Heather McArthur
Owner
Ballet Instructor
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Archway Chandler (K-1) & (2-5)
Heather McArthur, began her ballet training in Honolulu, Hawaii. at the Hawaii State Ballet, under the direction of John Landowsky. After attending the summer ballet program at the Hartford Ballet in Connecticut, she was invited to join their studio company. There she continued her training among ballet greats, Alla Osipenko and Franco Devita and performed with the company in The Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes. After a year with the Hartford Ballet, she accepted a company contract with the Nevada Ballet Theater. There, she danced five seasons under the direction of Bruce Stievel, performing lead roles in Giselle, The Nutcracker, Fairy Doll, Peter Pan and Cinderella. As well as works by renowned choreographers, Choo San Goh, George Balanchine and Val Caniparoli to name a few.
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Natacha Bachour
Ballet Instructor
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Archway Arete (K-5)
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ALA-Gilbert North (K-2) & (3-6)
Ms. Natacha began her professional dance career at the age of 17, as a Corps de Ballet member with Ballet Arizona. It was there that she had the opportunity to dance ballets such as Serenade, Copelia, Pequita, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, sleeping Beauty,
Divertimento No. 15, and many more.
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Amanda Malek-Ahmadi
Ballet Instructor
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Ms. Amanda began dancing at the age of 5 and teaching at 17. She earned her degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Dance from the University of Arizona and studied abroad in Ireland, where she performed with University College Cork’s Dance Troupe. Amanda holds teaching certifications in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Tap through the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School in Buffalo, NY.
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Taylor Simpson
Ballet Instructor​​​
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GCS-Agritopia (K-5)
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GCS -Val Vista (K-6)
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Archway Lincoln (K-1) & (3-5)
Ms. Taylor Simpson grew up dancing in Southern California and began teaching dance at age 16. In the Spring of 2020, she graduated from Belhaven University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine and Exercise Science and a Certificate in Ballet and Modern Technique and Performance.
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Kate Whitfield
Ballet Instructor
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ALA Gilbert (K-6)
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Great Hearts Christos -Gilbert (K-5)
Ms. Kate was trained in classical ballet for nine years at Studio R in Mesa, during which time she competed in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix and performed lead roles in many well-known classical ballets. She is currently continuing her dance training as a member of Utah Ballet at the University of Utah. Passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of ballet, Ms. Kate is thrilled to work with the students of Classical Ballet Beginnings and help inspire the next generation of dancers.​
Chandler Hancock
Ballet Instructor
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St. Mary-Basha (K-4)
Ms. Chandler was born and raised in Arizona, where her love for dance first began. She later moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Dance Education. While at BYU, she was a member of the university’s top touring company, Theatre Ballet, where she had the opportunity to perform works by renowned choreographers such as Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Garrett Smith, and Ihsan Rustem.
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Kayley Thompson
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Ballet Instructor
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Archway Cicero (K-5)
Kayley has been dancing since the age of five and trained for 13 years at Royal Dance Works, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, and musical theater. She has trained with and taken master classes from renowned choreographers and teachers including Mia Michaels, Jackie Sleight, Justin Giles, Doug Caldwell, Jaci Royal, Wes Veldink, Logan Lipton, Roberto Villanueva, Alex Ketley, Michael Williams, Mike Esperanza, Sasha Mallory, and Danielle Horn, among others.
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