Contest Season 2014 About Our Judges… Jamie Anderson graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Family Studies and Psychology. She went on to get her teaching certification and was the dance teacher at Odessa Hugh School and dance team director of the OHS Showgirls for 11 years. The Showgirls received over 25 State and National titles under her direction. In 2012, Jamie and her family moved to Plano, where she is currently the studio manager and an instructor at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center. She continues to work with several drill teams around Texas doing workshops and master classes. Jamie is happily married with two amazing sons, Austin and Evan. Molly M. Andriola received her BS in Dance Performance at the State University of New York at Brockport and her MS in Dance Pedagogy from the University of Idaho. She has also completed certified levels I-VI of Eastwest Somatics pursing her practioners degree and is a certified Shin Somatic Yoga Instructor where she studied at the Eastwest Somatics Institute in New York and San Francisco. She also holds a teaching certification K-12 for the state of Texas and serves as a professional judge for competitions and various high school/college dance teams. She has trained with world-renowned artists such as Jacques d'Amboise, Garth Fagan, David Parsons, Mia Michaels, Sondra Fraliegh, Kista Tucker, Adrienne Clancy and Bill Evans. She has toured and performed with Kista Tucker Dance Company, Monell Dance Company, DANSCORE through SUNY Brockport in New York, Shambhala Dance Ensemble, Idaho Dance Theater, Idaho Renaissance Festival, National Rendezvous Jazz Festival and Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus as a dancer and aerialist. Mrs. Andriola was a Clinical Associate Professor of Dance and the Dance Coordinator for 10 years at Texas A&M University where she also founded the EmSu Dance Company in which she served as the Artistic Director. She served as a Guest Artist in Residence in 2008 for Westchester Academy for International Studies and became the dance director for the Wildcats Dance Team and in 2010. She continues to facilitate her role as a dance educator and guest artist for private and public schools, higher education institutions and communities. Mrs. Andriola has also served on dance faculty for Lone Star College Kingwood, In-Step Dance and Performing Arts Center, Premiere Dance Academy, Rowland Ballards with guest lecturers/master classes at Tarleton State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Texas A&M Aggie Dance Team, A&M Consolidated Bengal Bells, Silsbee HS Dance Team, WAIS Silver Starz and Wildcat Dance Teams, Stephen F. Austin HS Red Jackets Dance Team, Adrienne Clancy Dance Company and several others within the Houston communities. Her choreography includes multiple works that have premiered and toured throughout the United States in national, state, and regional galas. Mrs. Andriola has served on the board for the Honors Council, Board of Directors and Vice President of Science & Somatics for the National Dance Association and is the Past VP and Board of Directors Member of the Dance Division with the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She has had the honor of being awarded the Plaudit Award in recognition for her contributions in Dance Education twice from NDA, three Presidential Awards from the NDA and was the recipient of the Dance Educator of the Year University/College level for the State of Texas from TAHPERD 2004-2005. The National Dance Association awarded Mrs. Andriola Outstanding Choreographic Presentation in Honor of Gus Giordano, famed Jazz legend in 2005, and Outstanding Artistic Awards for her choreography in 2007 and 2008. She is the recipient of the 2008 Southern District Outstanding Dance Educator of the Year University/College Level in which upon becoming the district recipient, Mrs. Andriola was awarded the National Dance Educator of the Year University/College level 2008 from the National Dance Association. She serves as the Artistic Director for Monell Dance Interstate, a private outreach program inspiring youth in dance education & performance and Monell Collaborative Danceworks; a company who performs throughout the community focusing on the artistic medium of movement and collaboration between students/professionals. Stephanie Braden is currently in her 14th year as the Director of the Austin High School Red Jackets Dance Team. A native of College Station, Texas, Ms. Braden attended A & M Consolidated High School where she was the captain of the Bengal Belle Drill Team. Also during her high school career she danced and began teaching at Expressions Dance Studio. Ms. Braden graduated Cum Laude from Southwest Texas State University in spring of 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance. While enrolled at SWT, she performed with Orchesis and choreographed and performed with Opening Door Dance Theatre, Choreographers’ Collective and Choreographers’ Showcase. Currently Ms. Braden continues to choreograph and teach for other drill teams and is the owner of Ovation Camps & Contests. Stephanie was also an Austin High School teacher of the year finalist in 2012 and 2013, as well as a Director of the year semi-finalist 2013. Traci Carpenter-Rivello has studied ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, musical theater, drill team, hip hop, contemporary, modern and lyrical. Traci is the owner of APAC Dance Studio out of Houston, Texas. As a dancer, Traci has performed across America and in Prague, Austria. In High School, Traci served as the Captain for the highly acclaimed Silverados Drill Team. Traci was a member of the Texas State Stutters, and a dancer/choreographer for an Austin hip hop company called "The Roustabouts". Traci is the only person in the state of Texas to work for Varsity Owned United Spirit Association out of California. For the USA, Traci taught dance and leadership camps all around the country. Traci is a Head Instructor, a member of the Program Development Team, a Competition Director and a Nationals Head Judge. Traci graduated first in her class from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Theatre which has allowed her to create innovative choreography as well as put on some amazing shows. Traci has choreographed “Carousel” and “Pirates of Penzance” for which she was nominated for a Tommy Tune Award for Best Choreography. She is a Texas certified teacher in 9-12 Dance and K-12 PE. For the past four years, Traci was the Director of the Clear Creek Cavalier Dance Team. Traci thinks it is very important to stay current so she continues to dance and train with some of the industry’s best including: Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Shane Sparks, Dave Scott, Jeff Amesden, Dee Caspary and Cris Judd to name a few. Although a talented dancer, Traci finds her heart in sharing her passion for dance with her students. Her knowledge of dance and drill has aided many local High School Dance Teams, as well as high school teams in Utah, California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho and Las Vegas. Ronnye Cowell is currently in her 30th year as a dance educator. Ronnye was a dance team director for 22 years where her teams, officer lines, and soloists received state, regional, and national championship titles. Her teams were also given numerous awards for outstanding dance technique, choreography, creativity, and showmanship throughout her career. She was one of the first dance team directors to bring the lyrical jazz form of dance to the competition floor in the late 1980's. Ronnye worked with the State Board of Education to create the current dance certification exam that all dance majors or aspiring dance educators must pass in order to teach in Texas public schools. Ronnye is a past President of the Texas Dance Educator's Association and is currently their scholarship coordinator. In 1986, she took her exam in tap and jazz to become a member of the Texas Association Teachers of Dancing, Inc (TATD). She has 30+ years of experience in dance studio instruction teaching tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre and modern. She is currently serving as the Past President of that organization. Ronnye was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for Brazosport ISD in 1997, Director of the Year for the State of Texas in 2002 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from TDEA in 2010. Ronnye is married with 3 children and lives in Houston. She is an Assistant Principal in Cy- Fair ISD, actively takes dance classes and volunteers as a mentor for students in grades 6-12. She is also an adjudicator for the Dance Education Assessment of Learning (DEAL) in Texas, as well as, numerous state and national competitions throughout the year. Kendyl Dickerson-Shaffer began dancing at age 2 and has never stopped. By 14, she was teaching and choreographing competitive solos and large groups of all ages for local and national competitions. Though Kendyl has taught and choreographed every style of dance, tap has always been her first love. At age 15, she received a full summer scholarship to the Dupree Dance Academy in Orange County, California. She studied under many celebrity instructors. Kyndal opened her own dance academy at the early age of 20. Her academy dancers traveled the states and were granted top champion national titles in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando, Texas and New York for successive years. One of the biggest accomplishments of Kyndal and her staff, was training a young dancer that went on to be in the Top Five of “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2009. Kendyl has remained in the industry teaching and choreographing for local studios and high school dance teams. She continues to keep her skills fresh by attending many conventions and teacher workshops every year.