Faculty

 

kim Kim Kelley - Tap Instructor and Progressions Elite Director

Kim Kelley is a native Houstonian who has trained with teachers throughout our great city. She danced with the prestigious Steven Boyd Dance Company where she resided as Dance Director for three years. Additionally, she has trained extensively with great educators such as Frank Hatchett and Doug Caldwell, and is privileged to have studied personally with Savion Glover and performed with him at Jones Hall in the show “Outrageous Rhythms.” Mrs. Kim has also shared her innovative teaching style in Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Lyrical throughout the South and Midwest as a faculty member of DTI Dance Conventions, and has taught numerous master classes throughout the country.

Her choreography has been set on the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, and she has been training dancers in Houston and the surrounding areas for over 25 years. Mrs. Kim brings something special to all her students as she shares her incredible passion in class and through her inspired choreography. Her love of teaching children the art of dance is both dynamic and very motivating.  Her tireless dedication to her students was recently recognized when she was named the recipient of the LADM Jackie Sleight Dance Educator of the Year award in 2019.

Currently Mrs. Kim resides as the Director of the award-winning Progressions Elite Dance Company here at Progressions Performing Arts, where she is proud to have trained dancers who have gone on to dance and musical theatre programs in many prestigious colleges, as well as successful careers with Disney, The Rockettes, Houston Texans cheerleaders, and many company, industrial and film rolls.
adrian Adrian Ciobanu - Ballet Instructor
 Mr. Ciobanu was born in Cluj, Romania where he graduated from the Liceul de Choregrafie, Octavian Stroia with honors, under the direction of his father, Florin Ciobanu. He then went on to work with the Romanian Opera Ballet for one year before moving to the Hungarian Opera Ballet. During his five years there, Mr. Ciobanu was promoted to Principal dancer. He toured extensively throughout Europe including France, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. Read more
 lisa Lisa Wolff - Jazz Instructor Lisa is a technical and inspiring teacher. She shares her knowledge and love of the industry through the eyes of a professional dancer.
  Laurel Collins Wright - Ballet Instructor Laurel Collins Wright is a graduate of Belhaven University where she received her BFA in Dance. She has also received training from Bolshoi Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet West, Rioulet, Ririe Woodberry, and Ballet Magnificat! In addition to being an instructor, she is the Academy Programs Coordinator for the Houston Ballet Foundation.
Otis Berry - Contemporary Instructor Otis Berry began dancing at the age of 10 and technical training under the tutelage of Valerie Beall at Eisenhower High school. He was encouraged to develop his passion and technique at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company as a Met Too dancer! After graduating high school, Otis began studying dance at Sam Houston State University where he had the privilege to train with Andy and Dionne Noble, Jennifer Pontius, Johnathan Charles Smith, Erin Reck and Dana and Betty Nicolay. He has trained in Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Hip hop, Pom, Kick, and Contemporary. After leaving SHSU, Otis began working with Urban Souls Dance Company, and has done guest work with Noble Motion Dance. Looking forward, Otis hopes to help shape the next generation of young artists through teaching and choreography.
  Alexys (Lexy) Herrera - Strength/Stretch, Jazz and Tumbling Instructor

Lexy is originally from Kansas. She moved to Spring in 2011 and is a Klein Oak High School graduate and a Progressions Elite Dance Company alumnae. Through her Progressions Elite training, she has worked with choreographers like Matt Dormae, Shauna Zambelli-Oliverio, Christian Vincent, and Lenorris Arnold.

She loves combining her degree in Exercise Science Kinesiology and her NASM education to create the strength and conditioning program here at PPA.

Before she started dancing at 15, she was a gold medalist and nationally ranked gymnast before an injury ended her career. She used that as her base and has added the ADTA training and syllabus to create the dance-based tumbling program here at PPA.

Her favorite genres of dance to choreograph are lyrical, musical theatre jazz and acro/open. Choreography can be seen on the competition, convention, and drill team circuits.
River Stenz - Ballet Instructor
Barbara Ellender - Young Children's Program, Ballet & Tap Combo  and Princess Fairytale Barbara Ellender grew up in Louisiana where she was a Principal Dancer for the Lake Charles Civic Ballet Company and on the Barbe Bluebelles Drill Team.  Barbara has loved to dance since she was a toddler dancing to the tunes from the Lawrence Welk Show.  She started Ballet training at the age of 4.   She is a two-time dance scholarship recipient from the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet Company where she trained under Anne & Bill Atkins, received awards from the Southwest Regional Ballet Festival and has performed in many ballets, musical theater and dance productions.  Barbara has 30+ years of dance experience in many genres with a core focus in Ballet and Tap.  Barbara is a former Disney Cast Member and Loves bringing the Disney Style Magic to her dance classes. She loves teaching children, is passionate about dance and sharing the joy and benefits of dance with dancers of all ages and abilities.
Amy Duncan - Ballet & Tap Combo  and Princess Fairytale