HIS Dance Academy has four studios available for rental purposes for private lessons, audition photo/video shoots, and long-term rentals. Facility descriptions and studio dimensions can be found on the Studio page.
Cost during normal studio hours - $18 per 30 mins (Individual)
$28 per 30 mins (Group 2+)
$25 per 30 mins for audition photo only (does not include video)
$35 per hour (Individual)
$45 per hour (Group 2+)​
​
Audition Package: Package includes photo, video recording/editing, and any choreography necessary for auditions. Hourly fee: Teacher fee ($55) + studio fee ($15), additional fees of editing photos or videos ($20).​​​
Several HIS Dance Academy faculty offer private lessons for students who may be looking to work on developing specifics skills. Registration for these classes may be scheduled through the link above.
Cost - $65 per hour for individual
$95 per hour for two
(Add $10 for each additional student)
​
Tassia Hooks-Johnson
Ms. Tassia trained on scholarship at the prestigious San Francisco Ballet School, thanks to her training with Jane Stamps. In 1983, she became a company member of The Dance Theatre of Harlem. She began choreographing, and in 1995, her ballet Belinda O was a winner in the New York City-based New Choreographers on Point competition and was performed at the Lincoln Center. Ms. Tassia has choreographed for the Grand Rapids Dance Project, The Flint Youth Ballet, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Arts International, and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Camp. As Co-Artistic Director of HIS Dance Ensemble with Hannah Sullivan, she choreographed Ark, The Toymaker’s Son, Royal, and Desert. Ms. Tassia loves sharing her gift of dance to help HIS Dance students develop in body, mind, and spirit through Christ.
​
Ballet, Pointe, and Choreography Privates are available.
​
Christina Perry
Ms.Christina has been dancing for 25 years and her passion for dance was inspired by her early training under Betsy Carr, Marjorie Randazzo, and Melissa Ray at Dance Arts Academy in Traverse City. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance at Butler University’s prestigious Jordan College of the Arts in Indianapolis. Christina has danced professionally in Chicago with Nomi Dance Company, Ballet5:8, and South Chicago Dance Theatre. Christina has also appeared as a guest artist for Haus of Glass and Jackson Academy’s The Nutcracker as Sugar Plum, theSouthern Illinois Music Festival’s Swan Lake as Little Swan and Princess, and in Firebird as a Maiden. Christina also performed on opening night with Arise Collective Theatre’s Pilgrim this past winter. Christina has been teaching and choreographing for 18 years in ballet, pointe, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, and jazz. Teaching and mentoring the next generation of artists through dedication, passion, joy, and love is Christina’s calling. She wants to continue sharing and teaching the knowledge and experiences she has had to inspire and challenge.
Ballet, Pointe, Pilates, Modern, Tap, Musical Theatre, and Jazz Privates are available.
Olga Smelik
Ms. Olga was born in Russia and trained in the Vaganova method. She performed as a soloist with the Central Ballet Theatre
in Tennessee. She has taught throughout the United States for more than 18 years and her students have been accepted into prestigious ballet summer programs such as Bolshoi Ballet, ABT, Joffrey Chicago, Colorado Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Ballet 5:8 and have been awarded scholarships to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Mrs. Smelik is certified to teach the first three years of Classical Syllabus of the official Vaganova method curriculum from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. She is planning to become completely certified in the full 8-year Vaganova curriculum in the near future.
​
Ballet, Pointe, and Character Privates are available.
Sarah Walters
Ms. Sarah began dancing at the age of three in the Russian method. She became a member of the Marshall Community Ballet
Company and starred in the roles of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Sarah attended Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp and toured Europe performing Swan Lake with Blue Lake International Ballet. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BA in Dance. While in college, she performed solo roles in The Nutcracker, Paquita, Les Sylphides, and Swan Lake. She spent the summer of 2003 training with the Richmond Ballet Company in Virginia. Sarah has been teaching for 24 years for ages three to adult. Sarah values the importance of strong technique in a Christian environment. She believes that strong technique is essential in ballet as it is the key to training the body to move freely in artistic expression. Sarah has worked alongside local physical therapist over the last 18 years and believes strongly in injury prevention and screening in her classes. Sarah also knows the importance of emphasizing dancing for Christ rather than for oneself. “I was raised in a Christian household, but dancing was something that was done outside of church and separate from my spiritual life. It was something that I did just for myself and, because of this my own human limitations, was very discouraging to me. As my eyes were opened to worship through dance, I experienced a whole new level of joy in my dancing. How amazing it is to give back to the One who gave me the love of dance!”
​
Ballet, Pointe, and Conditioning Privates are available.
​