Amy began her love of dance at the Greenville Fine Arts Center and continued that love for performing arts at the Governor's School For the Arts. After graduating from high school, Amy attended Columbia College where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance.
While attending Columbia College, Amy had the opportunity to work with many professional dance companies including: Shapiro and Smith, Sally Hess, Urban Bush Women, Creach and Koester, Blondell Cummings, Dan Wagoner, and many more.
After graduation, Amy moved to New York City where she danced and toured professionally for 5 years. While in New York, Amy studied dance with Christine Wright. She also attended classes at Broadway Dance Center and Dancespace.
Amy has also choreographed and performed in many local Greenville performances, including the Miss South Carolina Pageant, the little theatre, and other popular theater and arts performances.
Amy currently owns and operates the Let's Dance studio in Mauldin, South Carolina.
Hennadii Bespechnyi received his professional training at the Riga State College of Choreography, Latvia, under Professor Juris Kapralis. Hennadii also holds a Master's Degree as a choreographer, coach and ballet master from the Ukranian Academy of Dance, and International Slavic University.
Hennadii has toured extensively as Principal Dancer with Ballet Classique de Paris (France); Kiev Theater of Classical Ballet (Ukraine); and International Ballet De Ochi (Japan).
Hennadii is currently the Artistic Director of the International Ballet and has choreographed and staged Francesca da Rimini and Swan Lake, ACT III in May of 2004, and The Nutcracker in Dec, 2004.
Hennadii and Vlada recently worked together on a new Greenville premiere, Shostakovich's Lady and the Hooligan, which was performed in April 2005 at the Gunter Theater.
Leonid Flegmatov was born in 1983 in Siktivkar, Komi, USSR. He graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography in 2001 and was invited to join the Russian Academy of Theatrical Arts (GITIS) as a soloist. Leonid was awarded a prize in the First International Chabukiani-Balanchine International Ballet Competition in 2001. He has toured England, Georgia, China, Germany, Spain and the United States. He was a soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Russian National Ballet Theatre (Radchenko) and a principal dancer with the Moscow Ballet Company and Russian Ballet Theatre (Gordeev). In the United States he has been a principal dancer with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina and with New Jersey Ballet Company. Leonid is joining International Ballet as a principal dancer for the 2008-09 season and International Ballet Academy as a ballet and variations instructor.
Reka Gyulai was born in 1987 in Veszprem, Hungary.
Reka graduated from the Hungarian Dance Academy in 2006. She has competed in the International Ballet Competition in Vienna in 2004 and has received additional training at the North Carolina Dance Theatre and International Ballet Academy in Greer. She was a principal dancer with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina and a soloist with New Jersey Ballet Company.
Reka is a powerful technical and artistic young dancer and Let's Dance is excited to have her join the staff.
Vlada Kysselova received her training at the Kiev State College of Choreography, Ukraine. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Kiev State Linguistic University and a Master's Degree with Honors as a choreographer, coach and ballet master from the Ukrainian Academy of Dance, International Slavic University.
Vlada toured extensively as a soloist with National Theater of Opera and Ballet, Kiev (Ukraine) and as principal dancer with Kiev Theater of Classical Ballet and Ballet Classique de Paris (France).
Since May of 2004 she has been choreographing and staging productions with Hennadii for International Ballet performances of Francesca da Rimini, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Lady and the Hooligan, Giselle and Chamber Ballets. Vlada's students have received awards in International Ballet Competitions and a first place in the regional Youth America Grand Prix in 2008.
Ashley attended the Greenville Fine Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center, Phil Black's, and Steps on Broadway. She was a student assistant for Frank Hatchet and has had master classes and workshops with many great artists such as Sheila Barker, Edward Villella, Dee Caspary, and Jason Parsons. She studied with Ballet Spartanburg and performed in their production of West Side Story, directed by Carlos Agudelo.
Other performances have included the Miss Greenville and the Miss South Carolina Pageants, Greenville Little Theatre's A Chorus Line, and as a featured performer in David Dorfman Dance The Athlete's Project.
At Clemson University, she was a member of the Central Dance and Concert Committee, and served as Vice President for the Clemson Dancers. Ashley also performed with the Southeast Dance Theatre, and with Let's Dance Jazz, eventually becoming it's director.
Ashley has worked with the Eastside High School Dance Team, the Woodmont Wildcat Dance Team, and is a dance specialist for the Art Works at Heritage Elementary School. She has choreographed for television commercials, industrials, pageants, festivals, and charity events.
Gordon Owens was born and raised in Washington, DC where he attended Children's Theater courses at The Arena Stage and Howard University.
Gordon continued his studies in drama, dance and voice at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
After college, he moved to NYC and received a full scholarship at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. Two months later he joined the National Touring Company of the Broadway musical A Chorus Line. Gordon also performed on Broadway in Dreamgirls, A Chorus Line, Starlight Express, and Miss Saigon.
After touring for 4 years and on Broadway for 8 years, Gordon moved to Los Angeles and successfully pursued a career as an actor in Television and Film. His long list of credits include Will & Grace, Dance With Me, Turbulence, and Space Cowboys.
Gordon has taught master classes in Acting and Jazz Dance all over the country, and now resides in Greenville.
Kemyatta Cash-Pope started performing at the age of six and continues to do so now. She attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC where she studied ballet, jazz, Tap and African dance.
After graduating from high school, she went on to dance with Orchasis Dance Company of Fisk University in Nashville, TN and after graduating, danced with the Adrean Bolton Dance Company of Washington, DC. While in college, she was given the opportunity to tour as a back-up dancer with R&B artist Aaliyah and also did back-up for hip hop artist Nelly.
Kem has been blessed to meet and study under famous choreographers such as Katherine Dunham, Debbie Allen, and Fatima Robinson. Kem has choreographed several R&B and Gospel Music Videos and has performed in musicals such as "No Strings", "A Raisin in the Sun", "The Wiz", and "Bubbling Brown Sugar". Kem was the choreographer for Greenville High Varsity Dance Team for three years, and is currently the Choreographer for Hillcrest High School Dazzlers. Kem's passion is hip hop/streent jazz and is one of the top hip hop choreographers in the upstate.
April Schaeffer is a graduate of the Fine Arts Center for the Performing Arts and was a member of the Southeast Theatre Dance Company. She has been a principal dancer for the Greenville Little Theatre for the past 12 years where she also acts regularly.
In 2008, April introduced the first ever "Dance Drama" to GLT's Studio 444 series and anticipates many more to come.
April choreographs regularly for several local theatres, teaches for the South Carolina Children's Theatre, and is a member of the Laughing Stock Improv Group.
April is thrilled to be joining the Let's Dance family and is looking forward to a wonderful year. Besides spending time with her own daughter Carly, there is nothing more she cherishes than sharing what she loves with her students.
From Travelers Rest, South Carolina, Elena began dancing at the age of 2 at Louise's House of Dance under the instruction of her mother, Louise Harris. By age 12, she auditioned for South Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker for the first time under artistic directors Hennadii Bespechnyi and Vlada Kysselova. Since then, she has danced roles such as Chinese, Waltz of the Flowers, and Snowflakes in The Nutcracker, and has performed in Giselle, Don Quixote, Francesca de Rimini, The Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Hooligan, and Paquita, just to name a few.
The last few years, Elena has continued her dance education at International Ballet Academy in Greer under the instruction of Hennadii Bespechnyi and Vlada Kysselova. Although ballet has always been an integral part of her dance education, Elena also enjoys dancing and teaching tap, jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary dance. Currently she attends North Greenville University as a psychology major.
She and her husband, Greg now reside in Greer.
Amy Woodruff has been dancing since her childhood years. While in high school, she performed in "The Nutcracker." She was featured in roles such as, Russian, Chinese, Snow and Dew Drop Fairy.
Amy has studied and passed her Royal Academy of Dance exam which is an extensive and rigorous study of ballet terminlogy and the execution of ballet steps. Amy went on to attend college at Keene State College in Keene, NH. She studied modern dance and health and fitness.
Amy performed regularly throughout her four years at Keene State College. Amy received a Bachelor of Science in Health and Fitness and a Minor in Nutrition. Amy has been instructing students of all ages, teaching ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance at Let's Dance. She has also been choreographing for two competition teams for the past two years.
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