Kathryn Hamrick

Owner & Director

Kathryn Hamrick started dancing at Jami Masters School of Dance in Charlotte, NC at age 7. She quickly found a love for dancing and performing. She continued her training at North Carolina Dance Theater before attending Indiana University on scholarship as a ballet major. After earning her B.S. in ballet, she moved to Charleston, SC and danced professionally with Charleston Ballet Theater. After 3 years of performing, Kathryn turned her energy and passion towards teaching. She has been teaching recreational and competitive dancing for 14 years in the Triangle and building her network of students and families. She is forever grateful to all of her dance teachers who have left their mark on her dance journey and feels so blessed to be able to be part of her student’s lives.

Lauren Mancini

Dance & Acro Instructor, Excel Company Co-Director

Lauren Mancini began dancing in North Carolina at the age of 3 and quickly developed a deep love for both dance and tumbling. She started competing at 10, earning numerous awards and scholarships, and found a true passion in assisting dance classes and learning to teach. She went on to earn degrees in biology and education from UNC Chapel Hill. During college, she continued to teach and perform while deepening her focus on acrobatics. Lauren loves all styles of dance, but has a strong affinity for acrobatics and became a certified teacher with Acrobatic Arts. She founded the Acro Company at her home studio and later used her knowledge to create acro programs and help develop curriculum and clinics for studios across North Carolina. Lauren has been teaching for over eight years and finds the greatest joy in inspiring and empowering the next generation of dancers!

Breanne Kohler

Dance & Acro Instructor, Shine Company Co-Director

Breanne is a dedicated and experienced dance educator, choreographer, and studio leader with a strong passion for nurturing dancers of all ages and levels. With over a decade of professional teaching and choreography experience, Breanne has taught Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Lyrical, Jazz, Contemporary and Acro to students ages 2 to 18, cultivating technical skill, confidence, and artistry in both recreational and competitive environments. She has choreographed full-length ballet productions such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Patiqua, Tangled, and Hercules, and has guided competition teams with dynamic choreography and focused technique instruction.

Throughout her career, Breanne has demonstrated a commitment to leadership development and community engagement, directing mentorship programs and coordinating volunteer opportunities to empower the next generation of dancers and leaders. Her extensive experience also includes front desk and studio operations management, where her organizational skills and customer service expertise contribute to the overall success of the studios she serves. Breanne holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago, with a concentration in Performance Arts, and has completed Grades I–III of the Cecchetti Method of Ballet. She was also a certified Compulsory Coach through USA Gymnastics. She regularly participates in major competitions and conventions including Energy, KAR, Rainbow, and Starquest, keeping her connected and inspired within the dance community.

Passionate about creating inclusive, supportive learning environments, Breanne combines technical excellence with mentorship and leadership to foster growth, artistry, and lifelong love of dance in every student.

Courtney Maynard

Dance & Acro Instructor

Courtney Maynard began dancing at the age of 3 and fell in love! She began assisting and teaching dance from the age of 12 and loved it just as much. She attended East Carolina University, graduating with a degree in psychology. She was on the Club Dance Team for all four years, performing at school events and competing in competitions on the east coast. Courtney’s favorite style of dance is contemporary! She is passionate about sharing her love of dance with others and is so excited to be on staff at RDT!

Adrienne McGuire

Dance Instructor, Company Ballet 

Adrienne McGuire is an accomplished dance educator, choreographer, adjudicator, and arts advocate with more than 30 years of experience in dance education and performance. Specializing in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Modern, she is known for creating student-centered programs that foster technical excellence, artistry, and confidence while making dance both challenging and enjoyable.

Adrienne holds a BFA in Dance and spent nearly 20 years as Ballet Director for a premier dance organization, including more than a decade directing a competitive company of nearly 200 dancers. She is a nationally traveling dance competition adjudicator, serves as Advocacy Chair on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Dance Education Organization (NCDEO), and is a licensed K–12 dance educator with Wake County Public Schools. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Dance Education at UNC Greensboro.

Adrienne’s former students have gone on to perform on Broadway, at the Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and Super Bowl, tour with major recording artists, dance with professional companies, and perform in television, film, and commercial productions. Many have also become successful educators, convention faculty, collegiate dancers, and graduates of prestigious university dance programs. Above all, Adrienne is passionate about helping every dancer reach their unique potential. She is committed to creating a positive, inclusive environment where students feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow—whether they aspire to a professional career or simply discover confidence and joy through dance.

Anne-Catherine Rossi

Tap Instructor

Anne-Catherine (or AC as she is more commonly known) is a teacher of all trades! While her days include teaching fifth grade math and science at St. Timothy’s School, she has always made teaching dance a priority. AC has been dancing her whole life, with experience in competitive dance styles as well as choreographing for all ages. She danced on a competition team for nine years as she grew up in Cary, NC and continued dancing in her years spent attending Appalachian State University. She continues to dance in her free time in the Joy Paige Dance Company, an adult company. Tap has always been Anne-Catherine’s favorite style of dance, and she is thrilled to share her love of tap (and every dance style) with dancers in the Triangle!

Tehya Shere

Dance Instructor

Tehya is a seasoned dancer with over a decade of experience ranging from company dance to high school and beyond. She started dancing at the age of two and has gone on to learn from award winning choreographers, while competing at the highest level. Over the years, she has attended local and national conventions, won awards for her solos and group dances, and earned scholarships for her efforts. Since then, she has gone on to TA at her home studio, choreograph for her high school dance team, and excel at the collegiate level. Tehya is well-versed in all styles of dance from ballroom to ballet, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and more. Tehya is ready to share her passion for music and movement with all people. Having trained under Ms. Kathryn herself, she is thrilled to be teaching at RDT!

Elena Englert

Dance Instructor

Elena Englert started dancing when she was 3 years old and immediately found a passion for it! She attended NC State University where she was on the dance team for 3 years and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. Elena has taught and assisted with dance classes since she was 10 years old, and she loves to share her passion and joy for dance! Elena’s favorite styles of dance are lyrical and musical theater. She is so excited to be teaching at RDT!

Lilly Beam

Dance Instructor

Lilly Beam is currently a member of the NC State dance team and is earning her minor in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has been dancing since the age of 3 and has an extensive background in dance, training in various styles. She began dancing at a studio in her hometown of Granite Falls, North Carolina, before becoming an Artist in Residence at JBP Entertainment in Charlotte. She has trained with some of the best choreographers at convention circuits, Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, Peri Dance Center, The Brea Space LA, and NC School of the Arts. Lilly has a passion for performing and teaching & is excited to be joining us!

Cassie Beaver

Dance & Acro Instructor

Cassie began her training at the age of three at Victory Talent Dance and Gymnastics. She competed locally and nationally for 15 years holding many regional and national titles. Cassie has been featured on the Jenny Jones Show, America’s Most Talented Kids, Broadway’s Summer choreography showcase, Disney World, and The Alabama Theater. While competing, she was chosen as a member of the American Dance Team where her team traveled to Barcelona, Spain and won the 2004 Dance World Cup. Cassie decided to further her training and attended East Carolina University where she received a BFA in Dance Performance with a concentration in Jazz and Modern.
While attending ECU, Cassie cheered all four years and was coed varsity captain (Go Pirates!). After college, Cassie danced with Elevate Performance and Production Company. Cassie has taught dance and gymnastics locally for over 17 years. She is thrilled to teach with RDT and share her love of dance and acro.

Cassie resides in Cary with her husband and their two little boys.