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Our Instructors & staffBeth Barnette
Ballet, Pointe, Conditioning, and Progressing Ballet Technique Certified: Cecchetti Ballet Instructor, Progressing Ballet Technique Instructor, Pilates Instructor (APPI), Personal Trainer (ACE) Beth Barnette is a South Louisiana native with a rich and varied dance background. Her early dance experiences included Folk Dancing with her mother, which instilled in her an appreciation for dance as a form of cultural expression. Throughout grade school, Beth trained in ballet, tap, jazz, baton twirling, and gymnastics. In high school, she joined a local clogging group, performing at community events and teaching younger dancers. Beth earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Loyola University, where she was a member of the Loyola Dance Team and studied classical ballet under the direction of Gayle Parmelee. She performed in productions such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Paquita with the Loyola Ballet. During her college years, Beth also began her fitness career, earning her Group Exercise Instructor certification and organizing fitness events for students. Post-college, Beth has continued to study, teach, and perform with several dance institutions, including the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater (Baton Rouge, LA), Tara Rodi School of the Dance (Florence, AL), and Gay Whitt School of Dance (Jonesborough, TN). She has passed four graded ballet teacher examinations with merit through the Cecchetti Council of America (CCA) and is a Certified Progressing Ballet Technique Instructor. Additionally, she completed a three-day intensive Dance Teacher and Health Professional Training led by renowned Australian physiotherapist Lisa Howell. Beth is also a certified Pilates instructor through the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI). As a certified personal trainer, Beth focuses on building strength and perfecting movement quality. She has been with Bristol Ballet since 2010, teaching students of all ages, from 12 months to adults. Beth is passionate about helping dancers understand their bodies and how to move efficiently and safely to prevent injury, ensuring a lifetime of dance enjoyment. She believes that dance provides an opportunity for people of any age to practice movement that enhances physical, mental, and emotional health. Beth looks forward to many more years of learning, teaching, and appreciating the art of dance with Bristol Ballet. |
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Chloe Melton
Contemporary, Tap Chloe Melton is an accomplished visual artist and dancer. In her art career, Ms. Chloe’s work has been displayed in the Nation’s Capitol, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and various other local galleries across East Tennessee. Ms. Chloe has also taught Art for several years and will begin teaching at Wallace Middle this year. In her dance career, she studied various styles of dance for 18 years before starting to teach for Van Metre School of Dance in Maryville, TN. She taught there for 5 years and is thrilled to begin her adventure with Bristol Ballet. During her 18 years of dancing, she studied Tap under Kiersten Mays and Jennifer Dotson-Creter. She attended Governor’s School for Dance in 2017 and has performed with the Tennessee Tech Orchestra multiple times. This is Ms. Chloe’s 7th year teaching dance. “Every year, I have an amazing symphony of dancers that excite my creativity and inspire my artistic pursuits. It is an upmost joy to join the Bristol Ballet family, and I can't wait to see what we will create together. " - Ms. Chloe |
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Amanda Sells
Preschool Dance Amanda started her lifelong love for dance as a toddler in local recreational dance schools. She learned the foundations of ballet, tap and jazz. As a teenager, she moved on to become a company member at Highlands Ballet. There she was able to advance her ballet skills and develop a love for the art of ballet performance in roles such as a Demi soloist in Waltz of the Flowers and Friends in Coppelia. Amanda changed course after high school and became a registered nurse. After becoming a mother to twins, Amanda found a creative outlet in Latin dance, learning a variety of styles and helping to demonstrate and assist in classes. Rediscovering her love for dance, she began teaching classes at Bristol Ballet to preschool and elementary age children. Under the guidance of Michele Plescia, Amanda expanded her teaching skills. She became well-versed in the Discover Dance program and learned how to help young dancers develop a foundation for ballet. Amanda teaches with the belief that making dance fun for small children is a key fundamental to develop their appreciation for ballet. She is excited to share her love for dance with Bristol Ballet students. |
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Ayana Leblans
Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant Ayana Leblans is from St. Mary's County, Maryland, where she grew up dancing from the age of 4. In addition to her year-round training at Ballet Caliente Classical School of Dance, Ayana attended summer intensives at The Royal Danish Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, The Washington Ballet, Dance Base UK, and CityDance Conservatory. She graduated summa cum laude from Goucher College with a B.A. in Dance, a concentration in Arts Administration, and a minor in Business Management. At Goucher she served as a student representative for the American College Dance Association, and volunteered as a dance history research assistant for the Goucher Prison Education Partnership. Ayana has completed internships with Charlottesville Ballet, the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and Goucher College's Events and Conference Services staff. Most recently, Ayana worked for Charlottesville Ballet as an administrative assistant and part of the development team, in addition to performing with the company as a trainee and teaching at Charlottesville Ballet Academy. She has worked on several projects for fundraising, marketing, and community outreach, and looks forward to joining the team at Bristol Ballet! |