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News & Events 2nd Annual Daddy Daughter DanceThe Creamery Arts Center Exhibition Hall Feb 10, 2012 The Children's Workshop Course - The Sleeping Beauty Springfield Ballet, The Creamery Arts Center Mar 04, 2012 Ballet Supporters
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Staff and Faculty  Caitlin Kissee, Business Affairs Manager
Caitlin Kissee grew up involved in all types of dance, music, and theatre. She studied tap, ballet, pointe and jazz in St. Louis for 15 years. As a dance student, Caitlin attended two separate summer intensive programs (short-term and long-term) with the Radio City Rockettes. This background formed the basis of her appreciation of the arts and her deep realization of the benefits of community access to them. In college, Caitlin attended Drury University on a non-major vocal music grant and worked with Springfield Ballet as an office assistant for three semesters. Caitlin graduated summa cum laude as a first-ranking student with a B.B.A. in Marketing and Management from Drury in 2009. After graduation, Caitlin served as a Leadership Development Consultant for Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. She traveled to more than 30 college campuses nationwide, offering leadership training and chapter development to young women based on the organization’s core values. She also played an integral part in colonizing a new chapter at the University of Cincinnati in the winter of 2010. After marrying her Springfield-native husband, Weston, in May 2010, Caitlin took a job as the marketing coordinator for Whitaker Publishing, where she planned and executed branding events, social media, and other marketing efforts for 417 Magazine, 417 Home, and 417 Bride. Caitlin is thrilled to be back in the Creamery Arts Center where she is able to combine her passion for the arts with her professional drive to develop not-for-profit organizations. In her new position, Caitlin serves on the Arts Programming Sustainability Initiative (APSI) committee through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Springfield Arts Collaborative Endowment Campaign (SACE) with other leaders of the arts community. Caitlin loves teaching Zumba, singing in the praise band at her church and traveling the world with her husband.
 Ashley Paige Romines, School Director
Ashley Paige Romines, formally Ashley Paige Williams, began her dance training in Sevierville, Tennessee, and continued on to pre-professional ballet training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She then studied on scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, and in 2003, she graduated summa cum laude with a B.F.A. in ballet pedagogy. In 2005, Ashley Paige received her Pilates Mat Certification through Power Pilates. Ashley Paige’s performance experience includes Oklahoma Festival Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, and Northern Ballet Theatre in New Hampshire where she danced professionally for three seasons. Her favorite roles include Dew Drop Fairy, Spanish, Chinese, Marzipan, and Columbine Doll from The Nutcracker; George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie; Fairy of the Song Bird from The Sleeping Beauty; Cygnet from Swan Lake; Pas de Trois from Paquita; and a witch in James Clouser’s Carmina Burana as well as multi-faceted roles in contemporary and modern ballets. She was also excited for the opportunity to tour internationally with Oklahoma Festival Ballet to Cancun, Mexico in 2002. As of late, Ashley Paige has focused more on her teaching and ballet administration career which is where her true passion lies. She has taught all levels of classical ballet, creative movement, and Pilates at several pre-professional schools throughout the Northeast, and during summer 2009, she attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s Teacher’s Workshop. Ashley Paige has choreographed several original works in the classical and contemporary ballet styles has acted as rehearsal assistant for the staging of classical ballets. Since joining Springfield Ballet as school director in fall 2007, Ashley Paige has choreographed and staged The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Act II, The Firebird, Pas de Quatre, Peter and the Wolf, and original contemporary ballets. She is delighted to have the opportunity to share her passion for the performance art through the Springfield Ballet organization. Ashley Paige married her husband Frank in May 2010.
Vickie Giesen, Bookkeeper
Vickie Giesen joined the Springfield Ballet in January 2007 as part-time Bookkeeper and Office Administrator. Vickie enjoys art in many forms, but is particularly fond of performance art. She has worked behind the scenes for Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Little Theatre and the Vandivort Center Theatre assisting with props, costumes, ushering, etc. In 2007, Vickie made her first onstage appearance as Aida in Over the River. Vickie has been happily married to Rick for 29 years and is mother to four 4-legged canine children: Rose, Dink, Bill and Keep. She loves to play golf, enjoys wine and cooking and spending time with family and friends.
Laura Dickinson, Administrative Office Assistant
Laura is a senior at Drury University, pursuing degrees in Arts Administration and Music. Laura has been involved in the arts since she was young, performing with Springfield Little Theatre and the Children's Choirs of Southwest Missouri. Now, her hobbies include spending time with her husband, singing and performing, and working out. She is currently a member of the Drury Singers and the lead vocalist for the Wings of Swing big band.
Kerry Allan, Instructor
Kerry Allan began her dance training with the Woodstock School of Ballet and continued through college at the University of Georgia, where she performed with the university’s pre-professional modern and aerial company, CORE. Over her career, she has had the opportunity to work with many influential choreographers and instructors, including Karen Eliot of the Merce Cunningham Company, Alberto de Saz of the Alwin Nikolais company, as well as Molissa Fenley, Anna Godowa, Sean Curran, Bala Sarasvati, Rebecca Enghauser, Dean Williams, and Travis Gatlin. From 2004 - 2010 Kerry choreographed, danced, and taught extensively in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her work has premiered with performing companies like Sole Full of Rhythm, Meaning in Motion, Youth Dance Theater, and the professional modern dance company People Dancing, where she served as a full company member and choreographer. In April 2010 she choreographed, organized, and directed full-evening concerts of her work in modern and contemporary dance, Merge. Kerry has received top awards for choreography in regional and national dance competitions and participated in international dance events and workshops, including the Zawirowania International Dance Festival in Warsaw, Poland. Kerry has a wide range of experience teaching in Michigan and Georgia, serving as an adjunct faculty member of the Dance Department at Eastern Michigan University, and an instructor for the Cecchetti Council of America International Summer School, Randazzo Dance, Movement Artists Guild, Arts in Motion, Dance Xplosion, Dance Steps Studio, Encore Talent, Woodstock School of Ballet, and Dance Arts of Chelsea. In addition to studio work, she has been part of several public school workshops to bring dance and the arts to a wider community of students.
Sara Brummel, Instructor
Sara Brummel earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Denver and holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre with a Dance Emphasis from the University of Arizona. Dance training includes the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and studies with Juan Antonio, Takako Asakawa, Peggy Baker, Jerry Bywaters Cochran, Robert Cohen, Blondell Cummings, Lynn Dalley, Margaret Jenkins, the Louis/Nikolais Dance Theatre Lab, Bill Evans, Gary Masters, David Moroni, Nadine Ravine, George Skibine, Marjorie Tallchief, and David Hatch Walker. Performing experience encompasses a number of ballet and modern dance companies, including the Pennsylvania Ballet, New England Dinosaur, Dance Company of Ontario, and Contemporary Dancers of Winnipeg. As a professional dancer, Ms. Brummel appeared in works choreographed by Toby Armour, Malenko Banovitch, Anna Blewchamp, Rachel Browne, James Clouser, David Earle, Martha Armstrong Gray, Rodney Griffin, Ina Hahn, Janet Justice, Earl Kraul, Rozann Kraus, Judith Marcuse, Fred Mathews, Norman Morrice, Sophie Maslow, Linda Rabin, Cleo Parker Robinson, Lois Smith, Beth Soll, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Norbert Vesak, and James Waring. As a teacher, Ms. Brummel’s credits include the Cambridge School of Ballet, Cambridge School of Weston, Colorado Ballet, Crested Butte Summer Dance Workshop, Dance Circle of Boston, Loretto Heights College, the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, Montezuma/Cortez High School, SEEK Summer Enrichment Program, American College Dance Festival, the Springfield Ballet, the University of Denver, workshops in São Paulo, Brazil, and presentations at the Congreso de Pedagogia de Danze in Bogotá, Colombia. Sara Brummel is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the American Ballet Theatre® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Ms. Brummel’s choreography has been presented in Bogotá, Seattle, Chicago, Albuquerque, St. Louis, Wichita, and Springfield. Ms. Brummel is currently an Associate Professor in the Theatre and Dance Department at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.
Marsha Butcher, Instructor and Children’s Rehearsal Assistant
Marsha Butcher began her dance training in Springfield, IL at Dance Arts Studio. While in high school she was a company member of the Springfield Ballet Company and a member of the Rochester Rockets pom squad. She also attended summer dance intensives with Nashville Ballet and David Howard. Marsha recently graduated from Illinois State University with a double major in Dance and Elementary Education. While attending ISU, Marsha was an active member of Illinois State Dance Theatre and president of Illinois State Dance Association. She also had the opportunity to perform works by a variety of guest artists including artists from Joe Goode Performance Group, Hubbard Street, Paul Taylor, Trisha Brown, Eddy Ocampo and Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre. In addition to performing Marsha was able to choreograph for student and faculty concerts, as well as perform and choreograph for American College Dance Festival. This past summer Marsha had the opportunity to teach ballet, modern and jazz at Interlochen Center for the Arts during their summer camp program. In addition to teaching dance, Marsha also works as a Speech Implementer for D.A. Mallory Elementary and performs part-time with Sheltor Repertory Dance Theatre.
Leah Carlisle, Instructor
Leah Carlisle is a junior at MSU majoring in Pediatric Nursing. She has studied dance for 16 years at studios near her hometown in Wentzville, Missouri, and at MSU. She has trained in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, and Pilates. Leah was a member of the St. Peter’s Performance Company and participated in regional competitions. She studied with Alexandra Zaharias, Artistic Director of Alexandra Ballet Company. While attending Alexandra Ballet, she also studied with Petrus Bosman of the Royal Ballet, and performed in Cinderella. During her junior year at Timberland High School, Leah participated as a preschool teacher at the school’s non-profit preschool, where she prepared lesson plans and worked with the children three days a week. Leah is excited to continue with Springfield Ballet as an instructor by combining her love and dedication of dance and children.
Berea Flatness, Instructor
Berea Flatness is a senior at Missouri State University majoring in Art and Design Education with a Dance minor. She has been a student at Springfield Ballet for 17 years. Berea has appeared in various productions such as Cinderella, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, La Fille Mal Gardee, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, A Special Place, Anti-congruence, Ballet through the Eras, and Peter and the Wolf & Other Stories. She has performed in several productions at Landers Theatre and Logan-Rogersville High School including South Pacific, Carousel, Annie, Peter Pan, Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty and the Beast, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She was given the opportunity to choreograph Fiddler on the Roof and co-choreograph Beauty and the Beast and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Logan-Rogersville High School. She was awarded a scholarship to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at M.S.U. for dance in the summer of 2005. Her favorite performance roles include the Sugar Plum Fairy, Spanish, and Snow Queen in Springfield Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Teresa Simpson, Instructor
Teresa Simpson first began dancing as a means to combat weak leg muscles. Today, her training covers a broad range of dance techniques including classical ballet, modern, and improvisation. Prior to earning a B.F.A. in dance performance at Missouri State University, Teresa studied with the St. Louis Ballet School performing in the company's production of The Nutcracker and participating in student workshops. While in college, Teresa toured with Missouri State's community outreach dance company, Inertia; performed in several faculty, student, and guest choreographer works; and presented choreography at the American College Dance Festival. After graduating summa cum laude in 2008, Teresa taught, choreographed, and helped bring to life a performing arts after school program at the Academy of Performing Arts in Nashville, TN. Most recently, she has continued her own training with Nashville Ballet and has worked as a Montessori teacher, earning an International Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center in 2010 and incorporating basic creative movement into a prepared environment Montessori curriculum.
Carla Williams, Instructor and Choreographer
Carla Williams was born and raised in St. Louis where she began her dance study at age 3 and began teaching dance at 18. She graduated cum laude in 2005 from Missouri State University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance. While at MSU, she had the pleasure of performing in faculty and student works, performing and presenting choreography at the American College Dance Festival, and touring with the University’s outreach company, Inertia. After college, Carla spent time dancing professionally with aha! Dance Theatre and has enjoyed opportunities to perform the work of Susan Dodge, Susan Rieger, Lon Gordon, Dan Stark, and Tina Kambour. She’s currently involved with teaching dance for Springfield Ballet and Missouri State University. Recently, Carla earned her Pilates certification through Polestar Pilates Education, and she currently teaches Pilates at Shape Shifters in Springfield, MO. It is a personal goal of Carla’s to bring more professional dance performance opportunities to the Ozarks area.
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