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Dupree Dance Faculty
Terrill Mitchell
Terrill Mitchell is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer who relocated to Houston, TX after receiving his B.A. in Dance from Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts. He was a seven-year company member with the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company (Met Dance) and has served as a faculty member for both the professional company and pre-professional company. He has worked with companies such as Attack Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, West Virginia Public Theatre, Playhouse Dance Company as well as performed in several industrial performances. Since joining the Houston MET he has performed works from choreographers such as: Caleb Mitchell, Jason Parsons, Spencer Gavin Hering, Jess Hendricks, Joe Celej, jhon r stronks, Kiesha Lalama, Peter Chu, Salim Gauwloos, Jason McDole, Kiki Lucas, Kate Skarpetowska, Lauren Edson and Larry Keigwin. He has performed at venues such as The Dance Gallery Festival, Bayou City Arts Festival, Artopia, Texas Contemporary Dance Festival and the APAP Conference. He has also had the pleasure of performing in the Boston Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Dance Festival in Massachusetts. Additionally, Terrill was chosen as one of Houston’s 100 creatives in 2014.
Meghan Way Stinson
Meghan Way Stinson grew up training in St. Louis, MO. She recently relocated to Phoenix, AZ after living in Los Angeles working as a professional dancer, international master teacher, and choreographer.
Credits include:
Industrials: (Mary Kay, Wrigleys, GE, Redken, Party Slate, Cisco and Tarbell Realty).
Live Stage & Commercials: TEDx, Carvel Ice Cream, John Robert Powers, Lopez Tonight, Disneyland’s “Snow White”, Professional Dancers Society Awards, Nokia Theater-Los Angeles, Dance Spirit Magazine, LA Fashion Week, AIDS Benefit with Jamie Lee Curtis, Carnival, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Miller Outdoor Theater, and Harrah’s.
She is a former member of Gregg Russell’s, “Tapsounds Underground” and Joelle Martinec’s, “SoleVita Dance Company”. And, she is a current member of the Dallas Dance Company, “Rhythmic Souls Tap Company”, in addition to directing their youth ensemble.
Meghan has been blessed with the opportunity to perform and teach master classes all over the world in Canada, Singapore, Costa Rica, England, Switzerland, Germany, Guatemala, and she has educated all across the United States. She also worked multiple times with the non-profit arts organization, Genesis:Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her work has been seen on television in Guatemala for a nationally broadcast industrial for Gallo Beer, and the seasonal show, Navidad Fantastica.
Meghan additionally had the chance to tour China and work with choreographer JoAnn Jansen for the 2010 World Expo based in Shanghai. Shortly afterward, she assisted JoJo Diggs in Tokyo, Japan, training J-POP stars. She has also assisted Liz Imperio, Tyce Diorio, Doug Caldwell, Gregg Russell, and Mandy Moore, among others.
Meghan has been on faculty for the EDGE in Hollywood, LA Dance Force, Little Rock Tap Fest, Syncopate, Tap Into the Network, and also taught & adjudicated for DMA, Hall of Fame Dance Challenge, Showstoppers, Idyllwild School of Music and Arts, Starlight, VIP Dance, and Dance Olympus. Meghan is super excited to continue her journey with Dupree this season!
Credits include:
Industrials: (Mary Kay, Wrigleys, GE, Redken, Party Slate, Cisco and Tarbell Realty).
Live Stage & Commercials: TEDx, Carvel Ice Cream, John Robert Powers, Lopez Tonight, Disneyland’s “Snow White”, Professional Dancers Society Awards, Nokia Theater-Los Angeles, Dance Spirit Magazine, LA Fashion Week, AIDS Benefit with Jamie Lee Curtis, Carnival, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Miller Outdoor Theater, and Harrah’s.
She is a former member of Gregg Russell’s, “Tapsounds Underground” and Joelle Martinec’s, “SoleVita Dance Company”. And, she is a current member of the Dallas Dance Company, “Rhythmic Souls Tap Company”, in addition to directing their youth ensemble.
Meghan has been blessed with the opportunity to perform and teach master classes all over the world in Canada, Singapore, Costa Rica, England, Switzerland, Germany, Guatemala, and she has educated all across the United States. She also worked multiple times with the non-profit arts organization, Genesis:Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her work has been seen on television in Guatemala for a nationally broadcast industrial for Gallo Beer, and the seasonal show, Navidad Fantastica.
Meghan additionally had the chance to tour China and work with choreographer JoAnn Jansen for the 2010 World Expo based in Shanghai. Shortly afterward, she assisted JoJo Diggs in Tokyo, Japan, training J-POP stars. She has also assisted Liz Imperio, Tyce Diorio, Doug Caldwell, Gregg Russell, and Mandy Moore, among others.
Meghan has been on faculty for the EDGE in Hollywood, LA Dance Force, Little Rock Tap Fest, Syncopate, Tap Into the Network, and also taught & adjudicated for DMA, Hall of Fame Dance Challenge, Showstoppers, Idyllwild School of Music and Arts, Starlight, VIP Dance, and Dance Olympus. Meghan is super excited to continue her journey with Dupree this season!
Erick Yanez
From his humble backyard to world-class stages! At the age of sixteen, Erick Yanez drew inspiration from the Jabbawokeez and began teaching himself the basics of hip hop from YouTube videos. After his first “pop and lock,” Erick fell in love with dance, enrolled in his high school’s dance classes, and was quickly propelled into teaching opportunities in his small hometown of Burnet, TX. Scoring well at local competitions led to greater opportunities to train from world-renowned choreographers including Matt Steffanina, Parris Goebel, Nappytabs, and Nick DeMoura. While establishing his name in hip hop, Erick began booking industry jobs. He has performed in music videos for Sean Paul, K Camp, Tory Lanez, and D Woods; traveled with an artist as a backup dancer; and choreographed commercials for Keds, Quaker State Motor Oil, and Suavs Shoes. Though he is now based out of Austin, TX, Erick currently travels the country teaching masterclasses and choreographing for dance studios, high school teams, officer camps, and even the Sacramento Kings NBA hip hop team! But above all, Erick enjoys teaching for Dupree Dance Convention, for whom he has had the pleasure for the past six years.
Kavita Rao
Kavita Rao, Artistic Director of Karmagraphy, produces distinctive contemporary dance styles. Internationally and regionally renowned for her choreography and teaching abilities, she conjures out of her world travels characteristics of Eastern and Western dance. Signed with one of LA’s top dance agencies, Go2Talent, Rao has been featured in numerous live shows, music videos, films, commercials, and television shows as a dancer. Her choreographic work includes projects for the NBA, NFL Draft, Disney Channel, Netflix, TBS, NBC, Apple TV, YouTube Red, and musical artists such as Vidya Vox, Snoop Dog, Esther Anaya, Joji, and more. She earned a world choreography nomination for her work on a Disney Channel commercial. Rao is also a master educator and professor who has taught worldwide and continues to do so. Educator credits include Heat Dance Convention, Dupree Dance Convention, Joffrey Ballet School, Artists in Training, Hussain College, Millennium, and studios and schools across the US and internationally.
Thayne Jasperson
Original Broadway cast: Hamilton (Samuel Seabury/King(us)/John Laurens(us)), Newsies (Astaire Award Nominee), Matilda, Finding Neverland (A.R.T), Only Gold MCC. National Tours: West Side Story, Oz (Scarecrow), So You Think You Can Dance. Film: Hamilton, High School Musical 1 & 2, MTV’s American Mall. TV: So You Think You Can Dance. @thaynejasperson
Melissa Miles
Melissa has been working in the LA commercial dance industry as a dancer and choreographer for many years now. A former Millennium Dance Complex and Debbie Reynolds instructor, She currently teaches an advanced jazz class at The EDGE in Hollywood. She was also invited to be the new international instructor at Broadway Dance Center Tokyo. Melissa performed on the AMA’S, Latin Grammy’s, Armenian Music Awards, Miss USA Pageant, and the Mtv Movie Awards. Artists she has danced for include European superstar Little Boots, Lil Mama, Kirk Franklin, TATU, Lil’ Bubba, and Gloria Gaynor. She has also danced on the hit tv shows 90210 and Carpool Karaoke. Other dance credits include Adidas, PlayStation, Paul Mitchell, Med Assets, and a USO European Tour. You can catch her dancing in a national commercial for Dish Network. Melissa has choreographed for the Clippers dance team, an industrial for Ducati, a commercial for Jacuzzi, and multiple music videos and live stage shows . Melissa is a choreographer and former performer of “All Wheel’s Extreme,” a high energy extreme sports show you may have seen on America’s Got Talent. Melissa is also one of their rehearsal directors. Melissa was dance choreographer for Aerial Ice, who was also showcased on America’s Got Talent. Melissa was lead choreographer at Knott’s Berry Farm where she choreographed The Haunt stage shows “Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem” part 1 and 2, “Ed Alonzo’s Funhouse”, “The Hanging” and “Bloomination.” She had the opportunity to work with Tyce Diorio preparing choreography for So You Think You Can Dance season 8 top 20 routine. Melissa is a former Streetz Dance Convention instructor where she taught jazz and lyrical for 10 years. She works frequently as guest teacher and choreographer. Her work has won multiple choreography awards. She has traveled internationally dancing, teaching, and choreographing throughout France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Canada. Most recently, she was chosen as the first technical dance instructor and judge for World of Dance Panama (WOD).
Craig Black
Craig Black began dancing at South Bay Dance Center at the age of ten. The California native was captain of his San Jose high school’s nationally ranked dance team. In 2011 Craig received his BFA from The Juilliard School where he was awarded the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance. He has received additional training at summer programs such as Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater Summer Intensive, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow where he was given the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence. Craig joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in the fall of 2017 after finishing six seasons with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. He has had the pleasure of dancing works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Robyn Mineko-Williams, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Cayetano Soto Ramirez among many others. In addition to his professional dance career, Craig is a passionate teacher. He has taught and choreographed for many schools and studios throughout the United States as well as co- choreographed and rehearsal directed for Cardi B and Offset’s 2019 BET Awards performance. Furthermore, Craig is certified to teach IMAGE TECH for DancersTM introductory level through advanced level and serves as guest faculty for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago main company, Hubbard Street Professional Program, Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, The Joffrey Academy, New York City Dance Alliance and Dupree Dance.
Anthea Young
Anthea Young was born in Kingston, JA and raised in Washington, DC. At age nine she took her first dance class at the Creative Dance Center under the direction of Joyce Mosso and Shawn Cosby. They noticed how natural dance and movement came to her and recommended she expand her ballet training outside of Creative Dance Center. This brought her to the Dance Theatre of Harlem's Residency Program at the Kennedy Center. In this program she received neoclassical ballet training from the relevant members of the company. Which then lead her to the Dance Institute of Washington, DIW, founded by Fabian Barnes, a former member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. DIW, had a youth performing company, and at age 16, Anthea began her professional career as a dancer. She was also a commercial break dancer for Teen Summit, aired on BET. In 2004 she received a B.F.A in Dance with a concentration in Ballet from Marymount Manhattan College and an offer to join Spectrum Dance Theater, under the direction of Donald Byrd.
Sean Smith
Sean J. Smith trained with Goh Ballet Academy, Ballet British Columbia’s Mentor Program and The Ailey School. He has performed with Ballet Creole (Toronto, Canada), Bruce Wood Dance Project (Dallas, Texas), Rhythmic Souls Tap Company, Dallas Opera, African American Repertory Theater and Dallas Black Dance Theatre where he danced for 14 seasons and also served as Rehearsal Director. Sean has performed with Dallas Theater Center in The Wiz (2011) and Hairspray (2018). Sean has choreographed three works for Dallas Black Dance Theatre: Monologues (2013), Interpretations (2017) and Swipe Left (2023) and one work for DBDT: Encore!, Dollhouse (2015). Sean also choreographed and conceptualized a modern-day interpretation of Petrushka in collaboration with Fort Worth Symphony in 2024. Sean has also choreographed for Boston Conservatory Summer Intensive, Joffrey Ballet School Texas and I.M. Terrell Academy. Sean is also a teacher for DASH Academy, Ambition Dance Productions and The Dallas Conservatory. Sean will be joining as Guest Faculty at Dupree Dance in 2025. Sean is also a Company Class Instructor at Ballet Papillon. Sean is a proud alum of The School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Gage Wayne Taylor
With over a decade of experience in the dance industry, Gage Wayne has established himself as a versatile performer and passionate educator. Specializing in jazz funk and hip hop, Gage has worked across various styles, including contemporary and musical theatre. His impressive resume includes notable performances in The Mean Girls Musical Movie, CMA Country Christmas, Netflix’s A Week Away, and commercials for brands like VROOM and Panda Express. Gage has also made appearances on American Horror Story , HULU, The Greatest Showman Live, and shared the stage with country icon Dolly Parton at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Dupree Dance Guest Faculty (Select Cities)
Dre Torres
Dre Torres, is an Internationally acclaimed Tap Dance Artist, Educator and Choreographer with a Bachelor of Science in American Dance Pedagogy from OCU. Dre is currently based in New York City and is the Asst. Tap Choreographer for Funny Girl on Broadway and the upcoming National Tour. Recent performances: Ayodele Casel’s Chasing Magic (Bessie Winner), AfroLatinJazz’s Worldwinds (Grammy Winner), NY City Center’s Fall for Dance and Little Island’s Music and Dance Fest. Career highlights: Comedy Central, Radio City, FOX, BBC, PBS, Harvard and 5 year’s as a Principal Dancer with Tapestry Dance Company Directed by Acia Gray. Faculty Credits: Broadway Dance Center, Pineapple Dance Studios, DansEncore International Festival to name a few. Dre co-choreographed OSCiLLATE’ on London-based tap company Old Kent Road. Dre Performed and toured venues including Sadler’s Wells (London), Edinburgh Fringe Fest (Scotland), Latitude Music Fest (Suffolk) and Shanghai’s Xintiandi Fest (Shanghai). Print: Fest Magazine, The New York & LA Times, Dance Magazine, London Theater Review, and Vida. Dre gives ultimate thanks and recognition to her Mom, Dad and Mona Bear for continued support, guidance and love. @DreTorres14
Dupree Dance Staff
Courtney Briggs
Alyssa Park
Alex Ware
Sarah Clemmons
Lauren Desmedt
Avery Anderson
Michaela Todaro
Sam Kennedy
Chaney Passer
Owners
Our Sincerest Thanks…
As parents of two dancers, it is our goal to host the kind of conventions and competitions that we can be proud of on all levels. We truly believe that competition brings dancers to the height of their performance and helps them learn to admire, strive and excel amidst dancers from their own studios and all over the country. We pride ourselves in the quality of events that we run, the great awards that we are able to give to our dancers and the phenomenal faculty we are lucky to showcase. But the true hallmark of Dupree lies in our infinite respect for the art of dance, the devoted teachers and the amazing parents who all play a critical part in showcasing talented dancers that breathe amazing life into our stage! Whether it’s a young ballerina braving her first solo or a seasoned group of competition dancers defending their title, we share an unconditional love and unrestrained joy in elevating these amazing moments in each dancer’s journey. We appreciate your support and guarantee you will leave our events with wonderful memories and a refreshed outlook on the artistry and industry of dance.
Zack and Kari Anderson
Owners, Dupree Dance
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