Summer Hinton: Has been teaching dancers of all ages in Prescott since 1994. Summer’s name is synonymous with high-quality dance classes and entertaining performances. With her contagious enthusiasm and love of dance, Miss Summer encourages and excites her students, young or old. Miss Summer's competition dances have always received very high scores including Platinums, "Judges' Favorite Awards", Top Score Awards, and Top Choreographer Awards. Miss Summer's competitive Star Company Performance groups offer dancers a chance to compete at the state and national level. However, each student, whether they come once a week for fun and exercise or are the serious everyday dancer, receives Miss Summer’s undivided attention.
Involved in many of Prescott’s charities, Miss Summer believes in “giving back to the community” by years of offering her talent and time in many shows and performances. Also deeply involved in Prescott’s Unified School District, Summer has volunteered countless hours of her teaching and choreographic talents to all the schools in PUSD.
A professional dancer since three weeks after she graduated from Scottsdale High School, Miss Summer was immediately hired by the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For the next ten years, Summer danced on TV, in Las Vegas and Reno Nevada. Summer also was able to dance in three USO tours from Korea to Japan, entertaining thousands of troops.
Involved in many of Prescott’s charities, Miss Summer believes in “giving back to the community” by years of offering her talent and time in many shows and performances. Also deeply involved in Prescott’s Unified School District, Summer has volunteered countless hours of her teaching and choreographic talents to all the schools in PUSD.
A professional dancer since three weeks after she graduated from Scottsdale High School, Miss Summer was immediately hired by the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For the next ten years, Summer danced on TV, in Las Vegas and Reno Nevada. Summer also was able to dance in three USO tours from Korea to Japan, entertaining thousands of troops.
Jaime Hershman: Has been dancing for 23 years and teaching for 12 years. She has danced in pre-professional Ballet companies and was invited by the San Diego Ballet to be a part of their company. She has done many summer intensives, including: Arizona Ballet School, Nevada Ballet Theatre, among others. At the age of 19, she attended a post-graduate program with Virginia School of the Arts. She has taught dance classes at Yavapai College, and in 2019 was certified as PBT Instructor (Progressing Ballet Technique).
Bella Gallardo: Born and raised in Arizona, Bella started dancing at the age of 2. She has been dancing with Summer Hinton for 16 years and has been teaching for 4 years. At the age of 7, she was chosen to become a part of the Summer’s Danceworks Star Company Competitive Team where she would continue to compete until the age 14. During high school, Bella was a part of the Varsity Pom Team for 3 years and Student Council for 4 years. Her senior year, she had the honor of being Captain of the Pom Team, Student Body President, and being a member of NHS, the Student Athlete Leadership Team, and Key Club. She is now currently a student at Northern Arizona University where she is studying Business and Photography alongside being a member of the NAU Dance Team.
During the 2020-2021 dance season, Bella has become SDW’s competition/solo “cleaner” along with being a choreographer and teacher. The dancers she has worked with have received multiple awards and high places. These include seven title winners, eight 1st places, twelve top five places, 15 top ten places, and 10 scholarships and special judges awards.
During the 2020-2021 dance season, Bella has become SDW’s competition/solo “cleaner” along with being a choreographer and teacher. The dancers she has worked with have received multiple awards and high places. These include seven title winners, eight 1st places, twelve top five places, 15 top ten places, and 10 scholarships and special judges awards.
Breanna Crane: began dancing at the age of six and has been teaching for 12 years. She specializes in Tap dance. Growing up in Montana, she was part of Feat by Feet, a pre-professional youth tap ensemble. Feat by Feet allowed her to train with many tap legends at a young age. Prior to moving to Prescott, she was the sole tap dance instructor for The Silhouettes, Runners Up on “America’s Got Talent” Season 6, in Denver, Colorado.
Kimberly Waples: Began teaching Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Acro at LaVerne Meier School of Dance classes for many years. She also traveled the country as a Dance Judge for Regency Talent Competitions. After moving to Texas in 1994, Kimberly became a Jr. Olympic OPTIONAL gymnastics coach at South Texas Gymnastics Academy, producing dozens of State, Regional & National Champions, National Team Members, coaching International Elite athletes at the World Championships, and preparing Henrietta Onodi for her 1996 Olympic comeback. Kimberly and her family moved to Prescott in 2002. After a hiatus, she returned to coaching gymnastics at Flip City and AZ Dreams Gymnastics. She was nominated twice in AZ for Choreographer of the Year. Kim is a great addition to the training of our SDW dancers. Her ability to build strength / flexibility / skill level / & acrobatics into the athletic side of dance is an asset to our students!
Ericka Judge: Has been dancing since she was 8-years-old and was an Elite Competition Dancer. She has trained, and was mentored exclusively by Nicole Romine in styles such as Ballet, Jazz, and Modern/Contemporary for over ten years. In her years as a competitive dancer she was awarded Judges' Awards such as Sass and Smoothness, as well as, Technique. Miss Ericka now teaches Advanced Ballet, Company Specialty Numbers, as well as, younger levels for Contemporary and
Technique classes.
Technique classes.
Michele Roche: Summer's DanceWorks office manager extraordinaire who keeps things running smoothly. A natural athlete in softball and volleyball, Michele was talked into taking a dance class over 15 years ago by Miss Summer and was soon performing and competing full time with the ladies Jazz and Tap groups.