Meet Our |
Amanda Barber,
Dancer-in-Chief
Amanda took her first dancing steps at 8 years-of-age at Karen’s Academy of Dance where she took everything Mrs. Fama had to offer: tap, ballet, jazz, pointe, gymnastics, and majorettes. When Amanda went off to college she continued to travel and perform with both Methodist University’s dance and cheer teams. After finishing her Bachelor’s in Accounting, Amanda went on to get her Master’s in Professional Accountancy from WVU. But still, her dancing days were not over… Amanda continued to take ballet classes from The Charleston Ballet and ballroom dancing lessons from WV Dance and from Fred Astaire. Amanda is also a certified Cize Live instructor.
Her husband Matt lovingly refers to her as "the brains behind the Shall We Dance operation" - with her MBA and her CPA - this former CFO is always ready to T-A-N-G-O!!! Amanda is also the proud mother of two precious children - both of whom You will undoubtedly have the pleasure of falling in love with if You spend any time whatsoever in our ballroom!
Her husband Matt lovingly refers to her as "the brains behind the Shall We Dance operation" - with her MBA and her CPA - this former CFO is always ready to T-A-N-G-O!!! Amanda is also the proud mother of two precious children - both of whom You will undoubtedly have the pleasure of falling in love with if You spend any time whatsoever in our ballroom!
Janae Asbury,
All-Around Best Gymnastics Director... Period.
At the tender age of 5, Janae Cox took her first steps onto the Southern Indiana Gymnastics School mats and vaulted herself into a career of EPIC proportions... the kind little girls dream of! Before long, Janae had landed herself a spot on the USA Junior National Team where for three years she represented the United States in many competitions - and not just stateside, but all over the world: Australia, Belgium, France, El Salvador, Canada, and the Bahamas... Teenage Janae was the Junior Olympic National All-Around, Vault, and Floor Champion who went on to earn a full-ride scholarship to West Virginia University!
While competing for WVU, Janae made it to the NCAA National Championships three times and earned All-American honors for the Floor exercise! She was named her conference’s “Rookie of the Year,” “Gymnast of the Year,” and “Senior of the Year” throughout her four years of competition! Janae also earned conference champion titles in the All-Around, Vault, and Beam. And to top it all off, Janae really raised the bar - not only for herself, but for everyone else! - when she broke WVU’s “All-Around” record and was awarded the Red Brown Cup Award as the best female athlete for the university!
Off the mats, Janae Cox is now Mrs. Asbury and is married to Summersville-native Josh Asbury and together the couple has three beautiful children! Janae went on to earn a Masters in Elementary Education at WVU and taught both third and fifth grades before making the decision to stay home and raise her new family.
Today, Janae is excited to be involved with gymnastics again through the new tumbling classes now offered at Shall We Dance, and, in turn, the Shall We Dance family is literally flipping out over THE Mrs. Janae Asbury joining our team!
While competing for WVU, Janae made it to the NCAA National Championships three times and earned All-American honors for the Floor exercise! She was named her conference’s “Rookie of the Year,” “Gymnast of the Year,” and “Senior of the Year” throughout her four years of competition! Janae also earned conference champion titles in the All-Around, Vault, and Beam. And to top it all off, Janae really raised the bar - not only for herself, but for everyone else! - when she broke WVU’s “All-Around” record and was awarded the Red Brown Cup Award as the best female athlete for the university!
Off the mats, Janae Cox is now Mrs. Asbury and is married to Summersville-native Josh Asbury and together the couple has three beautiful children! Janae went on to earn a Masters in Elementary Education at WVU and taught both third and fifth grades before making the decision to stay home and raise her new family.
Today, Janae is excited to be involved with gymnastics again through the new tumbling classes now offered at Shall We Dance, and, in turn, the Shall We Dance family is literally flipping out over THE Mrs. Janae Asbury joining our team!
Christine Kalna,
Children's Dance Specialist
It was love at first sight, when, at the tender age of seven, Christine discovered the splendor and grace of dance while at Jackie Lou’s Dance Studio in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Indeed, Christine danced all throughout her childhood and teenage years, and after high school, she auditioned for and landed a spot in Point Park College of Pittsburgh’s Dance Academy where, as a dance major, she focused on ballet, tap, and modern dance. Christine later attended Hocking College in Ohio where she studied Exercise Science and earned a degree in Fitness Management as well as additional certifications in Personal Training and Group Fitness Instruction.
Throughout the years she has continued to be passionate about dance and fitness and has truly dedicated herself to helping friends and family achieve their fitness goals.
Mrs. Christine Kalna is extremely excited to share her love of dance with the students at Shall We Dance, and she hopes to both share her passion and lend support, hope and confidence to each and every student via a mutual fascination with the beauty, joy and appreciation of dance!
Throughout the years she has continued to be passionate about dance and fitness and has truly dedicated herself to helping friends and family achieve their fitness goals.
Mrs. Christine Kalna is extremely excited to share her love of dance with the students at Shall We Dance, and she hopes to both share her passion and lend support, hope and confidence to each and every student via a mutual fascination with the beauty, joy and appreciation of dance!
Jessica Lilly,
Premier Maître de Ballet
Jessica Lilly started dancing officially at the ripe old age of 3 at Cannonsburg Dance, and from there it was off to Sally Miller Ballet in Washington, PA, where she pursued tap and ballet. After that, Jessica enrolled at the Appalachian Ballet Studio where for 6 years she focused exclusively on ballet and pointe under the tutelage of Mrs. Faye Snow. Jessica went on to star as "Claire" in Snow's annual version of The Nutcracker and also performed in Swan Lake, Patchwork, and Jewel.
Ever the athlete, Jessica also played high school basketball, volleyball, and ran track, and ultimately went on to major in business at Fairmont State University on a volleyball scholarship. Finally, it was off to cosmetology school, and now Jessica is a proud wife and the mother of 3 beautiful babies!
Despite all she has accomplished, Jessica notes her "heart has never left the dance studio," and Shall We Dance couldn't be more excited to have Mrs. Jessica Lilly back on the boards!
Lauren Bragg,
Gymnastics Ninja! ...(shh)
Bio coming soon!
Emily Miller,
Dance Phenom
Dance has always been a part of Ms. Emily’s life, though they made the poor thing wait all the way until she was 2½ years-old before letting her take dance lessons at the Woodbridge School of Dance in Avenel, NJ! (They had to be sure she would stick with it...) Still, no one could be surprised that by 4 years of age, little Ms. Emily would be dancing onstage at Six Flags: Great Adventure in Jackson Township, NJ!
By elementary school, not-quite-so-little Ms. Emily had moved to Summersville, WV, and was performing with the Cactus Kickers, and in middle school she landed a spot on the SMS Cheer Team. In high school, bigger-little Ms. Emily would finally find her way into Shall We Dance Studio and go on to graduate with honors from Nicholas County High School, all the while taking ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe, ballroom, and line dancing!
So, to review, Ms. Emily started dancing with Shall We Dance way back in 2017, and it wasn’t long before she was student-teaching with our Itty Bitties and Bitties and even helping out with the Juniors and Seniors! And now, after making her wait 2½ years (3 dance seasons...), Shall We Dance is proud to announce:
By elementary school, not-quite-so-little Ms. Emily had moved to Summersville, WV, and was performing with the Cactus Kickers, and in middle school she landed a spot on the SMS Cheer Team. In high school, bigger-little Ms. Emily would finally find her way into Shall We Dance Studio and go on to graduate with honors from Nicholas County High School, all the while taking ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe, ballroom, and line dancing!
So, to review, Ms. Emily started dancing with Shall We Dance way back in 2017, and it wasn’t long before she was student-teaching with our Itty Bitties and Bitties and even helping out with the Juniors and Seniors! And now, after making her wait 2½ years (3 dance seasons...), Shall We Dance is proud to announce:
MS. EMILY IS OFFICIALLY ONBOARD AS PART OF THE SWD STAFF!
(We just had to be sure she would stick with it...)
(We just had to be sure she would stick with it...)
On the rare occasion when she’s not dancing, You can find little Ms. Emily (yep, she's still little...) drawing, singing, and pursuing her undergraduate in Elementary Education from Concord.
Randi Angus,
Certified Fitness Guru
Randi Angus has had a love for dance and fitness that all started with cheerleading. Her teenage years were filled with competition cheerleading, majorettes, show-band, golf, and track. After earning her Nursing degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College, it was off to work in Neonatal and OB Nursing, that is until having three beautiful girls of her own!
Now Randi has gone on to achieve her Revelation Wellness® fitness instructor certification training, and she has been leading classes in the community ever since! Her classes are designed to work out Your faith and Your fitness!
Shall We Dance could not be more ecstatic to have Mrs. Randi Angus teaching her unique brand of faith, fun, and fitness at our studio!
Now Randi has gone on to achieve her Revelation Wellness® fitness instructor certification training, and she has been leading classes in the community ever since! Her classes are designed to work out Your faith and Your fitness!
Shall We Dance could not be more ecstatic to have Mrs. Randi Angus teaching her unique brand of faith, fun, and fitness at our studio!
Matt Barber,
Ballroom Instructor & Best-Selling Author
Matt Barber is the proud husband of Amanda Barber and the best-selling author of Beginning Ballroom: Why's, Do's, Don'ts, & Shoes.
Matt first encountered ballroom dancing as choreographed routines onstage for musicals and began ballroom lessons while still in high school. At eighteen, Matt started training to be an instructor with National Dance Clubs and went on to teach in the independent world, for Arthur Murray International, and for Fred Astaire Dance Studios all over the country all the while earning numerous teaching credentials from the National Dance Council of America.
Matt graduated from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in Manhattan and acquired an SB from Fordham University (which is now officially partnered with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), his MS, and his business and leadership training from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.
