Mackenzie Doxtater

Assistant Instructor and Preschool Instructor

Company Alumni; FooteStomper Alumni

Carrie Grant Edick

Gymnastics Coach/Individual Trainer/Substitute

Caroline Kahn

Faculty

I don't recall a moment in my life when I wasn't dancing. My mother, Donna Foote, was a well known dance instructor in NNY. I studied with Donna Foote School of Dance until my graduation from high school. As part of that studio, I won local, state and regional titles and was a studio demonstrator and assistant instructor. I was named Miss Lewis County and won Most Talented honors in the Miss New York State Pageant. I was also a winner in the New York State Talent Hunt Finals.
At Hartwick College, I studied under Janet Bresee and was the President and student choreographer of the College dance company, Orchesis. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, I soon returned to NNY to open my dance studio in 1987. We continue to embrace the values instilled in my dance training by Donna Foote and Janet Bresee.

As a dancer, I studied via workshop and classes with such well known dance masters as Patrick Swayze, Frank Hatchett, Luigi, Gus Giordano, Roni Mahler and Savion Glover. A personal highlight of my dance life is when I took the train into NYC to take class at STEPS and discovered that Mikhail Baryshnikov was taking class right in front of me. Needless to say, I didn't do well in class as I was mesmerized by his presence!

The studio and myself, as Director, have won numerous awards for community service and outreach, including the 2007 Children's Miracle Network Community Builder award, 2008 Family Fun National Magazine Outreach Award, 2012 Community Change Award and 2014 DBA Community Service Award. I was honored to be named a 2017 New York State Woman of Distinction by Senator Patty Ritchie.

I am flattered to be recognized by the Association of Professional Women. This is in recognition of outstanding leadership, commitment within my profession and direction at Rhonda's FooteWorks. The NAPW highlights and profiles the country's most accomplished professional women in more than 200 industries and professions. It provides an exclusive and powerful networking form where members can communicate and connect.

I believe that dance should be accessible to all and a pathway to inner growth and positive experience. It is more than a trophy or award. Dance is a work of art for self expression and development. I am proud to say that Rhonda's FooteWorks continues to grow and bring the highest quality of dance education to the Watertown area.

Rhonda was honored to interviewed by BDancewear.com and featured on their National Dance Blog. Visit the link below for the full interview:
http://blog.bdancewear.com/category/dance-studios/

A dance studio's philosophy is a great starting point to decide if it is the right studio for you. Rhonda's FooteWorks is happy to share our philosophy with you:

To offer quality dance education in a warm and inviting atmosphere. To be sure that every dancer (not just company) is treated equally. To focus on outreach vs. competition. To embrace the different individuals within the classroom and teach to one and all on an equal level geared to the individual level of personal achievement.

Rhonda's FooteWorks studio motto is : To offer quality dance education in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Our COMPANY is an Outreach Company which dabbles in competition. We are not a Competition Studio. Our Company motto is "Dance for others, dance for self, dance for life". The company philosophy is to "use our talents to serve those in need in the communities we live in".

Why do we offer competition for our company? As with anything in life, healthy competition offers insight as to a serious dancer's level of technique, inspires them to work hard and achieve their personal best, and gives them a thermometer to take their "dance temperature". We are quite clear to state that no one is in competition with anyone but themselves! It is about achieving your personal best, not the color of the medal you bring home.

Ashley grew up working with many local performance groups including: Watertown Lyric Theater, The Little Theatre of Watertown, Trinity Concert Series, Northern Choral Society, The Lake Ontario Playhouse, Stageworks Repertory Theatre and various ensembles through the South Jefferson Central School District. A graduate of Niagara University, Ashley holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance with a double major in English. NU credits include: Into the Woods (Cinderella), Damn Yankees (Lola), Bat Boy: The Musical (Meredith), Curtains (Georgia), Urinetown (Little Becky Two-Shoes) and The Pirates of Penzance (Daughter). NU directing credits include the world premiere of Snapshot. While participating in the NU Study Abroad program, Ashley toured Twelfth Night (Viola) with Live Literature Co. in London and to the West Coast of England. Following graduation, Ashley returned to London where she held an internship in the study of Applied Drama. Recent credits include Robin Hood (Maid Marian) with Lincoln Theatre Guild in Lincolnton, North Carolina; two consecutive summer seasons with Liberty Mountain: The Revolutionary Drama in Historic Kings Mountain, North Carolina; and three touring productions with Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Favorite local credits include: South Pacific (Nellie Forbush), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza), Little Women: The Musical (Jo March), Barnum (Jenny Lind), Hamlet (Ophelia), Twelfth Night (Olivia) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia).
Ashley, Jeremy and son Roan reside in Watertown. Ashley is available for individual coaching and presents workshops at the studio.

Ashley DeMar

Instructor

Caroline Byrd Kahn, a native of Darlington, SC, has passionately pursued the many genres of dance since the age of three. She has extensive training in the disciplines of ballet, lyrical, modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and pom. Caroline served as an Assistant Dance Teacher at the School of Dance Arts in Florence, SC 2011-12, Dance Teacher at Dance Arts Studio, Mount Pleasant, SC 2013-14, and Cheer/Pom Choreographer at Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School, Darlington, SC 2014-Present. Utilizing her expansive training in communications, interview, and cosmetics, Caroline also enjoys coaching pageant and competitive dance contestants.
Caroline was principally trained and mentored as a competitive soloist and group dancer by Tina Hathcock (nationally recognized and certified Dance Masters of America instructor), of Showbiz Studio, in Florence, SC. Achieving unprecedented success at a very early age, some of Caroline’s more notable accomplishments include the titles of: Dance Masters of America Chapter 44 Petite Performing Arts Champion 2003; Little Miss SC Overall Talent Winner 2004 & 2006; Young Miss SC 2006; Junior National Performing Arts Champion 2006, America’s Junior Miss Dance 2007; America’s Teen Miss Dance 2009; Miss Darlington Teen & 2nd RU to Miss SC Teen 2010; College of Charleston Cougarette 2012-13 and Cougarette Captain 2014-15. Caroline also had the honor of studying under Ballet Mistress and former Joffrey Ballet Principal Dancer, Patricia Miller from 2011-2012. During her time at the College of Charleston, Caroline was privileged to study ballet under Pam O’Briant, jazz under Kristin Alexander, and modern under Eliza Ingle.
Caroline holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from the College of Charleston. She taught first grade at Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary School during the 2016-2017 school year, where she designed and directed the Dance Dreams program for 1st and 2nd graders at the school. She was honored to be named Windsor Hill’s Rookie Teacher of the Year for 2017.
Caroline is happily married to Lt. Tyler Kahn, and they are currently stationed in Fort Drum, NY.

Physical Location: The Franklin Building

52 Public Square, Downtown Watertown, NY

rfwdance@gmail.com OR rfwenrollment@gmail.com

Rhonda Foote

Artistic Director/Owner/Instructor

Madison Draper

Company Alumni/Part Time Faculty

Diana Russell

Substitute Instructor

Madison Draper studied all styles of dance throughout her school years at Rhonda’s FooteWorks. Studied voice and theater with Ticia Marra.
She was a member of many award winning groups and pieces and a recipient of the Access Broadway scholarship, Thrive scholarship, Starpower scholarship and her choreography won grand champion student choreography awards. Madi was a studio demonstrator and assistant in high school.Madison is an honors graduate of SUNY Jefferson and attends Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY where she is a Junior pursuing degrees in Childhood Education and English. She will continue to instruct and choreograph at the studio during college breaks.

Storm Rodriguez

Storm is sharing her dance talents here in NNY while her family is stationed at Fort Drum. She has an extensive background in ballet, jazz, hip hop, and tap dance. Storm will be instructing workshops; adult workshops; and will be a substitute instructor.

Sam Elizondo

Studio Alumni & Part Time Faculty

Class of 2015

Slippery Rock University Dance Major

Workshop Instructor & Summer Faculty

Sam recently returned from a semester dancing in London, England and is part time staff as his schedule permits.