Meet Our Instructors

2008-2009

Vanessa Johnson began her career in dance at the age of five.  At the age of seven, Vanessa visited the U.S.S.R., Denmark, and Sweden on a dance tour.  At age nine, she joined a dance troupe and has competed and traveled to many places including Orlando, Dallas, Nashville, Las Vegas, Anaheim, and New York.  Vanessa has taken classes from the Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway.  She is a graduate of CMSU with a Bachelor of Science in Education – Special Education degree. Vanessa has been teaching dance for ten years, and is currently teaching her sixth year at By Grace.  Vanessa is co-owner of the By Grace Performance Studio and has been teaching for the Clinton School District since the Fall of 2006.

Eva Carpenter started dancing at the age of four.  She has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and power tumbling.  Eva joined a dance troupe when she was ten and has traveled extensively to local and national competitions in St. Louis, Kansas City, Florida, New York, and Las Vegas.  During competitions, Eva has taken classes from renowned dance instructors.  She was a member of the Warrensburg High School Pom Squad for three years and has won a title as an All American Dancer at summer pom camp at CMSU and has had opportunities to perform in the Orange and Hula Bowls.  Eva attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at SMSU in the summer of 2005 and was the recipient of a scholarship to attend the Alvin Ailey Summer Dance Program in New York City.  During the summer of 2006, Eva performed as a dancer/singer at the Legends show in Branson.  Eva was a student at UCM and a two-year member of the Mulekicker Dance Team.  Eva is currently a junior at Missouri State University receiving her BFA in Dance Performance.  This is Eva's fifth year as an instructor at By Grace.  She will be co-directing our Performance Team this year.

Andrea Kostas began dancing at the age of three.  Andrea joined a dance troupe at the age of seven and competed as a soloist at the age of ten.  Andrea had the honor of representing the Heart of America Chapter 28 in Las Vegas as Junior Miss Dance in 2002.  She has traveled to many national dance competitions in California, Las Vegas, New York, New Orleans, and Florida.  In the summer of 2005, Andrea traveled to New York City to compete and had the privilege of taking classes at the Broadway Dance Center on a scholarship.  Andrea graduated from Warrensburg High School in 2008 where she was a member of the Warrensburg High School Pom Squad.  She is currently attending UCM and is a first-year member of the Mulekicker Dance Team.  Andrea began teaching at By Grace during the summer of 2005.

Lindsay Ramirez started dancing at the age of 3.  She has been trained in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern, lyrical/contemporary, and musical theatre.  Lindsay competitively danced for ten years.  Between the years of 1996 and 2006, she participated in three regional and one national competition yearly.  She has traveled to multiple places including Branson, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Houston, Daytona, Orlando, and Ocean City.  Lindsay has acquired many awards from top ten placements, great technique, to great stage presence in solo and group categories.  Yearly she has attended three or more dance conventions and has taken classes from world renowned dance choreographers.  She was on the Winnetonka High School Pom Squad for three years, two of which she was the captain.  Lindsay was also named All American Dancer for two years during the summer pom camps.  Currently, Lindsay is starting her third year at UCM pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration.  Lindsay began teaching at By Grace during the summer of 2008.