Faculty

  • Katie Stahlhut

    CEO & Executive Director

    Katie Stahlhut has the distinct honor of carrying on Ms. Beverly’s legacy of dance excellence. Ms. Beverly passed the torch after 55 years of ownership. Katie has been a part of Stage I Dance Academy since elementary school. She was privileged to be a part of Stage I’s Performing Company and participated in many excellent performance opportunities during her time as a dancer. Katie has a degree in Business Management from the Kelley School of Business. She is also a graduate of Leadership Johnson County’s class of 2018. Her passion is providing a nurturing environment for children to develop as not only dancers, but young ladies and gentleman. Her priority is maintain a high standard for morals and values. She does so by continuing to provide quality training with age appropriate movement and costuming. Her favorite aspect of dance is giving back to the community by performing at nursing homes and other community opportunities. Katie feels blessed to have the opportunity to be a positive role model in today’s youth.

  • Morgan Johnson

    Instructor

    Morgan Johnson’s dance training began in Greenwood, Indiana under the guidance of Beverly Smithey for the duration of fifteen years. After six years of weekly jazz and tap classes, Johnson joined the performing company with Stage 1 Dance Academy competing with dances of many genres, including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, and musical theatre. Throughout her college career at Indiana University, she has balanced performing various guest artist works, such as Radio Show by Kyle Abraham, Suite from Psalm by José Limón, and D-Man in the Waters by Bill T. Jones, and teaching and choreographing for young dancers in the Bloomington community. Upon graduation, she has returned home to Stage 1 Dance Academy to continue teaching the same lessons and values she was humbly taught by the instructors before her.

  • Lynne Brinkley

    Instructor

    Lynne was born and raised in New Jersey. She studied dance for 14 years. After High School graduation, she studied nursing. Upon graduation from Nursing school she moved to Indiana and focused her attention on Obstetrical nursing. Lynne met her husband, Brian, on his first day working at the same hospital. In 1995, Lynne was blessed to see her childhood dream come alive with the opening of The Tap Academy. She became a certified member of Dance Educators in 1998. This year, 2020, is the 25th anniversary for The Tap Academy. This journey has been incredible. I love to see children grow in their dance skills and as individuals. At this time, I could not be more thrilled for the future of the Academy! Ms. Katie is so gifted in all aspects of directing dance schools! I can't wait to see all the exciting opportunities that await the academy students here in Clinton and surrounding counties.

  • Bernadette Bricker

    Instructor

    Bernadette Bricker grew up in Frankfort and started ballet at the age of four with Kirsten Maish. She then continued dance at the Tap Academy for 10 years, up until her senior solo in 2009. She attended IU and earned a degree in Elementary Education. She worked at Clinton Central for 7 years and helped create their PreK program. She is now taking some time off to stay home with her baby girl, Mable. Her passion is early childhood, and she is excited to be helping Stage I use that passion with dance!

  • Zoe Maish

    Instructor

    Zoe Maish began her training in Carmel, Indiana at The Academy of GHDT and performed with GHDT’s pre-professional company G2. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of the Fine Arts in Dance. During her studies Zoe also partook in various pedagogy classes for Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary Dance. She is thrilled to be back in the Indy area dancing professionally for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. Zoe has found a passion for teaching and is grateful for all she has learned through this beautiful art form.

  • Ed Godby-Schwab

    Master Instructor / Jazz

    Ed Godby Schwab has over fifty years of dance experience in several styles of dance, including Jazz, ballet, modern and Ballroom. Ed currently serves as an Adjunct instructor at Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis teaching Jazz and American Ballroom dance. And is on staff with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre.    Ed first studied with Lynnette Schisla In Indianapolis, learning the Luigi technique. And later, went on to study with Luigi in New York City. Ed’s other influences were, Jack Copeland at Butler University and Robin Wilson of Dance Kaleidoscope. Rounding out his dance experience Ed also studied Ballroom Dance with the Mid United States Dance Champions Chuck Mason and Cheryl Bush. Ed has taught classes and workshops through out the Midwest and danced in or choreographed shows from local high-schools to Off Broadway in New York.    Ed participates in many fundraising  events, such as, Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County’s Dancing With Our Stars, and the Anderson Paramount Theater’s Dancing Like The Stars for the past 11 years, and has won the Judges Choice and People Choice Awards.

  • Rylee Crum

    Instructor

    Rylee started her dance training at The Tap Academy and danced there for 10 years. She has continued dancing at Stage 1 Dance Academy. For the past 4 years, Rylee has assisted with preschool classes. Rylee has been a Centralette dancer for 4 years at Clinton Central where she helps with choreography and costuming. She was a featured dance soloist at a Purdue Musical Organization concert as an eighth grader. She has performed twice on stage at Walt Disney World and attended master classes there. She has taken master classes at Elevate Dance in Greenwood and has attended DanceMakers competition and convention in Indianapolis. As a 4-H member, she has competed at the local and state level in Performing Arts. Rylee is excited to teach this year and share her love of dance.

  • LeeAnn Ticen

    Instructor

    LeeAnn resides in Frankfort, IN and started her dance training at the age of two at The Tap Academy under the instruction of Lynne Brinkley. She joined The Tap Academy’s Performance Troupe at eight-years-old and continues as a member of the troupe today. LeeAnn trained under Miss Lynne until her retirement in 2020. She currently dances with Stage I and has been dancing for 14 years in every style of dance offered by the studios.  Starting in 2018, she began assisting with many classes for the younger dancers, and is very excited to have her own classes to teach! As she looks to her future, her current plans include attending school at IUPUI to major in Music Therapy and minor in Dance.