2023-2024 APAC STAFF
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2023-2024 APAC STAFF *
KAYLA YOUNG holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Hardin-Simmons University. Raised in Abilene, Kayla has performed in productions with APAC, the Paramount, McMurry and HSU. She is the Director of Development at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL). Kayla has been with APAC for 18 years and is blessed to be encouraging other young artists and performers to develop the confidence to shine, just as her teachers did for her. Kayla and her husband Drew are expecting a baby boy in the fall!
K-12th Musical Theatre
ASHLEY BORGES is a Hawaii native and current Social Work student at Hardin-Simmons University! Dance has always had her heart! As her husband's military career allows her and her four children to travel, dancing Tahitian keeps her rooted in her Polynesian culture. She first started dancing Tahitian in high school with a group called Hei Tiare. Ever since then, Tahitian has been her way of self-care. When she moved to Abilene three and a half years ago, she started dancing Tahitian under Ra'atira Kiana Suliven and participated in various performances for events in the Abilene community. Ashley has been dancing with our APAC family for about a year now and feels honored to have the opportunity to teach the dance that fuels her soul.
Tahitian Dance for ladies of all ages
BRIDGET CLEM is a student of Business Management at Abilene Christian University. Bridget grew up at APAC, attending for nine years, and took Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Ballet, and Irish. She graduated from Wylie High School. While there, she served as a lieutenant on the Belles Drill Team and had the experience of choreographing for the Wylie fall musical, Grease the Musical. Bridget is delighted to be teaching at her home studio and surrounded by the lovely people of APAC. So far she has helped start two new classes at APAC: Drill Team & Pom class for 6th-12th grade and a brand new Pom class for Kindergarten-2nd grade next year!
K-12th Dance
AYMIE JORDAN is a Wylie High School graduate. She works full time at Lee Orthodontist as a Records Tech. She began dancing at the age of 4 at Patty Harper Dance Studio and her love for dance just grew from there. Aymie studied tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop as a student and was a student teacher in Jazz and Hip Hop. While a student at Wylie schools she danced as a Wylie Junior Belle and a Wylie Belle for a total of 5 years, serving as lieutenant during her senior year. Aymie is excited to share the world of dance with her students and looks forward to watching them learn and grow as young artists as she once did as a young dancer!
3rd-12th Dance
MARY BUTLER is a liberal arts graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has been a part of the APAC family since early childhood. Mary spent her youth involved in the classes, camps, shows, and other opportuni-ties that APAC has to offer young artists. She has been a teacher of the arts for years and greatly enjoys sharing her passion with others. She is thrilled to continue being a part of the Abilene arts community by teaching at APAC!
Preschool Dance
JASMINE CONWAY is a Texas transplant from NYC. She is an Army Veteran and mom of 2. Jasmine runs a small farm of animals and has a BSN from McMurry University. Her background in fashion design and sewing started like most young girls with fashion design PC games, but it turned into sketches, attending classes, and a sewing machine for Christmas. Jasmine taught herself how to sew and later took a job at a popular bridal store where she learned more about alterations and garments. Today she enjoys sewing leisurely and professionally, and is looking forward to teaching classes at APAC.
6th-12th Costume Design 101
LANIE BEVILL WESTMAN is a 1993 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University where she studied and trained receiving a B.M. in Music Education and Vocal Performance. She has served as the Executive Director of APAC since January 2001. In addition, Lanie has directed APAC’s summer camp musicals and directed the music for the Paramount Productions Jr. Musicals since 2007 alongside director Betty Hukill and choreographer Teri Wilkerson, and Neena McLain beginning January 2023. Though she thoroughly loves directing, Lanie has also enjoyed performing through the years with the Abilene Opera Association, McMurry Summer Dinner Theatre, ACT Theatre, Pioneer Drive Easter Pageant, Young Audiences of Abilene, and Paramount Productions. Lanie has appeared in the Paramount Theatre's Musical Productions “Swing”, "Smokey Joe's Café", “Ragtime” featured as Mother, and “Honk” as Momma Duck. Lanie loves her husband of thirty years, her grown children, her four pups, and feral kitty Martini.
Executive Director of APAC
KARISSA WARD is currently a student at Abilene Christian University as an Instrumental Music Education Major, and will serve as the ACU Drum Major in this upcoming season. She graduated from Abilene High School and participated in the Eagle Band, choir, and theatre. She began dancing at age 3 and has been training at APAC for 15 years. She trained in various styles such as ballet and pointe, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and jazz. She is excited to share all that she has learned and spread her love of dance with her students.
6th-12th Dance
ELLA PERRY is a theatre major at Abilene Christian University. She began her dance training at age 3 at Denton Dance Conservatory in Denton, TX, where she danced for 15 years. During her time at DDC, Ella had the opportunity to assistant teach several classes. Ella has also had the opportunity to train with Joffrey Ballet School and Steps on Broadway. She is very excited to share her love of dance with the APAC community!
3rd=5th Dance
ROSEMARY HOLLINGSWORTH has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from DePauw University and a M.M. in Vocal Performance and Opera from Binghamton University. She performed extensively in lead roles at Tri-Cities Opera and performed nationally in roles such as Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte and Adele in Die Fledermaus with The Soo Opera Theater in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Rosie also has a M.A. in Family Ministry and Family Psychology. She is the Behavior Coordinator, LPC for AISD and maintains a small pri-vate practice serving children, families, and adults. She feels blessed to live her passion every day with her family. Rosie's family includes her husband, Chris and children, Colin, Julia and husband Cody, and Ryan.
Behavior Consultant
MADI MELBOURNE is a recent graduate of McMurry University, graduating with a BFA in Theatre. She’s been involved in theatre since she was 8, performing in shows at the Paramount Theater, as well as teaching multiple acting classes for Abilene’s homeschool community. She’s also been dancing at APAC for several years, and is thrilled to be giving back to the company that has given so much to her.
6th-12th Dance & Musical Theatre
SHAWNA RILEY has a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing in Christian Ministries, Interfaith Studies, and Theater from McMurry University. She had been involved in theater since her freshman year of High School and fell in love with it so much that she decided to include theater into her college studies. Shawna was heavily involved in the theater department at McMurry, not only acting but also in set building, directing, and playwriting. Shawna loves seeing the students have fun and express themselves through theater and the friendships that they build with their fellow students. Shawna moved to Abilene from Artesia, NM and stayed after college to be a youth pastor at Wylie Methodist Church. Shawna loves animals and has a Corgi, an Australian Sheppard, and a Rag doll cat. Shawna is thrilled to be getting married in April of 2024 to Cody Riley.
6th-12th Improv
NEECA MARTIN has a B.A. in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University. She began dancing at the age of 4 and has danced with other local companies, APAC, and The Blues, a nationally ranked dance team in Waco, Texas. Neeca wants to share her love of dance with her students and feels blessed to be able to be a part of their journey through APAC. Neeca is trained in Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Modern/Lyrical. Neeca's family includes her husband Haven, her two sons Jaxon and Caden, her dog Blu, and two cats Blaze and Emmy.
6th-12th Dance
GRACI MELBOURNE is a McMurry graduate with a degree in theatre and a minor in creative writing. She is a member of Alpha Psi Omega and graduated with acting and academic honors. Graci has been part of the APAC family for nine years; in her free time, she works summer camps and school-year programming with Young Audiences and is employed at the Paramount Theatre. In the fall of 2024, she plans on attending grad school for creative writing. Along with classes, she also assists in many APAC summer camps. Graci enjoys Shakespeare, rainy weather, and queso…in that order.
6th-12th Theatre, Dance, & Musical Theatre
CAITLIN MARTIN is a Houston native who is studying to get her BFA in Theatre Education and Dance from Abilene Christian University. Caitlin started dancing at 5 years old and competing in dance competitions at age 8. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and musical theatre at Hintze Dance Center and has received additional dance training through the Broadway Collective where she has worked with professionals in the industry such as Robert Hartwell and JJ Niemann. Caitlin is excited to share her love of dance with the students of APAC!
K-2nd Dance
AVA MACMILLER is studying communication sciences and disorders at Abilene Christian University. She was born and raised in Dallas, and studied dance at Dallas Ballet center (DBC) for 13 years. While at DBC, she was a member of Dallas Ballet Company and preformed at Regional Dance America as well as preformed in full length ballets through DBC. Although ballet is her favorite style of dance, she also enjoys jazz, contemporary, and Pom. From 2021-2023, she was a member of Abilene Christian University Pom Squad and preformed at Wildcat football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball games. Ava is beyond grateful and excited to share her passion for dance and teaching with the wonderful APAC community as the 6th-12th grade intermediate ballet and pre-pointe teacher!
6th-12th Dance
KATIE MOORE has grown up at APAC! She has been in the APAC family for thirteen years enrolled in dance and musical theatre and has assisted classes and summer camps as well. Katie has performed in many Paramount Productions and taught and directed drama classes for homeschool students. She now teaches music at Kenley school as well as private piano lessons. Katie is a student at Hardin-Simmons University majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Speech Language Pathology.
K-2nd Musical Theatre
KENZIE MENDEL is studying elementary education at Abilene Christian University. She grew up in Allen, Texas where she began dancing at the age of 3 at Cindy’s School of Dance. She continued dancing at the studio for 13 years, and competed for 5 of those years. Kenzie graduated from Allen High School as a 3 year member of her drill team, the Tallenettes. She has trained in various styles including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop. She has taught dance classes and camps for the past 3 summers at her home studio, and now Kenzie is grateful to be joining the APAC family this year where she will be teaching jazz. She is excited to share her passion for dance and love of jazz with her students!
6th-12th Dance
- Photographer: Tammy Marcelain -