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Our Staff
Meet our Owner and Director, Jillian Hughes!
Jillian began dancing at the age of 2 years old under the instruction of her mom, Donna Hughes. After moving to Abilene from Chicago, IL, Jillian began dancing and training at Ballet Abilene. The Lord then took her family to Amarillo, TX, where she became passionate about dance and continued her training at Lone Star Ballet. At 15 years old, the Lord opened the door for Jillian to move to New York City and train with the Joffrey Ballet School. Under the instruction of many world-renowned artists and performers, Jillian began auditioning for several different companies. She was accepted into Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco but began her teaching career in Austin, TX. Through teaching, Jillian combined her heart for children and her passion for dance. Donna and Jillian opened Ballet Amarillo in Amarillo, TX in 2017 before moving back to Abilene. Ballet at Beltway has been a lifelong prayer for Jillian and she is amazed to see how the Lord is working through this program. She loves her students and is so blessed to be able to do what she does all for His Glory!
Our Instructors
Meet Adi Cate!
Growing up in San Antonio, Adi became enthralled with ballet at age 4 when she started taking classes. Adi attended the Performing Arts School of Classical Ballet from ages 4-9 and then again from 13-18, taking a break for a few years because her family didn’t have time for the drive. However, her love for dancing remained, and she continued dancing at home. From ages 16 on, Adi had a few opportunities to perform solos from various classical pieces for spring and winter recitals with her studio. When she came to ACU for college, she was able to keep dancing through events such as Freshman Follies and Sing Song, but missed the world of ballet. When she discovered Ballet at Beltway and how they teach dance as worship, she immediately wanted to get involved. She is so excited and grateful to teach and mentor students as we dance together for the glory of God!
Meet Hannah Irby!
Hannah began dance at the age of three. She is from Celina, TX. Her training includes ballet, lyrical/contemporary, tap, jazz and hip hop. She has danced with Footlights Dance Studio, The Dance Movement and Dream Dance Center, which are all located in the Dallas area. Her company experience allowed her to train at conventions and compete in competitions where she received many awards and scholarships for her performance. She has had the opportunity to train with Broadway Dance Studio in New York City. Hannah has also had the opportunity to dance with Zion Dance Project which opened her eyes and heart to dance being an act of worship. She is delighted to have the opportunity to pour into the next generation her love for dance and creativity from the Lord! She is excited to be a part of Ballet At Beltway!
Psalm 149:3
“Dancers are the athletes of God.” -Albert Einstein
Meet Berkley Paul!
Growing up in Abilene, Berkley began dancing at age three with Ballet Abilene. She danced for 13 years performing in a variety of productions such as, “The Nutcracker”, and having training in both classical ballet and jazz. Berkley has attended multiple Summer Intensives with Joffrey Ballet in San Antonio, Summer Wind at Oklahoma University, and Texas Ballet Theater at Texas Christian University. She was also a cheerleader all throughout highschool at Abilene High! Berkley is currently classified as a junior at Abilene Christian University and is majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Child and Family Services. She hopes to become a Speech Language Pathologist one day!
Berkley has always had a passion for dance and is so happy to be able to share her love for dancing with others while in worship. She is most excited to see how the Lord moves in each of our student’s hearts as they use their gifts and talents to glorify Him
