Welcome to the WT Dance Academy Family!
Come Dance With Us! The WT Dance Academy is committed to dance education, values our community, and invites students of all skill levels to our studio to learn dance. The Academy is a recreational dance studio that provides a safe and nurturing environment for children and teens ages 3-16 to train in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre and Hip Hop!
Under the guidance of current Dance Majors in the WT Dance Program, our academy students experience their artistic potential while achieving an appreciation for dance and individuality through class instruction, choreography and stage performance.
Registration opens June 17, 2026 (see Registration QR Code Below). Classes begin August 24, 2026!
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Classes are held at West Texas A&M University Mary Moody Northen Hall Dance Studio 154 & 155.
Contact 806-651-2820 or danceacademy@wtamu.edu for more information.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtamudanceacademy
Instagram: instagram.com/wtamu_danceacademy/
For more information contact Charity Gonzales, Children's Dance Academy Coordinator.
Email: danceacademy@wtamu.edu
Office: 806-651-2820
Sandra Miller, WTAMU Dance Academy Advisor
Email: smiller@wtamu.edu
Office: 806-651-2858
Vision Statement of WTAMU Dance Academy
The WTAMU Dance Academy is committed to dance development through a creative, imaginative, and artistic experience while offering classes that enhance and engage in a safe and cultivating learning environment.
Meet Our Academy Staff!
Charity Gonzales
This is academy director and Creative Movement I & II and Tap instructor Charity Gonzales. This is her second year with the academy! She is a senior currently obtaining her bachelor’s degree in dance performance here at WTAMU. Charity started dancing at the age of 6 at Turning Pointe Studio under Mandy Schilling in Booker, Texas. There she studied in ballet, pointe, lyrical, tap, and jazz. She was a competitive dancer for competitions such as DMA, Celebration, and Talent on Parade. She received her teaching certification in ballet and jazz from Dance Masters of America (DMA) in 2024. She then transferred to WTAMU and gained experience with new styles such as modern and musical theater. She has been involved in the Lone Star ballet company where she has gotten professional performance experience in shows such as Brothers Grimm, The Nutcracker, and Time Steps. She plans to dance for a couple of years after graduating and her end goal is to open her own studio and share her love for dance to the younger generations.
Fantasia Morgan
Meet our returning teacher, Fantasia Morgan! Our instructor for Hip hop, Musical Theatre, and now Contemporary classes! Fantasia is going into her senior year at West Texas A&M University. Born and raised in Roswell, NM where she began dancing at age 4. She competed for 6 years, assisted for 5 years and taught dance for 2 before coming here to WT. She has experience in Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, Musical Theatre, Ballet, and Acro. As well as taking many master classes taught by commercial dance professionals. J0 The experiences growing up in the sport of dance led her here, where she auditioned and landed a spot in the West Texas Dance Program as well as Captain for the WT Pom Squad! She has been taking professional classes with both Nationally and Internationally recognized professionals like Crystal Bertrand, Edward Truitt, Sandra Stegelman Miller, and Stacy Clay Hall. She is working to achieve her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree here at West Texas University.
Quick Note from Fantasia: "Dance is for EVERYONE"
Alyssa
Meet Alyssa! As our Jazz, and Ballet 2 instructor! Alyssa started dancing at 3 years old with Lone Star Ballet in Amarillo Texas. She studied ballet, jazz, modern, and tap under various instructors, and performed with the company until 2021. She recently returned to the WT dance program in pursuit of a Dance Education BFA. Her goal is help shape strong and confident dancers, by providing them a safe space to learn and make mistakes while they work toward their own goals.
Eden Holmes
Meet Eden Holmes! As our Ballet 1 instructor. Eden from Amarillo TX, going into her 2nd year at WT, and is a Dance Performance major. She's been teaching for 4 years! Ages 3-10 years old and has taught ballet mostly. She's also been a dancer for 17 years and says she is very excited to share her passion with students at the WT dance academy!
Ari
Meet our new instructor Ari! As our Creative Movement I & ll Instructor. She is from Tulia Texas, going into her sophomore year at WT, she is a dance major and has been teaching for about two years in Tulia, Texas, and danced for over 11 years at the Edge Amarillo! She loves teaching dance because she loves helping many children try something new and experience new things! She mentions that since she is from a small town you don't get to experience new things. So that is why she wants to be an instructor to give others growing up what she didn't have much of.
Addy Ratzlaff
We are welcoming Addy Ratzlaff, as our Academy Coordinator and Co Instructor for our musical theater, hip-hop, and contemporary classes. She is going into her sophomore year at WT, from Amarillo Texas, and started dancing when she was 14 with the Amarillo high school sandie steppers under Kaylee Morrison. She competed at multiple ADTS/CPD dance/drill team competitions on Steppers where they were national champions for three out of her four years on the team. In high school she helped with practices for her JV team and fell in love with choreography and teaching. She is currently also on the WT pom squad. She hopes to continue to grow her technique and grow in other styles at WTAMU. after college she hopes to continue performing for a few years while gaining teaching experience and eventually hope to coach a high school dance team and have more choreography opportunities. She also hopes to help prepare young dancers for future lives in and outside of dance.