elite dance studios
  2005 Main Drive
Fayetteville
(479) 443-1990
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Our Truly Elite Staff

Elite Studios has assembled an absolutely amazing group of dance instructors who embody the philosophy of "Less is More!"  

They each bring their own unique passion to TRULY TEACH - a selfless pursuit which all great teachers know is LESS about showing off their depth of knowledge, and MORE about drawing out the Spirit of Courage & Greatness held within every child.  While possessing the formal training & ability to help students progress in technique & skill, they also share a burning desire to explore diversity in performing styles, personalities and individual energy of each and every student!  

In other words, here at Elite Studios we believe the spotlight is for the children, NOT the instructors, and proudly celebrate the individual AND the team being equally united, as One!  :)

  
Miss Emily
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / STUDIO OWNER

Emily Viator is a Master Dance Teacher, with over 22,000 classroom hours taught since becoming an instructor 21 years ago.  She has extensively invested herself in world-class training in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap Dancing.  She annually attends multiple master classes & conventions around the U.S. to keep herself and her dancers healthy, and current on the latest trends in choreography and human movement!

Miss Emily is the recipient of countless awards for her choreography at major dance events around the country, including the coveted "Choreography Award" at the 2012 Tulsa Prime Time Competition for her piece "Forgive But Don't Forget."  

She is yearly certified in the teacher's course at Company Dance and has choreographed for Ozark Film & Video.  She's also danced on the hit show, "What's Up Que Pasa," on the Children's Television Show.  Several of her pieces have been featured in the Dance Coalition's Annual Spring Concert at the Walton Arts Center. She's been a member choreographer for the Dance Coalition, having served on their board for three incredible years, an invaluable experience which she says made her "an overall smarter and more complete leader & developer of young minds."

She continues to help bring in & coordinate many workshops, master classes & master teachers in the NWArkansas area.  She was sought out by the Harrison Lyric to choreograph timeless musicals, such as "Annie" and "Wizard of Oz," to name a few.  She's worked alongside the world-renowned Houston Ballet for two years at their Summer Dance Intensive, coordinating auditions and rehearsals for the prestigious Moscow Ballet's United States tour of the "Nutcracker" - a once in a lifetime experience!

Emily is the founder of the Fayetteville Montessori Movement and Tap program, going strong since 2004. Her personal studies in anatomy and physiology have assisted her in training healthy dancers with healthy minds.    

She's been a dance & movement instructor since 1997 - and Artistic Director of Elite Dance Studios in Berryville and Fayetteville since 1999.

  
Miss Virginia
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / STUDIO OWNER

Virginia Mock is a Master Dance Teacher herself, also with over 22,000 classroom hours taught since becoming an instructor more than 2 decades ago!  She's taught and trained all over the United States as a past instructor with Universal Dance Association, an organization known for setting the highest standards in quality technique, leadership & inspiration across the entire landscape of American dance!

A highly trained & skilled instructor in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Tap Dance, Miss Virginia was awarded the opportunity of a lifetime with a six-month, intensive internship at prestigious Broadway Dance Center in New York City in 2006.  This invaluable experience was critical in her developement process into the incredible trainer & instructor she is today.  She's also received more state and regional level awards than we can even list for her unique & Powerful choreography - which many of her students will tell you creates a bond that lasts far beyond their time at Elite.  

She is passionately & positively obsessed with providing nothing less than World-Class dance & movement instruction to children in an environment which is most conducive to both their overall physical & psychological development!  

Because of her vibrant personality on AND off stage, she was selected as a day-player on ABC's, "The View," alongside Hillary Duff, Alicia Keys and other notable celebrities and entertainers.

Virginia has been a dance & movement instructor since 1997 - and Artistic Director at the Elite Dance Studios in Berryville and Fayetteville since 1999.

 

Miss Abby has been a memeber of the Elite family since 2005. She has trained in all art forms of dance spending most of her childhood in the dance studio, dance conventions, and training to pursue a career in her first love and passion...DANCE! After numerous performances and competitions she graduated high school in 2016 with honors and moved to New York City's Marymount Manhattan College on the highest academic scholarship they offer. Training with working professionals in Ballet, Modern, and African dance was inspiring but Abby was needed home so after fourteen months training in NYC she moved back home and we were happy to add her to our staff. She is exctied to be back and share her knowledge, passion and art with our dance family and we are thrilled to have her inspiration and energy back in our studio. 

 

Miss Lucy was born January 1996 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She has been dancing for most of her life, about twenty years. Lucy has been learning from Miss Emily and Miss Virginia for fourteen of those amazing years. In her time at Elite she has persxwformed countless times, locally and nationally, and won many awards at competitions with her teammates. Lucy has taken classes from renowned choreographers such as Barry Youngblood, Judy Rice, Tyce Diorio, and Gregg Russel. Her favorite style of dance is contemporary but enjoys trying every kind of dance. Lucy is currently working on a degree in Human Development and Family Science and loves to apply what she learns in terms of child development to her dance students. In her free time Lucy enjoys to be outside, rock climb, and eat delicious food. She has recently gotten engaged and plans to marry her Fiancé, John Mark, in the next two years. Miss Lucy loves to meet and learn about her new students and can’t wait to guide as many young artists as possible! We love having this lovely lady on staff and love the unwavering professionalism and uniquness she brings to our studio.

Amelia Catanzaro is currently a sophomore at the University of Arkansas studying International Business with an emphasis in marketing and minors in French and music. She began her vocal career at Sonora Middle school in Springdale Arkansas and continued through to graduate at Springdale High School in 2018. She has performed in many musicals including The Addams Family (Alice), School House Rock, The Little Mermaid, and many more. Her previous Opera credits include Opera Fayetteville productions of Dead Man Walking, The Little Prince, A Womb with a View, and more. At the UofA she is an avid vocalist and supporter of all performance art and is a proud member of the Inspirational Chorale. She has studied under Dr. Chris MacRae (vocal faculty at the UofA) and Dr. Tatiana Taylor. She has also been invited to perform at many local productions like Walton Art Centers VoiceJam, singing alongside Liz Callaway (voice of Anastasia), Springdale Country club, Ruthie Foster, and many others! She is a proud alumnus of the University of Arkansas children’s choir where was toured and sang solos in Ireland and New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. She danced a majority of her life at Elite Dance Studios in Johnson, Arkansas where she trained in both classical and modern dance. She is currently employed there and teaches a vocal class and private dance lessons. Some credits include assistant choreography for local high school productions of Freaky Friday and The Addams Family. She previously performed at Disney World alongside Witney Carson (Dancing with the Stars), Showboat Branson Belle, Spirit of Dance, and more. Dancing at competitive conventions such as Nuvo and Tremaine gained her the title “Tremaine 2018 Studio Dancer of the Year”. She is beyond excited to continue at Elite as a teacher and share her passion for music and dance with others!

 

 

 

 

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