Studio & Staff

Highly Qualified and Experienced

Consistent, safe, positive, and challenging curriculum

Ashland Regional Dance Theatre holds Leap n Learn Certification for our youngest students. This curriculum focuses on building physical, social, and cognitive skills through current training trends for this energetic age grouping. In the primary ages, instructors hold certification through the Dance Masters of America. The director holds certification in all of die above as well as the American Ballet Theatre National Curriculum dirough Level 5.

Our Staff & Instructors

Maria Whaley

Owner/Director

  • American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum (certified Pre-Primary – Level 5)
  • Leap N Learn Trained/Certified Studio Owner
  • Dance Masters of America (DMA Certified – 1983)
  • Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School Graduate (certified in ballet, jazz, tap, modern)

  • Progressing Ballet Technique (certified)
  • Acrobatic Arts (Level 1)
  • Northeast Kentucky Small Business Award Finalist (2014)

Maria Whaley has over 40 years of experience in dance performance, teaching, choreographing, and directing. In addition to her work at Ashland Regional Dance Theatre, Mrs. Maria founded and serves as director of the Ashland Youth Ballet, the resident company of the Paramount Arts Center, since 1989. She began teaching after training and performing at Virginia  Intermont College, the Atlanta Ballet, and a variety of teachers from influential programs such as Joffrey Ballet, Julliard, and American Ballet Theatre. Throughout her career, Mrs. Maria has staged productions from state pageants to regional and community theater to concert dance to lecture demonstrations. A former Kentucky Arts Council Roster Artist, Mrs. Maria has conducted residencies and workshops in many school districts in Kentucky and Ohio, and continues to provide professional development seminars to integrate the arts into the core curriculum. Her students have been awarded local, state, and national titles/awards and have been selected to attend renowned training programs from American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory. Virginia School for the Arts, The Rock, Pointe Park College, and many more. Her students have gone on to professional careers as professors of dance, on and off Broadway performers, dance and theater instructors, and to dance nationally and internationally. She has served as a National Area Director for DMA and serves as a class secretary at Teacher Training School.

Mrs. Whaley is a graduate of Marshall University with a Master of Arts from the University of Dayton in Theological Studies. Mrs. Whaley also teaches at St. Joseph High School in Ironton, OH where she teaches theology at the high school level and teaching/directing performing arts at the grade school and high school levels.

Mrs. Maria and her husband, Larry, have three grown sons who have all danced and tumbled growing up. In her free time, Mrs. Maria enjoys all things “Maya,” her grand-daughter, walking every morning, gardening, and spending quiet time at home with her dogs (Biella and Winnie), and being involved in her church community.

Kim Stambaugh
“Ms. Kim”

Secretary

Ms. Kim greets our students and parents as they enter the building. She loves watching our dancers grow and develop over the years. She is a retired public school teacher (Fairview) with loads of experience with students and parents. She helps everyone register, find their class, call their parents (if needed), and stay up to date on important information and deadlines. Flamingos make her smile!

Caiti Anderson
“Ms. Caiti”

Lead Dance Instructor

  • Certification in DMA (Ballet, Jazz), Leap n Learn, AcroArts

Working with very young students is Ms. Caiti’s passion. She helps her students in creative movement explore movement from the first day they step into the dance studio.

Using her skills as an intervention specialist, she meets the dancers where they are and allows them to expand to new heights. As students develop new skills and move through our levels, Ms. Caiti continues to help them develop in ballet working especially with our pre-pointe and beginning pointe dancers. Ms. Caiti holds a BA in Communication Disorders and a MA in Special Education from Marshall University. Her hobbies included crocheting, sewing, spending time with family, and attending Marshall University sporting events. She lives with Quincy and Faith her dogs and Chai, her cat. Caiti is one of our own.

She trained within our program, danced with the Ashland Youth Ballet and the Honors program. She began teaching in 2009 certifying through Dance Masters of America in ballet and jazz.

Kaitlyn Eldridge
“Mrs. Kaitlyn”

Lead Dance Instructor

  • Certification in DMA, TTS Advanced, Leap n Learn, CLI Studios

Building the whole dancer is one of Mrs. Kaitlyn’s goals. Whether in ballet, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, tap, or jazz funk/hip hop, Mrs. Kaitlyn threads the fundamentals of technique and alignment across the disciplines.

Although she primarily works with the upper-level dancers, AYB, and ARDT Honors program, she understands the importance of mastering skills in the primary and first, second, and third levels.  She grew up dancing and was a member of the award winning Greenup County Dance Team. After high school she attended Morehead State University and was in the student-based dance ensemble. Outside of dance she enjoys traveling with her family, attending baseball and football games, and different types of crafting. Mrs. Kaitlyn, her husband, Jared, and son, Merrick have two cats, Kipenzi and Gizzi Jean.

Mrs. Kaitlyn joined our program in 2012 teaching all levels of dance across the disciplines. She certified with Dance Masters of America (DMA) and has attended DMA Teacher Training School (Advanced Level).

Ashton Wheeler
“Mrs. Ashton”

Lead Dance/AcroDance Instructor

  • Certification in Leap n Learn, AcroArts, CLI Studios
  • TTS Level 1 Trainee

Helping parents and students understand the work behind mastering skills is one of Mrs. Ashton’s goals. Many students and parents alike, see the “flash” and “tricks” of dance through social media and the internet, but what cannot be seen in ninety – seconds, is the work that it takes to get there.

Mrs. Ashton builds conditioning and stretches into any class that she teaches from pre-school into the leveled classes helping students understand their bodies and preparing them for what they are about to do in class. She works with the Ashland Youth Ballet and the ARDT Honors program as a teacher, choreographer, and coach. In high school, Mrs. Ashton earned national championships with the Greenup County cheer program as a cheerleader and a coach. She attended ACTC and KCU after high school. Mrs. Ashton is married to Andrew; the couple has three children, Lilly Grace, Sophie Beth, and Kent; and two pups, Dolly and Jasmine. Mrs. Ashton enjoys volunteering for her children’s schools and local charitable organizations and all things “Disney.”

Joining our dance family in 2015, Mrs. Ashton originally taught within the acrobatics classes and transitioned to our pre-school classes shortly thereafter.

Emily Fields
“Miss Emily”

Assistant – Apprentice Dance Instructor

It’s hard to remember a time when Miss Emily was not at the studio. Beginning with our program in pre-school, Miss Emily has been involved as a student, a student – demonstrator, and now an assistant dance instructor. Miss Emily assists with pre-school, primary, and all leveled classes in dance and in acrobatics. As a student dancer, she was a member of the Ashland Youth Ballet and the ARDT Honors program.

She competed at Dance Masters of the Bluegrass events in groups/solos and solo title.  Currently, Miss Emily is attending the DMA TTS program in the summers working towards certification. When she’s not at the studio, she helps with her parents’ business, Field’s Flower Shop; one of the longest established businesses in the Ashland Area. She lives with her parents and her dog, Buddy.

Emily danced with us from pre-school through advanced levels. She auditioned and joined the Ashland Youth Ballet and danced competitively with the Honors program.  Emily is actively working towards her DMA certification.

Jenna Lucas
“Miss Jenna”

Assistant – Apprentice Dance Instructor

After graduating in 2024, Miss Jenna transitioned from student to assistant instructor. She assists with pre-school, primary, and leveled classes as needed. Miss Jenna is a natural in the classroom and the students are drawn to her smile and quiet nature. She looks to forward her dance knowledge as she enters into preparation for certification in the field. Attending Ohio University Southern Campus, Miss Jenna resides with her parents and her pup, Woody.

Beautifully Renovated Spaces

Ashland Regional Dance Theatre provides a wonderful setting and state-of-the-art equipment to set the stage in providing you or your child with the best training and resources available.

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