Dance Instructors

All of our instructors are experts in the genres they teach.  They all have a passion for dance and continue their education in their field. They understand that no two dancers are exactly alike and will work with your dancer to help them reach their personal best. 

Andreane Shearer

Studio Owner + Head Instructor

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Amber Blankenship

Dance Instructor

Ballet captivated the heart and soul of Amber when she was only three years old. Once she was six she tried many other passions alongside dancing ballet and tap.  She ventured into soccer, gymnastics, and cheerleading but nothing made her as happy as having ballet slippers on her feet, dancing to the piano music and watching herself grow in the mirror at the barre. Amber worked hard and improved fast and was welcomed into the studio’s pre-profession division where she began her pointe classes and a year later auditioned and was accepted into the company Central West Ballet at the age of 13. She continued to practice ballet 20 hours a week and being unable to sit still she broadened her dance styles to include jazz, hip hop, tap, modern, and lyrical. She performed in every Nutcracker almost every role imaginable by the end of her career as a student. While in college at CSU Long Beach, Miss Amber tried to squeeze dance classes into her tight schedule and a wonderful opportunity opened up at Powerhouse Dance Studio and she was back in the dance room where she belongs this time teaching, so excited to be sharing her love for dance with new generations to come and hopes that she inspires her students to follow their dreams and passions!

Maureya "Reya" May

Dance Instructor

Maureya (Reya) has been a dancer for 17 years. She has grown up practicing jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballet, and lyrical. Reya has been trained locally and early on became a competitive dancer. She recently made it to the finals for the 49er Gold Rush Cheerleaders and was invited to an invite-only audition for a LA Talent Agency.

Some of her fondest young memories are of traveling to compete in places like North Carolina and Las Vegas. In addition to her local dance experience, she also performed with Team Rave which is a hand-picked traveling dance team. She has received many scholarships and awards from dance and has used those tools to help pass on her love for dance to her students. She is currently a student at San Joaquin Delta College.

Liz Hallack

Dance Instructor

Liz began her dance journey at the age of three at her local dance studio in Turlock, CA. Her love of contemporary and lyrical dance began when dancing in the dance production team at Modesto High School. She graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma in 2008.

For many years after, Liz continued to pursue her education to the professional level. Liz has her Masters of Art in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Physical Education from Fresno Pacific University, a B.A. in Anthropology and Dance from UC Santa Cruz, and a Physical Education Credential from CSU Stanislaus. Liz taught Dance & P.E. at Cesar Chavez Junior High in Ceres, CA and is now the Dance Production and Program director at Beyer High School in Modesto.

Liz has been with Powerhouse since 2012 and will always be a part of the Powerhouse family. She has won six Best Choreography awards under Powerhouse with the most notable dances being "Fix You" in 2014 and "Wonderland" in 2016. She is now a mother to Elena Rose and cannot wait to see her daughter grow up as a Powerhouse dancer. 

Bethany Edwards

Dance Instructor

Bethany began dancing at the age of 3 at a local dance studio.
Bethany was promoted to Assistant-Teacher at 13 years old and started teaching her
own dance classes at 17 years old. Throughout the many years of working alongside dancers and their parents, she has gained great insight and knowledge about the dance setting and classroom.  In 2012, she assisted in the opening of a dance studio in Hilmar, California as Assistant Director from 2012-2016. She instructed and performed for 5 years with her main focus in tap and jazz. In 2015, she traveled with her dance peers and students to Broadway in New York City where they performed at the New Amsterdam Theatre.  She traveled to Broadway again in 2017, performing and showcasing pieces of her choreography in New York City.
Bethany is currently pursuing her Associates Degree in Dance at Modesto Junior College, with a second Associates Degree in Psychology. She is an active performer in MJC’s accredited dance program.  She plans to transfer to Sacramento State to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and also receive a minor in Psychology.  Dancing has been a prominent part of Bethany’s life for 23 years. Her dance career started as a young hobby, grew into her first love and is now her chosen journey for her passion and profession.

Dana Olson

Dance Instructor

Dana started dancing at the age of four. She began her dance journey with ballet and then later started taking tap and jazz classes at her local studio. In high school she started dancing on the dance production team where she learned contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and musical theatre. Ballet, jazz, and tap are her favorite. Dana has also performed in numerous studio performances, high school shows, and had the opportunity to dance with Modesto Performing Arts in Babes in Toyland and West Side Story. Dana is a college student studying elementary education at Modesto Junior College. When asked why she chose this path in life, she said, “Dance is such an amazing part of my life that inspires me so much. It has been the absolute favorite part of my week since I started dancing and brings me so much joy.” 

Staff

Powerhouse Dance Studio prides itself in having a friendly and helpful support staff!  

Katie Jefferson

Office Admin

Katie is an Escalon native and dance mom. She joined Powerhouse in the middle of the 2022-2023 season. Though Katie has been in the mortgage industry for almost 20 years, she quickly became interested in learning how the studio operates and getting to know the dancers and their families. Katie's role in designing the content for the studio chalkboards adds to her tasks behind the scenes, ensuring the studio's environment is not only functional but also visually appealing and inspiring. She is continually looking for innovative ways in this creative space to contribute to the overall success of the studio's operations.