Misty has over 30 years worth of experience in teaching dance. Misty has been dancing since she was a small girl, dancing at her mother's studio, and that being the place she started her teaching career. Her passion for dance comes through in her choreography, of which she has won numerous awards for. She has an ear for the music, and an eye for technique. Her love for her dancers is what stands out most about her. Past, present and future dancers will always hold a special place in her heart. She is one to lift others, empower, and inspire

McKenna was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She began dancing at age 5 and immediately knew it was something she wanted to pursue. She trained at a competitive studio for 13 years excelling in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, ballet, tap, and ballroom. As a dancer, Kenna has won numerous scholarships, awards, and titles. She has trained and worked with many choreographers across the country and continues to push herself past her limits in order to become a better dancer. After graduating from high school Kenna attended Utah Valley University. While getting her degree in Pre-Radiologic technology she had the opportunity to dance with their national and world winning dance team and helped lead them to 6 of their 16 national titles. As a collegiate dancer, Kenna developed her love for teaching and choreography and was able to help choreograph 4 of the routines that won National titles. Her choreography has been recognized both regionally and nationally and she is now a highly sought-out choreographer for dance studios as well as high school and college dance and drill teams. Kenna was an assistant for Intrigue during the 2019-2020 season and enjoyed traveling the country meeting and working with dancers from all walks of life. Through this opportunity with Intrigue Kenna discovered a love for teaching and creating and now she looks forward to challenging dancers and helping them reach past what they thought was possible. Her passion for dancing increases every time she sees the joy in a dancer’s face as they accomplish something they didn’t think they could do. McKenna is excited to be a part of the Intrigue family where she can share her gift and love for dance with the next generation of dancers!

Hope Parker originates from Denver, CO. At seventeen, she relocated to NY to train with the Joffrey Ballet School. While at Joffrey, she trained extensively in many genres including Contemporary, Ballet and Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, and Latin Jazz. She has had the incredible opportunity to perform works by Donald Byrd, Josie Walsh, Chet Walker, John Pennington, Kevin Wynn, Daniel Gwertzman and Ephrat Asherie. Hope has also trained with well-respected companies such as Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Peridance Contemporary Dance, and the Radio City Rockettes. While in NYC, she performed works ranging from Ballet to Cabaret to Hip Hop, and additionally was part of a singing and dancing pop group. She has had the privilege of dancing professionally for Breton Follies, the Off-Broadway hit, A Brooklyn Boy, and much more. Currently, she dances and tours internationally with Odyssey Dance Theatre, teaches and choreographs for dance studios and ice-skating teams around UT, instructs group and private Pilates and personal training lessons, and creates workouts for an online Pilates platform.

McKenzie Smith has 20 years of dancing experience. She has studied tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, contemporary, ballroom, modern, hip hop, & tumbling. McKenzie has graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and is currently working on a Master's. She loves to apply the knowledge she has learned from the University of Utah into her classes to help educate her students. She is now teaching classes and choreographing in contemporary, jazz and musical theatre. Her favorite part of teaching dance is getting to know each dancer individually to help them set and achieve their goals.

Heather has been dancing since the age of 3. She is trained in Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballet and Hip Hop. She was a member of Larieann's Salt City Stars for 7 Years. At age 15 she began assisting classes with Larieann and other teachers and there grew her love of teaching. She taught for Larieann for two years after graduating and has now been teaching at Empower for over 10 years. Heather enjoys teaching a variety of classes from choreography to technique, tumbling and hip hop. Teaching dance brings Heather Joy. She is grateful every day that she gets to teach the love of dance to others. Nothing makes Heather more happy than watching dancers learn, grow and succeed. Heather also is a firm believer that the life lessons learned in dance are some that will be used all through a dancers life.

Danielle started in dance and gymnastics when she was very little. She has always enjoyed tumbling and wants her students to find the same joy. As a kid, her favorite event was floor, but she enjoyed competing in the all around events. She competed in the Utah summer games and took a second place overall. In junior high, Danielle was a cheerleader and became Head Cheerleader her last year. She was also on the drill team in high school and Drill President her senior year. After graduating, Danielle found a love for fitness and continued to compete in fitness. She still enjoys a good challenge and still loves to tumble! Danielle has always loved working with kids and has been teaching tumbling since high school. It's so rewarding to help kids figure out their tricks and push them to improve and grow. She has been teaching at Empower Dance Academy since it opened over ten years ago.

Shantelle grew up loving to dance and tumble and was always upside down more than she was right side up. She did dance company and gymnastics in middle school and cheered at Alta high school. As a sophomore in high school she took a beginning ballroom class and fell in love with it. She danced on the Alta ballroom team for her junior and senior years. Shantelle continued ballroom dancing at BYU and was a part of their touring company where they won many national and world titles. She also won 2 additional national titles with her cabaret partner doing many tricks never seen before. While at BYU Shantelle took gymnastics classes every semester and helped run the gymnastics kids camps during the summer. She has continued teaching tumbling in rec centers, private tumbling studios, and also in her home. Her four daughters share the same passion for dance and tumbling and they spend hours together practicing and playing around with new lifts and tricks. Shantelle loves seeing the joy it brings when girls get new skills and is excited to continue being part of the Empower family!

Karyn started dancing at the young age of 3 and hasn’t stopped since! She trained in many different styles of dance over the years and also studied piano, singing, acting, and musical theater. She danced with competitive dance teams, performed with touring musical theater groups, and has been in more than 30 full length musical theater productions. She discovered her true passion of teaching when she was just 15 years old when she opened her own neighborhood dance studio in her parent’s basement. That tiny studio quickly grew to have more than 100 students when Karyn was still in high school. Her little studio attended local competitions and had great success winning many awards. Karyn has gone on to train hundreds of students in jazz, lyrical, and musical theater. Her award winning choreography has been recognized in and out of the state as dynamic and entertaining, and she has received numerous overall and high score awards for her competitive dance teams at competitions. She received the outstanding choreography award at Hollywood Vibe utah in 2019.

I grew up in Sandy and Draper and danced with Buckles & Bows, Corner Canyon Kickers & Dance Attack. Mostly I did clogging but while in high school Misty started teaching Jazz so we did that too. I went to Alta High School and was a Sophomore, Varsity, and Head Varsity Cheerleader. In College I danced with the Ricks College Folk Dance Team and toured to Germany Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. I graduated from Ricks with an associates degree in Business. I finished school at Brigham Young University and danced with my sister Andrea on the BYU Folk Dance Team. We Performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the SLC Winter Olympics, as well as several performances at Olympic venues, the Medals Plaza, and at the Church of Jesus Christ’s production at the Conference Center. That year we did a State-side tour due to 9/11 restrictions. I graduated from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School with a Bachelors Degree in Business with an emphasis in marketing. After graduation I helped to run BYU’s Clogging Camp and was a Cheer Coach for Several Years. I have also judged at dance and clogging competitions throughout the years. I am Adams Wife, Addi, Cooper, Taggert and Delainey’s Mom and I work for an Accountant, a Health Care Company, our Tiggy Lane Construction and Design Co., and help with Costumes at Empower.

Sicily Redd is 20 years old and was born and raised in Lehi Utah. Sicily is currently dancing professionally with Chrysalis Ballet, and will be going into her 3rd year dancing and performing with Chrysalis. She began her classical ballet training at the age of 2 years old at “Classical Ballet Academy”. At the age of 9, she was awarded a Full Merit Scholarship from “The Barbra Barrington Jones Family Foundation“ to Ballet West Academy in Thanksgiving Point. She was awarded the same scholarship for 6 years in a row. From there, she trained with Jennie Creer King, at Central Utah Ballet. Immediately after graduating she joined with Chrysalis Ballet. She has studied with numerous ballet schools in the United States in summer intensive programs throughout her years of academy training. Sicily has also been able to perform in lead roles as a Guest artist for “Utah Festival Ballet” and “Imagine Ballet Theater”. Last year, Chrysalis Ballet was invited to perform in the Florence Dance Festival, and had the opportunity to dance with several amazing artist from all over the world. From a very young age Sicily new she wanted teach dance! As a young teen she helped assist ballet and contemporary classes. After graduating she has been able to teach for different studios and schools around Utah. She is so excited to continue her teaching journey along with her professional career!

Elijah Hatch found his love for dance at the age of nine years old when he began ballroom dance. During that time, he won multiple awards, but it wasn't until he was almost 15 years old that he was guided to his true passion- ballet. His training began under the direction of Jennie Creer King at Ballet West Academy. From there, he trained in the Professional Training Division in Salt Lake City. Elijah has had the opportunity to play multiple roles, some highlights have been, James Ruben, from the Bournonville ballet, La Sylphide; the Nutcracker Prince, Snow King, as well as the Cavalier. He also found a love for contemporary ballet and creating his own works. Elijah trained for three years with Ballet West Academy. Following that, his training was put on hold for a service mission in England. After returning home, Elijah resumed his training under the direction of Jennie Creer King and her company “Chrysalis.”

Isabella trained at Local Motion Dance Studio for the majority of her childhood. Following studio training, she went to Bingham High School where she was on the MInerettes for three years. After high school, Isabella went to Utah Valley University and made the dance team there where she participated on the team for a total of three years. While being on the team she received 5 championships at UDA, and a gold medal at ICU Worlds in 2019. Isabella graduated in 2023 with her degree in Biology and Exercise Science. During her time at UVU she was an assistant coach for the Bingham Minerettes for a total of five years, and was a member of the Utah Jazz Dancers starting in 2022 to present day. Isabella choreographs for teams in the state in Utah and has vast experiences in the dance industry here in Utah specifically. I am so excited to be a part of the Empower staff alongside some of my most incredible examples and peers. It will be an amazing experience and Ilook forward to working with the dancers this upcoming dance season!

My journey in dance began at The Dance Club, where I trained and competed for over a decade. Starting as a teacher at just 15, I discovered a deep passion for nurturing dancers and guiding them on their personal and artistic journeys. Over the years, I’ve collaborated with numerous studios and high schools across the state, bringing choreography and technical training to inspiring students. Recently, I completed a gratifying year as an assistant coach for Pleasant Grove High School’s drill team and spent a year with the Continuum Pre-Professional Dance Company. My experiences, shaped by the mentorship of dance legends, have instilled in me a commitment to both tradition and innovation. I cherish the opportunity to work with each dancer, optimizing their individuality while nurturing a strong work ethic. I am thrilled and lucky to share my love for dance with your dancers!