The Red Shoes Faculty
Meagan Swithers, Artistic Director
Meagan Swithers started dancing at the age of 3 at various Ballet and Performing Arts schools in New York City and New Jersey, and has continued to study dance and perform ever since. She holds both a B.A. in Dance and a M.A.T. in Curriculum & Instruction from Randolph College. While pursuing her dance degree, she worked closely with several extremely influential dancers and choreographers through the historically renowned Randolph College Dance Department and its visiting artist program, founded by the late principal dancer for the Martha Graham Company, Helen McGehee. During her time training at Randolph she performed in, choreographed, stage-managed, and produced several dance concerts. Meagan performed in choreographic works and received instruction from Pamela Risenhoover, Kelly Malone Dudley, Hiawatha Johnson Jr., Takehiro Uyama, Jill Echo, Marie Zvosec, Walter Kennedy, Dominique Angel, Brynt Beitman, Gentry George, Seyong Kim, Eun-Kyung Chung, Lori Belilove and members of the Isadora Duncan Dance Company, and several others. Post graduation she continued to perform, choreograph, and stage manage concerts for Randolph College. Meagan has spent the most time training in Ballet, Tap, Pointe, Modern, Contemporary, and Jazz. She also has training in Musical Theatre, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. Meagan holds an AcrobaticArts certification. In addition to her time spent at The Red Shoes Dance Academy, she is a fourth grade teacher at Dearington Elementary School for Innovation where she was awarded Teacher of the Year for 2023.
Tabitha Hudson Wedemeyer
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While attending high school and college Tabitha studied under and danced with Tammy Kanode. Tabitha earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dance from Radford University. Tabitha has previously taught dance for Linda Watkins, The Dance Factory, and Ray Hollingsworth studios in Roanoke, VA and Martinsville, VA. After graduating from Radford Tabitha started dance programs at North Cross School in Roanoke, VA and the Franklin County YMCA in Rocky Mount, VA. During that time she was also performing with the Roanoke Ballet Theatre and performed for Mill Mountain Theater in the productions of West Side Story and Gathering Stones. In 2001, Tabitha married her husband Lang and moved to Brookings, SD. For the past 16 years she has been teaching tap, ballet, modern, pointe, yoga, and pilates at Expanding Harmony Dance Studio. She has also been performing with the Exaltation Company in a Christmas Celebration each year as well as an Easter Cantata. Tabitha has 4 children who keep her very busy. She enjoys cooking, skiing, spending time with her family and anything Disney. Tabitha is very excited to be back closer to family.
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Hannah Palmore
Hannah joined the Red Shoes Dance Academy in 2018. She is originally from Farmville, Virginia where she studied dance from the age of 5. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. She joined the competition team at her studio her sophomore year of high school and received numerous awards in recognition of her talent. After she graduated high school, Hannah attended Liberty University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During her time at the Red Shoes Dance Academy, Hannah has received multiple judge’s awards for her choreography and many overall placements. Outside of the studio, Hannah is a first grade teacher at W.M. Bass Elementary School. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Finnley Bo.
Quang Tran
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Quang is a Lynchburg native where he earned a BS: Business Administration – Marketing degree from Liberty University. He started his dance journey in 2009 by watching YouTube videos and still dances today with the local crew “Peacemakers” at Liberty. Over the past decade, Quang has placed and won numerous competitions in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina region. Quang’s genre of dance is hip hop with a focus on breakin’ (breakdancing). His primary goal at The Red Shoes is to positively impact the students by encouraging them to be confident and creative with their talents. Outside of dance, you can find Quang up on the mountains enjoying nature and its wonderful views.
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Gracie Starnes
Amberlee Downen
Hello, my name is Amberlee Downen. With a profound love for the art form of dance, I have dedicated years of extensive training, both in Tennessee and Japan, to become the dancer I am today. I discovered my passion for dance at a tender age. Shortly after, I began my formal training in ballet, under the guidance of esteemed mentors and trainers. Whether through classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern, or hip-hop, I find myself striving towards precision, high skill attainment, and the ability to portray a story through the powerful language of dance. Beyond my own achievements, I love to give back to the dance community. I currently work towards being an inspiring dance instructor, one who imparts my knowledge to aspiring dancers, guiding them towards mastering their craft. My hope is that through my commitment to mentoring the next generation of dancers, I will be able to both foster growth and ensure a promising future for the art form. Looking ahead, I aspire to continue treading new ground and exploring different facets of dance, as I evolves both as an artist myself and as an instructor.
Support Staff