Our Staff
Directing our program is Janet Combs. Janet began her dance studies at the age of four in St. Louis, MO. She performed with the St. Louis Civic Ballet and the St. Louis Dance Theatre, while studying ballet, pointe, tap and jazz at a private studio. Her professional experience began at the age of ten, when she was selected to appear at the St. Louis Muny Opera in the children's production of "Cinderella". She appeared there again in her high school years in the operetta, "Merry Widow". At age twelve Janet appeared on the Nationally televised "Ted Mack Amateur Hour". College studies brought her to Oklahoma University where she graduated with an M.F.A and B.F.A in dance, as well as serving as a Special Instructor in Dance. The position of Dance Captain of the Palace Show at Six Flags Over Mid-America and Dance Captain at the Lyric Theatre have offered Janet invaluable experience in performance and management.
Kelly Stapp has been associated with the Shawnee Academy of Ballet for more than 20 years. She began as a student in all phases of dance training, working her way into the assistant teaching program at the studio. Her studies include classes under the tutelage of such well-known teachers as Rhonda Miller, Gregg Russell and Doug Caldwell. Recent instructors include Mandy Moore of "So You Think You Can Dance" and Nick Drago of "Step It Up and Dance". Kelly also serves as the Pom Sponsor for the Shawnee High School Pom Squad, and recently escorted the senior squad members to Disney World to receive the "American Spirit Award" presented by UDA and Varsity.com. Kelly had previously performed at DisneyWorld in 1992 and 1996 with the Janco Dancers as part of the Magic Music Days program. Her love of dance and children have combined to make Kelly a beloved teacher at the studio.
Nicki Sherman has been a JanCo dancer since the founding of Shawnee Academy of Ballet in 1977. Nicki has studied all disciplines of dance under Janet Combs, Pat Catterson of Merce Cunningham Dance Company in NYC, Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, and Rhonda MIller. She danced with the JanCo Dancers at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, studied for two summers at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain, and performed in the University of Oklahoma's production of The Nutcracker. In 1991, Nicki was the first recipient of the Oklahoma State Superintendant's Award for Arts Excellence. Nicki holds both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Currently a student in the Advanced Registered Nurse Pratitioner program at Vanderbilt University, Nicki is thrilled to be returning for another year at SAB.
Tasha Hinex-The Shawnee Academy of Ballet is proud to claim Tasha as its former student for over 13 years. After High School graduation, Tasha went on to study dance at UCO. She received her degree in Dance from UCO and was named the "Outstanding Senior Performer". While a student at UCO,Tasha was a member of the Kaleidoscope Dance Company and the UCO Nationals Pom Squad for four years. Tasha is currently a Head Instructor for the National Dance Association and is on the Dance Faculty at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee. We are pleased that Tasha will join our faculty as she is in great demand for guest teaching around the State!
Jade Kelly, a Michigan native, has been teaching dance classes since the age of fourteen. She has enjoyed teaching ages three to adult in jazz, modern, ballet, tap, lyrical, and pom. As a competitive dancer, Jade earned the titles of Miss Teen Superstar with Star Systems National Talent Competition and Runner-Up Miss Dance for 2001 at Kids Artistic Review. Jade also captained her school pom and chorus line teams. As a dance performance and choreography major at Hope College Jade studied the Horton Modern technique under Alvin Ailey dancer Julio Rivera and assisted Gus Giordano dancer Dawn McIlhargey-Wigert in jazz. Jade has danced for the Pro Arena Football Leaque, has choreographed many competitive-winning works, and is a certified pilates instructor. Jade is most proud of her husband, Brandon, and their beautiful children, Davis and Layla. She cannot wait to share her love for dance with the students and families of the Shawnee Ballet Academy.
Denise Thurman, Office Manager, has been involved with the studio since its inception. Her daughters were students at the studio, and she has been a seamtress for the students on numerous occasions. Her outgoing personality and attention to detail have made her an irreplaceable member of our staff. Denise makes visiting the office an enjoyable experience!