Our Director

 Jan Valenti’s early training was under director Irma Witt O’Fallon of Knoxville School of Ballet Arts. She began student teaching as a high school student, while continuing her ballet training and expanding her experience as a dancer. In 1976 Jan traveled to New York City to study ballet with founders of the New York School of Ballet, Richard Thomas and Barbara Fallis. The following year she trained in Los Angeles under Royal Ballet’s Stanley Holden, where she also studied Jazz with world renowned instructor Joe Tremaine. Jan’s training also included instruction from many other distinguished teachers such as Violette Verdy, Edward Villella, and Anna-Marie Holmes.

In 1977 Jan began teaching ballet and jazz at Knoxville School of Ballet Arts and Van Metre School of Dance. She has taught all over East Tennessee, including in Oak Ridge with Bruce Ewing, Lenoir City with Kristi White, in Maryville with Cheryl Van Metre and Amy Vaughn, and in Knoxville at Tennessee Conservatory of Fine Arts.

In 1998 Jan entered into the Royal Academy Dance Teachers Certification Program and received her RAD teachers certificate in 2000. In addition to teaching for 45 years, Jan has been working as Production Director for Appalachian Ballet Company, Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, as well as for many other local companies and studios.

 Kellie May grew up in Knoxville training in jazz, contemporary and ballet. She danced for several years at The Academy of Dance Arts under Jan Valenti and Kristi Bole’s instruction. She was able to choreograph and perform in multiple musical theatre shows in high school and began ballroom dancing in college. She received her bachelors at University of Tennessee, Knoxville in political science and public relations. While in college, she found her other athletic-love of outdoor bouldering/climbing. She now works in sustainability marketing in the old city of Knoxville. After work, she loves cooking a nice meal and finding good music. 

 Courtney has been dancing for 22 years, beginning her studies at the

Center for Dance Education in New Jersey under the tutelage of Evy

Zavolas, Christina Manousos, Lisa Peluso, & Jennifer Innis. After

moving to Knoxville, she’s trained under Lisa Hall McKee, Laura

Shields, Denise Njuguna, Keisha Lalama, Svetlana Novodran, Girard

Holt, Peter LeBreton Merz, Cynthia Ridler, Christopher Mohnani, and

Greg & Laurie Merriman. She’s attended several dance intensives,

including TN Governor's School for the Arts. She has been dancing with

ORCBA since 2007, performing roles in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake,

The Nutcracker (Snow Queen, Dewdrop, Sugar Plum Fairy) and Firebird

(Princess Vasilia). As a member of GO! Contemporary Dance Works,

she‘s performed lead roles in Persephone, Alice, Unsung Heroes,

and Runaway.  After studying Classical Ballet at Point Park University's

Conservatory of Performing Arts, she earned an associate’s degree from

Pellissippi State Community College in Business Administration and a

bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Tennessee,

Knoxville.  She is currently teaching at The Dance Centre of Oak Ridge

and A Dancer’s Place, and is a choreographer for Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association.  Courtney

has trained extensively in ballet, pointe, jazz, Horton, modern,

contemporary, and lyrical.

 Amy has been a Knoxville resident for the last 20 years . She and her husband Jeff have five children and two grandchildren. Amy grew up dancing and has  always loved  and appreciated all types of dance.
 Fifteen years ago she joined the Tellico Tappers, an adult tap dancing group under the direction of Marilynn McKenna. The Tellico Tappers has performed at hundreds of venues over the years in Knoxville and surrounding counties.  Amy is very excited  for the opportunity to be part of A Dancer's  Place family and share her love of tap dancing with her students.

  Drey Herron began her training at Ballet Memphis with a focus in the Vaganova Method under Martin Viscount and Yuri and Vickie Chatal. She then later trained in the RAD Method under the direction of Michael and Judy Tevlin from the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Mrs. Herron graduated from UTK with a major in Dance and Musical Theatre and is a veteran performer/teacher/choreographer/director.  She has also taken Master classes with dance greats such as Twyla Tharp, Gus Giordano, Edward Villela and Robert Joffrey. 

Lucia Andronescu teaches Flamenco in Knoxville since 2006. A native of Romania, Lucia studied gymnastics as a child and later developed an interest in flamenco. Lucia has attended the Flamenco Academy at the University of New Mexico and studied with a variety of quality instructors including Maria Vega Galvez’s (Sara Baras Ballet principal dancer) in New York, Jose de Guadalupe in North Carolina and Tamara La Garbancita instructor for Kansas City Flamenco Ballet, Antonio Hidalgo and she has taken workshops with the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Co. in New York. 

Lucia has also trained with Maestro Antonio Vargas (Mission Impossible II, Strictly Ballroom, etc.) in a series of workshops and danced in his Atlanta production Flamenco Mosaic in November 2007. In February 2013 Lucia studied with Manuel Liñán, winner of the Revelación award for his production of in the 2012 Festival de Jerez, and Inmaculata Aranda. In addition she has attended annual workshops and classes in Spain until 2019. Classes are currently available at the beginner and intermediate levels with a variety of performance opportunities each year.