WHO CONSTITUTES THE FACULTY?
Professional dancers bring their specialized skill set, training, and life experiences to the classroom along with professional teaching faculty.
Students experience a variety of instructors/master classes on a rotating basis for maximum training diversity.
Read on for bios
RITA TAYLOR, CEO and Executive Director
RITA TAYLOR oversees all scheduling, curriculum, and faculty. Rita has a BFA in performance & choreography and a BA in psychology, graduate studies in clinical counseling and has been a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director for nearly four decades. With a diverse background in the performing arts and over 100 productions in dance works and musical theater, she is a respected member of the arts community and has worked with nonprofits for over 40 years. Rita also serves as faculty for the adult dance program.
GARY TAYLOR, Artistic Director
GARY TAYLOR takes a very active interest in the school. A graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, he visits classrooms and consistently teaches master classes to upper level ensemble students. Gary is considered a premiere expert in classical ballet, pointe, and partnering training. Students also receive the mastery of his choreography in his works, The Nutcracker, Spring performances, Imagine Youth Theater, and special events.
ELIZABETH FOWLE, Ballet Master
ELIZABETH FOWLE instructs all ensemble class levels and along with being in charge of rehearsals, she serves as the point of contact for class and performance rehearsal scheduling and special events. She also serves as choreography assistant to the Artistic Director.
Elizabeth is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Contemporary Dance focusing on contemporary, ballet and composition and is also an Adjunct Professor with the UNCSA School of Music. She has a diverse training background in ballet, pointe, partnering, contemporary, ballroom, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, and tap, and has danced professionally with High Point Ballet and Winston-Salem Festival Ballet.
RYAN TAYLOR, Faculty
RYAN TAYLOR is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts in contemporary dance, has a diverse training background in ballet, partnering, contemporary, ballroom, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, tap, and is an aerialist. He has danced professionally with High Point Ballet and MOMIX Dance Theatre and performed with RWS NYC and Holland America touring worldwide. He recently served as dance captain and dancer with Disney Cruise Lines before returning back to the faculty. Ryan also dances professionally with Winston-Salem Festival Ballet.
KATHERINE THOMAS, FACULTY, Studio Dance (PK Dance & Elementary), Ensemble
Katherine Thomas is a versatile dancer and dedicated teacher, trained in ballet, contemporary, partnering, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and musical theatre. An alumna of Gary Taylor Dance and High Point Ballet, she has taught ballet, tap, and jazz to a range of ages.
She recently completed a Ballet Traineeship at Joffrey Ballet School (NYC, 2024–2025), where she also assisted faculty and studied dance pedagogy. In 2025, she attended the American Ballet Theatre’s Collegiate Summer Intensive, receiving advanced training in ballet, pointe, contemporary, character, and jazz.
BAILEY SIMON TALLEY, FACULTY, Studio Dance (First Steps, PK Dance, Elementary & Camps)
BAILEY SIMON TALLEY began dancing at 3 years old in Ft. Benning, GA. Growing up in a military family, she danced at many studios throughout the years, but owes much of her training and love for dance to Gary Taylor Dance which she attended as a company member from 2015-2017. Bailey went on to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro to obtain a BA in Dance Performance and a BS in Kinesiology. During college, she volunteered for Dancers Connect, a program for children in the Greensboro area to dance for free at UNCG. Following her graduation from UNCG, she taught with Eleve Ballet Academy focusing on the preschool program but also teaching beginner and intermediate ballet classes. She is dedicated to using her love of movement and knowledge of motor development and anatomy to inform her teaching.
LEVIZADIK BUCKINS, Guest Faculty
LEVIZADIK (Shadeek) BUCKINS, is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts, in contemporary dance. During his professional career he has traveled with River North Chicago and danced professionally with High Point Ballet and Winston-Salem Festival Ballet.
RACHAEL DEAN, Guest Faculty
RACHAEL DEAN, a High Point Ballet alumnus, attended The Hartt School at the University of Hartford where she furthered her training in ballet, contemporary, and modern techniques in Graham, Limon, and Cunningham. After attending Nashville Ballet’s 2021 summer intensive, she was offered a contract with NB’s second company. Starting out her professional career in Nashville, Rachael had opportunities to be in Nashville Ballet’s first company performances of The Nutcracker and Balanchine’s Four Temperaments. Rachael then joined Wonderbound in 2023 under the artistic direction of Garrett Ammon. She has had incredible opportunities to dance principal roles in original works with Wonderbound and is excited to continue working on her craft.
CAROL JOHNSON, Guest Faculty
CAROL JOHNSON holds a BS degree in Dance from Radford University and also studied with the Eglevsky School of Ballet and Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA. Carol has choreographed numerous musicals and industrials for theater companies, schools, and businesses in North Carolina and Virginia.
LYNNAE BENTON, Communications Coordinator
LYNNAE BENTON coordinates communication between parents, students, and staff.
She received a BS in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing from Appalachian State University. She has grown up in the theatre and has performed with many community and professional groups over the years.
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