Faculty

Melissa McInnis
Director & Instructor

Melissa McInnis has been teaching with DCA since 2007 and became the Director in 2021. She holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) in Dance and Performance Studies from Roger Williams University. She is a native of Maine and received her early training at Casco Bay Movers and The Portland Ballet. After college, Melissa continued her dance training with Marcus Schulkind at Green Street Studios, Boston. Melissa has danced professionally in Boston and Indianapolis with Influxdance, The Aminius Ensemble, Motus Dance Theater (now Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective), Praise In Motion Dance Ministry and many independent choreographers. Melissa has been teaching for 20 years and has taught both young children and adults and specializes in Contemporary. She believes in teaching a clean technique in the early levels and breaks down all steps into their most basic form for her beginning students. Once her students reach an advanced level, Melissa enjoys giving them artistic freedoms in class and watching them grow as artists. Melissa has several students who have gone on to have professional dance careers, majored in dance in college and some have become dance teachers themselves. Melissa has taught at Anderson University and multiple studios in Maine, Massachusetts and Indiana but has found her home at DCA. She feels so blessed to be part of this company and thanks God every day for leading her here! Melissa and her husband have three young children.

Bev Wohrle
Founder/Choreographer

Bev Wohrle founded DCA in 1993 as a studio with Christian values and the desire to minister to others through dance. She retired as owner in 2021. She continues to choreograph for the studio and loves staying in contact with the dance students and the rest of the faculty. She has 3 grandchildren dancing at DCA. Bev has a BA in Dance & Musical Theater from Indiana University with masters classes in dance pedagogy at Butler University. She performed with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre under direction of George Verdak, as a soloist for the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, Butler Ballet and Interlochen Academy in Michigan. Bev studied under David Howard at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Karl Kaufman, Peggy Dorsey and Rebecca Rutt at Jordan Academy, Lynette Schisla, George Verdak who was with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Marina Svetlova who danced in the original Ballet Russe and Metropolitan Opera Ballet.

She has also performed and choreographed numerous musical productions in the community at Marian College, Indiana University Opera, Indianapolis Opera Company, Edyvean Repertory Theater, Civic Theater, Carmel Community Players, Footlite Musicals, Legacy Church and E. 91st Street Christian Church. Musicals include The Sound of Music, Annie, Finian's Rainbow, My Fair Lady, Mame, Carousel, Anything Goes and Mr. Scrooge. She won the Indianapolis Encore Award for Best Dancer for her leading role in "Can Can" at Civic Theater and the Encore Award for best choreographer for the production of Annie at Carmel Community Players.

Stephanie Lusch
Instructor

Stephanie Lusch has been with Dance Creations Academy for over 20 years. She teaches Jazz, ballet and creative movement. She is also a choreographer for our Repertory Company Jazz Ensemble. Stephanie holds a BA in dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she danced with the Butler Ballet Company in productions of Cinderella and the Nutcracker. After graduation she became a professional cheerleader for the NBA Indiana Pacers, participating in 41 home games and the NBA All-Star game.
Stephanie held the title of Mrs. Indiana America 1999 and currently is the producer and a board member for the Mrs. Indiana America Pageant. She has also been the choreographer, stage manager, coach and director for national and international beauty pageants. She has two grown children, Andrew and Brittany.
One of Stephanie’s favorite dance quotes comes from Agnes de Mille: “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.”

Hannah Dennert
Instructor/Office Assistant

Hannah Dennert joined the DCA staff in the summer of 2019 following her high school graduation from Faith Home School Academy. Hannah has been dancing at Dance Creations since she was four years old and has loved every minute. She followed in the footsteps of her two older sisters as they kindled a love of dance in her. She has made her own way in dance by doing many different styles including tap, contemporary, ballet, pointe and jazz. She is also very involved in her local church where she helps in the children’s ministry. She loves to use her dance as a means of glorifying and worshiping Christ. She is very excited to be teaching at DCA!

Alexandra Box
Instructor/Office Assistant/ Social Media

Alexandra Box started with DCA in 2018 and studied dance at Ball State University where she choreographed numerous pieces and was cast in various shows. Before her collegiate training, she studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, jazz, liturgical, and tap in the Indianapolis area. She was part of the In Step Dance Company and a member of the Academy of Dance Arts Ensemble. Alexandra has taught dancers at the preschool through pre-professional levels, was the director of summer dance training camps at Indy Dance Academy and was a co-teacher for In Step Dance Company. Alexandra received her degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Dance Studies at Indiana University Purdue University in May of 2020.

Mimi Priest
Instructor

Mrs. Priest has been with DCA since 2016. She holds a B.A. and M.A. (magna cum laude) in dance from Butler University in Indianapolis. She previously taught at the prestigious Butler University/Jordan College Academy of Dance in Indianapolis and was Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Youth Ballet Company. Mrs. Priest danced professionally with the Louisville Ballet and has been teaching for more than 35 years. A highly talented and dedicated teacher and choreographer, Mimi has created original choreography for children's ballet productions including "Peter Pan", "Little Orphan Annie", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland". She has staged many classical ballets including "Les Sylphides", "Raymonda" "Paquita" and "Pas de Quatre". Her focus has primarily concentrated on training pre-professional dancers. She has trained dancers for professional careers that went on to dance in many ballet companies including American Ballet Theater 2, Washington Ballet, Houston Ballet, Texas Ballet, Hubbard Street and the Christian ballet company, Ballet Magnificat in Jackson Mississippi. Mimi is a much sought after dance instructor and her students adore her.

Mandy English
Instructor

Mandy English has been with DCA for 18 years. She graduated cum laude from Butler University with a degree in Elementary Education and a kindergarten endorsement. She has taught first grade in Lawrence Township and is currently teaching kindergarten in Carmel Clay Schools. She is mom to Ella, Kenny and Evie and wife of 18 years to Peter. Mrs. English choreographed the Miss Indiana Scholarship Pageant for two years and then competed in the pageant performing a ballet solo as her talent. A former Miss Limberlost, Miss Queen of Lakes, and Miss Noble County; Mandy studied, competed, performed and taught with the Tri-County Dance Academy in Kendallville, IN. Her theater performances include such titles as “Peter Pan”, “Cinderella”, “Funny Girl”, “The Secret Garden”, and she choreographed her high school’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Mandy has choreographed MotionWear photography sessions and has danced with Praise In Motion dance ministry. Mrs. English feels blessed to use her God-given gifts and talents to "praise Him with dancing!"

Cami Zook
Instructor

Cami Zook joined DCA in 2008 and graduated summa cum laude from Anderson University with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. She taught elementary school for 8 years but now stays home with her children. Dance has been a huge part of Cami’s life. She grew up studying tap, jazz, and ballet at The Dancers’ Place Studio in Avon, IN and continued her training at Anderson University. She is currently a member of Praise in Motion dance ministry and has been seen on stage at Indy Fringe Festivals and many community theatre productions. She is honored to work among such a talented staff at Dance Creations Academy and hopes to pass along a love for dance to the next generation.

Shannon Branic
Instructor

Shannon Branic has been with DCA since 2013 and was trained in Indianapolis under Bev Wohrle and Barb Liebschutz. She was a Prelude Awards finalist in Dance. She continued her training in New York City at New York University and Broadway Dance Center, including tap training with Jimmy Tate. She has performed in many theater productions including "Crazy for You", "Children of Eden", "Anything Goes", and "Big River". She was a member of the 2002 National Champion New York University Dance Team. She performed in the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Shannon has a Masters Degree in Social Work and is passionate about her work with foster and adopted children. She is very excited to be teaching at Dance Creations Academy!

Lauren Hamilton
Instructor

Lauren Hamilton joined DCA in 2018 and holds a Bachelor of Aarts in Dance from Birmingham Southern College where she studied under Mira Popovich, Terri Weksler, and Ruth Henry. She has held soloist positions with the Georgia Dance Theater, Montgomery Ballet and Northwest Florida Ballet. In addition, Ms. Hamilton has been a company member with the Connecticut Ballet and Ballet des Ameriques and held principal status with CONNetic Contemporary Dance Company of Hartford, CT. Ms. Hamilton has performed principal and soloist roles in such productions as Nutcracker Ballet, Dracula, Cinderella, Don Quixote and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also performed leads in various contemporary works such as Bob Fosse’s Rich Man’s Frug , The Great Gatsby and Jane Eyre.
In addition to her professional performing career, Ms. Hamilton has been a dance educator and choreographer with various professional studios in Connecticut, Georgia and Florida.

Christina Voreis
Instructor

Christina Voreis joined DCA in the spring of 2019. She is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana where she received her dance training at Fort Wayne Ballet, starting at the age of six. She attended Butler University where she studied as a Dance Performance major and Communication Sciences and Disorders minor. Dancing with Butler Ballet, she was given the opportunity to travel internationally to perform in Poland and Russia. Upon graduating from Butler with her BFA in Dance Performance, Christina spent the following year in Washington, DC dancing professionally with Dissonance Dance Theatre and ArasDance. She is a dancer with Ballet Theatre of Indiana where she has performed a variety of roles in ballet classics including The Nutcracker, Firebird, Giselle, and Dracula, as well as contemporary works set on the company. Christina has taught at a number of local studios and is excited to be teaching at DCA!

Hattie King
Instructor

Hattie King joined DCA in 2019. She was born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana. Hattie grew up in the theater and was highly inspired and influenced by her father, Doug King. She began dance at the age 6 at Dance Creations Academy and she studied with several of our current teachers. She is a recent college graduate of Anderson University and received a BFA in Dance Performance. Hattie was a cheerleader with the 2019 Indianapolis Colts and is currently teaching dance to all ages.

Rachel Whitehead
Instructor

7Rachel Whitehead is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and has recently moved back to the Indy area after teaching for the past three years in Nashville, TN. Rachel has been dancing since the age of 5 and has primarily trained in ballet. In high school she trained at the Grand Rapids Ballet School. Under the direction of Patricia Barker and Attila Mosolygo, she was able to perform in countless works such as The Nutcracker, Serenade and Peter Pan with the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. Rachel received her Dance degree from Anderson University in 2017. While at Anderson, she was able to receive extensive training in ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, composition and pedagogy. Rachel has been teaching for the past 7 years and is excited to pour into the students here at DCA!

Holloway Bird
Instructor

Holloway Bird is originally from Fort Worth Texas where she started dancing at age 3. She trained with Ballet Frontier until she moved to Boston to attend Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Prior to college, she moved back to Texas to dance as a trainee with Ballet Austin performing in a variety of professional productions.Holloway then went on to graduate from Butler University with a Dance and Arts Administration degree. She has performed lead roles in various classical ballets including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as a many contemporary works choreographed by professional artists. In addition to her performance career, she has experience teaching dance to numerous age groups and is excited by the opportunity to teach at DCA!

Rachel DeWitt
Instructor

Rachel DeWitt began training at Dance Creations Academy at the age of fifteen. Aside from studying Ballet and Pointe, Rachel has been a part of the Ballet Repertory Ensemble for two years. She graduated high school in May of 2021 and is excited to begin teaching in August. Rachel assisted and substitute taught in our Ballet classes last season and is continuing to study and train at DCA. Rachel was accepted into and participated in the Butler Ballet Summer Intensive in the summer of 2021. In addition to dance, Rachel has been a part of multiple musical productions through her school. Dancing has become a huge passion in Rachel’s life, and she can’t wait to share it with her young students!