2019
MA Nationals Medium Team National Champions
MA Nationals Overall Highest Scoring Team
MA Nationals Co-Ed National Champions
2019
MA Nationals Medium Team National Champions
MA Nationals Overall Highest Scoring Team
MA Nationals Co-Ed National Champions
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Ellen Ayers - Birdville Dance Director
Golden Motion Head Coach
Ellen Ayers is a passionate and driven dance educator entering her third year of teaching and coaching. She most recently served as the Assistant Dance Director at Grapevine High School, where she was the Head Coach of the JV Belles Dance Team and assistant to the Varsity Fillies Dance Team. In this role, she played an integral part in leading both teams.
A proud alumna of Birdville High School, Ellen was a member and two-year Captain of the Golden Motion Dance Team, where her passion for dance education first began. She went on to attend Stephen F. Austin State University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Dance Education. While at SFA, she was a two-year member of the nationally recognized, 25-time National Champion SFA Dance Team, contributing to four National Championship titles during her time on the team.
In addition to her work in public education, Ellen is going into her seventh year as a staff member with MA Dance, where she travels nationwide teaching camps and adjudicating competitions. She also continues to choreograph for high school dance teams across Texas, bringing a strong foundation of technical training, performance quality, and innovative choreography to each program she serves.
Ellen is honored to return to Birdville High School as the Head Dance Director and is committed to building upon the program’s legacy while fostering a culture of excellence, growth, and pride within every dancer she leads.
Claire Anstey - Birdville Dance Assistant Director
JV Belles and NXT LVL Head Coach
Claire Anstey is a passionate dance educator committed to fostering an environment grounded in a strong work ethic, teamwork, and experiencing the joy of dance.
Claire is a proud alumni of Birdville High School, where she was a member and former captain of the Golden Motion Dance Team. Her time in the Birdville Dance Department inspired her to pursue her BFA in Dance with an education emphasis at the University of Texas at Austin. Through her time at UT, Claire performed with the Dance Repertory Theatre, earning a spot in the ACDA Final Gala, and was a member of the UT Dance Team, where she was an NDA Jazz finalist.
For the past 4 years, Claire has been on staff with MA Dance Nation where she teaches summer camps, creates curriculum, and supports contest operations for teams across the nation. This past summer, Claire was honored to be named an Arnhold Summer Fellow, where she trained under master teachers at the Dance Education Laboratory in New York City, broadening her pedagogical scope.
Claire is thrilled and humbled to be the new Assistant Dance Director for the program that has shaped her so much, and is excited to continue the tradition of excellence that defines this program.