Jamie Lynn Gilliam, Artistic Director

Miss Jamie Lyn has over 25 years of dance experience, 15 years of vocal training, and has professional experience as both a vocal coach and dance instructor. She has performed all over the United States in professional companies. Miss Jamie Lynn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre with a concentration in dance from Otterbein College. Her performance credits include three years of nightly performances at a popular Times Square, NYC musical theatre venue, as well as numerous regional and summerstock theatre productions. Miss Jamie Lynn had a successful vocal studio in New York City for several years before deciding to move back home to pursue her dream of starting a theatre arts academy for the youth of the Louisville metro area.

Miss Jamie Lynn's teaching style is interactive, energetic, and customized to each student's learning style.

Josh Gilliam, Acting Teacher

Mr. Gilliam holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Otterbein College.  He has performed professionally in musicals, children's opera, outdoor drama, theme park shows, a science museum theatre troop, and more.  Locally, Josh has performed with Music Theatre Louisville as Edward Rutledge in the summer 2010 production of 1776, and tends to sing wherever and whenever his wife tells him to for church events, fundraisers, etc.

Josh's Resume

Kathy Todd Chaney, Dance Teacher

Kathy Todd Chaney owned and operated the Kathy Todd Dance Studio from 1973-2011. Many of her students have gone on to perform in New York, L.A., Germany, Cruise Ships, been in Dance Companies, and have started studios of their own. Kathy is resident choreographer for the internationally-acclaimed Jeffersonville High School where she is proud to have been on the production team for four shows selected to perform at the International Thespian Conference and one at the Fringe Festival in Scotland. Kathy has also choreographed shows at Clarksville Little Theatre, Kentucky Country Day, Mummers and Minstrels, Hayswood Theatre, Not Ready for Shakespeare Players, Trinity High School, Shelby County Theatre, YMCA’s Willow Tree Theatre, and Story Station Children’s Theater, also performing at most of these theaters, as well as Music Theatre of Louisville. She is very excited about the role reversal that has made her a teacher this year for her former student and teacher, Miss Jamie Lynn.

Cathy Spencer, Dance Teacher

Cathy Spencer began taking dance classes at the Kathy Todd Dance Studio at age eleven, and has taught a variety of dance styles including modern, hip hop, jazz, tap, and ballet at the Kathy Todd Dance Studio for over ten years. Cathy has been involved with teaching competitive teams for local and national competitions, and has taught regional champions and national finalists. Choreography and teaching are her passion; she enjoys watching her kids on stage even more than being on stage herself. Cathy graduated from YPAS, and the University of Louisville and is currently studying to become a pharmacist at Sullivan University. Cathy has recently reduced her teaching load, but is still one of the hip hop instructors at The Sutton Studio.

Erin Wilson, Dance Teacher

Erin Wilson has been a dance student or instructor since the age of seven, when she began with Kathy Todd. Erin has been an instructor of jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop, and gymnastics for over 20 years, and was also a fouryear member of the University of Louisville Ladybirds, where she was a captain of the first National Championship team. Erin currently teaches both jazz and hip hop at The Sutton Studio. She enjoys teaching all ages and ability levels and is very grateful to still be involved in dance after all these years. Erin is also a Dentist at Pierce and Mitchell, PSC in Louisville and is the very proud mother of Ethan, age eight.

Lynnette Jones, Piano Teacher

Lynnette Jones has been playing piano for 27 years, and has been teaching off and on for about 17 years. For the past six years, she has also been the Music Director at Chapel Hill United Church of Christ, where she also directs the choir as well as a Chimes Choir. Lynnette also is learning to play the hammered dulcimer, and hopes to learn to play guitar one day.

Kristen Vest, Dance Teacher

Kristen Vest has been taking dance for 16 years at Kathy Todd Dance Studio, and has been a dance teacher for 6 years. Kristen enjoys spending her free time with her amazing husband and a beautiful 1 year old daughter Kayleigh. Kayleigh danced in her first recital this year with the Diaper Dancer class. Kristen teaches Tap, Jazz and Hip Hop for all ages.

Nicole Hommrich, Dance Teacher

Nicole Hommrich began dancing at Kathy Todd Dance Studio when she was nine years old, first becoming a teacher at Kathy Todd Dance Studio at age 16 and eventually teaching at other local studios. In high school, Nicole performed in musical theatre productions at Butler High School and Clarksville Little Theatre. Nicole has studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop and improvisation/composition. She currently dances with the Vandiver Ford Dance Company and the Moving Collective in Louisville, and has won many awards, such as Most Dedicated, Most Intense Performer and Top Female Duet. Nicole loves sharing her passion of this art with new dancers and all levels. She enjoys teaching the competititive dancers, pre professional, and the recreational dancers. 

Emily Hickey, Dance Teacher

Emily Hickey, a senior at Butler High School, has been dancing for 13 years, and has spent the last two years as a student teacher of dance. Emily started dancing at five years old, studying under Amanda Wilding at the Kathy Todd Dance Studio. Emily has known that teaching dance would be a passion since she was six years old, and loves her students as much as she loves teaching.

April True, Assistant Dance Teacher

April True has been dancing at Kathy Todd Dance Studio since she was four years old, doing tap and jazz, and now enjoys the hip hop, ballet, and modern styles at The Sutton Studio for the Performing Arts. She works at TheSutton Studio as a receptionist, and has also been a substitute for various teachers. She is also an assistant teacher to Miss Nicole. She enjoys the kids she helps to teach and hopes to teach a class of her own within the next year. She is a Senior at Louisville Male High School and hopes to pursue Photojournalism at WKU in the fall of 2013.

Michelle Ball, Bardstown Receptionist

Michelle Ball attends the front desk of The Sutton Studio’s Bardstown location in addition to her employment at St. Joseph’s School in Bardstown, Kentucky. She is married to John Ball and has four daughters. Her youngest, Caroline, is an active member of The Sutton Studio. Michelle and her family currently reside in Marion County.

Alice Gee, Louisville Receptionist

Alice Gee has been a part of the Kathy Todd Dance Studio and Sutton Studio for about 13 years. In addition to her full-time employment as a clerk for the Kentucky Circuit Court system, Alice works part-time as a secretary for Jamie Lynn and The Sutton Studio. But anyone who knows Alice will tell you that her real job is ‘family member’, as her true devotion is to her husband Jerry and their three children, Daniel, Scott and Allison, a Kathy Todd dancer since age 3. Alice’s favorite thing in the world is watching her baby girl dance, and she is thankful for the opportunity to watch and dance with her daughter first at Kathy Todd and now at The Sutton Studio.