Kimberly Lewis - Owner

Kimberly’s diverse dance career has taken her all over the world. She has studied with top dance instructors and major dance companies throughout the world. In 1990 Kimberly formed and directed The Phoenix Suns Dance Team. Today, the Kimberly Lewis School of Dance has achieved tremendous success and acclaim and has been voted the number one dance studio six times in the Ahwatukee Foothills. In 2000 Kimberly started the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet which has become a holiday tradition in the community. Kimberly’s unique combination of experiences, creativity, full staged productions, and her caring attitude has made her one of the most respected dance educators and dance school owners in the country.

Carrie Matheus-Anders - Artistic Director

Carrie is a native Phoenician and has been dancing for 28 years. Her training began at local studios. At the age of seven she began performing and competing; winning many national and state titles. At age 13, Carrie began traveling to further her studies. New York was the biggest and the best. She studied at five different studios during her summers in New York. Her favorite was the well-known “Steps Studio.” Here, she was fortunate enough to take classes from several top name choreographers and dancers. Carrie began as a teacher’s assistant at age 14. She currently specializes in jazz, hip hop, tap and ballet. She loves teaching a variety of classes because it gives her the chance to help children reach their potential in all areas and levels. Carrie began auditioning for dance rolls in industrial shows and commercials at age 14. She has participated in such things as educational videos, traveling trade shows, industrial entertainment and comm-ercials. Also, chosen as the one choreographer and dancer to work with well known Violinist Henryk Ian Kunowski. She performed to his live music at hospitals to bring joy to terminally ill children during holiday seasons. Carrie was on the Phoenix Suns Dance Team for ten years and was captain and choreographer. With the dance team, she traveled and performed in Los Angeles, and Germany. Carrie has also choreographed for the musical group Pazport. In 1999, Carrie created and started the first competition groups at Kimberly Lewis School of Dance. Under her direction, her competition groups have won many first place awards at Regionals and Nationals. Carrie has received many awards for Outstanding Choreography in the comp-etition circuit! Carrie loves passing on the knowledge, skill, and personal growth skills she has achieved through her dance to her students. Carrie LOVES spending time with her wonderful husband Robb Anders “I LOVE U” and their two sons Skye and their newest addition to the family McCoy. Watch out girls, my boys are heartbreakers!

Jill Hammond

Jill believes ballet should be fun. It should develop coordination, good posture, rhythm and imagination. She has a desire to teach her students balance and poise, and to help them develop strength, elasticity and especially a love for ballet. The study of ballet qualifies students for all other forms of dance. Jill started her ballet training at the age of four. She studied under Ballet Mistress Glades Pinderton, who was a student of ballet Master Michael Fokine. Mrs. Pinderton’s emphasis was the Russian Method of ballet. At the age of 10, Jill turned from the Russian syllabus to the Cecchetti Method. She trained under Mary Kasai, member of NDAA, DMA, DEA, Dance Caravan, Nico Charisse, Cecchetti Ballet Council of America and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Co. Jill had 16 years of study with Miss Kasai. This is Jill’s favorite style of ballet. The Cecchetti Method has rich vocabulary that has been adjusted, but not altered much over the years. It is linked to the early classics and contains harmony, and beautiful ports de bras. The Cecchetti Society runs its own summer school which Jill was skilled enough to attend. At that time she was fortunate enough to study under the last living student of Cecchetti himself. Through Miss Kasai, Jill was also invited to travel to Russia on a good will study tour with the Bolshoi Ballet Company of Moscow and The Kirov Ballet Company of Leningrad. After high school Jill began teaching at the Kasai Studios in Pocatello, Idaho. While studying and teaching with Miss Kasai, she had many performing opportunities. She was able to participate with Ballet West in a production of Coppilla, and was involved with The Rocky Mountain Dance Association and Dance Productions in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along with studying for a degree in dental hygiene, she had a great time participating in university and city musicals, Idaho State University Puppeteers and the Idaho State University Ballroom Dance Team. She was Dance Director for the Pocatello East Stake and Idaho State 1983 Mini Dome Dance Festival. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in dental hygiene she found that ballet was still her first love. She continued to teach for Kasai Studios had also continued to further her dance experience with Dance Tuller Smith and Vallene Tuller of Dance Caravan. In 1986, Jill and her family moved to California. This was a great opportunity. She continued her training with such talented people as Kim Hurley, who was with the Jeoffery Ballet and spent three and a half years with “Fame.” In 1993 Jill and her family made another big move to Phoenix, AZ. Miss Kasai assured Jill that Phoenix would offer a lot of dance opportunities. Jill is highly credited with her choreography and dedication to making the first annual Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet possible! Jill would like to thank her mother for giving her a love for ballet. She would like to thank her family for their love and support and adds a big thank you to Kimberly Lewis School of Dance Ballet Dancers, for allowing her to share her love for ballet with them.

Kelsey Tomlinson

Kelsey Tomlinson is a Senior at Arizona State University where she will receive a major in English Literature. Kelsey has been dancing all her life and competed on the Nationally ranked Chaparral Pom Line. She choreographs locally for high school dance lines and is a Head Instructor for the Universal Dance Association. She also judges the regional dance competitions for high school dance teams. She can be found in the office planning and scheduling the KLSD competitions, as well as taking an active role in the Kimberly Lewis School of Dance Booster Club. She has enjoyed her time so far at KLSD and loves coming to the studio every day!

Ashley J. Moore

Christine Benham

Christine fell in love with ballet at the age of 7 with Miss Jill at the Kimberly Lewis School of Dance. She enjoyed the Checetti technique and Miss Jill’s love of ballet and her dedication to her students. She started as an assistant ballet teacher at the age of 13 and continues to teach with Miss Jill today. In addition to her training from Miss Jill, Christine studied the Royal Academy of Dance technique from Mary Adams, the Vagonava technique from Natasha and Joshua Brooksher and the Yen-Li Chen Ballet School, and the Balanchine technique during three years of summer intensives at the Jillana School. Also, she has attended several Master Classes with world-renowned French teacher Jean-Paul Comelin, who has worked with such notable dancers as Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, Michail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, George Balanchine and more. Christine has performed soloist roles in Les Sylphides, Paquita, Raymonda, Serenade, Nutcracker, and the principle role of Swanhilda in Coppelia. After studying ballet, character, jazz, and modern, ballet is still her favorite dance form. Christine began teaching at the Kimberly Lewis School of Dance and choreographing for the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet in 2007. When not at the studio, she is a student at ASU majoring in English and Family/Human Development, minoring in Dance, and obtaining a Professional Writing Certificate. She absolutely loves working with her students. They bring constant joy and inspiration to her life. She would like to thank Jill Hammond for being such a wonderful and inspiring teacher and mentor and her family for their unconditional love and support.

Meghan Alexander

Meghan has a strong passion for dance and loves to work with kids. She is a twenty-two year old born and trained in California for eight years, then moved here to the Awhatukee area. Mostly coming from a Competitive background at a young age she has won countless awards and competed in numerous competitions and attended various conventions. She has trained here in the valley competitively mostly with Tempe Dance academy in Jazz but was known for her fast tapping feet. She was accepted and attended the Tap Kids summer intensive for four years in New York City starting at the age of 9. She not only is highly trained in Tap, she is trained in Jazz , Ballet, Hip-Hop, Acro , Contemporary , and lyrical. She then trained at the School of Ballet Arizona for seven years under the direction of Kee-juan Han and Nadia Zubkov. Performing in multiple Ballet Arizona productions throughout the years. She was accepted into multiple summer intensive programs during her ballet training such as ABT, The Rock, Boston Ballet School, and State Street Ballet. She has also had training with Mary Adams with Adams Ballet Academy, focusing on the Royal Academy Technique when she was younger which Meghan uses towards her teaching style. She had the opportunity to take classes from world-renowned choreographers such as Mandy Moore, Doug Caldwell, Nolan Padilla, Dee Caspary, while taking classes at the Edge performing Arts center for a semester. Meghan taught with the City of Phoenix dance program for four years and directed the program for a year. Currently Meghan is a senior at ASU and Phoenix college studying Liberal arts and Sign Language Interpretation. Meghan is so happy to be a part of the KLSD family and working with such great kids and staff!

David Trujillo

David is very happy to be a part of the KLSD staff. David is a senior at Arizona State University in the School of Dance, where he is working towards a BFA in Dance with a focus Lighting Design and Production. David is very actively involved at ASU, performing, choreographing, designing lights, and the has had the honor of holding the position of Vice President for the Student Advisory Board. David has been dancing for many years starting his dancing career at Sherry’s School of Dance and Gymnastics in Verona, Pa. After moving to Arizona David continued his dance training and ended up at Desert Vista High School. David received many forms of recognition at DVHS in Dance including Captain, Most Valuable Dancer, and Overall Best Choreographer. Since starting at ASU David has had the opportunity to continue his dance training studying with Karen Schupp, Mary Fitzgerald, Dr. Cynthia Roses-Thema, Shouze Ma, Nina Watt, David Dorfman, and many others. David has had the opportunity to dance professionally for Desert Dance Theater under the direction of Lisa Chow. David has been seen in the dance competition circuit working with some of the nation’s most talented dancers, teachers and choreographers. David has been teaching for many years, stating his teaching as an assistant at the young age of 12. He is a well rounded dancer/teacher/choreographer trained in many styles of dance. David is now and always has been very focused on teaching kids how to dance and how to use the love of it to grow and succeed. David is an avid believer of “Dancing with the feet is one thing while dancing with the heart is another.”

Michelle Helling

Michelle Helling is an up and coming dancer and choreographer that has been dancing for over 15 years and a part of the professional dance industry for the past 8 years.  She is trained in Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Latin and Ballroom Dancing.  Michelle is known on the dance competition circuit as an award winning choreographer.  She loves to pass on the gift of dance to young students.  She has choreographer and taught for dance studios all over the country and also in London.  Michelle's strong influence in the dance world has made her a hot commodity.  She is loved by young dancers all over the country!

Alyssa Ramey

Alyssa began her dance career over eighteen years ago.  Since then she has been in love with many different forms including jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, ballet, tap, and hip hop.  After training many years at her home town studio in northern California, Patty's Studio of Dance, Alyssa began to branch out and study at San Francisco Dance Center, ODC Dance Commons, Shawl-Anderson Performing Arts, and the EDGE once dance became her true obsession.  Alyssa has studied under the direction of Dawn Paulson-Miller, Greg Chapkis, Patty Maltsberger, and Reginald Ray-Savage,to name a few.  She currently is pursuing her BFA in Dance at Arizona State and will graduate in May.  Alyssa's choreography has earned her lots of recognition at many competitions in Arizona and California including several overall awards.  She won the Just for Kix Award for Outstanding Choreography at Spotlight Dance Cup in 2008.  Alyssa also was a recent finalist for the Arizona Young Artists' Competition with her self choreographed solo "Sense of Touch".  Alyssa emphasizes the importance of technique in her classes as well as encourages self reflection to improve her dancers' performance quality in the studio and on stage.  Alyssa is excited to join the staff at Kimberly Lewis School of Dance and share her creativity and enthusiasm with all of her students.

Nick Harron

Nicholas is a self taught dancer and choreographer from New York and is part of the new generation of Hip Hop dancers. His style derives from jazz and broadway which he's using to influence students into embracing his love for hip hop. Nicholas has taught master classes along side many famous teachers such as Geo Hubela of "America's Best Dance Crew," Marvin Parulan, David Moore, Mario Velez, Leslie Sccott, Blake McGrath and will be teaching with Mia Michaels this summer from the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance." He's worked for competitions and conventions and is now in the process of putting together his own clothing line which will be available for all ages. In addition to teaching, Nicholas choreographed up-and-coming artist Melissa Cohee's debut North American tour and is dancing with her as her principle dancers. In January of 2009 he will be auditioning for the 5th season of "So You Think You Can Dance." Nicholas has won many awards for excellence in choreography and is gaining respect in the hip hop community. "Dancing to me is more then moving in sequences and flashy moves we learn in classes or videos. It's about feeling the music and interpreting the emotion or message the artist was facing when written. I close my eyes and can see dances in my head constantly. Now I wish to share these dances with as many people as possible. Dance is a beautiful industry and I love being a part of it in any way I can. I can only hope in the future to grow as a dancer/choreographer.