Kristi Beeler
Kristi is the owner and instructor of Kristina's Studio of Dance. She has been teaching dance for 49 years and opened the studio when she was 16 years old. This season will be the 51st dance season for the studio. Kristina has been on staff and taught classes for the Tony Deel Summer Dance Camps, Tony Deel's Fall Festival, and National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts (NADAA). She has also taught for the Elks Lodges in various cities, Texas Instruments and the City of Sherman. Kristi has been a member of the Dallas Dance Council, and is listed in a book featuring achievements of Young Women in the USA. Kristi has trained with many dance legends, including Debbie Dee, Luigi, Al Gilbert, Daryll Retter, Patsy Swayze, Buster Cooper and Frank Hatchett.
Kristi has been on faculty at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Grayson County College. She has judged numerous beauty pageants and traveled across the US as a dance competition judge, including judging the Texas finals for Dance Masters of America (DMA) and DMA scholarship auditions.
Her choreography credits include Sherman HS Drama and Choir departments productions of Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun and GCC Show Choir and Drama department production of Little Mary Sunshine.
Kristi has been recognized in recent competitions with Outstanding Teacher Awards, Technical Excellence Awards, Choreography Awards and Studio Excellence Awards. Her students hold numerous National Championship titles. Recent students have received scholarships to The One Dance Intensive, Motiv8 Dance Intensive, Midwest Movement and the Dance Showcase USA Senior Scholarship. Several students have been crowned title winners in regional and national competitions.
Kristina's dancers are asked to perform shows all over North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Her students have received numerous scholarships in dance to continue their education. Former students have gone on perform on Broadway and with touring Broadway shows, the World Tour of 42nd Street, at Six Flags Over Texas, with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, the Dallas Mavericks, the Apache Belles Drill Team, SFA dance team, West Texas A&M drill team, Texas Tech Pom Squad, on cruise ships, with the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City and the outdoor musical Texas in Palo Duro Canyon. Students have also performed at DisneyWorld, on Carnival Cruise Ships, in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Branson, MO. Several former students have become dance educators and have started their own successful studios.
Zeke Dolezalek
Zeke is a Texas native and a graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts. His favorite performance and choreography credits include A Little Princess, Big Fish, Chicago, Shrek, and West Side Story, as well as performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He has taught musical theatre dance and acting for thespian festivals and theatre programs across the country, working with students of all experience levels to build confidence, storytelling, and audition skills. In addition to his work in theatre education, Zeke is a headshot, portrait, and production photographer whose work spans NYC, Chicago, and North Texas, specializing in capturing artists in performance and in process.
Jennifer Halliburton McCarthy
Jennifer began dancing at the age of three at Kristina's Studio of Dance and danced for 15 years. She has experience in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, pointe, and clogging. She has danced in many places, including Los Angeles on a scholarship from the National Tap Dance Day Foundation. She has also clogged at the Grande Ole Opry. She has earned many national titles and was awarded "Entertainer of the Year" at Grapevine Opry three consecutive years and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Jennifer holds a BA in English from Texas A&M Commerce and teaches English at Piner Middle School in Sherman. Jennifer was a teaching assistant at the studio and returned to teach in 2012. Jennifer is married to Josh McCarthy and has three children: Rachel, Taylor and Jacob.
Amber Houser
Amber Houser is a Dallas native and is Dance Consultant, Choreographer, Instructor and Technician. At a young age, she had the opportunity to audition for Star Search with her competition dance company. She has performed in the Cotton Bowl Classic Halftime Show and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Amber has a B.A. in Dance from the University of North Texas. She is a charter member and served as Artistic Director of the nonprofit Dallas Dance, where she choreographed for numerous festivals and charity events, including the Cattle Baron’s Ball and the Dallas Junior League, as well as America’s Got Talent. Amber has choreographed numerous award-winning routines for soloists, dance/drill teams, studio groups and collegiate teams, both locally and nationally. Amber was Director of Ballet at a Dallas area studio and was a founder and artistic director of DefiANCE, an adult pre-professional dance company. She also owned a dance studio in Plano for 10 years. Amber continues to grow as a dancer and instructor, recently dancing in NYC at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center, conducting technical workshops for dance instructors and judging dance competitions. Amber moved to the Sherman/Denison area in 2021 and is excited to share her love of dance with the dancers at Kristina’s Studio of Dance.
Haley Brown
Nicole Funderburg
Nicole is a Texas native and began her training at the age of three. She grew up dancing ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and so much more. Nicole danced and held officer positions on her high school drill team. She attended Stephen F Austin State University, graduating in 3 years Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Dance Education. After college, Nicole interned for a mission organization where she was able to share her love of dance and Jesus all over Europe. Upon return, Nicole became a high school teacher and danced as principal ballet dancer for a non-profit Christian ballet company. Nicole holds many awards and accomplishments as a choreographer and dancer and was the competition director for many years at Motion the Studio in Carrollton. Nicole has been the director of the Sherman HS Hi-Steppers since 2018. Nicole is mom to a loving, fun-spirited 3 year old named Luken.
Haley began dancing at the age of three at Kristina's Studio of Dance. She graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2009 with a BA in Education. She has been teaching dance for 17 years including classes in jazz, tap, ballet, clogging, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz technique. Haley is also an elementary teacher in Collinsville ISD. She genuinely loves teaching children and enjoys sharing her love of dance with them. She is happily married to Tim Brown and has two children: Carter and Kenzie.
Jeana Parsons
Trinity Lau
Jeana began dancing at Kristina's Studio of Dance at the age of three. She danced at the studio for 15 years and began as a teaching assistant at the studio when she was 15. She returned to the studio in 2018 to teach combo classes. Jeana has a BA in Communication-Advertising/Public Relations from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and is a math teacher for Sherman ISD. She loves to encourage kids by building relationships and making fun experiences that show her love of dance. Jeana is happily married with four children.
Trinity began dancing at Kristina's Studio of Dance at the age of three. She trained in all styles of dance at the studio for 15 years, earning several regional and national championships and began as a teaching assistant at the studio when she was 16. She is a 2021 graduate of Sherman HS where she was a 4 year member of the cheer team, made the All American NCA Cheer team in 2019, received a cheer leadership award in 2020, and was a member of National Honor Society and student council. Trinity was a member of the Texas State Strutters in 2021. In 2022, she performed as a professional background dancer for Music Royalty Concerts.
Payton Williams
Katey Cooper
Payton began dancing at Kristina's Studio of Dance at the age of 3 and was a member of the competition team for 14 years. Payton trained in all styles of dance, including jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, contemporary, lyrical and hip hop. Payton began student teaching dance at age 13 . She is a 2019 graduate of Sherman High School and was a member of the SHS Hi-Steppers for 2 years, serving as a Sophomore Lieutenant, and a member of the Maroon Maniacs during her senior year.
Katey began dancing at Kristina's Studio of Dance at the age of 3 and was a member of the competition team for 14 years. Katey trained in jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, contemporary, lyrical and hip hop. As a member of the competition team, Katey won numerous regional and national awards. Katey is working on her Bachelor's Degree in Education and Human Development at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and works as a Teaching Aide at Wapanucka Public Schools and a Veterinary Technician in Grayson County.