Director

I am Mrs. Amy and I am the Director and Owner here at Cornerstone Ballet. I began studying Classical Ballet seriously when I was 10 years old and was fortunate enough to be able to train at the National Academy for Dance in Kiev, Ukraine for 2 summers while I was in High School. One of my favorite memories dancing was performing my variation at the Ukrainian National Opera House for a sold out audience. 15 years later it still feels like a dream to me! I have always had a love for the art of classical ballet training and felt called to follow my passion for teaching and set aside my performing career. I have taught ballet for 14 years and I opened my studio in 2013 when I was 19 years old here in Simpsonville. I am married to my husband Garth and we are blessed with 3 (soon to be 4) children; Tim 6, Holly 4, and Ruthie 2, and a baby girl due Fall 2024.

My favorite part about teaching ballet is building connections with my students. It brings me such joy to see a dancer’s confidence grow as we cultivate a meaningful relationship where there is mutual respect and admiration. My classes are filled with lots of energy, corrections, smiles, laughter, and hard work (or as my students like to say “suffering”). My goal is for every dancer to leave my class exhausted with a big smile on their face.

Instructor

My name is Ms. Kim and I have been teaching with the team at Cornerstone Ballet since 2019. I took my first dance class at 4 years old, but around the time I was 8 I knew that I wanted to spend more time dancing than anything else. I participated in competitive dance, through which I discovered my love for being on stage as I trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary styles. I was recommended to audition for the North Carolina School of the Arts (now UNCSA) and a whole new world of classical ballet opened up to me as I studied there after school until becoming a full-time ballet student for all 4 years of my high school education. My favorite memory isn’t of one particular performance or class, but of the feeling it gave me to be part of a community that truly believed that dance was important because it connects us both to ourselves and to each other.

When I am not in the studio, I love reading, being a paparazzi for nature, and spending time with my dog, Sam, and my loved ones. Within the studio, I love helping dancers find their individual strengths and improve upon their challenges in my classes by creating a supportive, uplifting environment in which we can all make mistakes and grow from them.

It is my goal that we do the hard work, but that we find ways to infuse it with grace, joy, and care every day.

Instructor

I’m Miss Brantley, I was raised in the small town of Laurens, SC. I have an older sister, two amazing parents, and seven fur babies. If I’m not at the studio teaching, you can find me behind the chair at Vault Salon and Spa working as a hairstylist. Even though I grew up in the country, I love all things girly. I started dancing when I was eight years old with Mrs. Amy, and danced for eight years. I was the first student to register and sign up at Cornerstone Ballet. I also had the honor of performing the first role as Snow White, which is one of my favorite memories. Another one of my favorite memories was having the opportunity to student teach with Mrs. Amy. I was thrilled to get this opportunity and immediately fell in love with the idea of teaching. I am so thankful that I am entering my third year of teaching here at Cornerstone Ballet. I want to be an influence on my students like Mrs. Amy was to me. I want every student to be challenged in an environment that I make comfortable for them. I love that every student is different, and I can adapt to what works best for them. My goal is for the students to leave class challenged and excited to come back next week with a smile on their face. I can’t wait to see what the 2024-2025 year brings for Cornerstone!

Ballet and Variations Instructor

Laura Winship Dunn is the former owner and director of Ballet Aresko in Lynchburg, Virginia. She was trained in classical ballet under the Checcetti method. She has danced for several companies including The Sangre de Cristo Ballet Theatre, North Carolina Academy of Dance Arts and Roanoke Ballet Theatre. She also danced at several Summer Intensives with the Sangre de Cristo Ballet Theatre and Ballet Magnificat! She received her dance education from The Sangre de Cristo Ballet School and from Virginia School of the Arts as a postgraduate student. Shortly after this she joined and began dancing for Roanoke Ballet Theatre.

She danced lead roles for RBT including, the Snow Queen, Isabella in Napoli, The Queen Fairy in an original Ballet and the principal role of Cinderella. Prior to starting Ballet Aresko she taught dance for many other studios such as Dance Theatre of Lynchburg, Seven Hills Dance studio, Roanoke Ballet Theatre and Assemble Dance studio as their Director of Dance. She is also the Co-founder of Haven School of Dance in Pueblo, Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Science in 2011 and hopes to one day obtain her MFA in dance pedagogy. Her desire is to provide an exceptional dance education for her students, that leaves them with skills and lessons that they may apply to every-day life. Believing that every dancer is unique and different, it is important to her, to teach according to the needs of each individual student.

Instructor

Sarah St. Clair has loved dance all her life. At the age of 7 she started studying Russian and Cecchetti styles of ballet and has also taken classes in other styles of dance over the years. Dance is her heart language and she especially enjoys using it as a form of worship. After moving to the Upstate of South Carolina from Michigan, Sarah immediately found ways to get involved in the wonderful Fine Arts community here. Together, Sarah and her husband Tim taught dance and theater at Artios of Greenville for 5 years. Later, Sarah opened Selah Ballet in Taylors where she taught ballet and worship dance to ages 3-adult. Over the last few years she has gone back to study more Cecchetti and has become certified to teach their graded curriculum.

Sarah’s contagious enthusiasm for dance makes her classes a joy to be a part of. She loves imparting her knowledge of dance to all ages and helping her students gain confidence both in and out of the studio. She and her husband Tim are blessed to have six amazing daughters.

Ballet and Worship Dance Instructor

Spencer Radzanowski grew up in Colorado and was classically trained at the Ballet Society of Colorado Springs under the direction of Patricia Hoffman and Holly Marble. In addition to ballet, she enjoyed classes in lyrical, jazz, contemporary, and worship dance. Her last two years of high school, Ms. Spencer danced with the Colorado Youth Ballet Company and was selected for solo roles including Coppelia, Zoo Song and Carnival. Her favorite dance memories include performing with the Pikes Peak Philharmonic Orchestra, taking a Master Class from Sascha Radetsky of American Ballet Theatre, and traveling to schools around Colorado dancing the title role in Peter and the Wolf as part of an arts education program. Ms. Spencer has taught ballet and worship dance in Colorado, Arizona, and Virginia and is THRILLED to be joining Cornerstone Ballet. She is also a certified REFIT (dance fitness) instructor and certified elementary school teacher. Her favorite classes to teach are lyrical worship dance because movement is such a beautiful and powerful form of praise! Ms. Spencer is a homeschool mom of three and her daughter, Kaelynn, absolutely loves Cornerstone Ballet too. 

Instructor and Admin Team

Hi, My name is Miss Lizzy, I am super excited for this new season at Cornerstone! I am 20 years old and live in Woodruff, SC, and will be getting married in September! Outside of spending time with my fiancé, and going to church, the studio is my second home! There is no place I'd rather be. I started ballet with Mrs Amy when I was 10 years old! Since then, this studio has shown me a passion for teaching, right at the young age of 13, where I had the opportunity to assist my teachers in their classes. You will see me at the front desk, greeting and getting to know each family, and in the classroom. In my class, I encourage dancers to "be brave" while trying new stuff, it's the only way we grow! My goal for classes is for there to be lots of hard work to happen, but lots of fun too! I am so blessed to have been called to teaching. I am so excited to get to know and love on each dancers at Cornerstone.

Instructor

I am Mrs. Kenzie and I began taking ballet class at three years old and loved every minute spent at the studio. I auditioned and attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and was one of eight student to be accepted from the State. I spent several summers studying dance at Intensives such as Harid Conservatory, Bolshoi NY, and ABT. I went on to receive a degree in psychology and am currently pursuing my masters in counseling. One of my favorite dance memories is choreographing with my senior class to create our senior showcase. No matter what is going on in my life I always felt safe in the ballet studio. I love the discipline and the precise technique that ballet entails. Because of dance I have my “dance family”, who are a major support to me. Ballet has taught me to be responsible, hardworking, and a good role model.  I am excited to build relationships with the students and be part of the Cornerstone Ballet Staff for my second year.

Instructor

A native of the Greenville, South Carolina area, Macayle McMullin started dance lessons with Louise’s House of Dance from 2006-2008. In 2010 she began training with International Ballet under Vlada Kysselova’s instruction. While cultivating her dancing technique with Victoria Yanchuk and Irina Ushakova, Miss McMullin performed in IB’s The Nutcracker and three seasons with their pre-professional company. Her roles included Giselle Waltz, Don Quixote corps, La Fille Mal Gardée corps, Spanish dancer in The Nutcracker, and many others, and solos in contemporary pieces choreographed by Megan Hannon and Juliana Jordan. In the Summer of 2020, McMullin participated in the Royal Ballet School’s online summer intensive. In 2021 she appeared in the short film ballet “Just Let Go” choreographed by Thomas Shoemaker. Miss McMullin performed with Cornerstone Ballet in their production of The Nutcracker as Snow Queen and Bo Peep in the 2023-2024 season. She will enter her second year of teaching ballet while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Visual Art from Bob Jones University.

Boys Instructor

Camilo began dancing at the age of ten years old in Colombia, South America at the Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet. He obtained a dance degree from Ballet-Centered, secondary and higher-level institutions where he was educated by ballet masters Gloria Castro, Helena Cala, and Maria Helena llorente as well as the teacher from the National Ballet of Cuba. Upon his graduation he joined the  Conservatorio de Valencia in Spain where he studied for two years.

Camilo also received a full scholarship in 2012 with Miami City Ballet and in 2011 he participated in the International Festival of Valencia, Spain. Camilo has performed professionally with the National Ballet of Colombia, Atlantic City Ballet in New Jersey, Montgomery Ballet in Alabama and the Hinsdale Ballet Theatre in Chicago. Mr. Herrera has worked with international choreographers such as Darren McIntyre, Rafael Darder, Ramon Oller, Rolando Candia, Gonzalo Galguera and Alicia Amatrain and has toured to Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, The Dominican Republic, Russia, Holland,  Belgium, Spain, Germany and the USA.

Camilo enjoyed five seasons with the Columbia City Ballet, and ballet Pensacola where he was a Principal Dancer now Camilo continues his career at Carolina Ballet  and South Carolina ballet has a principal dancer.

Admin Team

I started ballet at age 5 and took classes until I was 15. Even though as an adult I don’t consider myself a dancer, it is interesting to me how much my dance training has benefited me. As a high school band director, I taught and choreographed routines for color guards and marching bands. Then, as a choir director, I used my ballet experience to help me direct and choreograph several full length musicals. My ballet training gave me the knowledge and technique I needed for these jobs. Currently, I homeschool my kids and work here at the studio. I have a 12-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy, and a new addition that joined us last fall. Eleven years ago, when I found out that I was having a baby girl, I was hopeful that she, too, would one day enjoy ballet. When she was 3-years-old, she began dancing and twirling around the house. At that point, I decided to put her in ballet classes. Here we are eight years later, and she is still dancing and loving every moment! I am beyond grateful for a studio that puts emphasis on technicality and modesty, as well as, being uplifting and encouraging to every dancer.

Instructor

Marsh is a graduate of Cornerstone Ballet and has trained under the instruction of Amy DeShong since age 6. She is currently a Dance major at University Of South Carolina. We are fortunate to have Marsh travel back to teach and our into our students during the summe months!

I am Mrs. Jenna! I have supported Cornerstone Ballet for several years now and proudly serve as a board member of the nonprofit and as Studio Coordinator. Having varied professional experience over the decades in operations, people, and logistics, I am excited to bring my expertise and love of community to the studio. As Studio Coordinator it brings me joy to connect with the dancers and families! I’ve been taking our Adult Ballet Class since summer of ’23. Although I have no previous ballet experience I thoroughly enjoy the weekly challenge! Maybe I’ll see you in class.