Meet The Team
Ovation Dance is proud to have passionate, well educated instructors with varying certifications and degrees in the field of dance & movement. Our team is dedicated to our student's safety, technical proficiency, and overall health & well being. Scroll down to get to know some of our instructors!
KIAH CARPENTER
Director/Lead Instructor - Hip Hop, Jazz, Acrobatics, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary & Competition
Kiah Carpenter began her dance training at an early age studying Modern, Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater and Improvisation. Her love for teaching dance began at 15 and has brought her the wonderful opportunity to train under some of the country's best instructors & choreographers. In 2013, she received her B.A. in Dance with an emphasis on Pedagogy and Composition from Columbia College Chicago and later became a certified Acrobatic Arts Instructor. She served as the Grammar/Logic Dance Instructor for Xavier Charter School from 2013-16 and has taught/coached award-winning dancers & works for several studios, K-12 schools, collegiate dance teams, & Dance/Performance Theater groups. She has continued to work professionally in the performing arts industry for many years as a Performer, Instructor, & Choreographer with her most recent work being featured on HBO's "We're Here". Kiah is a founding dancer with Inspirata Dance Project & has been a director and as well as choreographer for Magic Valley Repertory Theatre, Magic Valley Little Theater & JUMP Co. Her credits include Chicago, Cabaret, Cinderella, Daddy Long Longs, Once Upon A Mattress, and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Her lifelong ambition is to create opportunities for students to become empowered through the exploration and creativity of dance!
ALLY MORA
Instructor- Hip Hop, Jazz, Acrobatics, Tap, Contemporary, Performance Groups
Miss Ally was born in Twin Falls and grew up in the dance studio. She was known to always be at dance and loving every bit of it. She started dancing at the age of two and has been dancing ever since. Going off to college she became a member of the CSI Golden Girls for three years and was the captain for two of those years. She has danced professionally with the Inspirata Dance Project and received her AA in Dance and Social Work. Her passion is teaching all ages and putting a smile on each one of her students' faces. Her goal is to give her students an outlet to feel safe and be able to let go and be able to express themselves through movement.
KRISTIAN TURNER
Instructor- Tiny's, Mini's, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Acrobatics, Contemporary, Performance Groups & Competition
Kristian Turner started her exciting dance journey at the age of 9, where she studied numerous styles of dance, including lyrical/contemporary, ballet, modern, hip hop, jazz, funk, and tap. Dance is Kristian’s longtime passion, as she has been dancing/performing for over 20 years and instructing for 17 years. While attending CSI in Twin Falls, Kristian was a member and captain of their Golden Girls Dance Team. Kristian, her husband, and their two kids, live on a farm in Hansen with a small "zoo" and enjoy spending time together outdoors when the weather is beautiful. She continues to perform as a member/collaborator of Inspirata Dance Project & in theatre productions with Magic Valley Repertory Theatre. She has also trained in Aerial Dance at CSI under Cindy Jones.
Shalen Smith
Instructor- Tiny Twirlers
Hello there, my name is Shalen but you can call me Miss Shay! I have been dancing since I was a little girl and danced in a California studio for many years as well as being a part of their performing group. When I graduated high school I moved to Idaho in 2016 to study Dance and AG. I graduated from the College Of Southern Idaho with my AA in Dance. I have tried all genres but hip hop and lyrical are my favorite. I knew I wanted to be a dance teacher when I got to assist my very first class at the age of 10! I currently work at the Animal Shelter as well as being the Dance Coach at South Hills Middle School. I am so excited to be back in the studio because I love how dance allows anyone to express themselves in and outside the box!
Hannah Adams
Instructor- Ballet, Pointe
Hi, my name is Hannah Adams. I started dancing at five years old one hour away from Twin at Center Stage Studios in Rupert. From there my dance journey took me to Georgia where I trained at the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education. There I had the privilege of working under incredible choreographers such as Helen Pickett and John McFall. I studied nutrition, dance history, and various forms of dance. I also worked with patrons, was an assistant teacher, and worked as a stagehand in multiple productions. At the age of fifteen I had my choreographic debut at the Georgia Tech Ferst Center. I married the love of my life in 2017 and have since been teaching and sharing my love of dance with the next generation of artists.
Hannah Gaston
Instructor- Intro to Dance
Hannah began dancing at 15 and has pursued a life filled with movement ever since. She has been trained under the Cecchetti style of ballet and enjoys giving that knowledge back to the next generation. She enjoys using different props and objects with movement to create new shapes, inspiration, and creativity. She believes in teaching dance with compassion, patience, and most important, fun!
Nikki O'Neil
Administrative Assistant
Sosana Carpenter
Musical Theater, Lighting Designer, Costumes, Stage Director/Choreographer- Ovation On Stage
Classroom/Teaching/Studio Assistants
Allison Donahue, Ava Jo Gilmartin, Sophia Kapeleris, Ian O'Neil, Shyann O'Neil, Viviana Perez, Kiara Turner, Cooper Wiggins