Heather Hill Owner/Director
Heather began dancing 25 years ago under the instruction of Tom Irwin at Corvallis School of Ballet then later with Shelly Svoboda when it became Regional School of Ballet. At the age of 11, she began to study with the Eugene School of Ballet under Toni Pimble, Riley Grannan, Susan Zadoff, and Sarah Lombardi. She spent two winter seasons dancing the role of "Clara" on tour with the Eugene Ballet Company. Her training also includes summer dance intensives at Eugene Dance Pursuit, Ballet Aspen, Royal Winnipeg School of Ballet, and JoAnna Kneeland & Mary Price Boday's Dance Kinesiology. Teaching for the last 10 years at RSB, Heather has also continued her dance education and has participated in the David Howard teachers' seminar while still continuing to dance and perform each year. Heather feels that every dance instructor in her past has taken part in giving her a wonderful gift, one that she hopes to pass on to aspiring dancers.
Carrie Rector/Dance Instructor
Carrie Rector started dancing when she was 3 years old. She received training at Regional School of Ballet, later participating in the Nutcracker for 6 years. In 1998, Carrie started taking jazz classes and performed in local productions of the Lion King, Aladdin, Annie, Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Alice and Wonderland and The Little Mermaid. Carrie danced with the West Albany Hi-Steppers dance team all 4 years of high school. Her senior year she was team captain and All State Dancer. Carrie continued her dance training at Western Oregon University where she completed her major in American Sign Language and a minor in dance. At WOU she developed her knowledge and skills in modern/contemporary dance as well as ballet, hip hop, jazz and modern techniques as well as dance history and choreography. She was selected to perform in the WOU annual Spring Dance Concert 2006 through 2010. Carrie introduced our Performance Jazz class in our 2010-2011 dance year and choreographed several jazz pieces for the Performance group to perform as guest artists at dance competitions and dance performances.
Karen Mitchell/Dance Instructor
Karen Mitchell began dancing when she was 6 years old at Sunshine Generation & Pure Energy in Vancouver, Washington under the direction of Barbara Boyer, learning jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and novelty/character dancing as well as vocal and stage performance. By the age of 16, she became an apprentice teacher, which led her to become the lead jazz and hip hop instructor at the studio until 2004. During her years dancing with the studio, Karen has performed on 9 North American and International dance tours, which took her to Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Disneyworld, Hawaii, England, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand and Australia. Karen was also on her Junior High, High School and College Dance Teams. She was an All-State Novelty Dance Team Member and an ESPN Half Time Show dancer for the Florida Citrus Bowl. During college at Warner Pacific College, Karen performed with The Continentals on a 10-week tour throughout the United States and Australia. After graduation, in 2003, Karen went on to receive her Master of Arts in Teaching at Concordia University with an emphasis in Health, Physical Education and Dance. While earning this degree, she went back to Warner Pacific College and coached the Dance Team and worked as an Adjunct Professor teaching Rhythmics. Karen went on to teach Elementary and Middle School Dance for 2-1/2 years for Vancouver Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington then moved with her husband Kyle and daughters Genevieve and Macy to Albany in 2010. Karen's dance experience and teaching style brings much passion and enthusiasm into the classroom. She looks forward to being the newest addition to our teaching staff here at Legacy Ballet.
Lloyd Massey/Dance Instructor
Lloyd Massey began dancing with his older brother and sister when he was four years old. He easily picked up the steps and routines from his dancing siblings. Lloyd's style of tap dancing is smooth and suave, shifting focus from the stamina needed to perform the strenuous routines. Lloyd is part of the Hot Shot Tap Dancers with his two brothers and sister, and were recently seen on "Americas Got Talent". Lloyd also emcees the shows, joking with the audience members and announcing the next numbers.
In addition to attending school, Lloyd currently works with WGAS Motorsports, a producer of monster truck and motocross exhibitions. He provides color commentary for the events and keeps the crowd engaged. This is easy for Lloyd, as it seems he was born to talk into a microphone. He has a quick wit and good sense of humor, ensuring the audience fully enjoys their "Lloyd Massey" experience. Legacy Ballet is thrilled to add Lloyd to the faculty and give our tap classes the "Lloyd Massey" experience.
Annette Simonson-Higinbotham/Yoga Instructor
Annette Simonson-Higinbotham began studying yoga in the late 1970’s as a young dancer (Robert Irwin) and runner (CVHS). The building of strength, agility and resiliency for both athletes and people in everyday life, -- to those healing from injuries or cancer~ inspired her study of yoga. New Zealander Clare Raffety was a special teacher & mentor. In 2003 Annette received teaching certification and has taught yoga at the Albany Athletic Club for six years. She also travels to work with small groups and private lessons. "Flow" yoga combining elements from Hatha to Vinyasa yoga for strength, flexibility and stress relief are her class favorites. She loves seeing students of all ages explore the many positive gains of yoga and leave class feeling revitalized.
Annette believes that anyone can begin yoga at anytime in life; everyone can benefit.
"Words cannot convey the value of yoga. It has to be experienced." -B.K.S. Iyenger
Heather began dancing 25 years ago under the instruction of Tom Irwin at Corvallis School of Ballet then later with Shelly Svoboda when it became Regional School of Ballet. At the age of 11, she began to study with the Eugene School of Ballet under Toni Pimble, Riley Grannan, Susan Zadoff, and Sarah Lombardi. She spent two winter seasons dancing the role of "Clara" on tour with the Eugene Ballet Company. Her training also includes summer dance intensives at Eugene Dance Pursuit, Ballet Aspen, Royal Winnipeg School of Ballet, and JoAnna Kneeland & Mary Price Boday's Dance Kinesiology. Teaching for the last 10 years at RSB, Heather has also continued her dance education and has participated in the David Howard teachers' seminar while still continuing to dance and perform each year. Heather feels that every dance instructor in her past has taken part in giving her a wonderful gift, one that she hopes to pass on to aspiring dancers.
Carrie Rector/Dance Instructor
Carrie Rector started dancing when she was 3 years old. She received training at Regional School of Ballet, later participating in the Nutcracker for 6 years. In 1998, Carrie started taking jazz classes and performed in local productions of the Lion King, Aladdin, Annie, Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Alice and Wonderland and The Little Mermaid. Carrie danced with the West Albany Hi-Steppers dance team all 4 years of high school. Her senior year she was team captain and All State Dancer. Carrie continued her dance training at Western Oregon University where she completed her major in American Sign Language and a minor in dance. At WOU she developed her knowledge and skills in modern/contemporary dance as well as ballet, hip hop, jazz and modern techniques as well as dance history and choreography. She was selected to perform in the WOU annual Spring Dance Concert 2006 through 2010. Carrie introduced our Performance Jazz class in our 2010-2011 dance year and choreographed several jazz pieces for the Performance group to perform as guest artists at dance competitions and dance performances.
Karen Mitchell/Dance Instructor
Karen Mitchell began dancing when she was 6 years old at Sunshine Generation & Pure Energy in Vancouver, Washington under the direction of Barbara Boyer, learning jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and novelty/character dancing as well as vocal and stage performance. By the age of 16, she became an apprentice teacher, which led her to become the lead jazz and hip hop instructor at the studio until 2004. During her years dancing with the studio, Karen has performed on 9 North American and International dance tours, which took her to Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Disneyworld, Hawaii, England, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand and Australia. Karen was also on her Junior High, High School and College Dance Teams. She was an All-State Novelty Dance Team Member and an ESPN Half Time Show dancer for the Florida Citrus Bowl. During college at Warner Pacific College, Karen performed with The Continentals on a 10-week tour throughout the United States and Australia. After graduation, in 2003, Karen went on to receive her Master of Arts in Teaching at Concordia University with an emphasis in Health, Physical Education and Dance. While earning this degree, she went back to Warner Pacific College and coached the Dance Team and worked as an Adjunct Professor teaching Rhythmics. Karen went on to teach Elementary and Middle School Dance for 2-1/2 years for Vancouver Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington then moved with her husband Kyle and daughters Genevieve and Macy to Albany in 2010. Karen's dance experience and teaching style brings much passion and enthusiasm into the classroom. She looks forward to being the newest addition to our teaching staff here at Legacy Ballet.
Lloyd Massey/Dance Instructor
Lloyd Massey began dancing with his older brother and sister when he was four years old. He easily picked up the steps and routines from his dancing siblings. Lloyd's style of tap dancing is smooth and suave, shifting focus from the stamina needed to perform the strenuous routines. Lloyd is part of the Hot Shot Tap Dancers with his two brothers and sister, and were recently seen on "Americas Got Talent". Lloyd also emcees the shows, joking with the audience members and announcing the next numbers. In addition to attending school, Lloyd currently works with WGAS Motorsports, a producer of monster truck and motocross exhibitions. He provides color commentary for the events and keeps the crowd engaged. This is easy for Lloyd, as it seems he was born to talk into a microphone. He has a quick wit and good sense of humor, ensuring the audience fully enjoys their "Lloyd Massey" experience. Legacy Ballet is thrilled to add Lloyd to the faculty and give our tap classes the "Lloyd Massey" experience.
Annette Simonson-Higinbotham/Yoga Instructor
Annette Simonson-Higinbotham began studying yoga in the late 1970’s as a young dancer (Robert Irwin) and runner (CVHS). The building of strength, agility and resiliency for both athletes and people in everyday life, -- to those healing from injuries or cancer~ inspired her study of yoga. New Zealander Clare Raffety was a special teacher & mentor. In 2003 Annette received teaching certification and has taught yoga at the Albany Athletic Club for six years. She also travels to work with small groups and private lessons. "Flow" yoga combining elements from Hatha to Vinyasa yoga for strength, flexibility and stress relief are her class favorites. She loves seeing students of all ages explore the many positive gains of yoga and leave class feeling revitalized. Annette believes that anyone can begin yoga at anytime in life; everyone can benefit. "Words cannot convey the value of yoga. It has to be experienced." -B.K.S. Iyenger