Dance Studio Faculty Bios
Dancers Unite takes special care in hand selecting amazing dance instructors. We truly believe that every child that takes a dance lesson at our dance studio is special, and so it is important to us that they are only taught by the best. You do not have to take our word for it; read for yourself here what amazing dance teachers we have!
Julie Emery (Owner/Instructor)
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Julie Emery went to Charlotte Catholic High School where she was salutatorian and a National Merit Scholar. Her academic and dance achievements in high school helped her become a McNair Scholar, giving her a full-tuition scholarship to the University of South Carolina. |
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As an undergraduate, she was a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon, a National Honorary Mathematics Society, for which she served as treasurer. Among her awards in college were the College of Arts and Sciences Rising Senior Award and the Pi Mu Epsilon Award. Julie was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of science in mathematics and a minor in dance.
Julie then continued her education at the University of South Carolina and obtained a master of science in mathematics. While obtaining her master's degree, Julie taught undergraduate mathematics at USC which helped her further realize her love of teaching all ages. Julie then went on to teach middle and high school students at Cardinal Newman School in Columbia, SC as well as college students at Midlands Technical College. Also during college she tutored elementary students through Carolina for Kids.
Throughout all of this, Julie never lost her love for dance. She started dance at a young age. Julie danced competitively for thirteen years, where she obtained numerous first place medals and overall scores. She has taken numerous classes up and down the East Coast, such as Broadway Dance Center in New York City and the Boston Ballet School, as well as competed up and down the East Coast. Her success has led to invitations to dance in the Pro Bowl and Citrus Bowl, and she has danced in Disney World (both Magic Kingdom and MGM). She danced on the Charlotte Catholic High School dance team for four years, during which the team placed first runner up in a national dance team competition. In college she performed with the USC Dance Company.
In addition to winning awards for her own dancing and academics, Julie is now winning awards for her dance teaching. The competition routines she has choreographed and taught have won numerous awards. She herself was recently recognized by Dance Teacher Magazine for winning the Dance Teacher Instructional Video of the Month contest, where the editors of the magazine chose a video of her teaching tap. A feature will be done about Julie for the October 2011 publication of the well respected national dance magazine that Julie herself has been reading for years!
Julie has always known that teaching dance is what she wanted to do with her life, so she is very glad to be teaching at Dancers Unite!
Elizabeth Emery (Owner/Instructor)
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Elizabeth Emery began dance at the age of three, and started teaching dance at the age of thirteen. She taught dance throughout middle school, high school and college. Over the years, she has given hundreds of students dance lessons. In addition to teaching at Dancers Unite, Elizabeth has taught dance at Charlotte Latin School and the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (St. Gabriel, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Anne and St. Patrick Elementary Schools). |
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Before teaching dance, Elizabeth was an accomplished dancer. She danced competitively since age seven and her routines won numerous overall awards. She also performed at numerous venues, a personal favorite of hers being Disney World, a favorite vacation spot of her family. When she was in high school, she was a member of the Charlotte Catholic Dance Team for four years. She was the only freshman on a team that placed first runner up in a national competition.
She graduated Charlotte Catholic with honors, and her dance and academic achievements helped her receive the Thomas Cooper Scholarship to the University of South Carolina. She then graduated cum laude from the nationally ranked Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of science in business administration. She double majored in business economics and marketing, and minored in sociology where she took such courses as Childhood Sociology.
Elizabeth’s combined loves of business, dance and working with children has made owning a studio a natural dream of hers. She recently gave her expertise to 4dancers, a popular online dance blog. Elizabeth continues her dance education today, and has taken numerous classes up and down the east coast, most recently at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, the Boston Ballet School, the Dance Complex, and the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston. Her students have benefited, as she has choreographed and taught dance routines that have won many awards at regional and national dance competitions. Elizabeth strives to provide children with self-esteem, but at the same time provide them with a good dance background, at the heart of the philosophy of Dancers Unite!
Mignon Balas (Instructor)
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Mignon Balas was a competitive gymnast for 10 years in Fayetteville, NC, first with the YMCA and later with Omega School of Gymnastics. She competed at the state level and also enjoyed being a member of the Tumbling Team performing at local schools and special events. |
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When an injury ended team gymnastics she turned to cheerleading and found joy teaching gymnastics and weight training. Mignon continued her fitness instruction in both Raleigh and Charlotte.
According to Mignon, the strength and body awareness required in gymnastics is the foundation for all future sports and promotes self-confidence. She is excited to be working with kids again to develop their personal goals of movement through tumbling. A graduate of Peace College and North Carolina State University, Mignon lives in Charlotte with her husband and two children.
Troy Ellis (Instructor)
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Troy Ellis is an enthusiastic instructor who loves to teach and share his love of hip hop. In addition to teaching, he is also an accomplished dancer. He is part of the Epic By Nature Breakdancing Crew. He is also a graduate of Hopewell High School, and is currently getting his degree in graphic design from King’s College. |
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Margaret Kristel (Instructor)
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Margaret Kristel grew up in the Ukraine, where she received a wonderful dance education. She was a dance major at the S. Lifar Academy of the Dance in Kiev, Ukraine. Margaret has a strong foundation in many forms of dance, including Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance, Contemporary, Folk Dance, Ballroom and Latin Dancing. |
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Margaret has worked professionally as a dancer. She spent 2 years as a dancer with the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Kiev, Ukraine and was also a dancer with the North Carolina Dance Theater.
Margaret has won countless awards for her dancing. For example, she won 1st at the “Stars Circle” Dance festival in Kiev, Ukraine in 2006. She was the Grand Prize winner of the Regional Dance Festival “Star Bridges” in Eastern Europe in 2005. She was also the National Grand Prize winner of the International Performance Arts Contest in 2003. She also won 2nd prize in the “Dreams Constellation” classical dance festival in 2003.
Dancers Unite is extremely honored to have a dancer of Margaret’s caliber on their teaching staff!