Maddox Dance Studio Faculty and Staff

All of our teachers are accredited professional instructors, constantly updating their material through teacher seminars.

Jeanne Maddox Peterson
Director of Maddox Dance Studio; Artistic Director of Little Ballet Theatre; Coach of the Year 2001 1A, 2A and 3A Oregon High Schools; Producer of the Miss Oregon Pageant for 32 years; Producer of Miss California Pageant for 8 years; Director of Miss America Pageant for five years; Ballet Faculty member Clatsop Community College for 23 years; Coaches the Astoria High School Dance Team. Member Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, and American Academy of Ballet. Professional performing career includes: Donn Arden Dancers appearing at Moulin Rouge in Hollywood, Dorothy Dorben Dancers appearing in San Francisco, Noel Sherman Dancers Appearing in Montreal and New York City. One of 35 teachers accepted to International Ballet Seminar in Vail 1993. Attended Royal Academy of Dance Teachers Seminar 1994. Attended Royal Academy Training in Banff, Alberta Canada in 1995. Attended American Academy of Ballet Teachers Seminar 2001. Serves on the advisory council for Krayon Kids Musical Theatre; has taught for national dance organizations in Houston, Biloxi, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, San Jose, Shreveport and Denver. Past President of National Association of Dance Teachers, Portland Chapter. She has judged National Dance championships and for the Miss America system.

Andrea Kaul
Miss Andrea has background of 30 years training in jazz, tap and ballet. She has appeared in many musical theatre productions; has choreographed for college theatre; is a dance competition judge and teacher of jazz, tap and creative movement at MDS. She as attended many teaching seminars including Dance Masters of America in Las Vegas, Dance Educators of America, Joe Tremaine also in Las Vegas, and Dance Caravan in Seattle, Dance Olympus, New York City Dance Alliance in Portland, Hollywood Vibe in Portland, Manhattan Dance Project in Seattle, Hip Hop workshop with Megan Armond, workshop with Maria Vegh of Inland Pacific Ballet, and Gus Giordano workshops, and is trained in the IDTA Syllabus. She has taught dance in the Cannon Beach school mini classes as well as private adult lessons. She has danced in the Miss Oregon Pageant as well as annually in LBT’s Nutcracker production. Miss Andrea believes that dance should instill respect for one’s self and others and should give children a sense of structure and discipline while still having fun. They should grow to be proud of themselves and their accomplishments. Miss Andrea’s creativity is also obvious in her “other job” as a baker of delectable wares at a Cannon Beach restaurant.

Cheryl Klatt
Miss Cheryl has been with Maddox Dance Studio for many years. She danced in a college program and appears in the Nutcracker with Little Ballet Theatre where she is also a rehearsal assistant. Miss Cheryl has a special gift working with the youngest of dancers. She teachers creative movement, pre-ballet and ballet. She attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet Teacher’s seminar, specializing in children’ ballet theory, and the Dupree Expo Children’s Work Classes. She incorporates the Dance Master of America preschool curriculum in her teaching methods. Her creative movement for tots is highly acclaimed by parents and students. She loves to garden and harvest wonderful vegetables which she shares with us every fall. She and her husband love traveling to Hawaii.

Ron Smith
Mr. Smith has danced most of his life. He was a Jefferson Dancer for three years. He taught in Bari, Milan, and Turin, Italy as well as Lucerne, Switzerland for four years. He co-owned a studio in Portland with his sister Kitten. Together, with their mother, they established American Dance Sensation, a touring dance competition. His background includes extensive training in Tap and Jazz, with numerous performances around the country and in Europe. His unique style is much sought after for special choreography. He studied in Canada at the International Tap Festival. His favorite pastime is to travel.

Alice Thompson
Miss Alice graduated from Warrenton High School and attended Clatsop College. Her dance experience includes being a member and soloist of Little Ballet Theatre, being a Miss Oregon Dancer, and attending conventions with Dance Masters of America and Joe Tremaine. She studied at the Santa Monica Dance School, the Debbie Reynolds’ Dance Studio, and Maddox Dance Studio. She apprenticed with the Pasadena Dance Company, and has been on staff at Maddox Dance Studio since 1985. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children and camping and skiing. She also enjoys her volunteer work; and says that her awards and rewards are the many blessings that surround her each day. Most of her life has included dance, either taking class, performing, or teaching. She hopes to teach the discipline and respect required for dancing. It is very important to her that her students feel comfortable in class and reap the benefits physically and emotionally of being a dancer. In each class she strives to express and share her love of the art of dance. Her creative choreography compliments the talents of her students.

Wendy Vasion
Miss Wendy took her early ballet training in Northern California with Robert and Carol Fisher. She studied on scholarship with Marguerite Phares. She has also studied with Nolan T’sani, Finis Jhung, Ron Cisneros, and Hall Silliman. She was awarded a dance scholarship to BYU. She performed with Ballet Ronan, Theatre Ballet of Sacramento, Galena Street East, and with Theatre El Dorado of Northern California. Wendy owned her own dance school for nearly 20 years, directing many recitals, a production of The Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and several productions of The Nutcracker. She says “I have been an admirer of the excellent training at Maddox Dance Studio for many years. Jeanne provides such high quality learning and performing opportunities to her students, that it has always been my goal to have my children study here. I was overjoyed to be asked to join this excellent faculty”.

Miss Wendy’s extra curricular activities include her church choir, being an assistant soccer coach, and she is currently writing and illustrating a children’s book. She feels her objective as a teacher is to help students develop and appreciate good ballet technique and then encourage students to use that technique as a framework for expression. She also feels a sense of humor is essential. She is the mother of three children.

Carole Chase Karnofski
Miss Carole began her training with Maddox Dance Studio at age 6 through age 18, when she graduated from Warrenton High School. She was a Little Ballet Theatre member for 8 years and taught for two years at MDS while still in high school. She performed in choreographed works by faculty members and was Clara in the LBT Nutcracker for 2 seasons. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2002 with a degree in English and was a member of the OSU Dance Team for 2 seasons. She has performed with Oregon Dance Theater and Pacific University Dance Theater. She was also hired by Pacific University to set new pieces on the university dance ensemble for the fall and spring showcases. She was on faculty for Laurel Valley School of Dance Arts in Hillsboro. She has choreography credits for Godspell, Chorus Line, The Lazy River (Bobby Darin), Peel Me A Grape (Deana Krall) plus many others. She has works in progress: The Four Seasons and Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. She has attended workshops for teachers, the Tremaine and New York Dance Alliance conventions. She shares her wealth of experience in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, musical theater, and children’s work. She and her husband, Dr. Jarrod Karnofski are the parents of 2 children.

Emily Gilbertson Madsen
Miss Emily teaches in both the Warrenton and Seaside studios. Emily started her training at age 6 through 17 at Maddox Dance Studio. She was a member of Little Ballet Theatre for 10 years, dancing the role of Clara for 3 years in Nutcracker. She graduated from Seaside High School, and in 2005 graduated with honors, Degree in Dance, from Western Oregon State University She performed with Rainbow Dance Theater, touring the West Coast and Mexico City. She has taught at Alsea High School and also at Western Oregon University. Miss Emily was a member of the Krayon Kids Musical Theater in Portland, performing original productions with a select group of performers from throughout Portland. She was artist performer and teacher for Alsea’s International Day and taught hip hop and creative dance at the Art Centre. She is the Dance Team Coach at Seaside High School. Miss Emily teachers ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop and creative movement. She has attended the Dance Educators of America seminars. She and her husband, teacher at Astoria High School, live in Astoria.

Marco Davis
Started Dancing at Maddox Dance Studio, while in grade school; his love for dance continued through high school and to the University of Oregon where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 2007. He has received a Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Service in Dance Education at the U of O; in 2004 he received the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts Merit Award.

As a graduate teaching fellow of U of O he taught ballroom, modern, jazz and tap and choreographed many musicals for the University, and high schools, in the Willamette Valley. Marco will will teach Ballroom, Yoga, Adult Modern, Adult Tap, and an all-boys movement class in the new season. Welcome home Marco!

Pam Morimoto
Mrs. M, our studio receptionist, a “mom” who brought her daughter to class for many years, and former Little Ballet Theatre President, and long time Little Ballet Theatre board member. She is ever ready to help with new student orientation as well as carries out myriads of duties connected with studio business.

Sara Strite
Miss Sara began her dance training at the age of three when her Mother enrolled her in a ballet class at Maddox Dance Studio. She decided she liked dancing so much when she was five years old, she begged her Mom to let her take tap and jazz as well. Sara's parents gave her many opportunities by allowing her to travel all over the US for her dance. Sara has attended summer intensives since fifth grade including: Summer Dance Lab, Vail International Dance Festival, American Academy of Ballet, The Jillana School of Ballet, The Joffery School in NYC, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Also Sara got the opportunity to take from Barbara Remington for five years at Stite's Performing Arts Center in Gresham. During her senior year of high school she was given the opportunity to attend Arts and Communication Magnet Academy where her focus was dance, and she was a company member of Dance West. She attended the University of Oregon for four years in which Sara was a member of the University's Dance team as well as a two year coordinator and captain. One of Sara's favorite moments of college dance team was when they took first place in the collegiate four year hip-hop division at nationals. Sara has also taught Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Hip-Hop at Musical Feet in Eugene, Oregon. In 2007-2008 Sara Choreographed for Astoria High School's Dance Team in which they placed second at State; she also worked with Churchill High School's Dance team on technique, and adding "tricks" into their State routine. Sara's passion in life is dance, and is so excited that she gets to share that with others. Sara's favorite quote is "believe in yourself and all things are possible."