Director of Belle Academy of Dance
Kay Ferris has a B.A. in Education from the University of Iowa, where she was a Hawkeye cheerleader and a member of the Old Gold Singers. Her formal dance training in ballet, tap, and jazz began as an adult under the instruction of Connie Bracey and staff at CLB Dance Academy. After serving as a substitute teacher for CLB, she later became the general manager and a staff instructor. In 2005 Kay was offered ownership and renamed the studio Belle Academy of Dance. At First Presbyterian Church in Davenport she has been the choreographer for the church’s Performing Arts Series for 25 years. Kay’s three daughters – Lindsay, Anne, and Adrienne – grew up through this studio while Anne and Adrienne continue as instructors. The tradition continues with the precious opportunity to share this journey with five of her eight grandchildren.
Instructors
Dance has added dimensions to the life of Anne Chansler for 34 years. She trained with CLB Dance Academy in ballet, pointe, tap, and jazz, and was the 1994 recipient of the Karen Webb Ballet Award. At North Scott High School, Anne both performed and choreographed for the dance team and show choir. During a three-year membership with Orchesis Dance Company at the University of Northern Iowa, she studied modern dance and choreographed two modern pieces, one of which was selected to be performed and adjudicated at the 2002 American College Dance Festival. She is now enjoying her 17th year of teaching dance for Belle Academy. Anne graduated from UNI in 2004 with a B.A. in Music Education, and she received her M.A. in Education from Nova Southeastern University in 2013. She teaches general music at Wilson Elementary in Davenport and enjoys life with her husband, step-son, and two special red-headed children, Amelia and Alex.
In 1995, Lisa Levetzow Tanner graduated from Stephens College, Columbia, MO earning a BFA in dance, BA in Psychology, and minor in Biology. Starting at the age of four, the emphasis in her dance training has been in ballet and modern technique, however her repertoire includes tap, jazz, African, Spanish Flamenco, and East Indian. Lisa graduated with her MSEd in Counseling from Western Illinois University in 2005 and works as a school counselor for the Davenport Community Schools. She also serves as an assistant coach for the Davenport Central High School Blue Illusion Dance Team and enjoys choreographing for community theatre. Lisa lives in Davenport with her husband Mike and has two daughters, Dayna and Zoe, former dancers of Belle. This is her 25th year teaching at Belle Academy, and Lisa feels truly fortunate to have worked with so many amazing young people! She feels blessed to be able to continue sharing her passion of dance and choreography with others.
Andrea Williams is proud to have been a part of Belle Academy/CLB for the past 17 years. Beginning at age nine, Andrea studied ballet, tap and jazz. In college, she added modern, ballroom and folk to her dance experience. She holds a minor in Dance and an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa, where she was a member of Orchesis Dance Company. She has been working as a dance teacher and choreographer for nearly 30 years, including five years as owner and director of a studio in Galesburg, IL. Andrea is a full-time Speech Communication instructor at Scott Community College. She also enjoys choreographing high school and community theatre productions. Most recently, she choreographed Hairspray for Davenport Central High School. Andrea and her husband Gary have a son, Brady, and live in Moline with their black labs Zeus and Athena.
Melissa Clark is thrilled to be teaching at Belle Academy. She started dancing when she was three years old and spent years at Studio 17 Performing Arts Center training in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, musical theater, singing, and acting. Since then, Melissa has continued her love of dance while performing in many local community theater productions, most recently playing Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda at Quad City Music Guild. Melissa lives in Bettendorf with her husband and best friend, Nate. They have two wonderful children – Belle Academy dancer and teacher, Harper, and Grinnell College student, Spencer.
Adrienne Tressel started dancing at the age of two, training in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and variations under Connie Bracey at CLB Dance Academy, and was the 2002 recipient of the Karen Webb Ballet Award. In high school, she began teaching dance classes and choreographing for CLB, and further expanded her dance knowledge and choreographic experience with her high school dance team in poms, jazz, and hip hop. Her passion for dance continued into college where she trained extensively in ballet and modern with the University of Iowa dance department. She stayed connected with Belle Academy during this time by driving back from Iowa City once a week to teach classes. Upon graduating from college with BBA degrees in Finance and Business Management and minors in Dance and Spanish, Adrienne began working for John Deere and returned as a student and teacher to Belle Academy for a few years before relocating with Deere to Augusta, Georgia. She spent six years there where she met her husband, Ben, before moving back to the QC. They now reside in Bettendorf with their preschooler Camryn and infant Easton.
Dance has impacted Justine Doyle’s life for as long as she can remember. She began at age four with Irish step dancing at Mullane Academy followed by tap and ballet at CLB which is now Belle Academy of Dance. She has continued her love of dance by adding jazz, hip hop, modern, pointe, and variations over the years. Justine received the Karen Webb Tap Scholarship in 2012 and the Karen Webb Ballet Award in 2015. In Irish dance she reached the highest level of competitive Irish dancing and danced in both regional and national championships. A member of her high school varsity/competitive dance team, she received yearly Division I ratings at the State of Iowa Solo Dance Competition. Justine is a 2020 graduate from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation and a Minor in Social Work. She has continued her passion of dance throughout and beyond college by teaching various dance classes for dancers of varying abilities. Justine coached a dance team known as Combined Efforts for two years, and choreographed a dance that was performed at the Iowa Special Olympics. Now she is working in the Quad Cities and is excited to continue teaching with her Belle family for what she hopes to be many years to come!
