Instructors

Ballet Westside

Dance Studio

Dorothy has owned and operated Ballet Westside in Rogers for 26 years. She is originally from Joplin, MO, where she studied dance for 15 years. She was principal dancer for the Joplin Dance Company and won numerous awards for her talent. She hold 5 grades in Cecchetti training as a student and her Associate III level in teaching. She is a past member of the Cecchetti Council of America and regularly attends classes at Dance Olympus and other dance seminars to further her training and teaching abilities. She has also been a consultant to Disneyland and Disney Special Events of Anaheim, CA. Her students have won top awards at competitions in Kansas City, Tulsa, Branson, Little Rock, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York City, and Orlando. Awards include Best Overall Choreography, Presentation, Precision, Costuming, Overall Grand Champion, and 1st & 2nd runner up to Grand Champion. Her students have performed with dancers from Disney Special Events, toured with Dance Olympus as VIPs, performed at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center in the Disney World Resort, and aboard Premiere Cruise Line’s S.S. Oceanic. Former students have been accepted into OCU’s prestigious dance department, University of Arkansas’s Razorback Dance Team, the American Spirit Dance Company, danced for Carnival Cruise Lines, 1st runner up for Miss Arkansas, Miami Dolphins Cheerleader, and performed in the Mississippi Love Show in Branson. Many of her former students are now area dance teachers and studio owners.

Dorothy Taylor- Studio Director

Taylor Favorite-Lowell

As one of the first Ballet Westside students, Taylor has a long history with the studio. Her training is extensive and very well-rounded. As a child, she studied ballet under Madame Choteau and was trained in Cecchetti, where she holds 5 levels. She was accepted into the Springfield Ballet’s intensive summer program for three years, where she furthered her ballet and modern dance training and began choreography classes. Taylor was the first Ballet Westside student to be accepted as a Dance Olympus VIP. She went on to attend Oklahoma City University and was accepted into the Spirit Dance Company, under the instruction of Jo Rowan. While attending OCU, Taylor was a member of the Pep Dancers. Taylor returned to Ballet Westside as an instructor, where her choreography went on to win top honors such as Best Choreography, Best Precision, and numerous First-Place awards. Taylor will be teaching company classes.

Megan Kutmas

Megan has received numerous overall honors and dance scholarships at regional and national competitions over 16 years. Megan has attended Dance Masters of Oklahoma and achieved recognition as Petite Miss Dance of Oklahoma, Junior Miss Dance of Oklahoma, and Teen Miss Dance of Oklahoma. Megan also achieved national ranking at American Dance Awards, StarPower, Dance Olympus, LADF, and various others. Megan has trained with different professional dancers and choreographers throughout the U.S., including a ten-day one-on-one tap mentorship in New York City with Brenda Bufalino, a renowned tap artist. She will be teaching tap, jazz, and company classes.

Rachel Harr

Rachel began her dance career at Ballet Westside, where she danced numerous solos and duets in The Nutcracker as well as competitions. She has received several First-Place awards in Dance America competitions for groups as well as solo/duet dances. Rachel also enjoyed spending her summers performing with the Rogers Little Theatre. After becoming All-State in Theatre, Rachel had the honor of auditioning for several universities from which she received many generous scholarship offers. She graduated from High School early and spent her first month off studying acting in Los Angeles at the Television Actors Studio on scholarship. She then spent the following summer in Manhattan at the School for Film and Television, also on scholarship. But it was her love of dance that brought her to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas to study both dance and theatre. While attending UNLV, she discovered another passion - education. She then received Montessori teacher training from the North American Montessori Center bases in Ontario, Canada. Rachel will be teaching children’s classes, musical theatre, pre-company, and company classes.

Megan Seiler

Megan is currently a junior at Rogers Heritage High School. She has danced for 14 years, including 5 competitively at Ballet Westside. She has received many regional and national awards for both duets and group dances. Megan has also had the opportunity to dance with professionals from the Moscow Ballet. In addition, she has performed as both Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Westside’s productions of The Nutcracker. This is Megan’s third year teaching at Ballet Westside. She will be teaching children’s classes.

Sara Jo Archer

Sara has been dancing for 14 years. She began dancing at the age of 2 at Ballet Westside. She joined the Ballet Westside Performing Company when she was 9. She has been a member of the Rogers Heritage High Varsity dance team for 2 years and was a captain on her freshman dance team. She has received numerous awards during competitions for solo, duet, and group dances. Sara has won the best hip hop dancer award from her spirit squad the past 2 years. She recently won a national first-place award for her hip hop solo in Chicago. Sara will be teaching hip hop.

Becky Allen

Becky has been dancing at Ballet Westside for 12 years. She has been a member of the Ballet Westside Performing Company for 4 years. She has competed nationally in New York City and Chicago. She has performed with the Joffrey Ballet in The Nutcracker. Becky is also a member of the Benton County School of the Arts High School Diamond Dance Company. Becky will be teaching beginner classes.

Anna Jones

Anna began dancing at the age of four at Elaine’s School of Dance in Fort Smith. She attended Northside High School, where she was the cheerleader captain and choreographed choir Follies. Also, she attended the University of Arkansas where she majored in early childhood education and was in the U of A Dance Troop. Currently, Anna is the director of Pre-K education at St. Vincent de Paul in Rogers. She brings a wealth of experience through 17 years as a dance student and 10 years as a dance instructor. Anna comes from a musical family and will be teaching children’s ballet, tap, and jazz.

Bailey Brust

Bailey has been dancing at Ballet Westside for 12 years. She has been a member of the Ballet Westside Performing Company for 6 years. She has won numerous awards in solo, duet, and group dances while competing at regional and national levels. Bailey is a member of the Rogers Heritage High School Varsity Dance team. She will be teaching children’s classes.

Christine Oller

Christine began dancing at age 4. She joined Ballet Westside in 2001 and was a member of the senior performing company for 5 years. As a performer, Christine won numerous top awards at StarStruck, Dance Olympus, and Talent on Parade competitions. At age 16, she was selected as a Dance Olympus VIP and traveled on the summer tour to Las Vegas, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Omaha. Christine was a Rogers High School cheerleader and a 4-year member of the University of Arkansas Pom Squad. She graduated from the U of A with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She is currently a teacher at Rogers High School and coaches the junior varsity spirit squads. Christine is also working on her Master’s degree in education. Christine will be teaching Dance Team technique and company classes.

Lana Crowell has 20 years of dance teaching experience. She attended the university of central Oklahoma on a full scholarship, where she graduated with a degree in dance education. While there she was the student business director and the student rehearsal director. She also was a featured soloist at the American College Dance Festival. She has studied with top instructors including Tony Cappolla, Frank Chavez, Bill Evans, Lara Teeter, Debbie Knapp and more. She has won the state superintendents award, the F. Ann Shanks award, and was the only student choreographer accepted into the MADN gala. She has choreographed for

cheerleaders, show choirs, plays, musicals, dance teams, and commercials. She has performed at Disneyland, Sea World, and Frontier City Amusement Parks. Lana will be teaching jazz and hip hop.

Lana Crowell

Ballet Westside Dance Studio

101 East Chestnut Street

Rogers, AR 72756

479-636-6678

Ballet Westside Dance Studio, Inc.