2016 Summer Intensive Faculty

Amy Earnest

Amy received her training at the School of Atlanta Ballet; under the direction of Tom Pazik, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. As a professional dancer she performed with Hartford Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. She performed principal roles in George Balanchine's; Four Temperaments, Prodigal Son, Apollo, Western Symphony, and Who Cares; William Forsythe's In The Middle Somewhat Elevated; Alonzo King's Map and Dreamer; Nacho Duato's Arenal; Kirk Peterson's Amazed in Burning Dreams, Firebird, Nutcracker; and Paul Taylor's Esplanade. She also was a finalist in the prestigious New York Ballet Competition of 1996 and was a member of the Chautauqua Ballet from 1998 to 2000. Amy has been teaching and coaching students for the last thirteen years. She is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Lance Hardin

Lance is a native of Chicago, IL, where he received his training from Larry Long at the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ballet from Indiana University, where he studied under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, Jacques Cesbron, and Violette Verdy. As a professional dancer, Mr. Hardin has danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, North Carolina Dance Theatre (currently Charlotte Ballet) , Chautauqua Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Boulder Ballet, Springfield Ballet Company, and the Yoko Kasai Ballet Studio located in Japan. He has performed principal roles by world renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine’sAllegro Brilliante, Four Temperaments, Western Symphony and Who Cares, Paul Taylor’sEsplanade and Company B, Dwight Rhoden’s Verge, Nacho Duato’s Jardi Tancat, William Forsythe’s In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Michael Pink’s Romeo and Juliet, and Alonzo King’s Map, Dreamer, and Chants. Mr. Hardin has taught dance for the past 23 years and holds numerous choreographic credits including Boulder Ballet’s Social Dances and Versus, James Sewell’s BalletWorks Project Fractured (a collaboration with his wife Amy Earnest), The Denver Independent Choreographer’s Project, and Springfield Ballet Company. Versuswas reviewed as “… the ultimate example of a clean, contemporary ballet.” –(Denver Dance Examiner). Mr. Hardin and Amy Earnest have served as Co Dance Directors at The Myles Reif Performing Arts Center in Grand Rapids, MN, since 2012.

Kaitlyn Conley

Extensively trained in all styles of dance, Kaitlyn Conley has worked as a demonstrator with JUMP and was signed with Bloc Agency in Los Angeles. Kaitlyn has been a featured performer at the Capezio Fashion Show at the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City, where she also danced in pieces choreographed by Teddy Forance and Dana Metz. Kaitlyn received her early training at top studios in Tennessee and Florida, including Studio B in Memphis and Mary Jo’s Performing Arts Academy and America's Ballet School in Tampa. She has also trained at Master Ballet Academy and assisted the dancers at Initial Existence Dance Company, an award-winning competition group she danced with in their inaugural season. Kaitlyn is a recent graudate of Arizona State University where she is the assistant coach of the dance team.

Hailey Hoffman
Hailey, an inductee to the National Honor Society of Dance Arts, is a dancer with MusEffect. She can be seen dancing in "Platinum The Dance Movie" and as an Assistant Choreographer to Gina Starbuck on Abby Lee's Ultimate Dance Competition show.