About Us

Steps of Faith Dance Ministry was formed in June 1997 in order to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ through dance and music. In the Fall of that year, the dance school was formed to teach proper dance technique in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Over the years, we have added Worship dance, Modern, Pointe, Hip-Hop, Mom-n-Me, Ballroom, Musical Theatre (NEW FOR 2010) and Pilates/Body Conditioning to our curriculum. Workshops in Ballroom dancing and Irish Dancing are offered.

Steps of Faith uses wholesome, Christian music and prayer in each of its classes to inspire Godly values in our students. A comprehensive classical ballet program using the Vaganova technique has been developed to train young women interested in a professional career in dance as well as those who simply want to use the dance for recreation or for worship.  SOF is that place you can have the best of both worlds:  receive classical training and a passion for worship!

We are proud to have several of our graduates serving God in missionary roles, serving God through dance and missions, as well as being offered roles in regional professional ballet productions and nationally recognized training programs!  We have many studying dance in college as well.

Classes are available for ages two through adults and for all technical levels, including the pre-professional dancer! During the year, SOF offers early afternoon and morning classes for the convenience of preschoolers and homeschoolers. Scholarships and financial aid are available on a very limited basis.

Join us this Fall, of 2010, as we build and move into our own facility at 65 Walnut Grove Road in Cartersville, just off Highway 113!  Groundbreaking is set at the first of May!

Our Directors

 Julie C. Reeves, Studio Owner/Instructor/Company Artistic Dir./Selah co-director, has been choreographing and teaching dance since 1983. Her experience includes dance teams, theater, talent shows, pageants, business shows, as well as studio and liturgical dance choreography and performances. She has a BS in Management from Georgia Institute of Technology (1990) and is a certified member of Dance Educators of America.  Her training spans most her life in ballet, clogging, tap, jazz, pointe, and modern. She is also the Artistic Director of Steps of Faith Dance Company, the non-profit performance and ministry group based at the studio, and has led the group on both stateside and international mission trips.  She is the Co-director of SELAH DTS housed by the Company.  She feels blessed by the Lord and honored to be director of SOF, which she has seen grow from 22 to 220 students in over twelve years. Julie has 3 wonderful sons, Collin 16, Carter 14, Caleb 11, and adopted dear daughter from China, Caroline (almost 5yr old). She is honored to serve with the priceless support of her dear husband, Robby.  She is excited about owning her own facility this year, and about the expansion of classes SOF is able to offer!

Theresa Shampine, Company and Selah Instructor/Ballet Mistress, has worked for SOF since 2001.  Ms. Shampine has enjoyed teaching and choreographing at Steps of Faith for the last ten years. She has worked closely with Ms. Reeves to develop a sound and annointed ballet-training program. Theresa is originally from Syracuse, New York and was a scholarship student at The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. She is a graduate of Mercyhurst College, where she received a BA in Dance. Professionally, she has danced with the Erie Ballet Theatre, Charleston Ballet Theatre, and The Georgia Ballet where she enjoyed being a featured dancer.  She has one daughter Zella, and lives with her husband Jack in Canton. 

Tonya Veitch, Office Manager . Tonya began in 2001 as a receptionist and quickly moved into the position as Office Manager.  She now is responsible for all student accounts and registration.  She lives in Cartersville with husband, Gerald, son Phillip and daughter Lauren.  SOF could not run without her invaluable support!

Accomplishments of Our Alumni and Dancers

We are proud of the superior training given of Steps of Faith that allows so many of our young women to achieve beyond our studio walls (this is only a sample list):

Miss Caroline Lloyd:   Georgia's Distinguished Young Woman (Georgia's Junior Miss) 2011/Bartow County's Junior Miss 2011, acceptance and/or participation in American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive, and Interlochen Michigan Summer Intensive.  Recieved "Outstanding Female Performer" in Dance at Woodland High School 2010, Miss Woodland 2009/2010.

Miss Anna Gilbert:  Miss Teen Rome 2008, Scholarship Recipient to Belhaven University, Freshman Outstanding Dance Student award 2010-Belhaven, participation in American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Contemporary Summer Intensives.  Runner Up to Bartow's Junior Miss 2009.

Miss Christina Alexandersen:  Full Scholarships in dance to Belhaven University and to Oklahoma City University.  Second Runner Up to Bartow's Junior Miss 2009; participation in Rockette Summer Intensive (NYC) for two years and to American Ballet Theatre for one year

Miss Mary Binkley: Acceptance to Ingredients Dance Company and training program as well as to Refuge Dance Company

Miss Emily Lloyd:  Summa Cum Laude graduate of Oklahoma City University and a scholarship recipient.  Currently a Walt Disney World Cast member and performing the summer of 2010 as the vocal/swing dancer in Celtic Fyre- Busch Gardens, Williamsburg.

Miss Abigail Lloyd: Acceptance into Florida State University Musical Theatre Program, transfer to Oklahoma City University, scholarship recipient. Currently performing summer 2010 in Italy at Busch Gardens,Willliamsburg.  Oklahoma City University dance team - 3rd place National dance alliance competition (hiphop and pom).

Miss Laura Mitchell: Scholarship at Belhaven University

Miss Meredith Moore:  Tap Dawgs at UGA

Current Company Members Accepted to College and Summer Programs (Summer 2010):  Heather Miller (Ballet Austin), Sarah Keefe (Ballet Austin, Georgia Ballet), Bekah Moore (Joffery Contemporary), Becca Teal (Joffrey Contemporary), Jordan Thompson (Joffery Contemporary), Jacqueline Glass (American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Austin, Georgia Ballet), Caroline Lloyd (American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Georgia Ballet), Katelyn Cameron (Belhaven University dance program, KSU dance program, SELAH), Natalie Castro (SELAH), Jessica Tracy (Georgia Ballet)

 

Recent Staff

Kelsey Harris, Instructor, is returned to SOF this fall after a year of absence to live with her new husband in Uganda, Africa. She has trained for many years, and taught for SOF forover sevenyears, between discipleship training schools and college. She taught classes while in Africa to missionaries' children and local kids. She is also the curriculum coordinator for SELAH, the Discipleship Training school of Steps of Faith Dance Company Inc.  She will not be able to teach classes this fall due to her new full time position.  Hopefully we will be seeing her as a substitute teacher.

Christina Alexandersen, Instructor, began her training at age four and since moving to Cartersville has excelled at SOF.  She became an Advanced Company member, and has taught preschool classes for 3 years.  She recieves additional training in the summers at American Ballet Theatre as well as with the Radio City Rockettes.  She is a favorite preschool teacher and enjoys teaching tap and ballet!  She currently attends Belhaven as a dance performance major.

Our Staff

INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF:

Mary Binkley, SELAH Co-director/Instructor/DanceCamp Instructor, has grown up at SOF, and has taught dance for over eight years at the studio, as well as inFlorida and Texas, in preballet (preschool), tap/jazz, hiphop, and ballet. She trained for a year with Glory DanceMinistries in Tampa before returning to SOF for a year. Since 2008, she has been a vital member of a Discipleship Training School, and DanceCompany in Dallas TX associated with Dance Revolution, called Ingredients. Mary is returning to SOF this Fall as an instructor and the co-director of SELAH!  She has recently joined the Refuge Dance Company in Atlanta.

Ashleyanne Hensley, Company Instructor, currently dances professionally at The Georgia Ballet in its company.  Ashleyanne joined SOF in 2007 and teaches Company level ballet, modern, and pilates.  Since being a contestant in the Miss Georgia Pageant, she has also coached winning girls for local pageants.  She is married to Sam Hensley. She also owns and operates her own dancewear company.  She will represent Cobb County in the Mrs. Georgia Pageant in January 2011.

Rachel Truitt, Company Instructor, returns to the SOF faculty this fall, bringing her years of teaching and performance experience to SOF. She received her training from the Atlanta Ballet, Ruth Mitchell Studios, and DanceCenter South.  She is trained in all forms of dance, and has taught at two other Christian studios in the Atlanta area.  She feels called by God to use her gifts in dance for His Glory!  She currently teaches in the metro Atlanta area and dances professionally for an Atlanta area dance troupe.

Natalie Jones, Instructor/DanceCamp Instructor, came to SOF in 2005 to teach HipHop.  She has since added company level jazz, preschool classes, and jazz/tap to her list. Coming to us from Houston TX, Natalie graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a minor in dance, and has performed and taught for many years in Houston.  She is most recently been a featured dancer in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, a full-length feature film.  She also performs "back-up" dancing to major vocal artists on occasion!  After a short leave, we are thrilled to have her back at SOF! 

Colleen Myers, Company Instructor, joins us officially on staff January of 2010.  She has been a favorite guest teacher for many years.  Colleen trained with the Atlanta Ballet, and earned her BFA in Ballet Performance in 2001 from Texas Christian University.  She danced professionally with the Georgia Ballet, and has taught at Eastside School of Ballet and First Baptist Dallas Celebration Company.  She is also a registered nurse at Kennestone Women's Services!  She is married and has one young daughter, Julianne.

Katelyn Cameron, Instructor, is a longtime Company member who has been assitant teaching for three years, and had her own classes for a year.  She is a Senior homeschooler this year, and is excited about attending KSU as a dance major in the fall!  She has a sweet personality and is "everybody's friend" here at the studio.  The kids love her!!

 

Becky Borden Simmons, Musical Theatre Instructor, Becky is thrilled to be teaching at Steps of Faith this year. She most recently played a Follies Girl in Will Rogers Follies, a napkin in Beauty and the Beast, was Chastity in Anything Goes, and was an Indian in Peter Pan with Regional Theatre, The Atlanta Lyric Theatre. She most recently did a Nat'l tour in China as a magicians assistant and a dancer for the second time. She has been performing as a magicians assistant for over 10 years. A graduate of the University of Alabama with a BA on dance, she was involved with Dance Alabama and Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, the pre-professional company at the University. She is represented by Real People models and talent. Becky performs with Stella Entertainment, Bacchus, and Entertainment Design Group. She is represented by real People Models and Talent. Ms. Simmons also teaches with the Atlanta Ballet and Praise Him Dance. "I am so excited about my first year at Steps. God Bless and Roll Tide!!"

 

 

Guest Instructors: Lauri Worril-Biggs, Katherine Gant, Ashley Harpster Lewis, Kim Linenkohl, Alicia Lee, Sarah Boise, Meredith M. Thomas, Don Korkecki, Angela Harris, Melissa Penn, Rhonda Oltjenbruns,  Jan C. Best/Irish Dance Instructor, Kristin Clay

Other Staff:

Lynne Newman, Costume Mistress.  Lynn is taking over as costume mistress this year for the non-profit dance company.  She has been our seamstress and asst. costume mistress for a year or two.  She is responsible for keeping up with the thousands of costumes that we use for our local and international missions.  She is the mother of company member, Dominique.