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.
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.
Eli Ponder
We are thrilled to have Eli as the primary teacher for some TIM Hip Hop classes this season! Eli has been training in dance since he was 3 years old at Techniques in Motion and has been a valued studio assistant for years. He was a co-instructor for the 2023-2024 dance season and has won several scholarships at Regional & National dance competitions and conventions. Eli was also a member of the TIM competitive team for 11 years and was awarded the 1st Alex Highsmith Dance Scholarship for the dedication & passion he exhibited in his dance studies during his senior year in high school. You may have even seen Eli as a dancer & actor in 2 Thalian Hall productions; “Grease” and “The Little Mermaid”. Eli is excited to bring the gift & love of dance to the younger generation and especially inspire male dancers to take the “leap” into the art of Dance!
Jenn Miller
Jenn Miller is originally from Long Island, NY. She graduated from Farmingdale State College in 2022, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Her dance life began at the age of 2 and started dancing competitively at the age of 12. Over the course of her life she was trained in Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, and Lyrical. While in High School, she was Hip Hop Captain for the dance program, and then moved up to being the Captain for the whole program. During this time she was choreographing multiple routines of different styles of dance for over 70 people. Jenn has taken master classes with Buddy Casimano (who has worked with Paula Abdul and Debbie Gibson), the Radio City Rockettes at Broadway Dance Center, and most recently with Nicole Billow. She worked her way up at the studio she grew up in to become a competitive/recreational dance teacher. During her time as a competitive teacher her students have been a part of the top scoring routines and have received numerous special judges awards. As a teacher who loves tap dance her favorite award given to a student had to be “rhythm master”. Jenn is excited to continue her dance journey in NC and share her passion for dance with the younger generation.
Kari Sea
Kari Sea is an accomplished dancer, performer, educator, and dance professional with extensive experience in teaching, choreography, and performance. She is currently serving as the Guest Experience Lead at lululemon in Wilmington, NC, sending her daughter off to UNCW next year, and finding time to perform on the stage. Kari combines her expertise in dance with a commitment to fostering educational excellence with her diverse background that spans many years of various roles inside and outside the theatre.
Kari’s contributions to the teaching dance community were noteworthy while she lived in Colorado. She was the Competitive Dance Director at Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts and Ballet Director at Studio 8100, where she choreographed and coached numerous award-winning performances. Her choreography skills have been recognized at events like the Youth American Grand Prix, where her original contemporary piece scored an impressive 97/100, but also served as Assistant Artistic Director and Choreographer for the Vail Youth Ballet Company, where she restaged classic productions such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.
She is currently pursuing her Master of Secondary Education with an emphasis in Humanities from Grand Canyon University to continue to enrich her educational background in dance which also involved training with the Universal Ballet Academy, Walnut Hill Conservatory, Orlando Ballet Theatre, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the University of Florida. Kari Sea has loved dedicating herself to enriching students’ lives through dance and education including her certifications in the Vaganova Method, Central Pennsylvania’s Youth Ballet by Marcia Dale Weary, and Zumba. Kari’s multifaceted skills in curriculum development, classroom management, and personalized coaching which make her an invaluable asset to dance educational communities.
Sam Piejak
Miss Sam, originally from Charlotte, NC has always been drawn to the magic that children bring into the world, and Is looking forward to getting to know the kids at this bright and energetic dance studio! She loved every second of dance at a young age but chose to continue a different athletic path in field hockey. Miss Samantha says, “10 years later, I am getting the opportunity to again be in the dance industry, and I have loved every second of it”. Miss Samantha will be one part of the TIM Receptionist/Administrative team.
Katie Kirkman
My name is Katie Kirkman and I am originally from Greensboro, NC. I am a Sophomore at University of North Carolina Wilmington, studying Psychology with the end goal of becoming a Child Life Specialist. I have never been a dancer myself, but I grew up in the dance world with my sister being a competitive dancer her whole life. I was a competitive swimmer for thirteen years, and now serve as a Swim Coach at my swim team back at home. I have loved every second of being a receptionist at Techniques in Motion, and I love being greeted every day with the smiling faces that this studio is made up of.