Professionals in the Fields of Education & Dance
Amanda Short (Artistic Director, Dance & Pilates Instructor) is a certified dance & Classical Pilates instructor and degreed educator whose passion for dance began as a child. After falling in love with dance at age 3 and studying various dance forms, she later attended the Governor’s School for the Arts Dance Department in Norfolk, VA throughout high school. She continued to study classical ballet and perform in college while pursuing her teaching degree from Old Dominion University. She completed her 600 hour Classical Pilates Comprehensive certification in 2006 and began teaching Pilates and ballet locally, later returning to college for her Masters degree. Amanda regularly attends continuing education workshops in both Pilates (The Classical Syllabus with Mejo Wiggins) and dance. Amanda is proud to be an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also certified through Dance Educators of America with a specialty in classical ballet & CLI Studios continuing education. She is a member of DEA and NDEO. Blending her passion for dance and her love of education creates a unique focus on proper technique and safe and logical dance progression. After spending 10 years teaching various levels of middle and high school, she is a natural "teacher" whose highest honor is to witness the personal growth in her students and clients.
Amber (Dance Instructor) began her love of dance at age 7 with jazz, tap, and ballet. She trained locally in ballet under Classical and Russian schools. Amber is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She believes in training students in proper technique from day one – providing a solid foundation upon which to build in years to come. She strives to create a classroom that is positively influential where dancers can learn and grow physically and emotionally. She believes in creating an environment where dancers can feel safe and secure about who they are as individuals.
Julianne (Dance Instructor) attended Bright Lights Performing Arts studio for more than 11 years and enjoyed teaching Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, and Ballet. Julianne holds a Masters degree in elementary education with a minor in special education. She also spent time running the dance program at Triple T Sports Center. Julianne is a life-long dancer and learner herself and is passionate about sharing her love of dance with some of our tiniest dancers.
Hannah Crocker (Dance Instructor) is a Suffolk native with twenty years of dance training in nine various styles of dance. Hannah is a 2021 graduate from Christopher Newport University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater with a concentration in Musical Theater and Dance, as well as a minor in both Dance and Leadership. While at CNU, Hannah was cast in their annual Dance Concert each year and was a student choreographer for the Dance Concert during her junior and senior year, and was also cast in their production of “Oklahoma.” In addition to dance training, at CNU she also received training in acting, auditioning and voice. The majority of Hannah’s training as a young dancer was from Ms. Mountcastle’s, RPM Dance, and from the attendance of The Rockettes and Alvin Ailey Dance classes, as well as dance conventions across the east coast. She has been cast in several theater productions over the past ten years. Previous credits with StoneBridge Drama Department include, Meg in “Little Women,” Sis in “Leaving Iowa,” Mrs. Beaver in “Narnia,” and the Wicked Witch in the “Wizard of Oz,” as well as several principle dancer roles. She has staged managed, designed sets, and worked as stage hands and during her junior and senior year of high school has choreographed the dance numbers for the StoneBridge Drama Department’s productions. Hannah is very passionate about the performing arts, and she loves working with the youth. Her favorite part about teaching dance is seeing all the young dancer’s smiling faces especially when they conquer new footwork.
Amelia Martinez (MFA) is a dancing artist (modern dance based). She choreographs with yarn in recurring themes of femininity, Latinidad, and community. Her thesis work entitled Latina, explored her experiences in being Latina shared with the generational passing down of culture from one matiarch to the next. She graduated from Temple University in 2021 with a Master of Fine Arts in Dance and Old Dominion University in 2014 with a BA in Dance Performance and a minor in Psychology. Notable choreographies are Unravel Me for the Choreographers of Virginia Showcase at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Duality/Prayers of My People performed for Temple University’s Endings Showcase 2019. Amelia values community and education to her core. Her passion is to create a positive dance environment where every human can grow to their best abilities.
Jennifer Buchheit was a resident of Hampton Roads, Virginia when she started dancing at the age of three with The Virginia Ballet Theatre and Eva May Morris School of Dance. In high school she continued her training with the Governors School for the Arts, performing roles in many ballets including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Mrs. Buchheit holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from Old Dominion University, where she was a recipient of the Eva May Morris Gregory dance scholarship. She has performed with many modern dance companies including Second Wind Dance Company, The Phillip Deal Dance Project, and Todd Rosenlieb Dance. After moving to San Antonio, Jennifer was a company member with Ballet San Antonio, Alamo Arts Ballet and San Antonio Jazz Ensemble. She had the honor of teaching for ballet schools in the San Antonio area, as well as performing in various productions, including “The Nutcracker” where she had the privilege of performing the role of Clara, and as a principal dancer in “The Passion of Dance”. Before moving back to Hampton Roads, Jennifer served as Ballet Director for Insight Dance Ensemble, Assistant Director for Move & Groove Dance and Ballet Director for Trilogy Dance Center. Jennifer has danced and choreographed along the east coast from Virginia to New York as well as San Antonio. Her work has been featured in many concerts and competitions, winning numerous awards.