 Bypass,
Elkin, NC 28621
336-353-2008
Meet The Winter Intensive Faculty
Ryan Bartley is from Vinton, VA. She is the director and lead choreographer at Studio 45. Ryan has been dancing since the age of 5, and has been teaching since 2010 when Studio 45 opened its doors . She teaches multiple styles of dance, from clogging, and tap, to jazz, contemporary, and hiphop. Ryan has choreographed multiple theatre productions including “Smokey Joe’s Café” which earned her recognition from Disney Executives when they traveled to a national competition in Orlando, Florida. Ryan attended Radford University and studied Dance Education. In 2013 Ryan was chosen as the America’s Teacher of the Year at Dance Machine Nationals in Rock Hill, SC. Ryan and her competitive dancers have achieved multiple high scoring awards, special judges awards, ADCC Studio of Excellence for regional competitions in 2017 and 2018, and the studio also received the National ADCC Studio of Excellence award in 2017 from Dance Machine Productions, and in 2020 from Boogie Fever. Ryan was also chosen to co-choreograph the National Dream Team for Dance Machine Productions in 2019. She has also choreographed for multiple National Title weekends, has also judged many different competitions on the East Coast, and is a sought after Choreographer for many studios in the Southeast. Ryan is known for her innovative, cutting edge, and dynamic choreography. She is a favorite Instructor for the Xtreme Dance Convention, we are excited to have her back with us this year.
Josh Nixon began dancing at the Centreville Dance Academy in Virginia. As a well-rounded student of dance, Josh trained in ballet, lyrical, jazz. Mr. Nixon’s professional choice was the art of Tap Dance, encouraged by his trainers Pam McCormick and Heidi Stafford. Josh joined MYTE (Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble), a semi-professional company, based in Virginia under the direction of Katie Padgett and Jason Holley where he was exposed to performing opportunities throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Performing live, Corporate events and television commercial choreographic works, by Broadway veteran Joseph Webb and Crishon Jerome.
Mr. Nixon has become a well-respected Tap Dance Instructor, with the privilege of participating in residencies, workshops and festivals in over 30 states in America and 20 countries throughout the world. His professional career has evolved to also afford him the opportunity to serve as the Assistant Artistic Director to Joseph Webb’s youth company, House of Tap. His continually evolving career has brought him to be seen in Dance Teacher and Dance Magazine features, production and performance opportunities alongside his mentors Chloe and Maud Arnold, Derick Grant, and Ted Louis Levy. Josh has performed with Chloe Arnold’s Apartment 33, Ryan Johnson’s SOLE Defined and Heidi Stafford’s Sundays on Tap. Recent Credits include the Root 100 Awards, Lincoln Center, The Smithsonian Institution, MS Europa 2 cruise ship, and choreography for the national Miss America Pageant.
When not traveling, Josh is pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree from Arizona State University and running his own video production company. Josh passes on his love, respect and knowledge for tap dance as a guest instructor at a handful of Universities and studios throughout the VA/DC Metro Area as well as heading his new pre-professional tap company, SYTE & Sound.
Kelly Sammon a favorite in the Dance Machine Family is a 2007 graduate of Kent State University in northeastern Ohio. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance. The dance program at Kent State University focused not only on the technical aspects of a meticulous training schedule, but also on a strong historical and academic perspective of dance, preparing her to become a professional dancer and educator. Kelly benefitted from training in an academic environment and was able to train alongside professionals in the field, who came to the University to set pieces on the pre-professional company, The Kent Dance Ensemble, where Kelly was chose as a sophomore to join. Kelly’s performance credits consisted of works under Cliff Keuter, Robin Richardson, Tanya Mucci and Sabatino Verlezza. She also had the privilege of performing at The American College Dance Festival at University of Buffalo and Wayne State in Michigan. While at Kent State, Kelly studied under the direction of many greats; Barbara Verlezza, Andrea Shearer, Joan Meggitt and Kimberly Karpanty through the concentrations of the May O’Donnell technique, Erick Hawkins technique, Lynn Simonson jazz technique and Release Post-Modern. Kelly has also had extensive training in Improvisation and Composition. Through her tenure in college, Kelly was the Teacher’s Assistant for master classes for students with disabilities at the SELS Division of Kent State University and also
acted as a Dance Instructor (KSU Non-Credit Instructor). She was invited to teach several master hip-hop and jazz classes to students enrolled in Dance as an Art Form at Kent State University.
After graduation, Kelly danced professionally with Travesty Dance Group and Verlezza Dance until she relocated to Washington D.C. in 2008 to accept an esteemed full-time position with Adagio Ballet in Arlington and Fairfax,
Virginia as a Program Director and Marketing Coordinator. She also acted as a guest artist as the Advanced Tap instructor at the Center for Ballet Arts in Fairfax City, VA. Kelly danced professionally in the national setting with
Dancin’ Unlimited under the direction of Marilyn York, and also worked with the CAPS program, Creative Arts Program in Public Schools. Kelly was a choreographer and trainer for the competition troupe Blair Dance Studio
until Patrice Blair’s retirement in 2015 where in the same year she received ANDC’s Dance Machine Productions 2015 ‘Teacher of the Year’ in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Kelly is also the Dance Team Coach for the Battlefield High School Dance Team where she works and collaborates with collegiate programs and coaches, reviews, and implements rules and regulations from organizations such as the American Spirit Championships, Universal Dance Association, and National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Purple Reign Dance Team holds several winnings and title with the Prince William County Dance Championships Dance Team and the Union Regional Championships.
She continually extending her dance education by traveling across the country to attend master classes and conventions along with teaching master classes and setting choreography on various studios along the east coast.
Will Shover began his training under his parents at their studio where he was a competitive dancer, model, and was active in community & regional theater productions. He went on to work with Showtime Television, Six Flags Theme Parks, Spindle City Ballet, Groundwerx, Boston Ballet Theatre, Festival Ballet, and was Director of The Children’s Division at The Dance Academy the Official School of The Spindle City Ballet. Will studied at Johnson & Wales University in Providence RI and attended The Teacher’s Training School at The University of Buffalo in New York. A few of his Choreography and Directing Credits include: Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Aladdin, Grease, Sound of Music, Oliver, The Polar Express, The Nutcracker, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, and Big: The Musical. When he was performing he played Lead & Supporting Roles in Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, The Nutcracker, Big: The Musical, The Polar Express, Annie Get Your Gun, Carousel, Les Misérables, and Wizard of Oz.
Will taught for many studios and had his own studio for many years. He left the studio life behind to focus on his production company America’s National Dance Championships that produces Dance Machine and Boogie Fever. He has worked with Broadway Dance Center, Gerber Tours, Dance Masters of America, Ultimate Starz Dance Productions, America’s Dance Council, and many other organizations teaching Master Classes and brining programs to young dancers to help them further their dreams and keep their passion alive. Will has a very special place in his heart of dance, especially Musical Theater. He is excited to share that passion at the Winter Intensive.
