Julia Alderman began her dance training at the age of seven in Westerville, Ohio. By the age of ten, she was dancing as a scholarship student through he Ford Foundation, a national program to assist gifted young dancers. This gave her the opportunity to train with Tatjana Akinfieva-Smith and to dance with Ballet Met, a professional company in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, she studied with the Dayton Ballet, in Dayton Ohio and at the School of American Ballet in New York City. In 1987 she moved to Las Vegas where she trained with tehe Nevada Dance Theater and traveled with them to Moscow, Russia. After moving to Memphis, TN she performed witht he Mid-South Dance Theatre. in 1991, she moved to Springfield, MO and began teaching ballet for Springfield Ballet while she completed a degree in Business Administration from Drury University. In 1994, she founded Ozark Dance Academy. Known by Ms. Julie to her ODA students and those taught during her years as an adjunct teacher in the Theater and Dance Department at Missouri State University (2003-2017) she has shared her passion for ballet and trained many dancers who have gone on to be teacher, perform professionally and those who have just taken their dance training into their life beyond dance. When not teaching class at ODA or Phenix Hot Yoga she loves spending time with her husband Jeff, fur-babies Louie, Kato, and Jazzlyn and on being on the beach.
Alisha Clifton's journey in dance began at the age of 2 in Lebanon, Mo, where her lifelong love for dance took root. Joining her studio's competition team at just 6, she became the youngest member. A versatile dancer, Alisha excels in Ballet and Dance History but is also skilled in Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Modern Dance.
In high school, she joined the Nixa High Dance Team, mastering Pom's and Hip Hop, contributing to her team's consistent State Titles. Alisha's passion for teaching ignited at 14 when she started instructing ballet to 2 & 3-year-olds, laying the foundation for her commitment to promoting dance's benefits and joy.
Her academic journey led her to Missouri State University, where she pursued a double major in Dance Performance and French with a History minor. A scholarship recipient, Alisha delved into Dance History, attending Summer intensives nationwide with prestigious companies like Momix, Parsons Dance Company, Alvin Ailey II, and the New York Baroque Dance Company.
Alisha's dedication extends beyond performance, as she holds certifications in Preschool Dance Education, Acrobatic Arts, and Music History for Dancers. Her involvement with Ozark Dance Academy spans since 2004, transitioning from a student to a faculty member after earning her Bachelor's Degree. At ODA, she teaches various classes, manages day-to-day tasks, and orchestrates events and fundraisers. Outside the studio, Alisha cherishes family time with her husband David, son Grayson, and their Goldendoodle Milo.
Born in O'Fallon, Missouri, Taylor Hartman began her dance journey at the age of five, starting with classes in ballet, tap and jazz. Until age twelve, she was a dedicated member of her studio's competition dance team. After gaining experience in the competition dance world, Taylor shifted to a ballet-focused studio, where she would dance until she graduated. Taylor performed in yearly performances of The Nutcracker, with her favorite roles being The Sugar Plum Fairy and The Snow Queen.
In high school, she diversified her training to include dancing on the Varsity dance team, as well as being a part of the school's theatre department. As part of the theatre department, Taylor choreographed for three productions.
Taylor found her love for teaching dance at thirteen when she began assisting dance classes. She transitioned into independent teaching by age sixteen, and has continued ever since.
Currently pursuing a BFA in Dance at Missouri State University with both advertising and theatre minors, Taylor has been part of two Fall Dance Concerts and swung for a guest artist piece in Spring Dance Concert. With a deep love for ballet, Taylor is thrilled to be joining the staff of Ozark Dance Academy, and cannot wait to see what the future holds!
Laura is a 2017 graduate of Ozark High School where she performed with the Dance Team for two years and won the Dance Talent Contest her Junior and Senior years. She formally trained in ballet, jazz, modern at ODA and found her passion to be Hip Hop. In regional competition, she has choreographed and performed winning Hip-Hop solos. When not teaching Laura loves to work with her church or perform with Motion Playlist a local Hip Hop group. We are so glad she is able to join us for another season and spread her love of dance and hip hop with our students.
Kaci Parker began dancing at the age of six at Ozark Dance Academy. When Petra School of the Arts opened their doors to older students in 2016, Kaci began training with them under the tutelage of Petra Ballet Company Director Kim Raymond. At the age of 16, Kaci joined Petra Ballet’s professional company and toured nationwide with them until she left the company in 2021. Kaci has received extensive training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and Irish dancing. During her time with Petra, Kaci completed multiple levels of Chechetti examinations, receiving excellent scores with each exam. Kaci began teaching at Ozark Dance Academy in 2020, and that is where she found her passion for educating the next generation of dancers. Kaci is currently pursuing a degree in educational and childhood psychology. Kaci teaches both recreational and competition dancers, and has experience teaching ages 3-18. In 2021, she began coaching and choreographing for the Junior Elite and Senior competition teams at Ozark Dance Academy and has choreographed many award winning solos, group routines, and productions.
Carolien Wolfe started her training at the age of 4 with Showtime Productions. When she was 10, she continued her dance training at Ozark Dance Academy until she graduated from high school. Throughout her time at ODA she trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Modern dance. While at ODA she was a memver fot he competition team earning cholarships from many of the competitions including DanceMakers, Hollywood Dance Jaz and Talent on Parade. She performed and competed with the Ozark High School Dance Team and ulitmately palcing 2nd in state for heir kick routine. For the past 2 summers Caroline has traveled all across the country as an instructor for Universal Dance Association (UDA) instructing High School Dance team students. When ski s not in the studio, Caroline is training at Missouri State University and earning her Bachelors Degree in Dace. She is excited to be teaching at ODA for her second year.
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