Faculty
DENISE CROSIER
Director
Denise Crosier has been the proud owner of Southwest Dance Company since July 2013. She has 4 girls who have all danced at Southwest Dance. Her oldest 2 girls started dancing at Southwest Dance in 2000 under the direction and teaching of Miss Candy Fowler. Denise and her husband were long time parents when the studio came up for sale in 2013. She bought the studio because she wanted to keep Miss Candy’s legacy moving forward in Southern Utah and have her girls continue in this wonderful studio. Through her years as a mother, she referred many friends to Southwest Dance because she knew that the dancers were taught the values of beautiful music, appropriate movement, and modest costumes along with the ability to think outside of the box with their creative dance movement.
Denise has had extensive experience helping businesses with their finances. The businesses she has helped include Crosier Financial, Tropical Fiberglass Pools and Bullfrog Spas, Holbrook Asphalt, and Valor Hall. These businesses made her grow as a business owner by helping her understand finances and how to run a successful business.
She also has a passion for learning different techniques of healing and recently completed a certification in Foot Restoration Therapy. Denise loves to camp, vacation, and be with her husband and four daughters!
KATIE SMITH
Artistic Director
Katie Fowler Smith has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She started dancing with Southwest Dance at the age of 7 when her mother Candy Fowler founded the dance studio. Her love of dance continued as her teaching career started with Southwest Dance when she was 17 years old. Katie continued to teach with Southwest Dance and is now their Artistic Director. Katie’s dance background also includes 10 years of Classical Jazz dance training and 5 years of Classical Ballet training.
Katie attended Pine View High School where she was on the Drill Team for 3 years and Drill Mistress her Senior Year. She was the Sterling Scholar in Dance and the Region Runner Up. Katie was the first Miss St. George in 1990 and went to the Miss Utah Pageant where she won the Talent Award.
She graduated from Dixie State University with her associate’s degree. While there she was a cheerleader for two years and the Head Cheerleader her Sophomore year. Katie was crowned Homecoming Queen in 1992 and went to Miss Utah again where she was in the Top 20 Contestants and won the Talent Award.
Katie attended Brigham Young University and was awarded the Dance Talent Award Scholarship. She also received the Dee Winterton Award and the Phylis Jacobsen Award. She was on the BYU Dance Ensemble Performing Choreography Group. Katie was also a member of the BYU touring Modern Dance company titled“The Dancers Company” for two years which toured through the northwestern and western states as well as South Africa, the Philippines and South Korea. She was also featured in the BYU dance film Women the Pioneer dancing the role of Woman of Joy. Katie graduated from BYU in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance.
Katie served an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Canada Toronto West Ontario Mission. Katie is married to her sweetheart Joseph Evan Smith and they have six wonderful, talented children.
KIRSTEN BETHERS
Instructor
Kirsten Duke Bethers grew up dancing with Southwest Dance Theatre from the age of six until her high school graduation. She loved the creative aspect of the dance classes and the magic that it brought into her life. It was a wonderful part of her childhood and an experience that she feels shaped her in so many positive ways. She took advantage of the extra training that was offered through master classes, Jazz classes and various dance workshops and camps each summer from the time she was in seventh grade. She was part of the dance team during high school and choreographed numerous times for her own team and others; receiving awards at the State and National level. She was part of the All-State team and was voted Outstanding Senior.
Kirsten graduated with honors from Brigham Young University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Human Development with a minor in Dance. Three of her years at BYU were spent performing with Dancensemble–a modern dance group that features student choreography. Kirsten has lived on both the East and West Coasts since college while her husband finished his education, then returned home to St. George in 2005.
She has been teaching with Southwest Dance since 2006 and loves the opportunity to pass her love of dance on to others. Kirsten is married to Dan Bethers and they have six children.
CHAUNTELLE LEWIS
Instructor
Chauntelle Plewe Lewis has been dancing since birth—formally since she was four years old. She danced with Southwest Dance Theatre until she was 19 and was Miss Candy’s assistant for a few years. She has taught at Southwest Dance since 2007 and loves the opportunity to share the magic of dance that Candy Fowler instilled in her. Chauntelle’s favorite part of teaching is seeing pure joy exuding from her dancers as they are free to create their own movement. She also loves designing concert and studio graphics for Southwest Dance.
In high school, Chauntelle was a member of the drill team. While attending Dixie State College she was a founding member of the Dixie State Dance Company. At Dixie State she earned an Associate of Arts and a Certificate in Visual Technologies. Chauntelle then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications: Public Relations, and a minor in Modern Dance. At BYU she was a member of Dancensemble—a modern dance choreography and performing company, and Kinnect—an education, outreach, and performing company. With Kinnect she travelled to New York City and Philadelphia to perform, teach, and attend class. Her Senior year she was awarded “Student Teacher of the Year.” She was also in the cast of The Trojan Women, a play incorporating modern dance, and Left Behind: The Women of the Mormon Battalion, a dance play in which she performed in group pieces and a solo.
Chauntelle served an LDS mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She then worked as the Dixie State College Marketing Coordinator. for 2 years. She is a founding member of the St. George Dance Company and danced with them for several years. Chauntelle and her husband Tyler have five children.
JAYMI CROSIER
Instructor
Jaymi Nicole Crosier has been dancing at Southwest Dance since she was 3 years old and her love of dance has continued throughout the years. In addition to Modern, she has taken Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop at Westside Studio and Dance Alliance.
Jaymi’s teaching career started at the age of 16 with Southwest Dance Company as a teacher, teaching assistant, and substitute teacher for all ages. Jaymi graduated from Pine View High School on the high honor roll and was the sterling scholar runner-up for Social Sciences. During high school, Jaymi attended the BYU Modern and Jazz Dance Camps. Jaymi received the Presidential Scholarship to Southern Utah University for academics, where she received her associates’ degree.
In addition to teaching dance, she is a full-time licensed massage therapist.
BOSTON STOCK
Instructor
Boston Peine Stock has been dancing since she was 5 years old. She started dancing with Southwest Dance Company at the age of 10 where she fell in love with Modern dance. In addition to Modern, she took advantage of the Ballet, Jazz and Master Classes offered. She danced with Southwest until her high school graduation.
After graduation, her love of dance continued as she got involved with Modern dance in the community and started pursuing a teaching career at the studio. She assisted classes under Miss Katie and took dance classes both at the Dixie State College and in the community. It was through these classes that she met some of the founders of the St. George Dance Company. She then trained and performed with the St. George Dance Company until leaving for an LDS Mission to Germany.
After her mission and some time at Utah State, Boston came back home to St. George with her husband, Corey. She was excited to reconnect with Southwest Dance and join their faculty as a teacher in 2016.
While teaching dance, she finished her schooling at Dixie State University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Math Education. She has been teaching math at the middle school level since 2018.
Boston’s favorite part of teaching is getting to truly know each of her students. She loves the opportunity she has to learn from them as they share their ideas and creativity.
KAREN BROCK
Instructor
Karen Jensen Brock has been dancing since age 10. From ages 13-18 she took regular extensive classes in modern, ballet, jazz, tap, and musical theater. She spent her summers in dance camps and workshops. When Karen was 15 she started assistant teaching in dance classes, which she did for 3 years. For several years she enjoyed performing at many different events through the community as a member of a performing dance company. Karen graduated from Pine View High School in 2005 and went on to dance as a member of Dixie State College’s dance company and God’s Messengers, a local dance company. Karen’s life revolves around her family. When she does get a night to herself she enjoys taking classes in the community with St. George Dance Company and at Dixie Arts Conservatory.
Since Karen was young, she wanted to be a teacher. Once she started dancing that dream adapted into being a dance teacher. As she’s watched her 3 daughters dance at Southwest for the past 5 years, her love for dance and teaching children has intensified and she is ecstatic to finally be making that dream come true.
Karen has been an assistant teacher to 5 children’s classes in the past couple years at Southwest Dance. She has learned and taught under the direction of Miss Susan and Miss Jaymi. She looks forward to being a part of Southwest Dance Company as she teaches and watches the dancers develop.
ASHLYN MCKENNA
Instructor
Ashlyn Smith McKenna danced with Southwest Dance Company from three years old to her senior year. Ashlyn is the granddaughter of Candy Lish Fowler, the founder of Southwest Dance Company, and the daughter of the artistic director, Katie Smith. She is very passionate not only about dance, but about the company itself and its vision to provide a safe place for children to come create and experience the beauty in dance.
Ashlyn started assisting with Southwest Dance Company at age twelve and has had many different opportunities to assist in the studio ever since. Ashlyn has been a backstage concert assistant for Southwest Dance for three years. She has had the privilege of attending BYU’s invitational Alumni Dance Camp and SUU’s summer dance workshops. She has performed by invitation at Dixie High School’s annual Christmas concert and with Snow Canyon’s annual spring dance company concert. In 2015, as a sophomore in high school, Ashlyn danced the role of Mother Bear in Southwest Dance Company’s concert “Snow White and Rose Red”. In 2017 Ashlyn also danced a lead role in her senior dance concert, “The Paper Dragon”.
Ashlyn graduated from Dixie High School in 2017 where she played soccer all 4 years and won a state championship. She graduated as a high honor roll student with a full-ride scholarship to Chowan University in North Carolina. Her full-ride scholarship was comprised of Athletic, Academic, and Leadership awards to play soccer for two years. Ashlyn is an accomplished collegiate athlete.
After attending Chowan University, she chose to serve an 18-month mission in the Texas Houston South Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon returning from her mission, Ashlyn quickly started teaching, choreographing, and assisting at Southwest Dance Company.
Currently, Ashlyn is working towards receiving a bachelor’s degree in Professional and Technical Writing with a minor in Dance.
She also spends her time as an up-and-coming artist. Ashlyn is married to Jackson McKenna. She looks forward to a wonderful life of learning, creating, and sharing her talents with other people, especially the children at Southwest Dance Company.
DANIELLE SHEPHERD
Instructor
Danielle began dancing at the age of five with classes in ballet, jazz, and tap. She started her journey with Southwest Dance Company when she was eight and instantly fell in love with its values, creativity, freedom, and beauty. She continued dancing with Southwest until she graduated in 2019.
In addition, Danielle has taken many years of ballet during high school and college. Her training also included classes in pointe, modern, jazz, and tap. She has performed in dance concerts for Southwest Dance Company, Westside Dance Studio, and St. George Dance Company. She has completed enough credits to earn a dance minor from Utah Tech University and is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
She also has a significant background in music. She played the violin throughout her growing years and received a music scholarship in college where she played violin for several semesters. Her music background is a great complement to her dance teaching.
SHANNON SPENCER
Instructor
Shannon Spencer has been dancing since she was young and is an alumna of Southwest Dance Company. Southwest Dance was influential in her life, instilling a deep love for creative movement and a desire to teach.
Shannon earned her Associate of Arts degree from Dixie State College and performed on the Dixie State College Dance Company. After serving a mission in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she taught briefly at Southwest Dance Company. Shannon went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Brigham Young University. While at BYU, she choreographed and performed as a member of Dance Ensemble, and journeyed to China for a dance study abroad, where she choreographed and performed her senior project.
After completing her degree at BYU, she spent five wonderful years teaching at Tanner Dance, the University of Utah’s children’s dance program. While there, she taught Studio classes, Arts in Education classes in elementary schools, was a teacher in the Fine Arts Preschool, and assisted and taught in the Children’s Dance Theater.
Additionally, Shannon has performed and choreographed in summer dance concerts with the St. George Dance Company. Shannon feels blessed to be married to her incredible husband and to be the mother of four beautiful children. Shannon is thrilled to be teaching at the studio, sharing her passion with others, and watching the joy that dance brings to children.
RYLEE CROSIER
Instructor
Rylee Crosier loves to dance! She has been dancing with Southwest Dance since she was 3 years old. She has continuously taken dance each year and has never missed a dance concert. Rylee has consistently progressed over the years and took it upon herself to make sure she exercised and stretched each day to become a better dancer with beautiful pointed toes.
Rylee loved assisting dance classes during her middle and high school years! She began assisting in 2015 and was mentored by Katie, Susan, Jaymi, and Boston. Her favorite classes are the little classes because she loves how adorable they are.
Rylee loves to play the violin and piano as well! She started playing the violin at 6 years old and picked up the piano during her teenage years. In high school she was asked to play the violin during her church’s Pioneer Trek and played many times during that week to help uplift those around her. She has played many times in church and has performed duets with her sister Morgan at the piano.
Rylee graduated from Pine View High School. She then served in the Liberty, Missouri Historical Sites Mission and the St. Louis, Missouri Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
