Mary Lorraine's Dance Center

✨Teacher Spotlight: Miss Ashley✨

❤️What’s your favorite step to teach? 🖤
I don’t have a particularly favorite step to teach, but I love working on the finer details with students- like posture, straight knees, pointed toes, etc!

🖤Whats the best part about teaching dance? ❤️
I love watching the creativity and confidence grow in our students. I’ll teach a silly move and watch them go from feeling awkward doing it, to totally embracing it and using it as a jump off for creating their own moves and style!

✨Ashley grew up at Mary Lorraine’s Dance Center (MLDC), starting at the age of 3 thru age 18 studying ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, and was also on the competition team. In High School, Ashley was on the Millard West Dance Team. She attended Goucher College studying ballet, pointe, modern, and was in the school’s tap troupe. After transferring to Doane University, she joined the dance team and competed for three years in jazz, pom, and hip hop.
Ashley brings a wealth of teaching and coaching experience to MLDC. She spent many years working in early childhood education at a daycare and also taught English abroad in Thailand, giving her a unique perspective on connecting with students of all ages and backgrounds. She also served as the head coach of the Elkhorn North High School cheer team. Currently, Ashley is Senior Cost Basis Specialist at Orion Advisor Tech. She loves teaching technique and making sure students have a strong foundation! ✨

✨Teacher Spotlight: Miss Anna! ✨

❤️What is your favorite step to teach? 🖤
My favorite steps to teach are anything ballet related!

🖤What is the best part about teaching dance?❤️Getting to help all of the kids set and reach goals for themselves, both technically and creatively, and then being able to see the joy that comes from meeting those goals.

✨Anna danced at MLDC from the ages of 3 to 18. She studied ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, and tap and was a member of the competition team for 7 years. In high school, she performed in Tuck Everlasting (Bellevue Little Theatre) and five productions of The Nutcracker (American Midwest Ballet) while also studying voice at SNJ Studio of Music. Anna completed her first year of college studying English Literature at the University of Greenwich in London, England where she was a part of the dance team. She then transferred home to Creighton University, and graduated with her degree in English and Dance. At Creighton she performed featured roles in ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and The Nutcracker all choreographed by former NYCB dancer Elizabeth Alford. Anna is most passionate about sharing her love of ballet with students and the knowledge she gained from her professors, who have performed with world-renowned companies such as New York City Ballet, Pilobolus Modern Dance Company, and the Fosse National Tour.✨

✨Teacher Spotlight: Miss Rachel!✨

❤️What is your favorite step to teach?🖤
My favorite dance step to teach is magic wand kicks!

🖤What is the best part about teaching dance?❤️
Seeing the growth of each dancer from the beginning of the year to the end of the year! And of course, seeing their beautiful recital dances!

✨Rachel started dancing at the age 3 at Mary Lorraine’s Dance Center, and participated in ballet, pointe, tap, and jazz classes until her high school graduation. She was an assistant at the studio and was a captain of her high school cheer. She graduated from The University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in Early Childhood Inclusive Education, and taught Kindergarten and 1st grade in Orlando, FL while owning a small wedding business with her husband. She is back in Omaha working as a sales consultant and is so excited to be teaching dance classes again!✨

✨Teacher Spotlight: Miss Maddy✨

❤️What is your favorite step to teach?🖤
“My students know I love “jazz, jazz”, but I also love teaching time steps!”

🖤What is the best part about teaching dance?❤️
“I love getting to teach life skills through dance. Skills like being inclusive, kind, resilient, consistent, and grateful. These are things that can be used no matter what they do.”

✨Maddy grew up at MLDC and under the training of her mother, Mary Lorraine. She was on MLDC’s competition team, her high school dance team, and in high school musicals. She received her Bachelors of Art in Dance and minor in Entrepreneurship from Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, PA. She has extensive training in ballet, modern, jazz, lyrical, and tap. She attended Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester and Steps on Broadway in New York City. She has performed in many regional musicals throughout the U.S. including Sweet Charity, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Sister Act, 9 to 5 the Musical, La Cage Aux Folles, and Singin’ In the Rain. She was a dancer and singer at MGM’s Beau Rivage and Borgata Resorts and Casinos. Maddy has traveled throughout Asia, Europe, and Central America as a dancer and aerialist on Norwegian Cruise Line. She has performed in Tokyo, Japan twice in “Broadway’s Christmas Wonderland”. In addition to performing, she has taught internationally, was a writer for Dance Teacher Magazine, and has been a demonstrator for NYC Classes in both Modern and Ballet. Maddy recently created and produced a show for a new dance company, called the Omaha Jazz Dance Ensemble. She is excited to be teaching at MLDC and taking on the role of Associate Director.✨