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THE FACULTY

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 Haeli Henderson

Owner - Director

Haeli Henderson grew up training in all classical styles of dance with an emphasis on ballet and pointe, but also extensive training in tap, jazz, contemporary and modern. She also had a very fun opportunity to train and perform with a hip hop crew while in the Front Range area. She performed in companies in Austin, where her training began, Durango, where she spent middle and high school, and Colorado Springs where she continued to dance through college.  She has been teaching, choreographing, and directing professionally at dance studios in Colorado since 2007.  Starting her career in Colorado Springs, Haeli truly found her calling in teaching. In 2009 Haeli became a company director of a high-level, competitive dance studio in Colorado Springs. There she worked with many leading professional master teachers and choreographers. For 6 years as a company director, Haeli focused on developing dancers into well-trained, professional, confident, and hard-working students. Many of them have moved on to the industry’s top schools and have worked with highly successful agencies, studios, and professional choreographers. 

 

Haeli decided to bring her experience to the dancers in her home town of Durango, Colorado, and opened Studio 444 Performing Arts Academy in early 2020.  Incorporating all the things she has learned over the years, she has made her dream into reality and enjoys helping her students grow and achieve their own dreams at Studio 444 Performing Arts Academy. 

 

Building relationships with her students and helping them navigate through life as a mentor is one of the things Haeli is most passionate about at Studio 444. The connections and relationships that she has built with her former students through the years remains an integral part of her life. She looks forward to expanding her dance family.

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 Claire Taylor

Dance Instructor

Claire Taylor has been dancing professionally for fifteen years. Recently retired from the professional Ballet world, she has been teaching extensively throughout the Denver area and has made her way back to Durango, her hometown. Claire has danced throughout the United States with companies such as Ballet West, St. Louis Ballet, and retired her ballet career with Ballet Ariel of Denver.

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Logan Freedle

Dance Instructor

Logan Freedle was raised in Flower Mound, Texas, and started dancing at the age of 4. She grew up competing not only in the Dallas area but all over the country. She attended serval West Coast Dance Explosion and Nuvo Conventions over the years, along with several other intensives and nationals. She was lucky enough to be chosen twice for The Elite Ballet Intensive, founded and directed by Tara Foy, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Logan has trained in all styles of dance but her favorites have always been contemporary and tap. She has 13 years of competitive dance experience along with drill team and pom experience as well. She was a member of the award-winning high school drill team, the Marcus Marquette’s, which performed at Disney World in 2014.

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Logan is ready to train students for the professional dance world. She not only has experience in dance, but also in singing and theater. She feels all dancers should be well-rounded in all styles of dance and fine arts!

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Miss Michele Carver

Guest Instructor

Recently graduated from prestigious CLI Conservatory

Michele  Carver was born in San Francisco, California, and moved to Durango, Colorado when she was 3. She has been dancing in Durango for over 16 years.! She spent 9 years as a competitive dancer at Dance in the Rockies including 5 years of assisting and teaching during her time as a student. 

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Michele has attended many different dance intensives across the country including MusExperience, SoulEscape, Colorado Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and Tallahassee Ballet. As a young dancer and teacher working toward finding her way in the world through her passion for dance,  Michele has also recently found a love for sharing her dance knowledge and being there to support her students.

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Miss Tracy Henderson

Tracy Henderson

Admin, Guest Instructor

Having been enthusiastic in Haeli’s dance education, she found her own path to studying dance and has enjoyed being a teacher of dance, cardio dance, and martial arts for many years.

She also owns Eye.D., an optical boutique in downtown Durango.

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You'll find Tracy primarily in admin and support but also teaches recreational classes and parent classes at the studio!

Miss Breanna Pitcher

Breanna Pitcher

Marketing & Admin, Co-Founder

Breanna is thrilled to develop and bring to life the vision, character, and brand identity of Studio 444 as the marketing director. 

 

Breanna was childhood friends with Haeli. She grew up dancing in Durango, which she values and attributes to her happiness and her success in life. She has continued to dance and enjoys aerial arts and yoga. Breanna is happy to be a partner in the business, giving young dancers a space to explore their talents, and to help them build a path beyond graduation. She has Master’s Degrees in Corporate Communications and Public Relations, as well as a Minor in Dance.

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Kelsey Percival

Dance Instructor

Kelsey Percival grew up in Castle Rock, Colorado and has been in the competition dance circuit, beginning at Danza Dance Academy, since she was three. In eighth grade, she was accepted into Michelle Latimer Dance Academy's competition team. While at MLDA, she took class from and competed numbers by renowned choreographers including Teddy Forance, Stacey Tookey, Brian Friedman, Ray Leeper and more. She performed at The Dance Awards in New York City. opened for the Rockette's in Colorado Springs, and danced behind country music singer Jessie James at a Bronco's playoff game halftime show.

 

After high school, Kelsey took a break from full-time dance and got a bachelor's degree in English at MSU Denver. While in college she did some guest teaching at MLDA and Boutique Dance Academy in Castle Rock.

 

Kelsey returned her focus to dance upon moving to Durango in 2021. She taught pre-ballet, ballet, lyrical and jazz at Ballet Durango. She started dance classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop and lyrical for adults, under the name Adult Dance Durango. Kelsey is also a member of Merely Players, a local musical theater company, where she most recently performed in the musical "Chicago." 

 

Kelsey's instruction is centered on technique, musicality and evoking passion for dance and life from her students. She is thrilled to be a part of the Studio 444 team! 

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Whitney McClain

Dance Instructor

Whitney grew up dancing in Parker, Colorado at the age of 3 at Parker Dance Academy. Her training was heavily focused in Ballet and Tap where she took classes from David Taylor with Zikr Dance Ensemble, Chandra Greek with Colorado Ballet, and Professor Robert L. Reed. Her favorite roles include Snow Corps and Arabian Soloist in Nutcracker as well as Dorothy from her studio's performance of Wizard of Oz. 

Whitney has been teaching dance in Durango for 13 years and is excited to start teaching with Studio 444. 

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