Van VanEaton: Office Manager and 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 and Young Adult Director (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.
Nicole Lutz: Instructor
Nicole Lutz is native to Johnson City and an ETSU Alum. She started dance at age three and grew up dancing for Mrs. Kristy and The Dance Company, formerly Ann Hodge Studios. During her years as a dancer, she attended many competitions and conventions in several US cities. Nicole also had the privilege of dancing in New York City in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as attending classes at Broadway Dance Studio! Over the years, she has performed at a number of events including basketball games for high school, College and the NBA. In addition to being a dancer she is a former cheerleader and judge for local tryouts. Nicole has been with TDC as an instructor since 2010. She currently teaches Jazz and Acrobatics to ages 10- 12. When she isn’t at the studio, you can find her making tutus and other apparel with her business Frufru Tutu. She is wife to Rusty and a busy stay-at-home mom to three wonderful kids, Tori, Jack and Sam!
Emily Perkins: Instructor
Emily received most of her training at Mary Ellen’s School of Dance in Ocala, Florida, from the age of 3 until she moved to Tennessee in 2009. She joined the GHS dance team 2009-2012 and participated in the Central Ballet Theater performances and classes. During 2012-2014 she was a part of the University of Memphis dance team. Most recently, she just completed an internship with the Disney College Program performing at Walt Disney World.
Traci Honeycutt: Ballet Instructor
Blakely Ball: Owning Partner and Youth Director (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 East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
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.
Rachel Crabtree: Instructor
Rachel Crabtree started teaching at The Dance Company in 2015. She is originally from Clinton, Tennessee and trained at the Oak Ridge Academy of Dance for 15 years and danced competitively for 11 years. She is currently a student at ETSU and working towards becoming a Physical Therapist. She is a member of the ETSU dance team, and is also a Fine and Performing Arts scholar through the Honors College. She has been teaching dance for seven years and has loved every minute of it!
Kate Trabalka: Instructor
Kate Trabalka began teaching classes at The Dance Company this year. Originally from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, she trained at the Oak Ridge Academy of Dance for 14 years. Along with studio dance she was a member of several dance teams including ORDTTA (Oak Ridge Dance Team Training Association), and the ORHS Dance Cats. She began attending ETSU in the Fall of 2017 to pursue a major in Journalism and a minor in Dance. She is a member of the ETSU dance team, and is also a Fine and Performing Arts scholar through the Honors College. She has been teaching dance for four years, and is excited to continue her journey teaching dance at TDC!