Van VanEaton: Owning Partner (Instructor)
Van VanEaton runs the business side of things this year at TDC. He also teaches a technique class to our senior class. Van is the head coach of the varsity dance team at Science Hill High School and also the spirit coordinator at East Tennessee State University, coaching both cheer and dance squads.
Allison Jones: Owning Partner (Instructor)
Allison grew up in Johnson City attending Science Hill High School and completing her Bachelors degree at ETSU. She has been dancing for 15+ years and 10 of those she was dancing competitively. She has been teaching jazz, acro, tap, and ballet to girls 3-18 for the last 8 years and coached the dance team and cheerleaders at King College for 2 years after attending college. She is currently living in Johnson City with her husband Arch, daughter Camren, and son Sam.
Blakely Ball: Owning Partner (Instructor)
Blakely has been teaching at TDC for many years and was a student of the studio since she was 3 years old. She specializes in pageant coaching and talent choreography. She recently graduated ETSU with an Honors BA in Communications and a minor in Dance. The reigning Miss Tennessee United States 2016, she has also held the titles of Miss Bristol 2011, Miss Teen Tennessee 2012, and Miss Johnson City 2014, where she has won several talent awards and scholarships. Besides teaching dance, she is a pharmaceutical sales representative and serves healthcare providers in Eyecare.
Debbie Neilson: Owning Partner and Finance Director (Acro Instructor)
Debbie knew and loved the original owner of the Dance Company, Kristy Pratt. They were business neighbors for years, and Debbie would come help with tumbling and Kristy would go help Debbie’s gymnasts with dance. Debbie was an instructor at the Appalachian Gymnastics Academy in Johnson City in 1995 before becoming the owner in 1998. Since then, Neilson has taught summer camps to kids of all ages and high school cheerleading clinics for student-athletes that were trying out for their high school teams. She also worked with the Tennessee Spirit and Southern Storm competitive cheerleading squads.
Most recently, Neilson was an instructor at Mount Empire Gymnastics in Abingdon, Va. While there, she taught recreational and competitive gymnasts. In her career, Neilson has coached more than 100 state, regional and national champions, including national titles in trampoline and tumbling. Neilson has experience coaching internationally in Great Britain and Germany, and is currently a national instructor for USAG the governing body of gymnastics in the United States.
Neilson has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Florida State University and a Master's of Science in Business from Husson College.