meet the staff

Marisa Mailhes

Owner & Artistic Director

Marisa trained at Cherrilane School of Dance in Dallas, Texas for 13 years in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical & hip hop. She has also studied contemporary, modern, theatrical dance, and pointe. Marisa began her performance career early as an actress on the Barney and Friends television show as Hannah. She danced and sang on the show as a regular cast member for three years. This experience encouraged her love for performing and opened the doors for many other opportunities throughout her childhood both in the dance, acting and modeling world. She went on to study dance at Texas A&M University where she graduated with the first ever University Studies, Dance Concentration degree from A&M with a focus on classical modern dance as well as the art of teaching. She also obtained a minor in both communications and business. While in college, she was a principal member of the EmSu Dance Company and took master classes from many of their guest artists. Marisa also attended ACDF, American College Dance Festival all 4 years and was selected to perform at the festival in faculty works several years. While in College Station she also professionally danced with the Armstrong Bergeron Dance Company, a modern based dance company. During College, she found her passion for contemporary dance and choreography. Marisa loves to find new and inventive ways to move and interesting themes and stories to portray through her dance.

Marisa began teaching in 2004 and has always had a love for children. As her dance career grew, she could never let go of teaching. She has taught at various studios throughout Texas as a lead instructor as well as teaching workshops for out of town studios. Expressions Dance and Music in College Station became her home studio for many years and she attributes Expressions with where she grew the most as a dance educator and choreographer. She became the director of several of their competitive dance companies and won various awards for choreography throughout the competition scene.

Marisa opened Red Door Dance Academy in 2010 to bring her passion for dance to the Wylie area. Red Door Dance was opened to create a place with high quality dance educators where dancers can fall in love with the art, be inspired, and have fun while learning. Marisa lives in Plano with her supportive husband, Trey and 3 beautiful children. Her daughter, Colbie, and twin boys, Asher & Hudson, have started dancing at Red Door!

Jessica Bolton

Jessica is a Texarkana, Arkansas native and studied at Judith McCarty School of Dancing for fifteen years. At the age of fourteen she began teaching classes and working to obtain her dance teachers certificate from her hometown studio. During her time at Judith McCarty’s she was an active member of the Texarkana Community Ballet and has performed numerous roles in The Nutcracker that include the Dew Drop Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy, as well as Coppélia, a friend of Swanhilda, and Prayer soloist in Coppélia. Jessica grew up attending the Texas Association Teachers of Dancing (TATD) convention, and studied under many choreographers including Jay Fagan, Leslie Scott, Mandy Moore, Keith Clifton, and Rhonda Miller. She was a both a Ballet and Merit Scholarship recipient as a student at TATD, and she is currently studying to become a member teacher of the organization. Jessica has attended many summer intensive programs including The Radio City Rockette’s, Ballet Magnificat!, and Ballet Austin.

Jessica obtained her B.S. in General Studies from the University of Mississippi and during her time in Mississippi she taught ballet, tap, and jazz at Grenada School of Performing Arts. After college she moved to Louisiana to teach high school English and coached the varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders. Under her instruction the Varsity team qualified and danced in the Disney Christmas Day parade in Orlando, Florida. Jessica has coached cheerleaders that have gone on to cheer on squads at Grambling State University, Northwestern State University, and University of Louisiana at Monroe. After getting married to husband, John in the summer of 2015 she moved to the Dallas area and has been with Red Door since. Jessica has recently moved back to Texarkana to be near family, where she now directs and runs a Texarkana, TX location of Red Door Dance Academy!

Director/Co-Owner of Red Door Dance in Texarkana

Lauren Howard-Celis

Artistic Director of Company Inspired,

Leveled Program Director & Dance Instructor

Lauren began dancing at age five at Forcher’s Dance Center in Irving, TX where she studied classical ballet in the Balanchine style under Jacquelyn Ralls Forcher. At age 11 she was accepted to the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet and studied with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy summer intensive and Fort Worth School of Ballet programs. After competing with Forcher’s Dance Center Company for several years she began studying at various studios throughout the Metroplex. She landed at Rhythm Nation Studios for 4 years where she began teaching at age 15. She performed with their professional company at venues such as Six Flags Over Texas and local festivals as a featured dance and vocal soloist and choreographer. At 18, Lauren began to dance with Momentum Dance Company in their professional pointe and contemporary companies where she danced in the corps de ballet and as a demi-soloist for two seasons. During college, Lauren was a member and served as an officer of the Texas A&M Dance Arts Society that allowed her to continue to perform and develop her choreography skills. Lauren is currently serving as Artistic Director of Momentum Dance Company and just brought their 16th Nutcracker season to a close while also performing as Waltz of the Flowers and Waltz of the Snowflakes Princess and Marzipan principal dancer.

Lauren graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M with a BA in Spanish in 2008, an MA in Linguistics in 2010 (Whoop!). While at school, Lauren began working full time at Expressions Dance and Music Studios. She became the Artistic Director of Competitive Dance for four of her five years there. Under Lauren’s direction, the competitive teams and soloists won First Overall titles and placed Top 3 at regional competitions and Top 5 in national-level competitions such as Showstopper, American Dance/Drill Team, Crowdpleasers, Open Call and Encore. Her award-winning choreography has been recognized both regionally

and nationally, as well. Several dancers under her direction have gone on to become officers of their high school dance and drill teams, as well as the Kilgore Rangerettes. Several long-time students of hers were accepted to the New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theater summer intensive and year-round programs, as well as the Houston Metropolitan, New York City Dance Alliance and Debbie Allen Dance Academy summer intensives.

Marisa opened Red Door Dance Academy in 2010 to bring her passion for dance to the Wylie area. Red Door Dance was opened to create a place with high quality dance educators where dancers can fall in love with the art, be inspired, and have fun while learning. Marisa lives in Plano with her supportive husband, Trey and 3 beautiful children. Her daughter, Colbie, and twin boys, Asher & Hudson, have started dancing at Red Door!

Jamie Williams

Jamie started her dance career in eighth grade drill team, which led her to four years of drill team experience in high school with the award winning Ford High School Blue Belles in Quinlan, TX. It was there that she built experience in choreography, event participation, and leadership, as she was named Lieutenant her junior year and Captain her senior year.

Jamie graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in Psychology and Performing Arts. As a dancer at UTD, she performed in showcases on campus under the direction of Micki Saba, head of the dance department at UTD. Jamie also had the good fortune to study with Michelle Hanlon of Elledanceworks, and Jennifer Mabus of Robert Battle’s company in New York, Battleworks. While at UTD, she participated in the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) and worked with many prestigious choreographers from around the nation.

Jamie has choreographed for UTD showcases, a multitude of local high school drill teams, a variety of high-scoring competition solos, and even the musical “Beauty and the Beast” for Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy. She currently coaches junior high and varsity cheer at Wylie Preparatory Academy. She enjoys performing and choreographing on her own time whenever possible, and in continuing her education as a dance professional, she attended Rhee Gold’s DanceLife Teacher Conference in 2008 and 2019, The Pulse in New York in 2010, and Dance Teacher Summit in California in 2017. At these conferences she was able to work with such choreographers as Joe Lanteri, Jo Rowan, Joe Tremaine, Mia Michaels, Andy Blankenbueller, and learn from prominent dancers such as Desmond Richadrson, Dave Scott, Lauriann Gibson, and the list goes on. Jamie is a Level 1 Certified MuvMethod Instructor. MuvMethod is a mind-body movement system designed to meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of dancers. This science-based approach to dance conditioning specializes in weekly stretching made safe, easy, and effective to help dancers reach their full potential while avoiding injury.

Jamie continuously strives to grow as a choreographer and dance educator in learning new techniques and styles. She is proud to be Red Door’s Shining Stars Director. She currently lives in Wylie with her husband, Blair, and their son, Carter.

Shining Stars Program Director & Dance Instructor

Taylor Waters

Marketing and Public Relations Manager & Dance Instructor

Taylor started dance at the age of three at KJ Dance in Plano and continued her dance education at Morrow’s Performing Arts Center from age four on. She has competitively danced since she was eight and began teaching her own classes at age 14. During her competitive dancing years, she won awards such as “raw emotion”, “most potential”, “best feet”, and numerous first place overall scores. While she enjoyed the completion side of dance, she always stayed true to her roots: ballet. Ballet is the foundation of all styles of dance and Taylor realized that from an early age. Her favorite thing about ballet is the discipline it teaches and how that can translate to many other areas in a dancer’s life.

In high school, Taylor was the inaugural 1st Lieutenant at McMillen High School in Murphy. Upon graduating from Plano East Senior High school, Taylor moved to College Station to attend the best university on Earth: Texas A&M. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in May 2018. While in College Station, Taylor worked at Expressions Dance and Music. This is where she was able to grow as a dance teacher and unlock her true passion for teaching. She was in charge of the Pointe program and wrote curriculum and tests. She assisted the Artistic Director with all aspects of the company and competitions.

As the Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Taylor handles all things social media, graphic design, website, and more!

Taylor is so excited to teach at Red Door and share her passion and love for dance. She enjoys motivating her students to reach their full potential and encouraging them to be the best they can be as dancers and as people too!

Marianne Kuers

Marianne is in her second career as an employee with Red Door Dance. She is excited to be working with her daughter (Marisa Kuers Mailhes). Marianne’s business experience includes over 30 years in the mortgage banking business. She retired from Bank America in 2015, decided to join the Red Door Dance team and has enjoyed every day since.

Marianne has the experience most important to the operation of a dance studio – she has 25 years as a Dance Mom for both a girl and a boy. She has worked with every aspect of preparing children for dance class from clothing to scheduling and preparing that essential dance bun. Marianne has also been a back stage manager for every Red Door Dance recital since it opened. She is no stranger to the art of dance either, as she is accomplished in country, ballroom and swing dance. She has performed on stage at the Majestic Theater in Dallas.

As Costume Manager Marianne plans, coordinates and implements all things related to costumes for Company, Teams and Recital. She works to make costume season easy for parents. Marianne loves helping dancers feel confident and look great on stage.

Marianne balances her work at the studio with family time involving her three children and 7 grandchildren. She loves helping children and their parents in managing the difficult task of time management so essential to the lessons, costumes, and recital preparation that every family must coordinate. She loves all children, especially dancing children! A plaque above her desk at home proclaims “Why walk, Mama, when you can dance?”, a phrase Marisa would proclaim as a young child.

Studio Administration and Costume Management
Emily Thomas
FiRED Up Director & Dance Instructor

Emily was born in Virginia and moved to Texas when she was 5. She has always had a passion for dance since the day she could walk, from living room dance parties ,to dancing in the grocery store. She began her official dance journey with Wylie Drill Team in 5th grade. She continued drill team at Cooper Junior High and then went to Wylie High School where she was a member of the Wylie Pirate Pacesetters. Her junior year she was a Lieutenant and her senior year she held the position of the team captain. From there she went on to dance at Collin College where she was a part of their modern dance company, Collin Dance Ensemble,for 3 years. While at Collin she was trained in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, Improvisation, Dance Choreography, Pilates for Dancers and Laban Studies. She had many opportunities to perform at the American College Dance Festival where her and her company were honored with many awards. Along with her performances with CDE, Emily had the opportunity to take master classes from wonderful dance educators such as Debra Knapp, Darby Wilde, Matthew Henley, and Anjali Austin.

After her 3 years at Collin College, Emily transferred to The University of North Texas, where she recently finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. While at UNT she continued her training in ballet, modern, and jazz, as well as Kinesiology, Dance Pedagogy, Stage Production, Principles of Dance Performance, Music for Dancers, and Choreography. Emily also had the privilege of being casted as a soloist in a piece Bill Evans choreographed. Bill selected a small group of dancers at UNT and the dance was performed at the American College Dance Festival. Along with the soloist position, Emily also preformed in many staff and student choreographed dances throughout her journey at UNT.

While in Denton, Emily was a dance teacher at Silhouette Dance Company for 3 years. She taught many classes alongwith being the Dance Team(the non-competitive dance group) director for the studio. When she teaches her goal is to educate her students about their bodies and how to efficiently use their muscles , as well as create a safe environment for them to learn. She is energetic, encouraging and bubbly, but expects the best from her students. She has a huge passion for teaching and she is so excited to start her journey here at Red Door Dance Academy!

Montana Wright
Acro Program Head & Dance Instructor

Montana began dancing at the young age of 2 taught by Gwen Owens at the London School of Dance in Garland Texas and was a student there for 5 years. She then moved to Wylie and began perusing competitive dance. From the first competition Montana was hooked! By the age of 10 she had decided that dance was her passion and would one day be her career. Montana became part of the Red Door family in 2011 at the age of 13 where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and dance acrobatics while continuing to dance competitively through the Burnett Junior High Sweethearts as their Captain. The following year she participated in the Wylie East High School Sapphire’s as well as being a member of the Company InspiRED competitive team here at RDDA. This was the year Montana fell in love with teaching when was invited to be a part of the STAR program at RDDA to be a student teaching assistant. Throughout her journey teaching and competing in high school Montana won various platinum and overall placement awards for her solos, full and half scholarships to various competitions, as well as “intensity”, “story-teller”, “beautiful emotion” and a range of other performance special awards. 2016 was a big year for Montana, she graduated from Wylie East High School while being a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, she continued to win platinum and overall awards for her solo as well as a full scholarship to Dance league conventions. The summer of 2016 is when her journey as an RDDA teacher began and she has loved every minute of it.

Currently Montana is attending Collin College pursing an associate of arts degree and a minor in developmental psychology. She is continuing her dance education while being a member of Urban Dance Company directed by Stephen McMaryion as well as dancing recreationally at Contemporary Ballet of Dallas.

Montana Is thrilled to get to share her love of dance with the student at Red Door Dance Academy. She is enlightened and inspired by every student she has the pleasure of teaching, and is excited to see what each new dance season has to offer!!

Lily Jones

Lily has been dancing, singing, and studying theatre since the age of 11. Originally from Greenville TX, she started her journey in the arts through a community theater in Rockwall, having done one show with her older sister. Interest growing in the direction of dancing, she started taking a Ballet class at Timbrel School for the Arts, and from then on immediately added more classes, such as Theatre Dance, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, and later, Pointe. She was also a part of the studios Lyra Company, dancing at conventions, events, and a few competitions. She continued and progressed in all her classes and was offered a place in the Assistant Teacher program, where she began learning teaching skills. She assisted multiple classes at the age of 13, and at 16 was given her own class. The next year she took on an employed position as Dance Instructor of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Theater, & Contemporary. While continuing to teach at Timbrel, she started branching out in her area, and choreographed a few numbers for The Greenville Christian School’s Choir play in the spring of 2015, and Greenville Family Theater’s Fundraiser in the fall of 2015. She taught a semester of Ballet for the Vocal Students of Texas A&M Commerce Music Department that same year. In the Spring & Summer of 2017 she choreographed Greenville Family Theater’s “Singin’ in the Rain” which featured many dance numbers such as Tap, Ballet & Jazz. She has a love of singing as well, and started taking vocal lessons in Dallas with several instructors such as Barbara Doubt, Patricia Ivey, and most recently Dr. Jennifer Glidden at Texas A&M Commerce. She attended and placed in vocal competitions in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth & Oklahoma City University. She has a background in Musical Theater, doing multiple shows in the Dallas area. She did many shows in her hometown of Greenville including Fiddler on the Roof (as Tzeitel), Hello Dolly! (as Dolly Levi), and Meet Me in St. Louis (as Rose Smith) to name a few. More recently she was featured in Allen Community Theater’s Production of “Young Frankenstein” as Inga. Lily is thrilled to be part of the Red Door Dance Team!

Dance Instructor
Heather Brown
Dance Instructor

Heather started dancing at Whistle Stop Dance Company at the age of 3 in 1987 and performed as a ‘Superstar’ in her first recital, Broadway Beat. In junior high Heather started drill team as a Liberty Junior High Belle and a Talent ‘N More Shining Star, and in high school she was a Berkner High School Bandolera. She has competed in many competitions over the years including Starmakers, American Dance/Drill (ADTS), and Showstoppers, just to name a few. Heather continued her training at Whistle Stop through high school and began teaching at Whistle Stop in 2002. Heather has also trained at Richland College, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Collin College as a part of the Collin Dance Ensemble, Collin College’s resident modern repertory company. She has judged competitions and try-outs for Dallas Select Football League, Spirit Event Coordinators, and at many junior highs, middle schools and high schools in the DFW metroplex. Heather has served as Dance Captain for several church and community musicals and taken part in many community performances including Wildflower! Festival, Candlelight at Dallas Heritage Village, Plano Balloon Festival, as well as many others. In 2009 Heather became a member of the Texas Association Teachers of Dancing, Inc. (TATD). She is also a member of the Dance Council of North Texas and a former member of the Shufflin’ Shoes cloggers, a clogging team hosted at Studio 3 Dance in Plano. Heather has previously taught classes at The Dance FX Studio in Garland, KC Dance & Cheer Center in Sachse, and is currently on staff at Talent N’ More Dance Centre in Richardson. Heather’s heart and soul go into her dancing and teaching as she loves to see a student’s face light up when they achieve a goal or walk onto the stage. She loves passing on an art form that she has such a passion for.

Heather works in finance at St. Andrew Methodist Church. She is excited to be a part of the staff at Red Door Dance Academy!

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique,

they are great because of their passion.”

-Martha Graham

Molly Cooke

Molly has been dancing since she was three years old. She trained at Chamberlain School of Ballet where she initially took ballet and tap. Her love for dance quickly grew and she added many more styles to her repertoire including jazz, modern, pointe, flamenco, and musical theater. Her truest love has always been ballet and at age 11 she entered Chamberlain’s pre-professional training company as a trainee. The same year she auditioned for and was accepted into The School of American Ballet’s (SAB) summer intensive in New York City. She continued training with Chamberlain’s dance company where she quickly grew up the ranks and danced with the senior company until an injury put an end to her professional dreams.

Molly auditioned for and was accepted at several of the country’s most renowned summer programs including School of American Ballet (SAB), Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB), Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Next Generation Ballet.

Molly has performed in many ballets including Charlotte’s Web, Peter in the Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker, where she danced the highly coveted roles of Clara, Marzipan, and Rose in Waltz of the Flowers. Molly says that dancing in The Nutcracker on stage with Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle from the New York City Ballet was a highlight of her dancing career.

Molly’s rigorous training in the Balanchine style of ballet has afforded her the opportunity to study with some very accomplished dancers including Tiler Peck, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, and Edward Villella. Within these opportunities, she had the chance to learn ballet from the Balanchine Trust.

Molly is a 2020 graduate of Wylie high school and is attending college for a career in education with a minor in dance. Molly hopes to be an inspiration for other ballerinas and to share what she has learned with them.

Dance Instructor
Alexi Grant
Dance Instructor

Alexi put on her first pair of tap shoes at the age of two when she began taking tap lessons at Steps a Dance Studio, and hasn’t taken them off much since. Her love of dance grew as she continued to train in tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, musical theater, and hip hop at Steps, as well as at Chamberlain School of Ballet, The Ballet Conservatory, and Dance Industry.

Growing up, Alexi pursued dance in a variety of ways. She competed solos, duets, and group routines with Steps for 16 years. She performed various roles with the Moscow Russian Ballet from 2008-2010. In high school, Alexi earned a position on Dallas’ Drawbacks Youth Tap Ensemble, where her passion for tap dance was cultivated under the instruction of Katelyn Harris and Keira Leverton. As a member of DYTE, Alexi had the opportunity to perform at various events including National Tap Dance Day, Plano Dance Festival, Dance for the Planet, and Good Morning Texas, among many others. With DYTE she traveled to participate in tap festivals such as Soul to Sole, Third Coast Rhythm Project, and Chicago Human Rhythm Project. She has trained with some of the greatest tap instructors and performers in the world, including Dianne Walker, Jay Fagan, Barbara Phillips, Acia Gray, Derick Grant, Jason Janas, Gene Medler, Josh Hilberman, Michelle Dorrance, Nicole Hockenberry, Jason Samuels Smith, Nicholas Young, Max Pollak, and Sarah Savelli, to name a few. Her junior year of high school she became a member of the Dallas Christian Chargerettes drill team, where she would later go on to serve as 1st Lieutenant her senior year. As a Chargerette, she was recognized as an All-American Dancer both years by the American Dance and Drill Team organization, which afforded her the opportunity to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2011 and 2012.

Alexi began teaching dance at the end of her senior year of high school. She has taught a variety of dancers from the youngest dancers in beginner combo classes, up to adults taking class for the first time, to everything in between, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, musical theater, and hip hop. At Baylor University, Alexi obtained a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders in order to pursue a career as a Speech Language Pathologist. She also obtained a Dance minor that focused on the pedagogy of dance and choreography. During this time, Alexi was also a member of the Rhythmic Souls Tap Company. Here she had the opportunity to bring classic tap dances back to the stage by performing iconic pieces such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s famous “Stair Dance” and “Moses Supposes” performed by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in Singin’ in the Rain. In college she continued teaching for two years at Joy’s School of Dance in Waco, TX. She also sought out opportunities to dance at Baylor by performing with Baylor’s hip hop group, Poppers, Lockers, and Breakers.

Alexi holds a Master’s of Speech Pathology from the University of Texas at Dallas, and is working as a Speech Language Pathologist in Wylie ISD. She is also an instructor for the Dallas youth tap ensemble, Choreo Records, and a performer with their professional company. Tap Dance is Alexi’s greatest joy and passion. She is overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to share this passion with her students at Red Door. She is eager to learn from the immensely talented staff and grow alongside her students.

Alexa Guajardo

Alexa began dancing at the age of three and has not stopped since! In her childhood, most of her dancing was done at a small studio in Rockwall. There, Alexa found an incredible passion for hip hop and jazz styles, and for performing onstage! In 2012, Alexa switched gears and started her journey with the Royse City High School Golden Debs. While on this team, she learned that she had a love for teaching and choreographing. In 2016, Alexa started her collegiate journey by pursuing dance at Collin College. She studied under several professors, learning ballet, modern, and jazz techniques, and studying improvisation and choreography. Alexa credits her passion for modern, and much of her dance accomplishments to her time at Collin. While attending, she was a member of the Collin Dance Ensemble for three years. Alexa was granted the opportunity to perform at ACDA all three of those years, and in 2018 took her own choreographic work to be adjudicated. She attended an incredible number of masterclasses and workshops taught by several accomplished dancers during this time as well. In 2019, Alexa graduated from Collin College with an Associate of Arts. She then went on to receive a Bachelor of General Studies from Texas Women’s University with concentrations in Health Studies, Sociology, and English.

Alexa started her teaching career in 2018 at a small studio in Mckinney where she taught classes of all styles to children under 9. In 2019, she moved to RAD Dance Arts Academy (formerly Dance Prodigy Studios) and Rhythm House Dance Studio. She worked with each of these studios until 2022. Her roles included teaching classes for ages 2-adult, choreographing competitive group pieces and solos, and creating curriculum. In 2020, Alexa founded North Star Dance Project, a semiprofessional dance company with missions to support dancers on their continued journeys through dance and performance. The company is a collaborative space and encourages all of its members to present choreography and push the boundaries of their own artistry.

Alexa believes that dance is a language that anyone can learn. She aims to provide classes that focus on dancers’ overall health and wellness while promoting achievement in a safe way. She is excited to continue her teaching career with Red Door!

Dance Instructor
Molly Nicole
Dance Instructor

Molly began dancing at the age of 4 and has been hooked ever since. In her early years, she studied tap and hip hop and found a love for musical theater. In high school, she performed with Cheer, Drill Team, and the school’s Country Western dance team, where she learned partner stunting in the style of the Aggie Wrangler’s.

After obtaining her diploma, she began her collegiate journey in Corpus Christi studying Theatre with an emphasis in acting and a minor in dance. In 2018, she switched gears and auditioned and was accepted to the Collin Dance Ensemble. Here she performed in adjudicated and informal pieces at ACDA and was selected to dance in several pieces created by staff, guest artists, and students alike.

In 2019, Molly began studying at Texas Tech, where she was able to study theatre, vocal performance, and dance with a focus in Jazz and Ballet, alongside studies in Pedagogy of Dance and Kinesiology. Now she is transitioning back to life as a dancer. She believes that dancers deserve a place to learn which upholds safety and ethical standards, and her teaching mirrors that moral stance. She is so excited to be starting her journey with Red Door.

Tralene Devine

Tralene’s relationship with dance has been an adventure since day one. She grew up at Restored to Glory Dance Ministry in Bay City, Michigan from the time she was seven years old and into her first two years of college. It was there that she developed a deep love for sharing the passion of ministry and movement and passing on those blessings to others. She began to assist at fourteen years old, and by the time she was sixteen was beginning to enter into the position of a lead teacher.

After high school she went on to study Dance Performance at Anderson University in Indiana earning her Bachelor of Arts degree with a minor in Church Music. While in college, Tralene was a paid teacher’s assistant, a student office administrator, a member of the board of students for hiring of new professors, and a social media team member for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. She participated in numerous student-led chapel events involving dancers, attended The Midwest Dance Festival, earned several dance awards for academics and choreography, created her own senior project and concert involving a large number of the dance department’s majors, performed in an astonishing amount of concerts and projects in and around campus, and attended ACDA (American College Dance Association) for four years–presenting her own choreographed work as well as dancing in others’. It was also here that she developed a deep love for the classical forms of dance, in particular modern and ballet, and a heartfelt appreciation for the art.

In the summer following her graduation from college, Tralene was honored to lead a mission team of dancers overseas to Europe where they had the opportunity to teach and lead art camps at various locations including: a school for the arts, churches, and on the streets. Immediately following that trip, Tralene relocated to Houston, Texas to dance professionally where she joined Ad Deum II Dance Company for two years, spent one year working at the ministry she grew up in in Michigan, and then joined Open Sky Arts Collective in the Woodlands, Texas for three seasons.

Wherever Tralene has gone, her passion for teaching and loving students has followed as she has spent a lot of time traveling across the country to teach at camps and summer intensives–bringing the joy and beauty of dance and all of its many blessings to places where she has developed connections with people who share that heartbeat. Tralene recently relocated once more to the Dallas area to marry her best friend, and is elated to have the honor of joining the Red Door family as well! On to new adventures!!

Dance Instructor
Gabrielle Tilley
Dance Instructor

Gabrielle began dancing recreationally at the age of four at Pat Riddle School of Dance in Colleyville, TX, starting with Ballet and Tap which sparked her love of performing. At age six she joined company and started dancing competitively in Jazz and Tap. As she continued competing she picked up other styles including, Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater, and her personal favorite, Hip-Hop. At age eleven she moved to Studio A Dance in Southlake where she competed on Teen and Senior company. During her time at Studio A, Gabrielle had the opportunity to dance off broadway in a week-long production of The Weaving at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. During the trip she was able to meet and take classes from some of the principal dancers from the New York City Ballet. Once she reached high school, Gabrielle danced for the drill team all four years at Colleyville Heritage High School (CHHS). Her freshman year she was a Line Officer for the Pantherettes where she performed Kick, Jazz, Modern, and Pom. She spent the next three years on the Premier Panteras Varsity Dance Team performing field routines and competing in Jazz, Pom, Contemporary, and Lyrical. She was a Senior Lieutenant her last year when the team placed 1st Overall at Crowd Pleasers Grand Nationals. She also took theater in high school, dancing and singing in the musicals Hairspray and Curtains. During this time, she was also on Artistry in Motion’s Hip Hop Crew where she had the opportunity to compete at Dallas World of Dance. After graduating, Gabrielle went to The University of North Texas (UNT) where she majored in Political Science and History. She was in many student organizations on campus including the North Texas Dancers (NTD). For two years she performed Jazz, Pom, and Hip-Hop routines at every home football game and basketball games. Her team also competed at NDA Nationals in the Jazz D1A division. While she was on NTD they not only made it to NDA finals for the first time in program history, but also danced alongside the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue. During and after college, she also worked at the Universal Dance Association (UDA) for three years. As a UDA staffer she traveled to several camps throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma. She taught dances as well as Team Building, Gameday Prep, and technique classes to hundreds of middle school and high school dancers. Upon completing her undergraduate program, she stayed at UNT for her Master’s Degree in International Studies. While studying for her Master’s she joined a local all-female Hip-Hop training team, Team Brownies. She was on Team Brownies for two years where she studied Hip-Hop foundations and performed at Team Athena’s Renaissance Showcase and The Underground Movement Festival in Plano. Gabrielle has learned so much throughout her dance career from experiencing so many different dance worlds and meeting many incredible people. She wants for her students to experience the best of dance by growing into well-rounded students, artists, and athletes. She is very excited to begin teaching at Red Door Dance Academy and hopes to share her love for dance, music, and culture with everyone!

Kimberly McPherson
Administrative Assistant

Kimberly started dancing in 2006 at the age of 5. She was with Ambassadors of Dance for 6 years before starting at Red Door Dance. At Ambassadors of Dance, she learned Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Pointe. In 3rd grade, she started in Wylie Drill Team and continued with drill team through 6th grade. When she started at Red Door, she focused more on Ballet and Pointe, until her senior year when she added Contemporary.

Kimberly was raised in Wylie and she graduated from Wylie East in 2019. In high school, she was part of the Pride of the East Marching Band for three years as a flutist. She is now studying at Collin College to get a major in Criminal Justice, while also studying dance. Her goal is to become a Crime Scene Technician and to be a dance teacher.

Kimberly is excited to be a part of the Red Door family!

Jenn Torres

Jennifer Torres was born and raised in Dallas, TX and began dancing at the age of four, first at Calico Kids in Garland, then under the direction of Gwen Owens and Misty Owens at London School of Dance. She studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern throughout her schooling and continued into college.
Jennifer has had many diverse opportunities dancing in the Collin Dance Ensemble at Collin College under the direction of Tiffanee Arnold, and with Micki Saba and Michele Hanlon in the UTD dance Ensemble at the University of Texas at Dallas. During her time in college she was fortunate to have participated in many intensive workshops and residencies from such artists as Pilobolus Too, Battleworks, and learning the art of aerial dance from Annie Bunker of O-T-O Dance in Arizona. She attended the American College Dance Festival, both with Collin College and UTD, where her choreography was presented at the informal concerts.
After college she was a member of the professional modern dance company Elledanceworks for nine years, performing all over the metroplex. She also performed as part of the Danielle Georgiou Dance Company (DGDG) during this time. She has taught Modern, Tap, and Jazz at several studios in the Garland area, and is excited about joining the Red Door family this year. She lives in Wylie with her husband Luis, and her two sons Lucas and Elijah.

Customer Care Team

Testimonials

We love Red Door! We've been attending the studio now for almost two years. My daughter has blossomed so much during that time. Dancing is her love. She looks so much forward to dance class. If she could, she would be there every day. The instructors are kind, attentive, and fun. We have gone to a previous dance studio before, and have done many other activities as well, and this is the one place where I know my daughter feels welcomed and appreciated. The studio is also clean and the parents are very friendly. I have met so many other amazing moms there that I now consider my dear friends. Thank you Red Door!

- Nancy K.

This is a wonderful dance studio located in Wylie!!! They offer a wide range of classes...tumbling, tap, and ballet just to name a few! All different ages and levels are welcome!! They are SO organized and so professional!! We also LOVE the recital they put on at the end of the Spring Semester. The dress code and recital costumes are so cute and they have an online shop that makes ordering a breeze! If you have a child that is interested in dance, be sure to check out Red Door!!

- Ellen D.

Contact Us

ADDRESS

125 Hooper Rd, Wylie TX 75098

Monday 3:30-8:00

Tuesday 3:30-8:00

Wednesday 10:00-12:00, 3:30-8:00

Thursday 3:30-8:00

Friday 3:30-7:00

Saturday 9:30-1:00

Sunday : Closed

Check the studio schedule for holiday closures.

About

Red Door Dance Academy is a children's dance studio located in Wylie with an award-winning team dedicated to providing the best dance instruction and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.

Opening Hours

Monday 3:30pm - 8:00pm

Tuesday 3:30pm - 8:00

Wednesday 10:00am-12:00pm, 3:30pm-8:00pm

Thursday 3:30pm - 8:00pm

Friday 3:30pm - 7:00pm

Saturday 9:30pm - 1:00pm

Sunday : Closed

ADDRESS: 125 Hooper Rd, Wylie TX 75098

Email: info@dancereddoor.com

Telephone: (972) 490-4446

@ Copyright 2024 - Red Door Dance Academy - All rights reserved