About Us

Who We Are

Our excellent faculty has backgrounds in a variety of Ballet methods – Vaganova (Russian), Cecchetti (Italian), RAD (Royal Academy of Dance), and Balanchine/SAB styles. We believe that diversity in training also exposes our dancers to the international world of dance and helps the student to be well versed and adaptable. Through many years of experience we have developed a curriculum-based program that follows a structured monthly class plan. WCFA offers fun and creative classes in ballet, jazz, tap, and acro/tumbling for ages 18 months – 7 years that is designed to nurture the young child’s natural desire for movement. For ages 8 and older, we offer classical ballet, pre-pointe/ pointe, variations/repetoire and conditioning with added opportunities to learn other dance forms, such as modern, jazz, improvisation, tap, hip hop, Pilates, Yoga, theatre/acting, ballroom, and acro/tumbling where we implement traditional technique basics in a friendly, encouraging environment.

Who We Are

Our excellent faculty has backgrounds in a variety of Ballet methods – Vaganova (Russian), Cecchetti (Italian), RAD (Royal Academy of Dance), and Balanchine/SAB styles. We believe that diversity in training also exposes our dancers to the international world of dance and helps the student to be well versed and adaptable. Through many years of experience we have developed a curriculum-based program that follows a structured monthly class plan. WCFA offers fun and creative classes in ballet, jazz, tap, and acro/tumbling for ages 18 months – 7 years that is designed to nurture the young child’s natural desire for movement. For ages 8 and older, we offer classical ballet, pre-pointe/ pointe, variations/repetoire and conditioning with added opportunities to learn other dance forms, such as modern, jazz, improvisation, tap, hip hop, Pilates, Yoga, theatre/acting, ballroom, and acro/tumbling where we implement traditional technique basics in a friendly, encouraging environment.

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Our Faculty

We believe that every child is creative and it is our wish to grow and inspire them through the arts. Statistics show that children that participate in the arts excel in creativity, communication, confidence, problem-solving, academic performance, and many more. With over 150 years of combined experience, our talented WCFA instructors are here to support your child while learn, grow, and explore.

Cory Smith

Cory Smith - Founder & Director

Cory Phipps Smith was born in Wilmington, grew up in Southport and later moved to Raleigh/Durham to further her dance training with prestigious schools and instructors. Classically trained, Cory performed in numerous ballet and musical theatre productions, won national titles in dance competitions, had dance roles in movies, and was invited to join North Carolina School of the Arts (now UNCSA), the Carolina Ballet and several university dance programs. Cory trained and performed with Ballet Magnificat! under Kathy Thibodeaux and was tutored by Sue Tolle of Butler University in teacher training and syllabus.
After moving back to her hometown of Wilmington, Cory instructed dance classes for local studios and furthered her dance education and experience. She became a member of Dance Masters of America with certification in ballet, won choreography awards at regional and national levels, and attended teacher trainings, including an intensive program under ballet master David Howard through the International Ballet Competition.
Cory has trained generations of dancers and her choreography has been performed in festivals in New York City, Washington DC, Orlando, and throughout North Carolina in community events. Many of Cory's students have received scholarships, attended prestigious dance education programs and 2been recognized for their training and talent through the years.
Since founding Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts and the nonprofit Turning Pointe Dance Company in 2007, Cory has created, produced, and directed many shows such as “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Masterworks”, “Hope Has Come”, and “Come Alive”. An important part of the studio dynamic is Cory's family support - husband Chris, their daughters, Bronwyn and Carrington, and her mother, Ms Jane, all help bring the heart of family into the studio.

Founder & Director - BIO

Lesa Rogers Broadhead​

Lesa Rogers Broadhead - Modern, Ballet, & Yoga Instructor

Receiving a BFA degree in dance and drama from East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, Lesa went on to obtain a MFA degree in choreography and performance from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. In addition, she received a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification in 2016. Professionally she has performed with The Cleveland Opera and The Atlanta Ballet, and has held teaching posts at Louisiana State University, Huntingdon College, Kent State University, and the University of Akron.

Mrs. Broadhead’s choreography includes reconstructing classical ballet favorites, and contemporary works on historical and societal issues, such as the Holocaust. In 1995 she was artist-in-residence at De Montfort University, Bedford, England, choreographing her first international Holocaust related dance work. In 1999 she presented three of her Holocaust related dance works at The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored by the museum and the Embassy of Israel. These dance works have been the stimuli for writing her first book ASHES AT THE ROOTS OF TREE: A Choreographic Journey of the Holocaust.

Currently, she teaches modern/contemporary, ballet and yoga at Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts, ballet and modern at DREAMS of Wilmington, and Dance Appreciation online at Brunswick Community College.

Modern, Ballet, & Yoga Instructor - BIO

Heather Wells

Heather Wells - Ballet, Modern, & Pilates Instructor

For as long as she can remember, Heather Wells has been a dancer. She has been a ballet instructor in Wilmington for over 20 years and also enjoys teaching jazz, modern and Progressing Ballet Technique classes. After training with instructors of various styles, Heather was awarded dance scholarships for college, but was unable to pursue that route due to an injury. That change of course eventually led her to explore yoga and Pilates, and those experiences fostered a greater appreciation for the gift of dance. 

Heather is excited to be a certified instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), where emphasis is placed on alignment, anatomy, strengthening of core muscles, and training to recruit the correct muscles for dance specific goals. This method was developed by Marie Walton-Mahon with input from dance medicine and physical therapy professionals to help dancers more safely train their bodies and can be a useful tool in minimizing chances of injuries and assists in injury rehabilitation.

Heather has a degree in Marine Biology and works as a research specialist for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve.  She is happy to be a dancing scientist and encourages her students to follow their dreams. 

Ballet, Modern, & Pilates Instructor - BIO

Michaela Batten

Michaela Basilio Batten​ - Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop Fitness Instructor

Growing up right here in Wilmington, NC, Cory was in fact Michaela's first (and favorite) Ballet Teacher. She trained in all styles, but tap dance has always been her passion. She was cast in TapKids, a touring tap dance company, her senior year in high school, and continued to tour with them for 5 years. It was through that company she was able to perform and travel all over the world. All the while, Michaela moved to NYC at 18 to attend Parsons School of Design where she graduated with a BFA in design and business. She moved back to Wilmington shortly after and began teaching at WCFA.

She opened a women's shoe store, Soul Shoetique and also started a job as a morning radio show host on Z1075. After her husband opened Bespoke Coffee and they had their first son, Michaela decided she needed to take a break from teaching. However, as of last year, she decided to sell her shoe store so she could be at home more with her two boys Lux and Luca. She is beyond excited to have the chance to start back up at WCFA and continue sharing her passion for tap dance.

Tap, Jazz, & Hip Hop Fitness Instructor - BIO

Sarah Mason

Sarah Mason - Young Division & Music Together Instructor

Sarah is originally from England and started dancing at age 4. She is classically trained in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), which offers examinations in ballet with focus on musical awareness and creativity. Sarah performed in numerous productions over 15 years of training and developed a lifelong love of ballet. She pursued an education and career in nursing and moved to America. 

In 2007, Sarah co wrote and provided vocals for a Grammy nominated children’s music album, Kids Tunes Online Animals. Sarah is also a certified instructor for Music Together, an early childhood music education program. For more than ten years, she has instructed preschool and elementary age students in classical dance, bringing magical charm and storytelling to her young artists’ classes.

Young Division & Music Together Instructor - BIO

Katie Deese

Katie Deese - Piano, Voice, & Acting/Theatre Instructor

Katie received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Georgia in Athens. After 12 years as a music and theatre arts educator, she decided to pursue a Master of Science in Instructional Technology degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Over the course of her teaching career Katie has taught in public, private, and charter schools in North Carolina and Georgia, and has had the pleasure of working with students from early childhood through adults. While living in Atlanta Katie had the honor of singing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, under the direction of the legendary Robert Shaw, and was a vocalist on the 1998 Grammy Award-winning Classical Album of the Year.

Katie enjoys working with music and theatre students in groups as well as one on one - the focus of her teaching is often helping students make connections and build on their own experiences to enhance their art. She strives to make learning fun and to help each student find their strengths.

Katie lives in Wilmington with her family - her husband Mark is a middle school teacher and they are the proud parents of two terrific daughters.

Young Division & Music Together Instructor - BIO

Shane Baptista

Shane Baptista -  Acro/Tumble Instructor

Starting gymnastics in 1977, Shane trained until I was 16 years old and was doing gymnastics with the UCSB gymnastics team and picked gymnastics back up when he began coaching in 1992 at Salt Lake Gymnastics where he coached the Level 4 and 5 competitive girls team. In 2000, Shane began coaching in Wilmington at Gymnastics Unlimited. He coached the competition boys and girls teams until 2006 and then he took a break from coaching for a few years and began coaching again in the fall of 2016. He is currently coaching competition boys and recreational classes and for WCFA acro/tumble classes. Shane Baptista says, “I love sharing gymnastics just about as much as I love doing gymnastics. I look forward to years more of sharing and doing my favorite sport.”

 Acro/Tumble Instructor - BIO

Amy King

Amy King - Acrobatics Guest Instructor

Acrobatics Guest Instructor

Ella Richardson

Ella Richardson - Ballet, PBT, Conditioning, & Contemporary Instructor

Ella is a native of the Wilmington area and began dancing around the age of two. Throughout her years of training, she has had the opportunity to perform in ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphide, and Le Corsaire, with lead roles in The Phantom of the Opera, Firebird, The Nutcracker, Flames of Paris, and many more. At the age of 12, Ella was a participant in the prestigious Youth American Grande Prix. She has attended summer intensive programs with Carolina Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet where she was accepted to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. After high school, Ella continued her training at the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education as a trainee. She performed in many shows including Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, touring the greater Atlanta area, and making a choreographic debut on the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center stage. Standing out in the school with a vast understanding of ballet, Ella was specially selected by the Dean to become a teacher for the Atlanta Ballet. She was also chosen by Artistic Director, Gennadi Nedvigin to work alongside the Atlanta Ballet in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake. After, Ella moved home to Wilmington and danced with a small local company before making the switch to pursue a degree in Interior Design.

Ballet, PBT, Conditioning, & Contemporary Instructor​ -BIO

Mallory Doran

Mallory Doran -  Art & Design Instructor

Mallory Doran was born and raised in Carolina Beach, North Carolina where she started ballet at the age of three. Mallory was pursuing ballet as a professional career until a sports injury halted her dreams. She found art to be therapeutic and healing for her during this transitional time of her life, and she ended up going to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for visual arts during her junior and senior years of high school. Upon graduation, she returned to Wilmington to attain her degree in Elementary Education. Mallory is passionate to share her love of art with children in hopes that it will help them break through emotional boundaries and express themselves in healthy ways. Mallory makes a nurturing environment for her students and a safe place for her students to express themselves.

 Acro/Tumble Instructor - BIO
ENROLL FOR CLASSES
WCFA Parent & Student Handbook '20-'21
‘20-‘21 SCHEDULE

Beyond the Conservatory

At WCFA, we recognize each student’s creative talents and incorporate them into the disciplined arts that are classical ballet. Our goal is to encourage each dancer to take great pride in their accomplishments and to enhance their eagerness to learn. Whether a student is working toward a career in dance or enjoys dancing as a rewarding extra-curricular activity, the dancer’s changing body is a most fragile and important instrument which deserves only the finest and most proper instruction.

Our students have been accepted into many prestigious schools such as American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Boston Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Kirov Academy-Washington, DC, North Carolina Dance Theatre, North Carolina School of the Arts, Storling Dance Company, Ad Deum Dance Company, School of American Ballet, and Belhaven University. They have danced on Broadway, on cruise ships, and many professional shows as well.

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