Meet Our Instructors

 Miss Taylor’s early studies began with ballet, tap and jazz classes under Reese Holloway Toohey at the Holloway Dancing School in Johnson City, TN. At age 17, Reese chose Eva as her apprentice and taught her how to teach and manage a studio. For the next 5 years, Eva studied daily under Reese and taught the classical ballet and jazz classes at the Holloway Dancing School in Kingsport, TN.

Miss Taylor attended the Costa du Sol International Academy of Dance under Anna Marie and David Holmes, a summer intensive. This was her first exposure to the Vaganova Method and went on to study with the famous couple for an additional 6 years. Anna Marie Holmes studied in New York with Felia Dubrovska and trained in Leningrad with Natalia Dudinskaya, Alexander Pushkin and Alla Shelest of the Kirov Ballet.

Eva relocated to Oak Ridge to assume the lead teaching position for the children’s ballet classes at the Holmes’s Performing Arts/Dance Center and was a soloist for the Holmes’ Tennessee Festival Ballet Company. David Holmes once called her “a young, vivacious teacher of jazz and ballet”. Lynn Loomis, a Master Instructor with whom she danced with at TN Festival Ballet says, “Eva was the best utility dancer he has ever worked with….could master any choreography presented to her. ”

Additional training includes studies with Christine Anthony- Ballet Mistress Dutch National Ballet, Sasha Mintz- Ballet Master American Ballet Theatre, and Margo Marshall- Artistic Director City Ballet of Houston, Gelsey Kirkland of Academy of Classical Ballet, Rick Salinas – assistant to Luigi in New York and she was a favorite of Gus Giordano’s – American Jazz Theatre, in Chicago. She has performed in Coppelia, La Sylphide, Cinderella, Le Corsair, Giselle, Firebird, Nutcracker, Paquita, La Bayadere, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty and, of course, the endearing favorite The Nutcracker.

Ms. Taylor Hunter now works tirelessly as the founder and director of Shellshead Ballet Conservatory. Here she is able to create the perfect blend of classical training, instructing skills, choreography talent, and creative vision into her own school, training the dancers of the future! 

Nationally known Dancer and Dance Teacher for The Tri-Cities Area, Public Figure and Social Media Influencer! Kasper has been dancing for over 20 years, and has trained and danced with various artists Nationwide. 

Kasper has also been busy building up his Public Figure/ Social Media presence as @AyoKasDaPlug on 

Facebook over: 100K followers

TikTok over 160K followers

Instagram over 10K followers 

He has trained in numerous styles of dance including: 

▪popping 

▪locking 

▪Urban choreography

▪hip-hop

▪ballet

▪contemporary. 

▪︎Jazz/Funk

▪︎ House

▪︎ Shuffling 

In addition, he has taught hip-hop/ Urban Dance classes at:  the Holloway Dance School, Shellshead Conservatory, Cumberland County Play House, Millennium Dance Complex Nashville, and Cat Choreography in Murfreesboro.

He has performed his repertoire on a national level at large concerts, festivals, and exhibitions

 Connie Taylor grew up taking dance at Bolding School of Dance here in Johnson City, studying ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics, later teaching classes there in high school, then again, after college. She also had the opportunity to take some classes with her teachers in New York City for several summers. She enjoyed acting in plays at Johnson City Community Theatre, such as The Sound of Music and Oliver, where she later choreographed plays as well. She studied dance and education at Stephens College in Columbia , Missouri, then returned to Johnson City, where she later received a master’s and Ed.S at ETSU.  She loves her job as a school counselor at Indian Trail Intermediate School. Connie has recently enjoyed performing in several plays at Jonesborough Repertory Theatre. 

Emily Horvath has been a dancer since she was three years old, and has trained in many styles, including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, lindy hop, precision, and musical theatre. Some of her past favorite roles include The Enchantress (Beauty and the Beast) and a Stepsister (Cinderella). She is currently a student at Appalachian State University, where she is pursuing a degree in Middles Grades Education with minors in English and Dance. When she is not at college, Miss Emily combines her extensive knowledge of dance with her passion for education by teaching at Shellshead! 

 Hannah began dance lessons at four years old. She has been dancing ever since! For 15 years, she studied and performed at Sharon’s School of Dance in Indiana, PA. 

She trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre. In her later years there, she was promoted to the teaching staff as an assistant. 

Hannah is a student at East Tennessee State University. She is pursing a degree in Nursing. 

Since the age of four Jessica has been involved in dance. At the age of nine she started competing at regional dance competitions bringing home many awards and special ribbons. During this time she pursued dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe, acrobatics, and hip-hop. After graduating from Castlewood High School she continued her dance training at Virginia Intermont College. Here, under the direction of Dr. Harolyn Gaudette, she developed her techniques in ballet, modern, jazz and also taking classes in dance history and choreography. While attending Virginia Intermont college Jessica had the opportunity to study with Carolee Watts Hacker, Tiffany Hall Owen, and Dr. Randy Allen. 

    After graduating with her B.A. in Dance, Jessica returned home to Castlewood, VA to open Jessica's Little Feet Dance Studio located in St. Paul, VA. Jessica’s Little Feet Dance Studio was open from August 2007 to May 2018.. She is certified in Zumba, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Kids, and Zumba Kids Jr. Mrs.  Jessica now resides in Kingsport, TN where she works at Dobyn- Bennett High School as a Special Education Instructional Assistant and a Travel Agent for Sea Turtle Dream Vacations. 

Lily began her training at the age of three at Bristol Ballet under Nadia Thompson, former ballet mistress of Milwaukee Ballet, and Gabriel Otevrel of Germany. She continued her studies under Susan Pace White at City Youth Ballet, home of the Holloway Dancing School in Johnson City, TN. 

In 2014, Lily attended the American Ballet Theater Summer Intensive, held at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, studying under Christine Spizzo, Amy Rose, Jennet Zerbe, and Julie Bickerton Bravata. The following summer she attended Pas de Vie Ballet in Tallahassee Florida, where she studied under Charles Hagan. 

In these years, she  preformed various principal roles such as the Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker,  as well as in Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, The Christmas Carol, and Alice in Wonderland. 

Lily presently receives her training at Shellshead Classical Ballet Conservatory. Her main focus is classical ballet, however she has training in various forms of dance including modern, contemporary, jazz and is a certified Pilates instructor. In addition  she enjoys competing in Pro/Am divisions with the Johnson City Ballroom Studio. 

She attends ETSU, where she received a full scholarship for her dancing under the Fine and Preforming Arts Scholars Program of the Honors College.      

Lily teaches Early Ballet, Advanced Jazz, and the Purple Tutu classes for children with Down's syndrome.