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Are you an adult who's thinking about taking a
dance class? Read Kelley Cunny's humorous story, The
Recital Report, about her first dance recital at the
age of 43! |
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FACULTY
Edwina
McPhail Worley | Trish Kellam
| JoAnn Schatz
Svetlana Krylova | Jennifer
Tcharikova | Teresa Pearce
Brenna Kuhn | Lauris
Blackwell | Meghan Gill |
Lisa Feder
Edwina
McPhail Worley
Edwina graduated from UT with a B.A. in Education and has been
teaching dance for 34 years. She grew up dancing at her mother’s
studio, the Shirley McPhail School of Dance,. Edwina studied
dance in 1974-75 at Sullins College in Bristol, VA, and then
returned to UT to get her degree in Physical Education. She
has been on the faculty for several dance conventions (TATD)
and has taught at “Tap it Up!” Ever since her mother’s
death in 1997, she has continued the SMSD tradition of dance
here in Austin. She has also served on the
TATD Board of Directors for 20 years. Edwina
is married to Neal Worley, is a Sunday school teacher, hand
bell ringer, an active member of Community Bible Study, an avid
fisherman and mother of her two dancing daughters, Elizabeth
and Kristin. |
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Patrica
Kellam (Miss Trish)
 "What
do you call a person who has been given the 'gift of pursuing
and fulfilling her lifelong dream' (which has lasted over fifty
years)? The dream of teaching and working with children!!!!??
Born and raised in Dallas, my twin brother and I began singing
and dancing when we were three years old. We performed on stage
and television as 'The Patterson' Twins.' When we were 12, a
talent scout offered us a movie contract. This is when I knew
that I didn't want to dance professionally - I wanted to teach!
And, believe it or not, I began my teaching career at the age
of 12! I truly feel like I have been put on earth to touch the
lives of 'little ones' and to instill in them the love and joy
of dance.
Now back to the original question... what do you call this person
who has been given this special gift? You call her 'Miss Trish'!"
Miss Trish has served as a member of the Cecchetti Council of
America and is Past President of the Texas Association of Teachers
of Dance. She has been with the Shirley McPhail School of Dance
for 35 years and is truly an "Austin Institution,"
having touched the lives of tens of thousands of little dancers. |
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JoAnn
Schatz
 Jo
Ann Schatz has been a dancer, choreographer, and actress for
the past 30 years. She has performed off broadway and in Europe.
Most recently, she has been the choreographer for the Joe Sears/Kimmie
Rhodes original productions, "Hillbilly Heaven," Windblown,"
"Small town Girl," and Mr. Sears' outdoor drama, "Trail
of Tears," in Oklahoma. For over ten years she has taught
dance at St. Edward's University. She has taught tap dance at
SMSD for a number of years and always looks forward to a new
fun year of adult tap classes. |
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Svetlana
Krylova
 Svetlana
was born in Kazakhstan (former republic of USSR) and began her
professional dance training at the age of 10 with the Russian
State Academy for the Classical Ballet in Voronezh, Russia,
Choreographic Academy of Vaganova Program. At 18 she began her
solo career with the Russian
State Academy Theatre for the Opera and Ballet in Donetsk, Ukraine.
During the next twelve years she danced nearly every role from
the classical and character repertoire, including Giselle, Swan
Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Bolero, Carmen, The Nutcracker, La
Bayadere, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Paquita, Shopeniana,
Walpurgis Nights, Francesca da Rimini, Peer Gynt. From 1989
to 1992, she toured the U.S. with the Donetsk Ballet and the
Russian Ballet. From 1993 to 1997, Ms. Krylova worked as the
Classical Ballet and Character Dance Mistress with
David Blight
School of Dance,
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She and her students
won several Interstate Dance Competitions. In 1997 Svetlana
Krylova joined the Ballet Austin Academy as the Character Dance
teacher. In 1999 Svetlana started working as the classical ballet
teacher with The Dance Studio and Dance Spectrum Company, where
she has helped in staging “Coppelia” and “The
Nutcracker” as well as new original choreography. Starting
in 2003 she worked as a guest teacher for Character Classes
at American Ballet Theatre Austin Summer Intensive in conjunction
with The University of Texas at Austin. In 2005 Svetlana Krylova
joined Shirley McPhail School of Dance as a classical ballet
teacher. |
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Jennifer
Tcharikova
 Jennifer
received her training and love of dance from Judy Thompson-Price
in Austin. Her dance education continued under Linda Divin,
Deidre Strand, Acia Gray, and Greg Easley. Before graduating
high school, Jennifer became an apprentice dancer for Tapestry
Dance Company and soon after became a company
member. After graduating high school, Jennifer became a company
member of Austin Contemporary Ballet. She has danced in the
Zilker Park Summer Musical’s "Oklahoma"
and "Little Me." She danced the role of Dream Laurie
in Southwestern’s "Oklahoma" production. This
is Jennifer’s 6th year to teach ballet, jazz, and tap.
She believes that every dancer possesses unique strengths and
helps that student to harness that individuality to dance with
emotion and technique. |
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Teresa
Pearce
 I
started dancing at SMSD when I was five years old. Miss Trish
was my very first dance teacher! As a teenager I danced with
the SMSD dance troupe, and performed with Ballet Austin, Third
Coast Jazz, and in London with UCA. I also won the very first
scholarship given by TATD.
Along with teaching at SMSD, I worked at Westminster Presbyterian
Day School, where I was a teacher’s aid for 7 years. While
there, I attended educational workshops on how to work with
children. My time was well spent there because it inspired my
teaching of preschool children.
At SMSD I have the privilege of being the Director of the SMSD
Dance Troupe as well as teaching all ages at the studio. I have
directed the dance troupe for six years now, and I love every
minute of it! Continuing my dance education is very important
to me, so I attend dance conventions throughout the year. I
have also been a member of the Texas Association Teachers of
Dancing since 1995. I really enjoy what I do and being a part
of the SMSD family.
Speaking of family…I have a loving and supporting husband
named David, and we have a two year old daughter named Riley.
God has blessed me with a great family at home and at work. |
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Brenna
Kuhn
 Brenna
Kuhn is currently a principal dancer with Tapestry
Dance Company. She has
performed in Austin and internationally since 2002. Prior to
moving to Austin, she performed with Especially Tap Chicago
(ETC) in addition to being the rehearsal director and a founding
member of Chicago Tap Theatre. She directed her own youth dance
company, Visual Rhythm, in Chicago. She has her BA in dance
from the University of New Mexico and is a published author
in Medical Problems of Performing Artists. She was a member
of the Lloyd Storey Tap Ensemble in Detroit and the Bill Evans
Dance Company in New Mexico. Brenna is currently the Academy
Director at Tapestry Dance Company Academy and a few of her
teaching credits include Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano
Dance Center, Brant Lake Dance Camp (NY), Tap West, The Third
Coast Rhythm Project and the Maui Tap Experience. She was also
a returning guest artist and faculty member at the New Mexico
Rhythm Tap Festival and the American College Dance Festival.
She returned this summer for her 6th year at Austin’s
Soul to Sole tap festival as a guest artist and faculty member.
As a soloist, Brenna has performed with the Albert Gulbay Trio
in Paris, France and recently performed with the Kris Kimura
Quintet for the Chinese Foreign Minister. She has had the honor
of mentoring with Sarah Petronio, Acia Gray, Bill Evans and
Lloyd Storey and has been honored to share the stage with her
mentors and many other tap greats, including Brenda Bufalino,
Dianne Walker, Donald O’Connor, Leonard Reed, Fayard Nicholas,
Savion Glover and Lane Alexander. |
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Lauris
Blackwell
 Lauris
Blackwell grew up at SMSD! After high school, she attended Austin
College, and then went on to New York where she was a scholarship
winner to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She stayed
in NYC for eleven years performing professionally on and off
Broadway and on many National and European tours. Some of her
favorite performances are the Narrator in “Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, Rose in “Bye,
Bye, Birdie”, Amnesia in “Nunsense”, Lily
in “Annie”, and Rhetta in “Pump Boys and Dinettes”.
She performed at the White House for both the Bush and Clinton
Administrations in conjunction with the Children’s Literacy
Program. She has performed with the
Natchez Opera
for several years, and was fortunate enough to be the soloist
for then Governor George Bush’s Inauguration. Since moving
back home to Texas, she has worked and performed with the
Waco
Children’s Theatre, Temple
Civic Theatre, and
the Public Domain Theatre. Currently she is the Director of
the ASCC at Mills Elementary, works and performs with Austin
Summer Musical for Children, and is on the Board and a member
of the performance group River
City Pops! |
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Meghan
Gill
Info & photo coming soon! |
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Lisa
Feder
Lisa is a Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor and Corporate
Wellness Consultant. She is passionate about the field of
Wellness because she and her family have enjoyed and benefited
from the results of healthy habits. Lisa has been teaching
and training for over 20 years. She creates total fitness
programs for her clients, customizing each program to the
specific needs of each client.
She currently teaches Yoga in Austin at Pure Austin, Seventh
Street Yoga, the JCAA and Shirley McPhail School of Dance.
Through Yoga, in both one-on-one and class sessions, she works
with her clients to help them develop strength and flexibility,
and, importantly, an awareness of breathing and living in
the present moment. She encourages students to work at their
own pace, and to select their level of challenge each day,
letting go of preconceived notions of competition or where
they “should be”. In addition to exercise training
Lisa has experience in personal success coaching and life
balance issues, which she includes in her corporate training
program, “The Wealth of Your Health” which teaches
employees how to incorporate healthy habits and wellness into
their busy professional lifestyles.
Lisa received her Personal Fitness Specialist Certification
from the Cooper Aerobics Institute. She is an RYT (Registered
Yoga Teacher) with the Yoga Alliance. She received her BSBA
and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
.Lisa and her husband Seth relocated to Austin from Dallas
in January 2007, with their two children. She balances her
time among her family, her businesses, plenty of Yoga and
community service.
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 Shirley
McPhail
"Dancing in Heaven"
1932-1997
Shirley Wood McPhail started
SMSD in 1970. “Miss Shirley’s” philosophy of teaching
children and the high standards she set for the studio will continue
as they have since 1970. Her legacy of sharing the joy of dance
lives on through her daughter, Edwina McPhail Worley, President
of SMSD, LLC.
 Miss
Trish & Edwina Worley
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