Our Instructors & Staff Members

Our staff members have spent many years devoted to pursuing excellence in their field and have attained a certain level of expertise to qualify them as instructors and trainers.

Through extensive training, certification and dedication, our staff has attained mastery in their fields and now enjoy sharing their skill and passing it on to our members. Here are a few of Dazzle Dance & Cheer's staff members:

Julie Sizemore  (Founder / Artistic Director) Julie Sizemore, the founder of Dazzle Dance & Cheer, celebrates her 13th season as artistic director. Julie has been teaching dance for over 20 years. Her students have achieved the highest honors, both regionally and nationally. Julie also has many theatrical credits including choreography and performance in the musicals Grease, Hello Dolly, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Annie, South Pacific, and Tommy, just to name a few! Julie is a graduate of Muncie Central and received her Bachelors Degree in Telecommunications and Marketing from Ball State University. Certified by Dance Educators of America, Julie has trained in Denver, Los Angeles, and New York with numerous choreographers of the stars from both stage and screen.

Laura DuBois  (Administrative Assistant / Class & Dance company Instructor) Laura is currently working as an LPN at Open Door / BMH Health Center and is continuing her education to earn her Associates degree in Nursing. This is Laura’s 8th year teaching at Dazzle. She started dancing at the age of 3 and at the age of 5 began dancing competitively. As a member of her dance company, Laura appeared twice on the nationally televised Showstopper Dance Championships. In the summer of 2003, she trained in the New York Stage Originals Program. She has also trained with professionals from dance conventions such as LA Dance Magic, Jump, & Co. Dance.

Laurie Siler  (Dance Instructor) Laurie started dancing at the age of 7 with Victoria’s Dance and Gymnastics. As a member of the dance company, she had the opportunity to tour and dance in Russia with the 1990 USA Showteam and was also a 1993 Showstopper Dance Champion. She has had the opportunity to take master classes from some of tap’s greatest hoofers such as Henry Lee Tang and Brenda Buffalino. She began teaching at Victoria’s in 1994, as an assistant to Julie Sizemore. This year marks Laurie’s 14th year of teaching, 13 of which have been with Dazzle. Outside of Dazzle, Laurie is a Vice President and Development Finance Officer with Pedcor City Center Development Company, a real estate development company in Carmel.

Susan Koper  (Company Ballet Instructor) Susan has been teaching dance for over 17 years. She received her BA from the University of Notre Dame and completed work on a Masters in Dance Education at the University of Utah. She has danced professionally with Empire State Ballet in Buffalo, NY and studied with many professionals including Alonzo King, Bill Evans and Dermot Burke. In 2004, she received a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission to work with noted choreographer Bill Evans and performed in his piece “Ground Zero.” Susan also teaches ballet and modern dance in Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Ms. Koper loves teaching at Dazzle and sharing her passion for dance with her students.

Kristen Baldwin  (All-star Cheerleading Coach / Tumbling and Cheerleading Instructor) Kristen has been teaching at Dazzle for two years. At age three, Kristen began dancing at Cole Academy. She then became a member of the Cole Company and has competed in several competitions. In middle school, Kristen became interested in cheerleading and began her cheerleading career as a cheerleader at Wes-Del. She spent three years as a middle school cheerleader, and four years as a varsity cheerleader at Wes-Del High School. During her varsity cheerleading experience, Kristen attended The Performance Academy where she took tumbling for three years. Kristen teaches tap, ballet, cheer and tumbling classes, and coaches the cheer teams.

April Morrison  (Recreational and Dance Company Instructor) April is currently teaching at Eaton Elementary School as C.A.P.E. Coordinator. She can hardly believe this is her seventh year teaching at Dazzle! April began dancing at the age of three and did so competitively for ten years. She has appeared on the Showstopper national television show twice and choreographed productions of Once Upon a Mattress and The King and I at Yorktown High School. She has also been the dance coordinator of the Frankton Jr./Sr. High School color guard team.

Ashley Turner  (Dance Company Instructor) Ashley just finished her junior year at Ball State University, studying Dance Performance, Dance Education, and Business Management. She started dancing at the age of 5 and has danced with many dance studios in the area, including Dazzle for six years. She has trained with many professional dancers in cities such as L.A., Chicago, and New York City and has also won many top honors at regional and national competitions and conventions all over the country. This is her fifth year teaching at Dazzle.

Betsy Curry  (Recreational & Dance Company Instructor / Office Administrator) Betsy stared dancing at the age of 6 and spent 12 years training in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, tumbling, modern, lyrical, pointe, acting, and voice with the Dance Magic Performing Arts Company in Indianapolis. Betsy attended Ball State University as a dance major for four years. She spent 12 years At Ball State, she was a member of the Ball State Dance Theatre and has performed for numerous shows. This is her sixth year teaching at Dazzle, and her fourth year working as an office administrator. She is also the assistant director at Dazzle's Westfield location.

Alisha Slaughter  (Company Dance Instructor) Alisha a studio owner, teacher, convention / workshop instructor, and award winning choreographer, is originally from Fairland, IN. She began dancing at the age of two. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, pointe, hip-hop, clogging, and gymnastics. Alisha trained at Ballet Internationale and Jordan College Academy of Dance. She competed at many regional and national competitions receiving awards and scholarships throughout the country. Alisha is a 2005 graduate of Ball State University, where she received degrees in Dance Performance and Dance Education. This is Alisha’s 7th year at Dazzle.

Katey Nicely  (All Star Cheer Team Assistant Coach / Cheer and Tumbling Instructor) Katey is in her first year teaching tumbling and cheer classes at Dazzle. She is also the assistant coach for the All-Star Cheer teams. She received her BA from DePauw University and completed her Masters in Health Communication at Emerson College in Boston, MA. She is currently employed by the Indiana Department of Health as the Health Educator for the Asthma program. Growing up in St. Louis, MO, Katey’s parents started her in the Daddy and Me gymnastic program at the age of 18 months. She began competing at the age of 5 with the Olympiad Gymnastic North Stars. She placed 7th in all around at the national Coca Cola Classic and 1st in the Missouri Independent State competition.

Larra Holding  (Assistant Recreational and Dance Company Instructor) Larra will be returning to Ball State in the fall to finish her major in dance, and her minor in fashion. Larra has studied extensively in jazz, lyrical, and modern styles, as well as ballet, hip-hop, tap, and character. She has studied from some of today’s top choreographers, including Sonya Tayeh, Brooke Pierotti, and Jill Heath. Larra has performed in variety of dance shows at Ball State including Ball State Dance Theatre’s 2007-2008 Season.

Rose Marie Higgins  (Office Staff) Rose Marie, a former dance student, was born and raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, less than a 2 hour drive from New York City & Philadelphia. She has a Masters degree in Public Relations and Business. While obtaining her MA from Ball State, she taught as an adjunct faculty member in the Jouranlism Department. Rose Marie works a flexible part-time schedule at Dazzle so that she has time to travel, go scuba diving, and visit her four married children and six grandchildren.

Jan Thompson  (Office Staff / Accountant) Jan is from Selma, Indiana and holds a bachelor degree in accounting from Ball State. She has worked as an accountant for 19 years, the past 7 at Dazzle. She currently works a part-time schedule at Dazzle, so that she can be involved in her sons’ activities. She danced in the adult tap class for four years and would like to encourage everyone to dance!

For more information about the Dazzle Dance & Cheer staff or our programs, please contact us at (765) 286-5099 or by clicking here.