Amy Murphy was born in Ames & raised in West Des Moines, Iowa. She started dancing when she was 12 years old at The Dance Place taking jazz class then adding ballet the next year. She didn’t start tap dancing till she was a senior in high school. She also trained at the University of Iowa. Amy has always known she wanted to be a dancer or a teacher, now she is getting to pursue both of her dreams.

Amy has been teaching students since she was 16years old and started Amy’s School of Dance in 1997. She has taught for The Dance Place, Dance With Me Studios, Lind Dance School, & the outreach program with Co’Motion Dance Theater.

Amy has performed professionally for Co’ Motion Dance Theater and in many productions for Iowa Dance Theater.

Amy enjoys teaching in Huxley and loves the opportunity she has been given to help children learn the joys of dance and tumbling, and would love in the future to create a performing arts school in Huxley where children could learn all the great things the arts has to offer.

Jamie is 25 years old and a native of Carroll Iowa. She now lives in Des Moines.

Jamie has been dancing since the tender age of 6. She spent most of her dancing years in Carroll, at Renee’s School of Dance.

During her high school years she was a varsity cheerleader and a member of the Varsity Drill team. She was an all-sate cheerleader 2 years in a row as well as an all-state dance teamer. Her drill team received 2nd place at State as well.

She has been teaching at Amy’s School of Dance for four years and the moment she stepped into the studio she fell in love with the students. She looks forward to the years to come.

Good luck to all the dancers and thank you to the parents!

Jill Kragie was raised in West Des Moines and trained with Janice Baker at The Dance Place and The Dance Center in Ames. During her training, Jill performed with Iowa Dance Theatre.
Jill recently moved back to Iowa from Wisconsin where she was the head of the ballet and lyrical department for the Stoughton Center for the Performing Arts (SCPA) 
for 10 years. She also studied in Madison, Wisconsin at The Pointe Academy and Madison Professional Dance under Susan Marsden. Jill choreographed many Stageworks Project Inc. such as “The Nutcracker” and “Peter Pan”. She has had student go on to further studies with Joffrey Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, River North, Oklahoma City University, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Utah Valley University, & Western Michigan.
Jill served as director of the dance company SCPA, which competed at multiple conventions and competitions with numerous first place awards and high-point trophies.
Jill is now teaching at Amy’s School of Dance in Huxley, Iowa, where she is in charge of the ballet and lyrical department. She also teaches at Iowa Ballet Academy in Urbandale, IA.
She has choreographed and directed “Peter Pan Ballet” with Iowa Dance Theatre, as well as choreography for their “The Nutcracker”.

Kristen began gymnastics, in Ankeny, when she was 6 years old. After a few years, Kristen transferred to Cardinal Gymnastics in Ames. During her gymnastics career she competed through level 8.

Since Kristen’s retirement from competition she has coached gymnastics and tumbling. Kristen coached at Amy’s Scholl of Dance from 2002 to 2004 then she moved to Florida. Now she is back from Florida and coaching again.

Kristen would like to thank her sister Carla Stodgel for all her help while Kristen has been pregnant. Kristen would also like to thank Amy Murphy for all her support.

Good luck dancers and tumblers!