Our Staff
Aprille Chadwell - Owner
Contemporary, Jazz & Sr Company
Aprille began teaching at Terpsichorean Dance Studio in 1996 and became the owner of the studio in January of 2020. During her career she has studied jazz, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, modern, tap and hip hop. Over the years she has trained at workshops such as Edge Performing Arts, NYCDA and LADF where she learned from Mandy Moore (So You Think You Can Dance) as well as teacher trainings in Seattle and San Francisco. Aprille brings a level of enthusiasm and dedication that will challenge and inspire her students, and as a choreographer she hopes her passion for expressing one’s self through dance will be instilled in all of her students.
Ali Risdon
Ballet
Ali was born in Orange, California where she started dance training at the age of 5 with Helen Clarke and Kristen Potts at West Coast Conservatory of Ballet. After her formal training Ali was accepted into the BFA program at the University of California Irvine. It was here where Ali studied with legends such as Donald McKayle, Danilo Radojevic and Diane Diefenderfer to name a few. In her junior year Ali was chosen to study in New York for a semester away at the American Ballet studios working with Ann Reinking, Donna McKechie, Tommie Tune and Alexander Filipov. After she completed her dance degree, Ali started on her Pilates certification path and professional performing career in dance. She performed with Anaheim Ballet, Dance West, Ballet Pacifica and with Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre for 15 years. She has had the opportunity to travel all over the United States, Europe and Mexico City performing. Ali has been a certified Pilates instructor since 1998, certified in Barre and enjoys sharing her passion of dance at Terpsichorean Dance Studio.
Madison Young
Hip Hop, Jazz, Crew & Int Company
Madison has been teaching at Terpsichorean since 2018. She has danced since she was 2. She has been trained in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Hip Hop, and Tap. Her favorite dance experience was going to Monsters Dance Convention and learning from choreographers such as Rhapsody James, Jaquel Knight, Nick Demoura, and Lisette Bustamante. Performance is her passion, particularly in Contemporary and Hip Hop. She is a looking forward to sharing her love of dance with her students in the years to come!
Marissa Miller
Creative Movement, Combo Classes, Ballet, Contemporary & Jr Company
Marissa began her ballet training from Christine Fossemalle at the age of four in Santa Ynez, California. At fifteen she received a scholarship to attend Joffrey Ballet’s New York Trainee Program two years in a row. Marissa was the recipient of Reginal Dance America (RDA) Craft of Choreography held in Carlisle Pennsylvania, in 2000 and there truly fell in love with teaching. Her most memorable role was dancing the lead in Gisselle with Santa Barbara Chamber Ballet. Marissa also toured in Robert Sund’s Emmy award winning ballet, Alice in Wonderland, through Taiwan with Santa Barbara’s State Street Ballet. Since moving to Oregon Marissa has had the opportunity to experience the competitive side of dance, training with NYCDA, Hollywood Vibe and NRG. Her love for music and dance expands her heart and is a passion she loves to share with all.
Joann Carbo
Tap, Modern, Acro, Hip Hop, Contemporary & Mini Crew
Joann’s love for dance began at 9 years old. She is a Bend Oregon native and has trained with locals and professionals alike, developing her skills and feeding her passion. She found her way into the competition scene at 13 receiving scholarships, awards, and eventually competing nationally at 17. By 19, she moved to Georgia for college and began networking within the visual arts community. She was a burlesque dancer for the Downtown Delilah’s and a contemporary performer for Premise Movement Company. By 2020, she decided to move back to Bend to finish her studies and offer her knowledge to local classes. Her love for movement and expression drives her teachings and she wants everyone to experience the joy she gets from dancing!
Katie Jones
Creative Movement & Combo Classes
Katie graduated from Linfield University with a BA in Theatre Arts and a BS in Anthropology. She has been dancing for 15 years, and trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and musical theatre. She has spent the past 6 years as the lead choreographer for Prineville Music Theater Camp, served as a student choreographer for Linfield University’s Dance Ensemble, and performed in showcases for both Linfield University and the University of Galway in Galway, Ireland. She loves sharing her passion for dance and movement with others and is excited to continue that journey at Terpsichorean!
Amber Barney
Office Manager
Amber is a mother to two dancers and a lover of all things art, dance, and music. She was a massage therapist for over a decade and has practiced yoga for even longer. While she may not be a dancer herself, her extensive knowledge and study of anatomy and movement, give her a deep understanding of the hard work that these dancers put in to make their routines look so effortless. Amber is excited to support the dancers at Terpsichorean and to help facilitate a welcoming environment for everyone.