WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
For over 20 years, Turning Pointe has had the privilege of training thousands of dancers - not only on dance technique but also in mastering life skills such as self-discipline, time management, poise, perseverance and teamwork.
You can find our alumni in every corner of the United States! Our alums are comprised of an incredible group of students who have ALL gone on to do amazing things!
We are so proud of all our TPAD graduates and alumni! We often say it doesn't matter if you have danced at our studio for one year or for 15 years . . .once you dance at TPAD, you are a part of our dance family forever!!
Olivia (Miles) Sorrell
"I have called Turning Pointe Academy of Dance my home away from home since I was 6 years old. Turning Pointe is way more than just a dance studio, it helped shape me into the person I have become today. Not only did I get the chance to discover my passion for competitive dance, but I also got to learn from the best instructors in the industry. At Turning Pointe I learned countless life lessons, made life lasting friendships, and made so many unforgettable memories along the way. Upon graduating from Turning Pointe in 2011 I attended college at IUPUI and got my degree in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with a Minor in Disability Studies. Since I did not want to say goodbye to the studio just yet, throughout college I had the pleasure of going from a dancer to a dance teacher and teaching the “little ones” Ballet and Jazz at TP. Since graduating college in 2015, I started my career as an ABA Therapist. I conduct therapy with children on the ASD Spectrum at the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism and I have been there for the past 4 1/2 years. In 2017, I married my husband Sawyer and we currently live in Fortville, Indiana. Even though my dance career has come to an end I know that no matter where life takes me Turning Pointe will be forever my second home!"
Ambria White
"A Cathedral grad and long time member of Turning Pointe Academy of Dance, I attended Ball State University. At Ball State, I majored in psychology while being on the Code Red Dance Team all four years. After graduation, I then went on to cheer for the Indianapolis Colts for four seasons, two of those seasons as a captain. I was blessed with opportunities to attend NFL events, travel, and even represent the Indianapolis Colts at the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl. While cheering, I attended Indiana Wesleyan University where I obtained a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling. I am currently married and work as a mental health counselor. I am forever grateful for Turning Pointe and the lessons that extended far beyond the dance room."
Shelby Dillard (Malibu)
“My name is Shelby Dillard and I am originally from Carmel, IN. I started dancing when I was 3 and began attending Turning Pointe my 8th grade year. Turning Pointe instantly became one of my all time favorite places. I went on to study at The University of Alabama and graduated from there in 2017. I completed my degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Child Life. I currently work at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, FL on the Hematology/Oncology unit as a Certified Child Life Specialist. As a CCLS, I work closely with pediatric patients to mitigate the stressors of the hospital setting by providing procedural support, preparation, and diagnosis education. Turning Pointe taught me so many amazing life lessons and truly helped shape me into the person I am today. I am incredibly lucky to be able to call this studio my second home and family. TP U KNO! ❤️”
Riley Hill
I came to turning pointe in 2008 after leaving a studio where I felt as though I was simply another paying customer & not a dancer. TPAD welcomed me with open arms the 1st day & 12 years later nothing has changed! After graduating in 2012, I attended Eastern Kentucky University where I was a four year member of the EKU dance team & Alpha Delta Pi sorority. I was also a member of the psychology honors society Psi Chi & taught at a local dance studio. During undergrad anytime I would come home to visit my first stop would always be TP! In 2016, I graduated from EKU with a major in General Psychology & was accepted in the Applied Behavior Analysis Masters program at Ball State University, in hopes to become a behavior therapist for individuals with disabilities. During grad school I coached the Cathedral High School dance team & I was fortunate enough to be able to coach my dancers at TP. I also had a side job of photography where I photographed many TP families & dancers over the years. In 2018, I graduated from BSU with a masters in Applied Behavior Analysis & started my position as Behavioral Consultant with Insights Consulting! I currently support 30 amazing individuals with disabilities & mental health diagnoses! I’m a dog mom to my beautiful rescue pup named Millie, an aunt to two sweet red-headed twins, building a house with my boyfriend of 7 years, & still running my photography side business!
TPAD has provided me with many tools & opportunities since the time I walked through their doors 12 years ago. TP gave me the tools to teach dance to others & when I needed a place to practice TP was there. TP gave me opportunities not only in dance but in photography as well by asking me to shoot incredible events including colts fundraisers & cookbooks that were distributed around Indy. TP taught me how to lead & be a team player, respect others always, to work hard for what you want, never burn a bridge with others, to always welcome people with open arms & most importantly that I can walk from one side of the room to the other in 4 counts if I just pick up my heels! I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Turning Pointe Academy of Dance!
Donisha Carter
My freshman year of high school I was new to Indiana and started taking dance classes at Turning Pointe Academy of Dance. The following year I joined the company team and started competing competitively. Coming to Turning Pointe was the best decision I could’ve made for furthering my dance technique and finding a studio I could call home. After graduating high school, I attended Ball State University where I received a bachelors degree in exercise science and a masters in sport administration. While at Ball State I was a four-year member of the Code Red Dance Team. I continued to stay involved with dance after graduating and had the privilege to coach Code Red for 5 seasons from 2014 to 2019. During my time with Code Red I was able to coach several Turning Pointe alumni. I currently work at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) headquartered in downtown Indianapolis. I have worked for the NCAA for the past four years planning national championships for several different sports. I will always be grateful for my time at Turning Pointe and the friends turned family that will always be a part of my life. TP U KNOW!!
Abby Hulbert (Red)
I was blessed with the opportunity to be a member of the Turning Pointe family for six incredible years. After graduating from Noblesville High School in 2012, I attended Purdue University, where I was a member of the Purdue Dance Team (PDT) while obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Following graduation in 2016, I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where I now live with my husband. I started my nursing career in an Adult Cardiac Procedural Unit at UNC Rex Healthcare. I now work in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Hospital, where I have been the past two and a half years, and I absolutely adore my job. I recently began graduate school at Duke University to pursue my Master of Science in Nursing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. In our free time, my husband, Will, and I love to take our weekly ballroom dance lessons. Turning Pointe shaped me into the woman, daughter, sister, wife, friend, nurse, and student that I am today. My time with my TP family instilled teamwork, commitment, respect, integrity, inclusion, and positivity in me. These attributes have made me a better family member, friend, and nurse. I utilize the invaluable lessons I learned from dance and from my TP family each day while having the honor of caring for critically ill infants and children with congenital heart disease. TP always challenged and encouraged me to be my best self, while showing undying love for those around me. I often reflect on my years at TP, and while I dearly miss that time in my life, I am quickly reminded of the fact that TP is my family forever. Despite the diverse paths we all may take, the Turning Pointe family is always a constant. My instructors, teammates, and the massive support from all the TP families, have shown me a love and “village” like none other. I am eternally grateful for this family, and will continue to strive to uphold the lifelong lessons and qualities TP has taught me.
All my love,
Abby
(Red)
Hannah Keaton (Tink)
Hi I’m Hannah! My time with Turning Pointe started a little later, as I transferred from another studio the summer before my freshman year of high school. Upon graduating in 2011, I attended Purdue University and was a member of the Purdue Dance Team all 4 years. We competed at NDA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida each Spring where we finished Top 3 in the Open/Jazz Division my sophomore through senior years!! I graduated from Purdue in 2015 with a degree in Public Health.
After graduation, I moved back to the Indianapolis area and spent 3 years working at Riley Hospital for Children. In the spring of 2019 I made the decision to go back to school, and last month I graduated with my Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I’m now working as a Trauma ICU nurse!
The 4 years I spent at TPAD helped mold me into the confident, independent, and determined person that I am today. I probably spent more time in the studio than I did at home, and the dancers and teachers really became a second family to me. I’m forever grateful for the lessons I learned at TPAD, both dance and life related!
Morgan Cadwell (MoMo)
I have overcome a lot of obstacles in my life with the love and support I’ve received from my Turning Pointe family over the last 15 years. Whether it be personal or dance related, I always knew that someone would be there to care and push me to be the best version of myself. Dance was everything to me while growing up! I looked forward to spending all of my time possible at the dance studio - this was my home. After graduating high school, I attended Indiana University in Bloomington. I graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies and minors in Psychology and Sociology. I continued my passion for dance throughout my college years by taking classes and building on all the skills I had learned from my dance instructors and staff at Turning Pointe. I continued to sub teach at Turning Pointe over the next few years to stay connected and to give back to the studio who did so much for me. I interned at The Julian Center, a shelter for battered women and children, just before graduating and have been a Foster Care Treatment Coordinator for the past 7 years. I am a Team Lead with my agency and will be starting graduate school next year to pursue my Master’s degree in Social Work. I’m recently engaged and in 2 weeks, my fiancé and I will be moving into our first home with my 2 bonus children. We made sure to get a home with an extra room to fulfill our aspirations of becoming foster parents and potentially adopt child(ren) in the years to come. I am proud to be a Turning Pointe alumni and to still have a long line of cousins teaching and dancing for the company to this day!
Morgan
Natalie Sipes
I spent my last three years of my 18 year competitive dance career at TPAD and am so thankful for the training I had there! I went on to make the Code Red Dance Team at Ball State and was a captain through my senior year. I graduated this May with a degree in biology and currently work in Indy as an associate medical technologist performing COVID-19 diagnostic tests. I am applying to medical schools and plan to be an OBGYN in just a few (like 10) years! Dance has taught me so much, and I couldn’t imagine my life without the precious lessons I learned during my time at Turning Pointe!
Sydnee O'Bryant (Syd)
Turning pointe not only shaped me into the dancer I became but into the person I still am today. I came to turning pointe a shy, little 10 year old who never could’ve imagined doing the things I have done. After my 7 years at TP, I moved to Las Vegas and then to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a professional dancer for almost 5 years. I am now back in Indy and going to school to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a nurse! Turning pointe taught me discipline, hard work, and loyalty. The friendships and relationships I made at this studio will last a lifetime. TP is so much more than just a dance studio... it’s a family and for that, I am forever grateful ❤️
Katie Miller
Hi, I am Katie! I walked through Turning Pointe’s door at the age of 9 years old. TPAD welcomed me in wholeheartedly and quickly became my second family. At Turning Pointe I made friends that will last a lifetime, learned from the greatest teachers around, and made unforgettable memories. I graduated in 2018, and I am currently a junior at Indiana University majoring in Contemporary Dance and Pre-Physical Therapy. I am blessed to still have the ability to dance and preform every semester. I always look forward to my constant trips to the studio when I am home on breaks. I am forever grateful to be able to call this studio my second family!
Maddie Charton
Hi I’m Maddie! I came into turning pointe with an open heart knowing I was not just walking into a dance studio, I was walking into a new family. I spent one year at TPAD and was so thankful for the training I received there. I then pursued dance at Ball State University on the Code Red Dance Team for a year, and Outlet Hip Hop Dance Troupe for 2 years as the Public Relations Exec Board Member. I graduated this past May from Ball State with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. I currently work at Total Quality Logistics as a Logistics Account Executive. Dance has taught me so many life lessons that still to this day I use. Attending Turning Pointe changed my life for the better!
Josie Brown (Rosie)
I was fortunately able to join Turning Pointe Academy Of Dance my last two years of high school and compete with this amazing company. TPAD has definitely helped shape me into the hard working professional dancer that I am today! I am thankful for the dance training as well as the life lessons that I have learned from being a part of the TPAD family. Since graduating, I have danced in music videos, live gigs, performed on cruise ships and even booked a few Las Vegas shows! Mrs. Jen and TPAD not only gave me the necessary tools to succeed in the professional world but also helped me find the confidence from within myself to go out and pursue a career in such a competitive industry! I am forever grateful. Thank you TPAD family! ❤ ❤
Ayden Verona (Ayda)
I started at Turning Pointe when I was 11 years old. Coming into a well known studio with so much talent at all ages was very intimidating but it quickly became my second home. Turning Pointe means a lot to me because of all the important people that it brought into my life. It is hard to make general statements about so many people that I met through Turning Pointe that are each so important to me in different ways but I don’t want to write a novel. 🙂 I made best friends for life who are really just my family at this Point. My teachers, who taught me as much if not more out of the classroom about the importance of hard work, commitment, and working as a team. They taught me how to take myself seriously and how to work hard while still having fun. My experiences at Turning Pointe gave me the confidence and opportunity to be a leader and role model which carried over into my college years. After high school I attended Purdue University where I studied Communication with a focus in PR. I was a part of the Purdue Dance team all 4 years and was captain my senior year. I was also able to dance with a fellow TP alum in college which was the best! I graduated from Purdue in August of 2019 and decided to stay in Indy. I have since gotten a job working in the medical device manufacturing industry due to a connection made through Turning Pointe! I am forever grateful for my time spent at TP and all lessons learned. To all my Turning Pointe peeps reading this I love ya and I miss ya! TP U KNO!!
