ABOUT US

The Best Dance School In the Cedar Valley!

Allison's Dance Center first opened its doors in 2008 with the idea of a creating a studio where dancers felt safe to grow and learn valuable life lessons; a studio that will become a fundamental piece in their personal growth. Over the years, ADC has had a few different homes within our community. From our first single classroom studio to our current state of the art facilities with two locations and seven dance classrooms, we’ve always built and designed with our students and their families in mind.

GET A FREE TRIAL!

Yes, I want a free trial

MISSION & CORE VALUES

Mission

At ADC, our mission is to offer a positive environment where all students feel safe to learn valuable life lessons through dance.

Core Values

POSITIVITY

We believe in a positive environment.

PROFESSIONALISM

We conduct ourselves in a professional manner, providing a consistent and fair experience for all.

DEDICATION

We are passionate about our mission and core values and believe our dance family deserves the best we can offer.

AGE-APPROPRIATENESS

We value age-appropriate music, choreography, and costumes.

EXCELLENCE

We like to set the “barre” high. Excellence is always our goal.

RESPECT

We give and expect respect.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

We value our community and feel a responsibility to give back.

Want to join our inspiring team?

We are always on the lookout for passionate, energetic, experienced, and dedicated teachers to join our faculty. If you're interested in teaching, please email your resume and a short narrative (about 250 words) about why you'd like to join our team. We look forward to hearing from you!

Hiring:

- Dance Teachers

- Art Teachers

- Vocal Teachers

- Piano Teachers

Email: business.allisonsdancecenter@gmail.com

OUR TEAM

Brittany Reiter

Business Manager

Brittany's journey has always been deeply connected to the world of dance - from her years as a young dancer to supporting her sister’s dance journey, and now watching her own children fall in love with dance - all leading to her role as Business Manager at Allison’s Dance Center! Before joining Allison’s Dance Center, Brittany spent seven years as a Speech-Language Pathologist, helping children find their voices in the Cedar Valley. While she found fulfillment in that work, she knew she wanted to be part of an organization that truly aligned with her own personal values and passion. That’s why she made the leap to Allison’s Dance Center! As Business Manager, Brittany combines her business and leadership skills with her love for dance. Her “why” is simple: to be a part of something greater than herself while creating a lasting, positive impact on every child who walks through ADC's doors!

Ms. Kendra Caster

Education Manager| Instructor

Ms. Kendra discovered her love of dance at just 2 years old. Over the years, she trained at local studios, performed on her high school dance team, and danced with the Orchesis Dance Company while studying at UNI. She graduated from UNI with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Literacy. Before joining Allison’s Dance Center, Ms. Kendra spent six years teaching in public education. Her background in teaching and lifelong passion for dance naturally led her to her role as Education Manager at ADC. In addition to mentoring our teaching staff and supporting ADC families, she also serves as an instructor at the studio and coaches a semi-pro dance team. She is excited to share her knowledge, leadership, and love of dance with the ADC community this season!

Ms. Amanda Krambeer

Teams Coordinator | Instructor

Ms. Amanda started her love of dance at age two. Throughout her years of dancing, Ms. Amanda danced competitively, was a head instructor of UNI’s Young People’s Dance Theater and a dancer for Orchesis Dance Company. She has worked at ADC since 2011. Ms. Amanda graduated from UNI with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and minors in Special Education, Reading, and Dance. Ms. Amanda currently resides in Cedar Falls with her husband and their three young children. She also works as a Kindergarten teacher at Hudson Elementary. This season, Ms. Amanda will mainly be working with our competition and performance teams.

Diane Rausch

Events Coordinator

"Party Planner" - that's what Diane's family calls her! If it's planning a fun birthday party or organizing an event through her daughters' school as a member of the PTO, she always has fun making sure every detail is planned. She is so excited to use her gifts and talents of creativity and organization in the Events Coordinator role at Allison's Dance Center! Diane has 3 girls that have been a part of ADC for almost 10 years now. They love everything from the classes to friendships and all the life lessons in between! Diane believes it is truly SO much more than just dance and loves the family-feel the ADC community has!

Paige Strohbehn

Enrollment Coordinator

Paige began her journey at ADC working at the reception desk a few evenings a week, where she loved building connections with dancers and their families. ADC quickly felt like home, and Paige feels that being a part of ADC has been one of the best decisions she’s ever made! After relocating to Dubuque, Paige is thrilled to continue being part of the ADC community, virtually, as the Enrollment Coordinator. Outside of her role at ADC, she is a licensed insurance agent who loves traveling, camping, and spending quality time with friends and family!

Ella Drilling

Online Brand Specialist

Coming Soon!

Ms. Madeline McGarvey
NHSDA Specialist | Instructor

Madeline, a Cedar Falls native, danced from a young age through high school, participating in various styles and her school's dance team all four years. After shifting focus to her education, she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2020 with a BA in Elementary Education. Then she earned her endorsement in Early Childhood Education in 2023. She began as an assistant at Discoveries Learning Center in Denver in 2017 and became the preschool teacher at the Waverly location after graduation. Her passion for dance was reignited after the Cedar Falls Dance Team Alumni performance at a UNI football game. She taught at the Denver location for ADC before joining the CF location. She has since enjoyed wearing many hats at ADC. She lives in the Cedar Valley with her husband and they are excitedly expecting twins next year!

Ms. Hailey Jackson

Instructor

Ms. Hailey has been passionate about dance since the moment she could stand. She grew up in Orlando, Florida where she was a competition dancer and found herself taking every class & style offered. Ms. Hailey was apart of the dance magnet at Dr. Phillips High School, allowing her to dance during school, choreograph numerous pieces, and train under professional dance companies, her favorite being Lehrer Dance Company. She began teaching dance in high school, choreographing recital and competition pieces, and has loved encouraging dancers to live up to their fullest potential & take every opportunity they can to be their best self. Throughout college, Ms. Hailey continued dancing in Orchesis Dance Company at the University of Northern Iowa. She created many pieces within the company and displayed her choreography at the American Collegiate Dance Conference (ACDA) in 2024. Ms. Hailey is finishing up her time at UNI where she is dual majoring in Elementary & Middle Level Education.

Ms. Marie Gookin

Instructor

Ms. Marie began dancing at the age of 5 and continued studio dance until her senior year of high school in Des Moines. She has teaching assistant experience from her local dance studio, as well as general education classroom experience from her local elementary school. She attends the University of Northern Iowa studying elementary education. She loves to teach because she loves the idea of making a difference in children’s lives.

Ms. Katie Waltz

Instructor

Ms. Katie W started dance at the age of 12 at Allison's Dance Center and immediately fell in love with dance. She danced for 4 years on the competiton team and decided to continue her love and passion of dance through teaching. She is currently attening University of Northern Iowa with a major in Biology, and plans to go to Allen her last year to get a medical lab science degree so she can eventually work in a lab in a hospital. Ms. Katies is so happy she gets to continue to be apart of the amazing community at ADC!

Ms. Lauren Gant

Instructor

Ms. Lauren started dancing when she was 5 years old and continued to dance until her senior year of high school. She attended her local dance studios for 13 years where she created lifelong friendships. Throughout her studio dance career she danced competitively, winning numerous awards. She currently attends UNI where she is majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. She loves to teach because she believes in creating a welcoming environment to be able to grow and express yourself through dance.

Ms. Olivia Cunningham

Instructor

Ms. Olivia began dancing at the age of three and quickly fell in love with the art of dance. She spent many years as a competitive dancer and was a dedicated member of Pella High School's dance team. Ms. Olivis is an active member of the UNI Dance Team. Currently, Ms. Olivia is studying Psychology at the University of Northern Iowa and is passionate about working with children. She is excited to share her love for dance with her students this season! She hopes to inspire young dancers to grow in confidence, skill, and passion for this incredible art form!

Ms. Pam Carolus

Art Instructor

Ms. Pam joined the ADC family when her daughters started dancing many years ago. Her girls danced for many years taking classes, on competitive teams, and dancing duos and solos. Fun fact, Ms. Pam was one of our first receptionists! She is now excited to be helping to bring the visual arts to ADC. She has been teaching art for fifteen plus years - currently teaching K-12 at Don Bosco School Systems. Her passion is sharing her love for appreciating and creating artworks. The best reward for her is seeing students work through the “struggle” to find their own path to creating works of arts. With the biggest smiles students declare - look at my art!

Ms. Natalie Scheers

Instructor

Ms. Natalie has been dancing for as long as she can remember, following in the footsteps of her mom, who was a dance teacher. She grew up training in ballet with a focus on Vaganova technique, as well as pointe, jazz, tap, and musical theatre. During her time at COCA in St. Louis, she danced with the pre-professional companies Ballet Eclectica and COCAdance, in addition to taking classes with Big Muddy Dance Company. In high school, she was a member of the dance team, where she competed in jazz, lyrical, pom, and hip hop. Ms. Natalie understands the importance of dance and the confidence and joy it can bring. She loves sharing her passion with dancers of all ages and encouraging them to express themselves through movement!

Ms. Gracie Henningsen

Instructor

Ms. Gracie started dancing at the age of 4 and hasn't stopped since! She danced competitively and was a teaching assitant at her local studio. She was also on the North Scott Dance Team where she was a senior captain and won three state championships! Ms. Gracie is majoring in criminology and psychology and minoring in mental health and social work at the University of Northern Iowa. She also works at UNIs Internet Technology Desk. She is excited to be an instructor at Allison's Dance Center!

Ms. Abbie Reis

Instructor

Ms. Abbie R. began dancing at the age of 3 with studio dance. As her passion for dance grew, she trained on a competition team and later her high school dance team. She competed for 10 years and for 4 years with the Dallas Center-Grimes dance team. Over the years, she participated in various dance styles and even served as a teacher's assistant, which allowed her to share her knowledge and inspire others. Ms. Abbie R. is currently studying sonography at the University of Northern Iowa with a minor in public health! She is excited to be part of ADC and hopes to continue spreading her love of dance to younger students!

Ms. Taryn Hicks

Instructor

Ms. Taryn has been dancing since age 4. She grew up dancing at her local dance studio where she danced competitively, and was also a part of her high school dance team. Ms. Taryn attends the University of Northern Iowa and is part of the Orchesis Dance Company. She is excited to share her love of dance with the students at ADC!

Ms. Kylie Petersen

Instructor

Ms. Kylie started dancing at her hometown studio at the age of 4, and didn't leave their side until her senior year of high school. She was also a part of their competitive dance company for 4 years where she and her team has graciously won 3 Grand National Championships as well as multiple other titles. She also was a part of the Audubon High School Dance Team where she choreographed multiple state pieces and solos, and is currently in the Orchesis Dance Company here in Cedar Falls. Ms. Kylie is currently attending the University of Northern Iowa where she studies Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in educational studies in hopes of becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist. Ms. Kylie is so excited to be working with ADC and see all the students and their growth this year!

Mr. Caleb Swinney

Piano Instructor

Mr. Caleb started piano/music at the age of 2 and has been playing ever since. He is currently earning his BA in Communications: Theatre Education from the University of Northern Iowa. He recently studied Musical Theatre at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where he worked with professional actors/musicians/instructors. He grew up in the Quad Cities, where he participated in theatre, choir, and music. Ms. Caleb is beyond excited to be bringing music education to Allison’s Dance Center!

Ms. Kenzie Zeien

Instructor

Ms. Kenzie began dancing at age 4 and continued dancing at a studio and on a competition team throughout high school in Cedar Rapids, IA. During that time, she was also a member of her high school marching band colorguard, where she choreographed many routines for competitions. She attends the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in Psychology with minors in Mental Health, Family Studies, Criminology, and Sociology. At UNI, her passion for dance and choreography has continued through the Panther Marching Band colorguard, where she serves as a captain and collaboratively choreographs all of the halftime shows. She is also a member of UNI’s Orchesis Dance Company, creating original choreography for many pieces at the Annual Gala in 2024 and 2025. Ms. Kenzie loves teaching because she enjoys helping young dancers discover their own creativity and passion!

Ms. Allison Haggin

Instructor

Ms. Allison H. started dancing at 3 years old and has fallen in love with it ever since. She danced at her hometown studio for 12 years. She then danced on her high school's dance team for 4 years, and competed as a team in pom and kick at the Iowa High School Dance Team Association Championships every year. She is studying Elementary Education with a minor in K-8 Math at the University of Northern Iowa. Her "why" is creating and protecting dance as a safe space for all dancers at ADC!

Ms. Allie Johnson

Instructor

Ms. Allie is from Stewartville Minnesota, and started dancing at age 12. She was an active member of her middle school and high school dance and cheer teams, as well as the theatre department where she particiapted in several muscials. She choreographed for the theatre department as well as the cheerleading team. After graduating high school, she went to Viterbo University in La Crosse Wisconsin and competed with the dance team for 1 year. Currently, she is at Wartburg College studying Vocal Music Education while also participating in dance team and choir. She loves teaching because she enjoys being a welcoming resource for students and seeing growth!

Ms. Kelsey Saathoff

Instructor

Coming Soon !

Brooklyn Iverson

Receptionist

Coming Soon !

Ms. Allison Meinert

Owner/Director

Ms. Allison began dance classes at age 2 and has never stopped! She danced competitively for many years throughout elementary, junior high, and high school, winning numerous awards. She attended Louisian State University after high school and graduated from UNI after moving back home with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science – Dance Education, a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and a minor in Dance. She also danced with Orchesis Dance Company, Young People’s Dance Theater, and Repertory Dance Theater while attending UNI. Ms. Allison became a head dance instructor and choreographer at age 19 and has continued this passion ever since. Her proudest accomplishment is the success of ADC since opening in 2008. Ms. Allison currently resides in rural Black Hawk County with her husband and their sons, Barrett and Brooks. Ms. Allison previously taught first grade at Lincoln Elementary in Cedar Falls. She is very excited to continue to serve the Cedar Valley at a high level of excellence!