Mrs. Rachal Beard
Rachal Beard brings over twenty-six years of experience in Hip Hop, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz and Contemporary dance to Center Pointe Dance Academy. An alumnus of TurnOut Movement Arts Studio and Tracey & Heather’s Dance Synergy, she has spent eleven years dancing competitively at the national level, and twelve years as an instructor and as competitive dance team co-director. In addition to instructing at TurnOut and THDS, she has been a coach and guest coach for many local dance teams. In her time as a dancer and instructor, she has been a member of many national title winning routines, a Hall of Fame All-star, AmeriDance All-star and Star Systems Top Teacher – among many other accomplishments. Rachal credits her instructor and mentor Tracey Sims-Kopecky with igniting her passion for dance and teaching.
Rachal lives with her husband William, daughter Ruby and son Jensen in Morrisonville. Rachal is the Client Experience Manager at Disruptive Advertising. She looks forward to another great year at CPDA!
Mrs. Heather Odam
Heather is going to use her many years of working with very young children
with the Head Start program to use as she will be teaching a new Mommy and Me class and also working with the 2 year old Ballet, Tap, and Tumbling combination class. The Mommy and Me class will invite moms into the classroom to help the young dancers start to lear the basic skills of dance. The 2 yr old classes will be more traditional and rigorous, but still teaching the basics of dance!
Mrs. Desiree Becker
Desiree Becker has over twenty-eight years of experience in dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and pointe. Desiree pursued her passion for dance as a student at The Dance Factory, and then competitively at Dance Creations Dance Studio, and TurnOut Movement Arts Studio. After dancing for eighteen years, she became an instructor at TurnOut and later coached the Taylorville Junior High Dance Team.
Desiree resides in Stonington with her husband, Jeremy and their children – Benjamin, Hollyn, Edith and Oria. She is a Human Resources Manager for AGCO in Assumption, and is proud to serve on the Executive Board of Directors for the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Board of Directors at VisionWay Christian School. Desiree is looking forward to being part of the Center Pointe family as an instructor and parent this year
Mrs. Lisa Reeter
Lisa Reeter is excited to join the Center Pointe staff in 2020. She began dancing at age 3 at Patty’s Dance Studio in Taylorville and then moved over to The Dance Factory where she danced until the middle of her high school career. Lisa was a member of the award-winning Taylorville High School Cheerleading Team through high school which gave her a love of competition and team sports. As an adult, she volunteered for many, many years in the community as a youth soccer coach for the YMCA, cheer coach with Taylorville Youth Football Cheerleading team and one year as assistant with the Taylorville High School Cheerleading team. Lisa also taught water aerobics with the Taylorville Park District for the past 6 years, choreographing the routines for class. Always trying to find a challenge, Lisa loves a good mud obstacle course, training for biathlons and pushed herself to train and complete a couple of half marathons.
In the past year, Lisa attended training and became a certified WERQ Dance Fitness Instructor, joining together her loves of dance and fitness. She currently has classes at Center Pointe Dance Academy and pop up classes as Manner’s Park.
Lisa lives in Taylorville with her husband, Adam, and their four teenagers.
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Ms. Chauntel Vance
Chauntel Vance has twenty-two years of dance experience being trained in Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, and Hip-Hop. She began dancing at the age of 2 at Raeann’s School of Dance where she became a member of the Kids in Motion competition dance team and later an instructor. Chauntel has traveled the Midwest competing in a variety of dance competitions/conventions and talent shows winning numerous awards and scholarships. She has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at Walt Disney World, and as the opening act for various shows in Branson, MO. Chauntel was also a member of the Illini West HS dance and cheer team. She then took her passion of dance to Illinois College where she was a member of the cheer team for 3 years and dance team for 4 years and was a part of their first ever NDA Nationals appearance. Chauntel has also competed in pageant systems winning Miss Hancock County 2015 and Miss Macomb 2018, taking her to compete at Miss IL with her talent being a tap solo.
Chauntel resides in Taylorville and is a Guidance Counselor at Taylorville High School. She is looking forward to being a part of the CPDA family!
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Mrs. Jessica Ervin
Jessie Ervin brings over 25 years of experience in dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe, and hip hop. Jessie started her love of dance at Patty’s Dance Studio and continued at The Dance Factory. While in college she was on EIU Dancers and performed spring concerts every year. Jessie has also been a dance instructor while she was in college at Mattoon Academy of Gymnastics & Dance and then later at Dance N’Flip Studio.
Jessie resides in Taylorville with her husband, Tim and their two kids – Leah and Will. Jessie is a Computer Science Principal Consultant with the Illinois State Board of Education and is looking forward to dusting off her dance shoes and joining the Center Pointe Dance Academy family as an instructor.
Ms. Meredith Repscher
I started dancing at the Dance Factory in Taylorville when I was 2 years old and have taken Ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and pointe. When I started dancing at Center Pointe, I added an improv and conditioning class along with the others. I also danced on the Jr. High dance team from 6th to 8th grade, then joined the High School Dance team as a freshman and still dance on the team now. I have also helped teach 2 year old tap, ballet, and tumbling and 5 year old tap, jazz, and ballet.
I am currently a junior in high school and very excited to be working with my best friend to teach classes this year for Center Pointe!
Ms. Taylor Michel
I started dancing at the dance factory when I was 2 years old and I later started dancing at Center Pointe when I was 11. I’m now a junior in high school. I’ve been taking ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, and improv. Last year I helped teach 2, 3, and 4 year olds and have been on the Jr. High dance team since 7th grade. I’ve also been on the High school dance team since I was a freshman.
I am very excited to be teaching at Center Pointe Dance Academy this year!
Ms. Ava Odam
Choochie has had a life-long love affair with all things dance! Starting at the age of three, she has eagerly approached all genre’s of dance such as: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Lyrical, and Hip Hop! This past year, she also branched out to Choreography and Improv. In addition to her weekly classes, Ava is also a member of the CPDA dance team and enjoys the challenges that comes with each competition.
Ava also enjoys Track & Field and participates in the running events and pole Vault. She lives at home with her awesome parents and annoying brother!
Ava is looking forward to working with her friends Fiona and Ellee and all of her awesome littles this year!
Ms. Mylie Sims
I have been dancing since I could walk and I have wanted to teach as long as I can remember! I have been dancing with Center Pointe as long as it has been opened and plan on being with it as long as I can! I have been on the competition dance team at Center Pointe for 3 years going on 4. And when it was open I was on The Dance Factory’s competition team for 2 years. My dance schedule consists of lyrical, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, improv, and conditioning.
I am currently a Sophomore at Taylorville High School, and I am apart of the dance team they have there.
I am very excited to tackle the 3 and 4 year old classes with Ava Odam!
Ms. Lydia Repscher
Lydia is 15 years old and is going to be a Sophomore at Taylorville High School, where she was a member of the THS Dance Team her freshman year. She started dancing at the age of 2 with The Dance Factory in Taylorville and has continued to dance with Center Pointe Dance Academy since the studio opened. She has experience in multiple genres of dance which include, Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop. She has also taken Conditioning and Improv/Choreography with CPDA the last 4 years. Lydia has been a part of a competitive dance team for the last 7 years; Two years with The Dance Factory and 5 years with CPDA. She will begin her 8 th year of dancing competitively this Fall. She was a co-
choreographer with Liliella Vail for their duet during the 2021/2022 season and won 1 st place overall at the Fly Regional Dance Competition. She also won 1 st place overall and National Title for her solo at the Fly National Dance Competition. Lydia was a trainee for one year with the Springfield Ballet Company and was a part of their production of The Nutcracker for 3 years. She is now a 2 nd Company member of the Springfield Ballet Company and will begin those classes this Fall. Besides dance, Lydia has also enjoyed being a cheerleader and competing in pageants. She was crowned the 2019 Jr. Miss Christian County and enjoyed being a role model for her peers and younger students as well. Last year, Lydia was a Student Teacher with CPDA in the 7-year-old class and helped teach Ballet, Lyrical, Tap and Jazz with Desiree Becker. She is looking forward to taking her teaching to the next level by instructing her own 3/4-year-old class, along with Liliella Vail.
Ms. Liliella Vail
Liliella began dancing at The Dance Factory when she was 2 years old, and has danced at Center Pointe since they opened. She participates in all genres of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and pointe. Liliella has greatly enjoyed being able to take choreography/improv class since beginning at CPDA, giving her the opportunity to choreograph her own dances. She has also danced with the competition team for 6 years and will be going into her 7th year this season. In addition to her CPDA classes, she was a trainee with Springfield Ballet Company for two years and is currently a member of their 2nd company.
Liliella was a student teacher with Ms. Jenna Tansky and Maggie Holthaus last year, and is looking forward to teaching the 3 and 4 year olds with Lydia this year!
Liliella is almost 15 and will be a Sophomore at Taylorville High School. She also enjoys tumbling and is a member of the THS Track Team.
Ms. Lilly Winans
I started dancing when I was 3 years old at The Dance Factory. I came to Center Pointe when it opened and joined competition team a year later and have been on team for 4 years going on 5. I take every class at Center Pointe including, ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, hip hop, conditioning, improv and LJT. I am 15 years old and this school year I will be a sophomore at Taylorville High School. Last year I got the chance to assistant teach with the 6 year olds and I am very excited to be teaching more this year!
Ms. Brooke Bonitzer
I started dancing when I was just 2 years old and still do all the classes I can: ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe, improv and leaps, jumps and turns. This coming year will be my fourth year on the CPDA competitive team where I’ve competed in lyrical, jazz, contemporary, tap and hip hop dances. Competition and convention weekends are some of my favorites.
I am going to be an 8th grader at Taylorville Junior High. When I’m not dancing you can find me at a pool. I’ve also been a competitive swimmer since I was 7. In the summer I compete on the Taylorville Swim Team where I also junior coach. And I swim year-around with the Bearsharktopus Aquatics Swim Club out of Springfield.
Dancing and swimming are my two favorite things and I’m excited to get to work with Heather Odam and the youngest dancers in the studio just starting their dance journeys.
Ms. Quinn Ostermeier
I have been dancing since I was five years old taking tap, ballet, and jazz at Dance and Flip in Pawnee, Illinois. I’ve been dancing at Center Pointe Dance Academy for the last four years, addnig hip hop, improv, lyrical, and pointe. I have also been a member of the competitive dance team for three years and look forward to another year of team in 2023.
I live in Edinburg and I enjoy spending time with my friends and dancing. I love helping the little girls on the team and also at the studio! I am looking forward to teaching the four year olds with Taylor!
Ms. Ellee Mateer
I have been taking dance classes since I was three years old. When Dance n’ Flip closed, I began dancing at Center Pointe Dance Academy. I take tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, and improv. I am beginning my fourth year as a member of the CPDA Competitive Dance Team.
I participated in track last year and I also enjoy playing softball. I have a twin sister, Emlyn, as well as a set of twins sisters, Lolo and Eileen.
I am very much looking forward to working with Ava and teaching at CPDA.
Ms. Fiona Suslee
I started dancing when I was 9 years old at The Dance Factory. Every year since then, I have taken ballet, tap, jazz, and Hip hop. My 3rd year at Center Pointe Dance Academy, I added conditioning and improv class along with the others. I have also been a part of the CPDA dance team for five years. I have filled in for some classes in the past and am excited about teaching the five and six year olds!
I am a sophomore in high school and super excited to be working with Ms. Ava!
Ms. Lyris Stockon
I started dancing at YMCA when I was 6 years old taking ballet, tap, and jazz classes. I later started dancing at the Dance Factory when I was 9 and took hip hop and jazz.
I am now a junior in high school. I was on the Jr. High dance team starting in 7th grade and I’ve also been on the Taylorville High school dance team since I was a freshman.
I am very excited and look forward to teaching a class this year!
Ms. Madelyn McMillon
I have been dancing for several years. I was a member of the Taylorville Junior High dance team then joined the High School Dance team my freshman year and have been on the team since. I have been taking classes at Center Pointe since the studio opened, starting out with hip hop, and deciding to do jazz, lyrical, and conditioning as well since then.
I am currently a sophomore in high school and am very excited to be teaching classes this year for Center Pointe!
Ms. Charlotte Stickel
I have been dancing for as long as I can remember and have been dancing at Center Pointe since it has opened! I am taking Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Conditioning for Dance. I have also been a member of the Center Pointe Dance Academy competitive team for the last five years and will also dance for the team in 2023.
I am excited to be teaching classes this year!
Center Pointe Dance Academy 