Miss Nicole James is entering her second season as the Creative Arts Center Associate Director. Nicole is originally from Florida and was first introduced to dance at the age of three after her parents saw her dancing around in the living room. Little did her parents know that dance would become her passion and a part of her life forever.
Nicole has had the opportunity to experience the dance world through many different facets. She attended dance competitions in her adolescence and received numerous awards for solo and group performances. Nicole was also a part of her high school dance team for all four years and served as captain during her junior year. As a senior in high school, Nicole began her first professional dance job as a dance performer in the musical, “Kiss Me Kate,” at The Show Palace in Hudson, FL. After high school, Nicole consistently worked at dance studios in Florida, fine-tuning her teaching craft. She also attended the University of South Florida and graduated with her Business Management degree in 2012.
In 2013, her love for teaching dance brought her to the public education school system, where she became a full-time teacher at Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes, FL. Nicole had taught middle school math for three years when the Administration approached her to start a dance program after school. In the first year, the after-school program included 50 dancers, and as interest in the program grew, the opportunity for dance to become an elective during the school day arose. Nicole became a full-time dance teacher at a public middle school in Florida the following year, and then the interest grew again, and the number of students wanting to take dance created the need for a second dance teacher. One of Nicole’s greatest joys has been bringing the art of dance into the school system so that all students can participate.
Nicole and her husband moved to Ohio to be closer to family and have the fantastic opportunity to take care of the family farm. Nicole enjoys hanging with her dogs and husband in her free time, being outdoors, and practicing yoga. She is looking forward to sharing her love for dance with families at the Creative Arts Center.
Miss Anne Allen was born and raised in Pickaway County. Her daughters participated in the YMCA Dance program for 16 years. She has personally had a love and admiration for the arts her entire life. When she was asked to develop and teach a visual arts class for the Creative Arts Center she jumped at the opportunity. Anne started the children’s art classes in a small room at the CAC many years ago. The program has grown and been moved to a bigger space to accommodate more children. Anne also participates in the adult program as well as designing and creating the artistic backdrops and structures needed for the annual Dance program recitals.
Anne has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Wittenberg University. She also has a Masters degree in Social Agency Counseling from the University of Dayton. In addition to her responsibilities at the Creative Arts Center, Anne in employed by the Pickaway County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a Service and Support Administrator.
Anne is thankful for the past ten years that she has been involved at the Creative Arts Center Art program and is looking forward to many more years of teaching art to both children and adults.
Miss Sue Ann Bialy is an established baton instructor who has been in and out of the circuit for over 35 years. As an instructor, she strives to produce self-confidence and discipline within her classroom while having fun and displaying complete dedication to something she takes great pride in. Her goal is to produce a confident baton twirler out of all her students.
Sue begins her 6th year at the YMCA CAC family and is looking forward to another rewarding season. She is grateful for this opportunity to give back to her community the talents that God gave to her. Over the past couple of years, Sue has locally provided choreography for her students as they took their talents to a high school level providing halftime entertainment for The Amanda Clearcreek High School Marching band and the Miami Trace High School Marching band. She has instructed band camps across the state of Ohio and in her earlier years, she was the director of the Eaglettes Drum and Baton Corp. She graduated from Logan Elm High School where she was the Head Majorette for the Logan Elm Band of Pride. Twirling fire, hoop and streamer along with multiple batons, she enjoys putting together shows for her students that tell a story.
In addition to twirling, Sue has 14 years of dance experience in jazz and tap and was a 4 year competition Ballroom Dancer. She resides here in Circleville with her husband and has two amazing children. Her pride and joy are her 7 grand-children. As a 5 year survivor of Pancreatic Cancer, Sue holds two verses very close to her heart: Psalm 46:10 – “Be Still and Know That I Am God” and Phillipians 4:13 – “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me.”
Miss Madison Kellough has been dancing since the age of 4. She has studied all genres of dance styles, including tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, ballroom, Middle Eastern and ballet. Madison has competed regionally and internationally while being awarded multiple national titles and special awards. She attended George Mason University to continue her dance training as a Masonette. She also completed an internship working at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida for a semester before moving back home to continue her dream and get back in the studio as a teacher.
Madison has been blessed to perform a halftime show for the Cleveland Cavaliers and perform on the Cinderella International Scholarship Program stage in Dallas, Texas. She has also attended multiple Ohio dance master conventions and numerous other program conventions throughout Ohio, taking classes with Matt Boyce and other artists. Madison has also been performing and competing in the Cinderella scholarship program from ages 14-20, capturing the overall Ohio talent title in the teen division, and was honored to be crowned the Overall Ohio Woman title winner in 2019. She also competes and performs in the Miss America organization in Miss Ohio preliminary competitions. This is her fourth season with the YMCA and second season as a Competition Coach.
Miss Susan Little is a long-time resident of Pickaway County. She has taught child and adult art classes for the YMCA since 1998. Susan joined the Creative Art Center program in 2014 and is involved in the children’s art classes as well as teaching classes for adults and participating in the creation of the art needed for the CAC dance recitals.
Susan has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s degree in Art Education/ Art Therapy from The Ohio State University. She also has a Master’s degree in Counseling from The University of Dayton. Susan has been involved in the artistic process in many different settings including mental health facilities, hospitals and community outreach programs. She has held different public school positions teaching art with the most current being the Logan Elm school district.
Susan’s core belief is that we are all artists in our own way with each piece of artwork unique to each individual. This is the beauty of the creative process and that which nurtures our mind, body and spirit.
Miss Jenny Rhoads is the instructor for our theatre class. She is a Pickaway county native and a graduate of Logan Elm High School and Capital University. Miss Jenny has studied acting, stage management, and also has a degree in English Education. Miss Jenny loves the community she lives in, and enjoys the students she meets at the CAC. Jenny also danced at the YMCA as a child herself!
Miss Brittany Scott is a 9th year instructor here at the Creative Arts Center. She began dancing at the Y at age 3 where she studied Cecchetti ballet technique, Fosse-style jazz, and tap. Brittany competed with a competitive dance team for 2 years, was a member of Teays Valley's award winning Prominent Rendition show choir for 4 years where she worked with former Broadway choreographer Andy Haines. She has also studied modern, hip-hop, ballroom, pointe, and lyrical forms of dance and has participated in many master dance classes. She continues to use her dance and gymnastics backgrounds to choreograph floor routines and competitive dance routines, including a routine for a local Miss Ohio contestant. Brittany has worked in professional productions at the Palace Theater including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, she was one of the wives and was featured as a lead dance soloist. Brittany wants to encourage her students to "Follow your dreams and be yourself, because anything is possible."