Alumni
Dr. Emily Love
Dr. Emily Love is a dance medicine physical therapist. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Texas Christian University and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. She is the Company Physical Therapist for Oklahoma City Ballet and The University of Oklahoma School of Dance, as well as the owner of Turning Point Physical Therapy. She enjoys using her previous dance experience to tailor treatment to each dancer’s individual needs. https://www.turningpointphysicaltherapy.org/
I am very appreciative for the 11 years I spent at Ballet Academy of Texas and performing with Ballet Ensemble of Texas. While I studied with Lisa, Tammie, and Jenny, it was evident that they not only cared about me as a dancer, but also as a person. With their continuous support, I learned to have discipline and focus while still having fun. The work ethic that I have now for my career is due to the principles and values that I learned while dancing at Ballet Academy of Texas and with Ballet Ensemble of Texas.
Tye Love
I am so thankful for my experience at the Ballet Academy of Texas. During my time at BAT, I was exposed to the strong training that led to a successful career as a professional dancer. I am so thankful for teachers like Lisa, Jenny, & Tammie who pushed me to be the strongest dancer I could be, while overcoming many obstacles. From the constant support, professional guest teachers, and the many opportunities to perform with the Ballet Ensemble of Texas, I was able to pursue a successful career, and now life in dance. Now that I have been a professional dancer and a teacher for many years, it is easy to recognize the Ballet Academy of Texas faculty is rare with the caring & supportive atmosphere created within the studio.
- Ballet Ensemble 2005, 2006 Guest Artist for Ballet Ensemble of Texas 2007, 2009, 2010
- BFA OU Dance 2009
- Oklahoma City Ballet 2009-2013
- MFA OU Dance 2016
- Associate Professor of Dance Oklahoma City University
Natalie Tsay
After BAT:
- Attended Cornell University
- Currently: Senior PR Specialist at Niche, an ed-focused tech company
- Based in Pittsburgh, PA
Though I stopped dancing after graduating high school and leaving BAT, I took with me a whole set of skills that allowed me to thrive in college, advance my career, and also work on my own writing. Regularly attending classes and rehearsals gave me a tremendous amount of discipline, helped me build a strong work ethic, and had me constantly paying attention to details. These are things that can be hard for kids and teenagers to learn, yet they became second nature to me at a young age.
Equally as important are the people. I made so many incredible friends at the studio — girls who were hardworking but fun-loving, intense but silly. And the teachers at BAT are truly unmatched. Dance is extremely demanding on a young person’s body, and while the teachers all push the students to be the best they can be, they do everything with health and safety as their top priorities. They focus on clean technique, artistry, and strength in equal parts. Most of all, they care very deeply about their students. To this day (twenty years after first starting at the studio and eight after leaving!), my teachers are still friends and mentors that I cherish.
I mean it wholeheartedly when I say that my time at BAT made me the person I am today.
Rayleigh Vendt
Ballet Academy of Texas helped me achieve my dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. The performance opportunities, the technical training and the artistic direction were instrumental in helping me become the dancer I am today. The discipline, work ethic, and joy for dance the teachers taught me still remain a huge part of my life.
Emily Williams
My years in the Ensemble were some of my absolute favorites growing up. I miss it a lot and to this day, still feel like I should be living in the ballet studio whenever Nutcracker season rolls around. It was my home away from home and I could go on for days about all of the great memories that were made and awesome experiences that were had.
I’m so grateful for the discipline that was instilled in me at a young age. I learned the importance of hard work and responsibility. I learned how to show respect, how to overcome disappointments & failures, and how to strive for excellence in everything I did.
After my Ensemble days, I went on to receive a BS in Exercise Science & a MA in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Currently, I am the owner of Champion Mindset Consulting where I provide mental coaching for athletes to help them reach their goals and improve their performances. Although I work with athletes of all sports, I absolutely adore working with performance-based (and slightly perfectionistic…) athletes – my dancers & gymnasts.
Lindsey Yoes Daniel
“Ballet Academy of Texas is more than just a studio I danced at, it is a place I call home. I walk in the building, see smiling faces and feel at peace. Always welcomed with a hello and a warm hug. I have had the privilege of growing up at Ballet Academy starting out as a young student, moving into a preprofessional ballerina with the Ballet Ensemble of Texas, to a substitute teacher during college, cross-training at the studio while dancing professionally, an official teacher in 2011, and appointed Ballet Mistress of Ballet Ensemble of Texas in 2015. I’m also the proud parent of two daughters watching their dreams come true at this wonderful studio. The many lessons I have learned carry me through my day to day life and I will always cherish my time and history at Ballet Academy of Texas, the place I call home.”