Ashlyn McLean
Director/Owner
Ashlyn has been teaching dance for 15 of her 28 years as a dancer. She teaches all genres of dance offered at Encore Dance Theatre. As a student Ashlyn excelled in ballet where she appreciated the technique and discipline. Her passion as an adult lies with Musical Theatre, where stories of every walk of life can be shared with the world through dance and music. You may see Ashlyn at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Cabaret where she serves as the Director and Choreographer of the show. Her lifelong dream has been to own and operate a dance studio of her own so that she can continue to share her immense passion for dance with her students. She is thrilled this dream has become a reality.
Heidi Butler
Instructor
Heidi Butler was born and raised in Cloverdale and began her dance career at the age of 4.She developed her deep love for Ballet during her first performance of the Nutcracker, where she was cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Heidi began teaching at the age of 18 and realized her true passion was in the classroom sharing her love and knowledge of dance with her students. She is excited to continue this passion as Encore Dance Theatre's primary Ballet and Pointe Instructor.
Lauren Johnson
Guest Instructor/Substitute
Lauren Johnson (formerly Trettin) has been dancing since the age of 3. Alongside her dedicated dance training, Lauren has been actively involved in local Musical Theatre productions. She began teaching in 2015 and has loved sharing her passion for performing arts as a whole with young dancers. Students may see Lauren as a substitute or guest teacher in the season to come.
Alysia Ramirez
Guest Instructor/Substitute
A Cloverdale native, Alysia began dancing at the age of 4. At the age of 18 Alysia was given the opportunity to share her love for dance as an instructor for her hometown studio. Her passion for dance continued to blossom well into adulthood. Today, she continues to elevate her technique, storytelling and styling, taking various classes in the Bay Area and attending conventions when she can. Alysia is currently working on a professional career, while being the best and most inspiring Mama she can be!
Janel Morris
Guest Instructor/Substitute
Janel Morris began her journey as a dancer when she was 3. She trained for 17 years with the Academy of Danse in Napa under Pam Rogers. She performed in many community productions and at Napa Valley College dancing in musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Oklahoma. During her senior year of high school she choreographed Vintage High School’s production of Into the Woods. Once in college she was invited to train and perform with Chico Community Ballet. At CCB, she performed in several ballets including the Nutcracker (Party Scene, Snowflake, Arabian Coffee). Her favorite role was as the Queen in Cinderella. After graduation Janel stayed on at CCB as an assistant director and worked with the Junior Company. Years later, when out on a drive exploring Sonoma County, Janel happened upon a small studio in downtown Cloverdale. She took a class under Denise Devlin and the rest is history! She is honored to have been a part of the Cloverdale School of Dance family and looks forward to an exciting future with Encore Dance Theatre!
Maria Dilley
Guest Instructor/Substitute
Maria Dilley is a 4th generation Cloverdale resident who first discovered dance in this small town. Over the years she grew to love ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and lyrical. Her passion for dance followed her up to the University of Oregon where she pursued a minor in dance. While in Oregon, Maria not only took classes in ballet, tap, and jazz but also expanded into modern, ballroom, African, and improv. Currently, Maria participates in the Citrus Fair’s yearly Cabaret show because she still has that desire to perform. Maria hopes to share her different backgrounds with your children and looks forward to seeing all of the students soon!
