Instructors

Marcia Taylor

Marcia Taylor is the owner/director/principal instructor of THE DANCE STUDIO OF MISSOURI, THE DANCE STUDIO OF KIRKSVILLE, and THE DANCE STUDIO OF IOWA, located in Pella, Iowa. Marcia is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a renowned Conservatory with more than 100 years of history that has produced musicians and dancers known around the world. In addition to her BFA degree in dance, she also holds a degree in early childhood education, which is invaluable in designing and implementing her widely modeled age-appropriate high quality curricula for young dance students.

Her academic and professional training is in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, creative movement, liturgical, choreography, folk and acting. She has even taught hip hop and college gymnastics and tumbling. Her advanced formal dance training comes from The American Dance Center, Dupree’ Dance Academy in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dance Center, Alvin Ailey, Chicago Dance Connection, and The Ballet Workshop and Seminar (London, England). Marcia is one of the few (and among the first) dance instructors who has earned formal dance certification from the State Department of Education.

Marcia’s performance and choreography credits are equally impressive. She is a former Miss America contestant, after being selected as Miss Missouri, where she was the Overall Talent Award Winner as a dance soloist. She is also a former Kansas City Chiefette for the Kansas City Chiefs NFL team. She has also been a featured dancer in Hollywood variety shows and national telethons and has appeared as a soloist or dancer with Theater at the Vis, Crown Center Goes Hollywood, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Dance, Kansas City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” and the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, to name a few. She has also been principal choreographer or featured choreographer for Ibsen Dance Theater, Miss Missouri Pageant, America’s Junior Miss Pageants, Theater at the Vis, Kansas City Chiefettes, and People in Motion Dancers, to name a few.

Over the past twenty-five years Marcia has served on the dance faculties of three colleges and universities, including Truman State University in Kirksville and Central College in Pella; and she has owned, directed, and served as principal instructor of her own dance studios, including THE DANCE STUDIO in Kirksville, Missouri (present) and THE DANCE STUDIO OF IOWA in Pella, Iowa (present) and, formerly, DANCE ELECTIVES in Kansas City. In addition, she has been principal dance instructor of the nationally renowned Young Audiences Program in Kansas City, Instructor of Dance with the Kansas City Magnet School of the Performing arts, and Director of D.A.N.C.E., LTD., an academic and performance program of dance and movement for public, private and home school children in four states. She has directed the award winning PEOPLE IN MOTION DANCE COMPANY at her Kirksville Studio for several years and is giving increasing personal attention to the relatively newly-formed CHRISTIAN DANCE COMPANY at her Studio in Pella.

In addition to her extended dance family that comprises several thousand former and current dance students, her own family is husband Terry, who assists with the management of the Studios and is a writing consultant; daughter Skyler, who recently signed her first contract with a professional Ballet Company; daughter Callan, who plays professional basketball in Europe (and former dancer); and son Matt, who is a certified personal trainer and former collegiate soccer and basketball player.

Madison Clifton

Madison Clifton has been dancing since she was four years old and began her training at Performing Arts Centre. At Performing Arts Centre she competed in competitions in St. Louis and surrounding areas for six years. During this time she auditioned and was selected to be a member of the St. Charles Dance Company, who she danced with for four seasons. After eleven years at Performing Art Centre she left to further her training at Rokita Dance Center and was able to continue competing with them for two years. During her years that she competed she attended various dance conventions such as JUMP, 24/7, and LA Dance Magic. In high school Madison was on a nationally ranked varsity dance team for four years, she attended Elite UDA summer camps and UDA Nationals in Orlando. She is also classically trained in the Cecchetti method of ballet and is certified up to grade five in the Cecchetti school. She was able to attend Cecchetti School of Ballet Summer Intensive in Michigan for three years. Over the years she has also fallen in love with contemporary, lyrical, and jazz. Currently she is a Political Science Major at Truman State University where she also participates in Showgirls and is an active member of Delta Phi Epsilon.

Brooke Havens

Brooke Havens has been dancing since the age of three years old and began her dance career at Nicole’s School of Dance in Ankeny, Iowa. She danced at Nicole’s from 2003-2015 and joined their elite competition team at the age of ten. During this time she competed in various competitions and conventions in the Des Moines Area as well as traveling to neighboring states for national competitions. In 2015 Brooke left Nicole’s School of Dance to continue her training at Dancin’ With Roxie for her final high school years. While at Dancin’ With Roxie she continued competing and traveled to Las Vegas to compete in Radix Nationals. In addition, Brooke has been very involved as an instructor at Dancin’ With Roxie teaching classes such as technique, tumbling, hip hop, lyrical, tap, and jazz. Brooke also was a member of her high school dance team from 2014-2018 competing in state and national competitions and bringing home multiple state and national titles. Her dance team attended elite NDA summer camps as well as NDA nationals in Orlando, Florida. Currently, Brooke is a freshman biology major at Truman State University as well as one of the newest members of the Truman Showgirls! Throughout her dance career Brooke has developed a love for teaching and watching her students grow. Some of her favorite styles include lyrical, jazz, and poms. Dance has always had a significant place in her life and she can’t wait to bring her love of dance and performance to the Kirksville Dance Studio!

Randall Chambers

Randall Chambers – In addition to training since the age of 6 at The Dance Studio of Kirksville as a of the People In Motion Dance Company, Randall has studied with dance professionals at the Kansas City Ballet School Summer Intensive Program, the Broadway Bound Dance Camp, and several regional dance conventions. She was admitted to the Joffrey School summer intensive programs in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance, invited to the Broadway Dance Center in New York, and has performed with the Minnesota Ballet Company in “The Nutcracker” and “A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream.”

As a competition dancer, Randall’s self-choreographed solos have earned 1st Overall, Top 10 placements and Judge’s Choice Awards, and her performances have been further recognized with scholarships to attend The One Dance Convention, selection to travel as a Z-Crew Demonstrator for DanZa Dance Conventions, and as a 3-time member of the Cutting Edge Performance Team at EDGE Nationals. At only the age of 12, Randall’s self-choreographed  performance was awarded the Worlds of Fun FestivalTop Dance Routine Sweepstakes Award.

During her tenure as a KHS Dance Team member, she was selected as a UDA All American dancer and served as a captain her senior year. Randall has been a teaching assistant for classes and summer camps, choreographed for the KHS Dance Team and taught/choreographed award-winning competition duets. As a titleholder in the Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen Program, Randall has earned High Point Talent Awards.  Randall looks forward to pursuing a future that includes sharing the joy of dance with others through teaching, choreography and performance.

Alicia Hunsaker

Alicia Hunsaker, a native of Kirksville, was a student at the Dance Studio in Kirksville, MO from 2001-2015 and also studied ballet under Halcyone Perlman in Columbia, MO from 2008-2015.  She auditioned and has been selected to attend numerous programs including: Kansas City Ballet School Summer Intensive (5 time participant), Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensive, Culture House Academy/Storling Dance Summer Intensive, and Interlochen Arts Advanced Ballet Intensive Institute.  Alicia auditioned and was selected to participate in Cathy Roe’s Algy Star Styled Dance Fashion Show, The Great Russian Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet, The Nutcracker with the Minnesota Ballet, and has made two appearances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Camp Broadway.  She participated in competitive admission auditions and won scholarships to attend the University of Kansas City Conservatory of Dance and Stephens College Dance Program.

Alicia is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with Minor in Biology (Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration) at Truman State University.  At Truman, Alicia is a member of Truman State University Showgirls, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Truman Society of Dance Arts (TSODA), Baptist Student Union (BSU), Pre PT/OT Club, and a Program Instructor at the Truman State University Student Recreation Center.

Alicia holds her Group Exercise Instructor Certification and Barre Connect Specialty Certification from the National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA).  She is CPR/AED certified.  Alicia loves working with children of all ages and when not teaching dance can be found teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding.  She is an active member at First Baptist Church (FBC) in Kirksville and member of the FBC collegiate group.

Morgan Carnes

Morgan Carnes is the instructor for all Dance Team/Poms and Hip Hop Classes at The Dance Studio of Macon. She is a former member of the award-winning Truman State University Showgirls and a four-year member and captain of the Kirksville High School Dance Team.

Morgan began her dance career at the age of 3 at The Dance Studio of Kirksville with Miss Marcia Taylor. She began competing in dance competitions at the age of 8 and won numerous regional and national awards. As an instructor, many of her students have known similar successes at competitions.

Morgan was crowned Miss Kansas City Outstanding Teen in the Miss America organization in 2010, and Miss Gateway to the West Outstanding Teen (St. Louis), in 2011.  She was named Miss Photogenic and a Top 10 finalist at Miss Missouri. During this time, she also took private lessons from Teri Day, a former Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader choreographer, and Caitlin McIntosh Corry (STL), a professional actress/dancer/trainer.

Marina Fanning

Marina Fanning is a current sophomore at Truman State University, studying Communication-public relations. You can see her showing her Truman Bulldog spirit at this year’s football and basketball games as a TSU Showgirl. She has grown up in the heart of Kirksville, including at The Dance Studio of Kirksville. In her 16 years of dance experience, she has traveled and competed in many competitions, been a four-year member and captain of the Kirksville Dance Team, participated in high school and college UDA and NDA dance camps, and even traveled to London for UDA All-American. In high school she worked for The Dance Studio of Kirksville as an assistant to the studio’s wonderful director, Marcia Taylor. Some of her favorite styles of dance would be jazz, hip hop, and pom. Dance has and will always play a very important role in her life. She cannot wait to pass on her passion of dance to the next generation of kids in Kirksville.