Our Instructors

Sarah Woerner

Owner/Director

Sarah has danced at Dimensions Studio since the age of 5 when Dimensions opened its doors in 1997. Sarah danced competitively and won several high awards for her performances over the years. She continued with her dance training through college and into adulthood. While in college, she performed with the Bailey Mountain Cloggers Dance Team in Mars Hill and the Catawba College Dance Ensemble in Salisbury, NC. At a young age, Sarah performed on Off-Broadway in New York City after receiving extensive training from many distinguished instructors and choreographers, including attending Beginnings Workshop under the direction of Petr Sklar. For a short time, Sarah also trained under ballet master, Wayne Burritt at Dimensions Studio in Mars Hill. Sarah is a registered member of Acrobatique and is in the process of receiving her Jr Acrobatics certification. She has acted as a guest judge and master instructor at several studios around the Western North Carolina area. Sarah was an instructor with Betsy’s School of Dance in Franklin, NC and Tiger, GA from 2014-2018. She has led dance teams from both studios to winning high awards at regional dance competitions. With more than 15 years of teaching experience, Sarah became the owner of Dimensions Studio in Mars Hill in 2018 and Weaverville in 2021. Sarah serves as the artistic director and head choreographer of the All-Star Performance Team and acts as an instructor at both locations. Sarah attends several dance conferences each year to extend her dance, instruction, and business knowledge. Sarah thrives on sharing the love of dance with her community, she is inspired to instill confidence and positive dance experiences in young dancers. It was always a dream of hers to become the owner of Dimensions, her home studio which has a special place in her heart.

Sarah is married to the love of her life, Allen. Together they have 3 sons- Oaklee, age 4, and twin boys Archer & Woodson, age 4 months!!

Emily Bassinger

Dance Instructor

Emily Bassinger began dancing at the age of four at Louisburg School of Dance in Louisburg, North Carolina. She began with ballet and tap and progressed to jazz, lyrical, clogging and pointe. While at Louisburg, she performed at local festivals, competitions, and while in high school, performed at the North Carolina State Fair in the Clogging Competition. Emily graduated from high school in 2008 and continued her education at Mars Hill College where she received a B.S. degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Spanish. While at Mars Hill she was a member of the 21 time National Champion Team, The Bailey Mountain Cloggers. Emily held the position of Craft Chair her senior year. While on BMC she participated in many competitions, community events/festivals and traveled overseas to Germany. Emily works as the office coordinator for Haw Flether Elementary School in Asheville. She loves being a part of the Dimensions Studio family.

Ruth Van Sickle

Yoga Instructor

Ruth has been a student of Yoga for many years. She received her certification in 2007 from the Asheville Yoga Center. She has completed her 200 hour and 500 hour teacher training, being certified in Yin Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Kids, Restorative and Pre-Natal Yoga. She previously taught in Weaverville, Haywood County, at the Mars Hill Library and in Johnson City, TN. Ruth has worked with all ages including the very young to the very young at heart. She is excited to bring the benefits of balance, relaxation, and strength offered from Yoga to Dimensions Studio.

Gracie Coman

Dance Instructor

Miss Gracie started dancing at Dimensions in 2006 as a toddler in the Tot class and has continued to grow up in the Dimensions family. Since she was young, Gracie has taken many Ballet, Jazz, and Tap classes, along with Contemporary, Pointe, and Hip Hop classes, as she has gotten older. She started assisting other instructors in younger Ballet and Tap classes and now teaches her own classes with ages ranging from Elementary School to early Middle School. In 2019 Miss.Gracie joined our new competition team and continues to compete with the team. She plans on graduating from Madison Early College High school in 2023 with both her High school diploma and associate’s degree from AB-Tech. After High school Gracie plans on going into the education field, and hopes to become an English teacher for middle school and higher grades. She loves sharing the gift of dance with her community and studio!

Grace Kanarr

Dance Instructor

Miss Grace began her dance training at Dimensions Studio at the early age of 1 ½ in the Tot class. She also danced competitively doing solos and group dances with the Dimensions All-Star Dance Team from 2009 until 2013 and again beginning in 2020. Miss Grace has performed with, and choreographed for, the Mars Hill University’s Bailey Mountain Cloggers in several of their spring concerts. Miss Grace takes a variety of classes at Dimensions Studio and is experienced in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Acro and Clogging. Miss Grace has been an assistant at Dimensions for several years and now she teaches and choreographs for our Acro classes. Miss Grace is a senior at Madison High School and will graduate in 2022. After high school, Grace has plans to go college for Criminal Justice. We are very fortunate and grateful to have Miss Grace on staff!

Candice Howard

Dance Instructor

Bio Coming Soon!

Julie Worley

Office Assistant

Julie joined our office staff team in 2019. Before becoming a stay at home mom, she worked for 10 years for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Her two daughters, Jaycee and Jade, both dance at Dimensions. Julie loves to spend her time helping the studio any way she can. She is a vital part of our staff and we are thrilled to have her at Dimensions!

Marta Cano

Zumba Instructor

Bio Coming Soon!

Gina Elrod

Tots

Gina Elrod believes in keeping the fun in fitness! Gina understands how early beginnings in movement can lead to lifelong healthy habits. Her goals are to “encourage wellness, community, and good fun.” She is an A.F.A.A. (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor (since 2004) and is dedicated to encouraging functional
movement improvement for all ages. Gina is dedicated to encouraging those new to fitness with easy to follow workouts and practical tips. She also offers variety to those already making the consistent movement commitment. As one of Gina’s long-time fitness class participants said “Gina is warm and welcoming. She works hard at making sure everyone, of all ages and fitness levels, gets a good workout. She is committed to continuing education in fitness and regularly brings new ideas to the workouts”

Sheena East

Personal Trainer

Sheena East is a Certified Personal Trainer who specializes in women’s health, fitness and weight loss. She loves empowering women through strength and weight loss she also has experience in working with building muscle and gaining strength with men and women. She knows everybody’s body is different and has knowledge in different ways of pain management which ranges from back pain, knee pain, hip tightness to neck and shoulder pain. Sheena has worked in a small group fitness setting to big box gym settings and loves helping others start or continue a fitness lifestyle that in turn makes for a healthier lifestyle.

Charlotte Hovey

Dance Instructor

Miss Charlotte is a professional Dancer, Singer, and Actor as well as an instructor/choreographer of Classical Ballet, Pre-Pointe/Pointe, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. Her most recent role was performing year-round in Broadway’s North American Tour of Phantom of the Opera. She also holds nationally recognized teaching certifications in both Yoga & Pilates, beginning her professional Adult Fitness Instructor career while living in NYC. Charlotte began to volunteer teaching Dance, Theater, and Yoga in her teenage years realizing that she thoroughly enjoyed helping others learn how to express themselves and to understand how to connect with their bodies through movement. She is very excited to be joining the Dimensions Studio staff and is looking forward to meeting and sharing experiences with the people in her new community.

Samantha Morgan

Dance Instructor

Samantha Morgan started her dance career at the age of three in Sanford, N.C. She trained in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and clogging. After attending several studios in the area, Samantha found her home at Holly Springs School of Dance in Holly Springs, N.C. While in high school, she was the captain of the Lee County High School Dance Team and assisted in teaching several studio classes. At HSSOD, Samantha was a member of the Springs Dance Company. As an alumni member, she has taken part in several opportunities with the establishment, including being a team member with their annual Costa Rica Dance Mission Trip and chaperoning dancers performing in the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Samantha graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017 with a BSW and a minor in Dance Studies. At ASU, Samantha was cast in several performances with the Appalachian Dance Ensemble and Independent Choreography Projects. She also choreographed four lip sync dance performances for her sorority as a part of ASU’s Homecoming and Greek Weeks. Upon graduating, Samantha moved to the Asheville area to pursue graduate school, and a career in social work. She is currently a school based therapist at Leicester Elementary School. Samantha is extremely excited to once again return to her lifelong love of dance in the form of teaching at Dimensions!

Rachel Sealy

Dance Instructor

Rachel Sealy attends Mars Hill University where she is a Nursing major and a Dance Minor. She is a member of the Bailey Mountain Cloggers and Mars Hill Dance Team. Rachel has been dancing since the age of three and is trained in all different styles of dance. Rachel was a Competition Dancer for Southern Sapphires Dance Company in Lumberton North Carolina. She has won numerous overall titles and has represented Ultimate Starz Dance Competition as Junior, Teen, and 2019-2020 Dancer of the year. Her acro background began while taking gymnastics and also doing competition cheer. She has been teaching dance classes since the age of 15. Rachel has performed on a Carnival Cruise ship and cannot wait to see where she travels with BMC. Rachel is excited to teach at Dimensions!

Abria Pelka

Dance Instructor

Abria Pelka is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She specializes in hip hop, jazz-funk, and contemporary. She is originally from San Diego CA, where she danced competitively for 12 years but now resides in North Carolina and teaches hip hop and jazz-funk. When she’s not dancing she’s either taking care of her farm animals or building tiny homes with her husband.

Taylor LotTeS

Dance Instructor

Miss Taylor grew up in WNC and studied dance from the age of 5 years old at Betsy’s School of Dance in Franklin NC. Taylor took a variety of dance styles with Ballet and Jazz being her favorites. Taylor spent her senior year of high school as a boarding student at the the NC School of the Arts in Winston Salem NC, with a focus on Drama and Musical Theater. Taylor has spent the last 10 years in Asheville teaching part time as a Zumba instructor and substitute for multiple dance classes. You can find Taylor enjoying live music venues, dancing to the beat of her own drum and spending quality time with her little family. Taylor has two daughters who will be starting at classes at Dimensions Dance Studio this year, and are all anxiously awaiting for classes to start