Instructors

Amy Morton Vaughn

Artistic Director

AMY MORTON VAUGHN is owner and director of Van Metre School of Dance, the official school for the Appalachian Ballet Company and one of the oldest businesses in Blount County. Ms. Vaughn was appointed Artistic Director of Appalachian Ballet Company in 1997. She serves as the Chair for the advisory board for Clayton Center for the Arts.  She has served as the President of the Regional Dance America/Southeast and also served on the national board for Regional Dance America for more than ten years. Ms. Vaughn is married to Jack Vaughn and is proud of her two stepsons, Anders and Pierce and dancing daughters Kylie and Laura.  She is grateful for the opportunity to influence so many young artists in our community.

 

Ms. Vaughn has created numerous ballets for ABC:

With Chaplin, Jubilance, Joyance, Will Thou Meet Me and many more.

Full length ballets: Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid,

Carnival of the Animals With permission from Dolly Parton, she created a new ballet, Coat of Many Colors.

 

Van Metre School of Dance recitals have included:

A day in the Park with Mary, Dorothy Visits Oz, Sleeping Beauty and many more.

Kylie Morton Berry

Kylie Morton Berry, originally from Maryville, Tennessee, began her training at Van Metre School of Dance and Appalachian Ballet Company under the direction of her mother, Amy Morton Vaughn. In 2007, Kylie received a contract with the North Carolina Dance Theatre (now known as the Charlotte Ballet), where she remained for three seasons. Since returning to Tennessee in 2010, Kylie has performed title roles on the Appalachian stage as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and The Little Mermaid. Kylie is the Rehearsal Mistress for Appalachian Ballet Company and has choreographed several works for the company that have been performed in Tennessee and across the Southeast. Kylie teaches ballet and jazz at Van Metre School of Dance and is a frequent master teacher in the Southeast.

 

  • Performances in Charlotte, NC include George Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, Alvin Ailey’s Night Creature, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s The Nutcracker, Dwight Rhoden’s Othello and Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs.

 

  • Recent Choreography, performed by Appalachian Ballet Company: The Odyssey (2018), Possibilities (2019), several works for Bluejeans, Ballet and Bellbottoms (2019), Community: Inclusion (2020).

 

  • Certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (2017)

 

  • Serves as the Social Media Coordinator and Archivist for Regional Dance America/Southeast.

 

  • Kylie is married to Evan Berry and together they have a son, Benjamin. They live in Maryville with their two dogs and silly old cat named “Orange Cat”.

Chloe Melton

• Art major at Maryville College majoring in art therapy

 

• Studied many forms of dance since age 2, including folk dances, but tap is my favorite!

 

• Attended Governor’s School for Dance in 2017.

 

• Studied dance at the Crossville Center of Dance, Arts in Motion, Stage One Dance Studio and Van Metre School of Dance.

 

• I have a cat named Vincent.

 

Yvette Herzbrun

• Began dancing at Van Metre School of Dance
And with the Appalachian Ballet Company performing many leading roles.

 

• Studied in London at the Royal Academy of Dance

 

• Danced professionally with Colorado Ballet and as an apprentice with Pacific Northwest Ballet

 

• My family owned and operated Olympia Athletic Club for 38 years sold in 2017.

 

• I currently teach ballet classes at Van Metre School of Dance as well as Yoga, Barre, Zumba and Pilates at Olympia Athletic Club and Blackberry Farm

 

• I love teaching because it teaches me so much and I love to share my passion with others.  My favorite pet is always my current one…. which right now is my sweet beagle mix Bindy.

 

Time to Dance

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