North Alabama Dance Center

Barbara Ellen Smartt- Director of NADC - Mrs. Smartt founded NADC in 1983 and has been teaching dance in the Huntsville area for the past 30 years. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She is certified to teach dance through Dance Masters of America where she has twice served on the Board of Directors and has served as chairman of the Performing Arts Chairmen for more than 6 years. Along with developing the classroom syllabus for each level at NADC, teaching dance, editing the music, and directing the recital… she likes to give back to her community; Mrs. Smartt is currently on the Board of Directors for Westminster Christian Academy and teaches 4^th grade Sunday school for her church. She has also served as Programming Chairman for Panoply of the Arts and has choreographed for Huntsville Community Chorus and the Huntsville Chamber Orchestra. She has won the Panoply Choreography Competition in Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Tap categories. She has been nominated for 4 Wing’s Awards for her work with Pointe Station’s “Noah” and “Alabama Jubilee.” Her students regularly take away top awards at DMA’s Performing Arts Competition. Her greatest compliment is to see former students at the recital each year coming back to find that NADC’s high standards, skill and creativity are still going strong!

Barbara@NorthAlabamaDanceCenter.com

Melony League - Associate Director- Melony League is currently the Associate Director of North Alabama Dance Center. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Melony has been studying and working in the dance community for the last 21 years. She has won the Panoply Choreography Competition an impressive 10 times. She has been a member of Dance Masters of America since 1998, and is currently on the Board of Directors serving as the Titled Solo Chairmen. Through Dance Masters, Melony has been honored to receive numerous Best Choreography Awards, Grand Champion Awards, and twice be selected as DMA's Protégé Choreographer. Her choreography has also been adjudicated and at a National level, the most current of which placed her student in the top ten at the DMA National Miss Dance Competition. In the summer of 2001, Melony was selected to participate in the very prestigious Craft of Choreography Workshop hosted by Regional Dance America. Samples of her work were reviewed and RDA extended an invitation as one of 12 choreographers from over 600 applicants. Melony has served as guest choreographer and instructor for many dance and theatre groups both locally and nationally, most recently teaching Master classes at Dance Theatre Fairbanks and North Star Ballet in Alaska.

Mary Katherine Smartt Atnip - Assistant Director- joined the NADC staff in 2003 and is now NADC’s Assistant Director. She is certified to teach by written, oral and demonstrative testing through Dance Master’s of America. Mary Katherine is a Radio City Rockette and performed in New York City at Radio City Music Hall for 3 seasons. This past season she performed at Nashville’s Grand ‘Ol Opry. As a Rockette, Mary Katherine has appeared on NBC’s TODAY show, ABC’s Rachel Ray, Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, and NBC’s and PBS’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She is a former Miss Dance title holder for Dance Master’s of America Chapter #33 and was a National Finalist in DMA’s National Miss Dance Competition in 2007. Locally, Mary Katherine has performed as “Annie” in 42nd Street, as “Patty” in Grease and as “Dorothy” in the Wizard of Oz. This season, Mary Katherine will graduate with honors from UAH with a BA in Communication Arts and a minor in Management and Leadership.

Reneé Bonifay - Mrs. Bonifay joined the NADC faculty in June of 2000. Renee has extensive teaching experience in all levels and disciplines of dance. She graduated with a Theatre major from Northwestern University with an emphasis in Dance. Upon graduation, Mrs. Bonifay was on staff at the Howard Center for Dance in Centerville, Ohio. She has many choreographic credits in Illinois and Oklahoma, where she worked with civic, theatre, and choral groups. Mrs. Bonifay has choreographed many first place pieces in both regional and national Dance Masters of America Group and Line Competitions. In 2005, Renee served as choreographer for the Madison Community Chorus’ “The Wizard of Oz” and in 2006 she choreographed the ballet. “Small House of Uncle Thomas” for the Madison Community Chorus Production “The King and I”. She received Honorable Mention in the 2006 Panoply of the Arts Choreography Competition for “Boogie Man”.

Melissa Gokee White – Melissa has been a part of the NADC faculty since 1999. She began her dance training at the age of 3 in Louisiana; when her family moved back to Huntsville she continued her training in 1986 at North Alabama Dance Center. She has trained extensively for 25 years in classical ballet, modern, jazz and tap under the instruction of Barbara Ellen Smartt and Wendy Graham. In 1997, Melissa was chosen to dance the solo piece in Mountain Wedding, which won the Panoply Choreography Competition. Melissa was a company member of Pointe Station for 5 years. In “NOAH”, Melissa danced many of the featured roles including the Rainbow Pas de Deux and the Peacock solo. Melissa earned her degree in Elementary Education at Athens State and is currently perusing her Masters degree from University of North Alabama.

Sharon Curtis – has been a part of the NADC family for over twenty-seven years. She began her dance training with Barbara Ellen Smartt and Wendy Graham at the age of three during the studio’s second year of operation. Throughout her many years of dancing and performing, Sharon was awarded several opportunities and worked with numerous, reputable choreographers. Although trained at length in the disciplines of ballet, tap, and jazz, Sharon’s true passion is for modern dance, as discovered while attending Duke University’s American Dance Festival in the summer of 2000. Sharon has been teaching locally since the age of fifteen, and has been on staff at NADC since 2001. She is Senior Administrative Assistant at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville.

Kaitlyn Gokee –joined the NADC staff for the 2010-2011 year. Kaitlyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Minor in Dance and Culture from the University of Alabama. While attending the University she auditioned and was chosen to be on the University of Alabama’s official dance team “The Crimson Cabaret “ from Aug. ’06-May ’09 and did choreography for the team in ’07, 08, and ‘09. In ’06 the Universal Dance Association selected Kaitlyn as 1 of 15 instructors out of 250 in the southeast division of regional dance all-stars. She was a traveling instructor for week-long dance camps for children 4th – 12th grade. During her 4 years at college Kaitlyn served as a full-time instructor/choreographer at several of the high schools in the Tuscaloosa area and also taught ballet, jazz, and hip hop for an area dance studio.

Kaye Gokee - Office Manager/ Recital Coordinator- Mrs. Gokee, known to NADC students as “Miss Kaye”, joined the NADC staff in 2000. Kaye has 15 years experience in office management. For 5 years, she taught computer skills at Monrovia Elementary School. She has been involved in all aspects of dance for the past 29 years. She twice served on the Executive Board of Pointe Station and as Costume Mistress for the ballet production of “NOAH”. Mrs. Gokee’s goal is to manage the office in the most efficient manner possible through constant consideration of the teachers, dancers and parents needs

Kaye@NorthAlabamaDanceCenter.com

For 25 years, Mike Rickles has entertained Huntsville audiences. At the early age of twelve, he was a regular on television, playing his guitar and singing his way into our hearts. His musical interests continued as a performer at Nashville's Opryland USA. A UAH graduate with degrees in Administrative Science and music. Mike is an Industrial Chemical Salesman for Hill Manufacturing. He is also Music Minister at the College Park Church of God where he and his wife and children attend. He enjoys choreographing large-scale musical productions. Among his choreography credits are "Children of Eden" and "Moondreams." Barbara Ellen and Mike first worked together in 1987 and are always glad to be on the same stage again! NADC audiences have enjoyed Mike as our Master of Ceremonies since 1999.