Terrie Batson
Terrie Batson began dance training at the age of 5 and began Instructing at the age of 15 for the Baldwin-Copeland Studio of Dance in Wilmington, NC. She taught students of all ages Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Pointe, Clogging and Acrobatics. In 1989 Terrie moved to Atlanta and then to Raleigh where she continued her training & taught dance classes at several studios. Upon her return to Wilmington, at age 26, she continued to instruct students privately for pageants and dance competitions. Under her instruction many dancers have won numerous awards, scholarships and recognition in the dance arena and some have opened their own dance schools. Her routines and dancers have been awarded regional & national honors for choreography, dance spirit, overall placements, grand championships, etc. Terrie is also a judge for local, regional & national dance competitions. In 1993 Terrie opened Techniques In Motion School of Dance in Wilmington, NC and we are celebrating dance education in this area for 30 years!!
Model, dancer and actress, Terrie Batson’s diverse artistic career includes being a Runway & Print Model as well as featured in several area & National TV Commercials & National Print Ads. She has acted in major feature films including Mary in “Cyborg” with Jean Claude VanDamme, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, “29th Street” and in several Wilmington area Independent feature films & theatre productions.
Jennifer Spivey-Grooms
Miss Jennifer began her dance training at the age of six. She studied under Baldwin-Copeland Studio of Dance, Danceworks & Techniques In Motion. She has been on the competition level since the age of eight and began assisting classes at the age of fourteen. At sixteen she began to instruct classes of her own. At 18 she was chosen from hundreds of dancers to tour the United States with Hoctor’s Dance Caravan as a Caravan Kid. During the experience she studied all forms of dance from world famous instructors, choreographers & performers. She received a degree from Louisburg College in Dance Performance and relocated to Orlando, Florida to entertain & perform at Universal Studios. In 2001 she reunited with T.I.M. School of Dance and has since been awarded numerous choreography & specialty awards.
Whitney Glenn
TIM Alumni Whitney Glenn has once again joined the TIM Staff! 25 year old Whitney began dance classes at TIM at the age of 6. Her training & love for the art of dance includes Tap, Hip-Hop, Modern, Pointe but her strengths are Jazz & Ballet. She began instructing dance classes in various elements at 16 years old and as a Competitive Team Member for numerous years she won many 1st Places and Overalls as a Soloist & Team Dancer, received the 2005 Dance Youth Ambassador Award & toured as a prestigious “Caravan Kid” with Hoctor’s Dance Caravan studying extensively with Barry Youngblood, Jerry Rose & Lorrie Rousseu. Whitney’s dance styles & talent were also featured in several music videos filmed in local & regional areas. After graduating from Ashley High School in 2007 Whitney attended UNCG, studied for BFA in Dance and instructed Acrobatics, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical & Ballet @ On Stage School of Dance in Greensboro, NC.
Four years ago Whitney’s life took a change and she relocated to Ohio to become a dance educator for The Movement Center School of Dance where the dancers she trained won countless awards including 1st place overalls as well as 2 Choreography awards and competed (and won) against Abby Lee Miller & Candy Apple’s dancers both on and off air. Also while in Ohio Whitney extended her dance training with Sonya Tayeh, Travis Wall, Molly Grey, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Tokyo of SYTYCD, traveled with the New Visions Dance Company performing across Ohio & Pittsburg and worked helped to change lives as a CNA @ The James Cancer Center. Whitney is more than thrilled to be back in her hometown & at TIM in this capacity to share with the dancers her experience, love and passion for Dance! She also plans on continuing to pursue a career in Nursing. Miss Whitney will be teaching Ballet & Jazz recreational & company classes.
Ashley Batson
Miss Ashley is 20 years old and began dancing at T.I.M. at the age of 2. As a competitive dancer for 13 years, she participated in a number of dance competitions and conventions. Ashley specializes in Tap and Hip Hop but has been trained in all genres from Ballet to Jazz. She is currently enrolled in UNCW with the goal of graduating in 2020 with a Bachelors degree in Clinical Research and a minor in Psychology. Ashley is also a member of UNCW’s hip hop dance crew, Physical Graffeeti, which performs in North Carolina and Virginia.
Jessica Palubicki
Miss Jessica began dancing at the young age of three and has been in love with it since. Her journey took off when moving to West Chester, PA where she trained as a competitive dancer and later became a member of Ash Contemporary II under the direction of Braham Logan Crane.
Once a teenager, Miss Jessica began training and performing in New York City. She was selected to be a member of “Generation X” under the direction of Kelly Peters. She participated in Broadway Dance Center’s “The Children and Teen Program” and the accelerated “Professional Track” training program where she was educated by various instructors such as: Cat Cogliandro, Stacie Webster, and Hayden J Frederick. Jessica was also selected to be a member in the performance company associated with Broadway Dance Center, “Arts In Motion” where she had the opportunity to perform locally in NYC.
Miss Jessica is currently a T.I.M. Company Staff Member and instructs numerous classes with a focus in Hip Hop and Contemporary. She believes that each student deserves a space that allows them to feel safe, creative and most importantly, themselves. Her mission is to create working and healthy dancers that believe in their dreams and continue to push forward amongst challenges. Miss Jessica’s passion for dance will never end and she will continue to teach anyone that is willing to learn.
Qaadir Hicks
Qaadir began his dance training at age 7 when he performed a tap routine. Since then, he has trained with The Dance Cooperative, Techniques in Motion, The International Ballet Academy, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, The North Carolina Dance Theater, and the Wilmington School of Ballet. His performance credits also include the titlular role of the Nutcracker on in the Wilmington Ballet Company, Forward Motion Dance Company, Dance-a-lorus, and Opera House Theater Company. His teaching credits include The Dance Cooperative and the Dance Element while his choreographic credits include Dance-alorus. He earned a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from East Carolina University.
Katie Ripley
Miss Katie began dancing at the age of three and teaching at the age of sixteen. She has extensive training in Ballet and Pointe, as well as Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Lyrical/Contemporary. She studied dance at Maryland Hall for the Performing Arts and Jeanette’s School of Dance, both in her home state of Maryland. She danced with the Joffrey Ballet School for a summer when she was in high school and attended intensives at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She danced in college both at Hofstra University on Long Island, NY and at Goucher College outside of Baltimore, MD.
She has performance experience as Dulcinea in “Don Quixote,” Odette in “Swan Lake,” Cinderella, Giselle, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker” on more than one occasion. Once she moved to Wilmington, she performed in the Wilmington School of the Art’s Nutcracker with several roles, including a solo as the Spanish Dancer.
She has experience teaching Ballet/Pointe, Tap, Jazz, and beginner Hip-Hop and took several teaching courses in her college career. She has experience teaching all ages (from 2-adult) and is so excited to teach all of the Discovery in Motion classes at TIM.
Emily Horrell
Miss Emily began her dance training at the age of four at Techniques in Motion School of Dance. She joined the TIM competitive team when she was seven and began assisting classes at the age of thirteen. Her experience has included training in various elements of dance such as Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Ballet, and Pointe. Emily has received numerous awards and scholarships from competitions and conventions such as JUMP and 24 SEVEN. Fostering her love of tap, Emily has continuously engaged in opportunities to learn from tap masters including Savion Glover, Anthony Morigerato, Mike Minery, and many more.
In 2023, she graduated from Cape Fear Community College with an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. While pursuing her career as a registered dental hygienist, Emily still finds time to share her love and passion for tap with the students at Techniques in Motion.
Emily’s students continue to excel at regional and national competitions where they receive recognition for their precision and unique choreography under her guidance and leadership.
Hayley Fowler
Hayley Fowler has been a TIM Dancer since the age of 3! She started competing as a Mini company member at the age of 6. Trained in gymnastics by Carolina and Port City Gymnastics, she continued to dance with Techniques In Motion and completed dance & acro training until graduating from Eugene Ashley High School in 2013. She was also a dance/acro teacher assistant for four years. Miss Hayley’s strongest element in dance is Acrobatics and Lyrical, but she is also trained in Hip-Hop, Tap, Modern, Jazz and even Zumba! She is the daughter of Melissa Fowler who was a former Acrobatics teacher at Techniques In Motion. Miss Hayley is a mother of a beautiful daughter Parker Ann and she now attends Cape Fear Community College for Early Child Hood education. Hayley will be instructing Acro Level 1 starting August 2014!
Abbey Durr
Abbey Durr is originally from High Point, NC but currently resides in Wilmington where she is a student at UNCW. Along with being a student she is also a proud member of UNCW’s Dance Team. Abbey has been dancing for 18 years and has been trained in many different genres including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, pointe, acro, musical theatre, and hip-hop.
She’s had the joy of working alongside many wonderful choreographers and dancers including but not limited to Christopher Robbins, Sydney Overcash, Susan Hancock, Caroline Lewis-Jones, and Scott Fox. Abbey also attended the NC Governors School West where she studied dance. She also spent some time in New York studying with the Joffrey Ballet School in mainly pointe and ballet. She has had to joy in being a part of Encores Dream Team and a member of Christopher Robbins company, E’clatez Company. Abbey also works for Star Talent Dance Productions.
Jailyn Tingo
Jailyn is a TIM alumna and so thrilled to be back as an instructor. She started dancing at Techniques In Motion at the age of 2 and joined the competitive team at age 6. During her competitive years at TIM, she won many top scoring awards and scholarships. At age 16, Jailyn was selected to tour with Celebrity Dance Competitions. She performed at Celebrity Nationals aboard ships from Carnival Cruise Line and assisted at conventions as a Celebrity Crew member. Jailyn continued her competitive training with Fox Troupe Dancers, where she learned from choreographers such as Jason Williams, Nick Dinicolangelo, Joy Denver Spears, Ashley Lindsey, and many others. Jailyn studied biology and chemistry at Hofstra University and continued dance training at Broadway Dance Center. She completed her education at East Carolina University and later relocated back to Wilmington, NC. Jailyn is honored to be teaching dance again and can’t wait to build lasting memories with all of her students.
Susie Linquist
Instructor Susie Linquist has been practicing yoga for 25 years and has been teaching group fitness since 2017, and was certified in Yoga in 2020. Her background in fitness helps her create a class to strengthen and sculpt your body, while simultaneously working on flexibility and mindset. Susie’s passion for helping people discover their internal strength and love for themselves, is what inspires her as a yoga teacher.
Ava Catherine Boyle
Miss Ava took her first tap dance class at the age of two at Techniques In Motion School of Dance and fell in love with it! She was invited to the Mini Company at the age of 6 and is currently a member of the Elite Company. She began assisting dance classes at the age of 13 and is now one of the receptionists at the studio. She is trained in Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop and Jazz, but her passion is Tap dancing. She is a Senior at Ashley High School and studies at Cape Fear Community College as a dual enrollment student. Her goal is to complete her associate degree in Interior Design at CFCC and then obtain a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Savannah School of Art and Design in Savannah, GA.
Avaree Ponder
Miss Avaree Ponder is an award winning performer embarking on a new journey of teaching the art of dance at Techniques In Motion School of Dance. Since the age of two, she has been involved with movement and began competitively dancing at seven years old.
Fluent in various forms such as tap, contemporary and hip hop
Avaree will be studying as an apprentice at TIM to further their education in movement and instructing. Verified awards and stand outs include 3rd Runner Up Miss Platinum, First Place Regional Solo Winner at KAR Dance Competition and an all-around leader inside the classroom.
Recently graduated from high school, Avaree has a passion to stay involved with movement alongside helping dancers achieve similar goals and progressing their own professional career.
Jenn Stanton
Jenn has been a group fitness instructor since 2012 when she began teaching Zumba. Since then she has certified and teaches (in addition to Zumba), SPIN, TRX and Silver Sneakers. Born and raised in Ohio she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after high school and retired in 2016 after 20 years of service. During her service she was a part of search and rescue, law enforcement, humanitarian and environmental missions all over the world and country. After retirement Jenn continued her fitness journey and became a Personal Trainer and works with people from all walks of life to help better themselves, feel good and live a healthy lifestyle. She is married to her husband Jared who is still serving in the Coast Guard and they have 2 daughters who love to dance at Techniques In Motion. Jenn also grew up a dancer and credits her success throughout her life to her dance upbringing and teachers. She always looks forward to her weekly Tap or Hip Hop classes. When not dancing, leading fitness classes, helping others on their journey and being a wife and mother Jenn’s favorite thing to do is attend live concerts.
Marriah Kalil
Marriah Kalil developed a love for dance at age three when she began taking classes at New Hampshire Academy of Performing Arts. She spent her childhood in Coastal New Hampshire and Central New Jersey focused on learning and performing ballet, jazz, and tap before falling in love with Contemporary Dance in college, when she minored in Dance at James Madison University. At JMU she enjoyed opportunities to teach Creative Dance to kids at the local community center as well as performing at school and community events. She continued to take open classes during graduate school at the University of New Hampshire and throughout her 20’s at various studios including Jeanette Neil in Boston and New Hampshire Academy of Performing Arts, also joining the Professional Company of NHAPA in 2007. Marriah stopped performing when she had her first daughter in 2009, taking the occasional open class when her schedule allowed in the years following. She relocated to Wilmington from Newburyport, MA with her family in 2019.
Marriah is the owner of Energy Awakenings Healing Arts in Wilmington where she provides services as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and a Reiki Master Practitioner. She lives in Wilmington with her husband Michael, daughters Sadie & Sawyer, and dog Daisy. Her daughters are loving their time dancing at Techniques in Motion and have inspired her to return to dance, her very first love. She is excited to be teaching and offering other adults an opportunity to tap back into their own love of dance!
Audra Hebard Schaffer
Audra Hebard Schaffer was born and raised in Auburn, Massachusetts and grew up studying at and dancing competitively for Charlotte Klein Dance Centers and Artistry Dance Center (formerly known as the Putnam Dance Center—owned for 26 years by her mom, Annette). After two years of conservatory study, she received a certificate in performance from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2009. Audra continued training post AMDA in Boston under Jeannette Neill at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio and James Reardon of the Boston Dance Company and was both a corps member and soloist in several productions of The Nutcracker. Audra has also danced in two music videos and for the contemporary company Boston Community Dance Project directed by her dear friend and colleague Sarah-Kay Jerome Clark. Audra’s high school theatre credits include Hodel, The Fiddler on the Roof and Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes. Regional theatre credits include Rapunzel, Into the Woods, Little Becky Two-Shoes, Urinetown, (Break a Leg Productions), Bebe, A Chorus Line (Emerson Umbrella Inc.), and ensemble, Carousel, Anything Goes (Reagle Music Theatre), Guys ‘n Dolls, and The Wedding Singer (Thalian Association Community Theatre). Audra has taught and guest taught for many studios in the New England, upstate NY, and southeast NC areas in the styles of ballet, jazz, and contemporary for over 17 years.
Michelle Ferencak
Michelle Ferencak, TIM newest receptionist, has 5 years’ experience as a receptionist/administrator. She has a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University in Communications, with a focus in Journalism. She also has a minor in Art and has always been interested in the creative arts. She is very excited to learn more about the dance world and hopefully taking some classes soon!
Kasi Floyd
Drum Roll PLEASE!! Mrs. Kasi is BACK!! Mrs. Kasi Floyd grew up dancing in New Jersey and started teaching at her studio at 18 years old. She moved to North Carolina to attend UNCW and became a part of the Techniques in Motion family in March of 2003. From 2004-2014 Mrs. Kasi served as the instructor for KMOTION, Techniques in Motion’s hip-hop competitive company. After that, Mrs. Kasi continued to work with many of the TIM hip-hop company students choreographing their competitive routines. She has also set award-winning choreography pieces for many studios and taught many intensives throughout the state of North Carolina. Under her instruction, many of her students won prestigious awards for high scores, specialty awards, scholarships, and other honors.
Mrs. Kasi continued her own dance education through conventions, workshops, and intensives such as Monsters of Hip-Hop, The Pulse, NuVo, and many others learning from choreographers such as Nappy Tabs, the Jabbawockeez, Luther Brown, Parris Goebel, and many more world re-known choreographers. In addition to participating in conventions, she served as an assistant for Peace, Love, Hip-Hop’s Angel Roberts and hip-hop legend Dena Rizzo at Showstoppers Dance Convention. You can even catch Mrs. Kasi on an episode of the hit TV show “One Tree Hill” as a featured choreographer and dancer.
Mrs. Kasi took a break from teaching for the past few years to focus on raising her two beautiful daughters Izabella and Hunter, with her husband Walter, as well as serve as the Executive Director of AMIkids NC Family Services helping youth separate a “troubled past from a bright future”. Now that her girls are older and ready to get back into dance themselves she is excited to be back home with her dance family at TIM!
Mrs. Kasi will be the Hip-Hop teacher for Tuesday dancers age 9-11.
Please join us in welcoming her home!!