We pride ourselves in our talented, educated, and understanding teachers.
ANDREA CORNPROBST
Hip-Hop/Dance Director
A’ndrea spent the majority of her childhood in Michigan where she was actively involved in cheer, hip hop and ballroom dancing throughout middle school and highschool. She studied hip hop under Kenyetta Whipper (now known as Kenyetta Jeffries), previously a dancer and choreographer in L.A. for some pioneers of hip hop. Her dance team traveled around the state to perform and minister to communities and highschool students. After graduating, she married her high school sweetheart and took a break from dancing while becoming a Young Life leader and starting a family. In 2007, the military relocated her husband, A’ndrea and daughter to Colorado. In 2009, the Army brought them to North Carolina. Here, she began dancing again, reigniting her love of dance! She also reunited with her love of cheer and became a cheer coach. She is a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Cycle Instructor and previously certified Zumba Instructor. Her heart for teenagers extends beyond the dance studio to her students at Grace Church where she serves as a leader. When she isn’t dancing or with students, you can find her wrangling one of her 4 children or coaching a fitness class. She loves to foster the use of dance as a creative outlet for students and to see them grow in their confidence and character through dance!
RACHELLE HARTIGAN
Ballet/Tap/Lyrical/Combo Classes
A native of the Southern Pines area and having returned after a decade in the Pacific North West, dance has always been a vital element of Rachelle’s life. Classically trained in ballet since the age of 2, her repertoire varies - extending into other elements of the performing arts as well. She has studied within the programs of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Tacoma Ballet, and The Portland Ballet - transversing the country by way of a military lifestyle. Now settled with her blended family, Rachelle takes pride in bringing her love of movement to the next generation. Additionally, as a certified yoga instructor, Rachelle values safe and intentional expression in dance with a mindful approach that emphasizes connection with body confidence.
Taryn Golightly
Ballet/Tap/Contemporary
Taryn Golightly received her Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University. As she grew up dancing, she has had the experience of attending Geoffrey’s Modern and Contemporary Intensive in New York as well as taking many classes at Margo Dean School of Ballet in Fort Worth, TX. In college she studied abroad in Luca Italy where she learned from many international choreographers with Dance Italia summer intensive. Taryn has worked and performed with other various choreographers including, Enzo Celli, international choreographer for Celli Contemporary Ballet, and NobleMotion Dance Company located in downtown Houson. Her dance training includes Ballet, Modern, Aerial, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop and Tap technique.
Angela Vecchione
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Ballet/Jazz/Combo Classes
Angela Vecchione is the Founder and Director of avec Productions, Inc., a nonprofit organization with the mission to support and advance the careers of performing artists through community events and educational opportunities for growth and discovery. Angela has worked in Special Events and Donor Relations for esteemed institutions including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and American Ballet Theatre. Her performance and choreographic career in Jazz and Contemporary Ballet has given her the opportunity to collaborate with artists across the country, and she has had the distinct privilege to produce and participate in arts festivals and residencies in New York City, North Carolina, Salt Lake City, UT, Chicago, IL, and Alaska. As an instructor, Angela encourages students to be imaginative, fearlessly think outside-the-box and celebrate creative growth and personal discovery through the medium of dance.
LYDIA MCGRATH
Ballet and Combo Classes
Lydia McGrath is originally from upstate New York and moved to North Carolina in 2011. She has been dancing since she was three years old and has trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and contemporary. After high school, she spent a year dancing at Elon University and returned to Moore County to pursue nursing at Sandhills Community College. Over the years, she has been involved in several productions, taken countless classes to round out her dance education, and gained experience teaching various ages and styles. Teaching dance, she aims to provide an encouraging environment for students to explore movement and grow their technical skills. Lydia is so excited to be sharing her passion with Encore students!
Morgan Luchansky
Tap
Morgan Luchansky graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2019 with a degree in Management Information Systems. During her four years at UNCC, she was a member of the dance team and chosen to represent the team in Daytona, FL at the NDA College Nationals. Raised in NC, Morgan trained at Burlington Academy of Dance and Arts (BADA) for 14 years where she was part of the performing company, KARIZMA, for 5 years! After college, she had the pleasure of returning to BADA as a tap and jazz teacher. Throughout her years of dancing, she has had many amazing performance opportunities such as dancing in the 2012 Orange Bowl Halftime Show and the 2015 NYC St. Patricks Day Parade. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing with her husband and spending time outdoors with their sweet puppy, Wilbur. Morgan is so excited to be a part of the Encore family!
BETHANY STONE
Hip-Hop
Bio Coming Soon
KAYLA BURTON
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Ballet/Pointe/Lyrical/Jazz/Combo Classes
Kayla Burton has been dancing since 10 years old. As a child, she trained under the direction of Broadway performers Scott Wise and Elizabeth Parkinson by way of the “Fine Line Theatre Arts” in New Milford, Connecticut. Later in life, she traveled with a pre-professional company named “Artist in Motion”. Her areas of practice include Classical Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Acro. Her favorite memories in dance are teaching the next generation of dancers and when she had the opportunity to perform “The Nutcracker” and many other dance performances in New Milford, Connecticut. She is so happy to be here teaching and dancing with you all!
Rachel Barrick
Ballet
Rachel Barrick recently moved to Southern Pines from Ripley Ohio in order to nanny her three month old nephew for her sister. She graduated in the fall of 2022 with her BFA in Musical Theatre with a Minor in dance and music. Her collegiate dance training includes rhythmic tap, ABT ballet, and Laban technique. She has worked as a dance instructor for Shawnee State University Performing Arts Academy, teaching a myriad of classes including tap, ballet, jazz, modern, acro, and theatre. She has been clogging and tapping since a young age, and performed competitively throughout high school in musical theatre dance competitions. She has worked with the West Union Performing Arts Department since 2016 as a theatre instructor, and choreographer. Rachel's theatrical performances include Fritzie in Cabaret, Shirley in Disaster! and Judy in 9 to 5 The Musical during her college career. As well as Scraps in Talking With at the Boneyfiddle Fringe Festival, and as Mary-Lou in Cowgirls. She has also been seen as Jerilyn in the world premiere of Split Hickory, and spent a month in Minneapolis during the summer of 2022 continuing workshops for the show alongside the creator. Rachel also plays the saxophone, is a classically trained vocalist, and has a passion for teaching the performing arts.