MOTION STUDIO FACULTY

Owner & Director

Amy Robinson, Director

Amy received her dance education with an emphasis in Ballet at Springs City Ballet in Colorado Springs, Colorado, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Mrs. Robinson has been educating dancers from toddler to pre-professional in ballet, tap, and jazz for over 20 years.

Her passion to teach movement has lead her also to become a certified yoga and Pilates instructor. Amy has completed teachers’ training with leaders of the national yoga community at The Midwest Yoga Conference in 2002, and received a teaching certification from American Aerobic Association International/ International Sports Medicine Association in the same year.

Amy Robinson is an ABT® certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Mrs. Robinson has practiced Pilates since her stay at North Carolina School of the Arts in 1994, has taught the principles and mat exercises for 17 years. She is also currently teaching movement classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Miss Amy is also Mom to 3 boys; Jed, Magnus and Markus.

Dance Department

Audra Brian | Director of Company Dancers

Audra is originally from Russell Springs, Kentucky. She is a graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Business and a minor in Dance. Since moving to Louisville she has performed in numerous Modern and Contemporary works with Moving Collective and Theresa Bautista Dance.

She is a certified Ballet and Jazz Instructor through Dance Masters of America, a certified Progressing Ballet Technique Instructor, a Group Fitness Instructor certified through the American Council on Exercise, a certified instructor for Basic Level Giordano Jazz, a certified Junior Acro Instructor with the Acro Dance Teachers Association, and a certified Silks Theory Instructor with Acrobatic Arts/Aerial Arts.

She is the former Dance Director for All About Kids Sports Center and a former Program Manager for the Louisville Ballet School.

When she is not teaching she enjoys spending time with her husband Eric, her children Beau and Penny, and their fur babies, Moose and Lily

Caroline Cox | Adult Tap

Caroline is a NC native and a Cabarrus Dance Academy alum. She received her BS in Exercise Science and Minor in Dance from the College of Charleston and her Masters of Science in Athletic Training from UNC Greensboro. She is a Licensed and Certified Athletic trainer and has worked directly with the Louisville Ballet Company for 5 years providing treatment, injury prevention and medical coverage for every show.

She now works as an AT in orthotics and coaches CrossFit and Weightlifting at the National level! Before moving to Indiana she taught technique classes and choreographed for national competitions in Charleston SC for 6 years. She has had 2 national title holders with choreography in jazz and contemporary. Her favorite discipline has always been Tap!

Cherokee Bennett | Dance Faculty

Cherokee Bennett’s passion for dance began at the age of 3 in her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, where she trained at Joy Johnson's Dance Studio. Throughout high school, Cherokee honed her skills as a company member with the Owensboro Dance Theatre. A recent graduate of Western Kentucky University, Cherokee holds a BA in Dance and a minor in Art Administration. While at WKU, she actively participated in the university’s WKU Dance Company and further enriched her artistry by choreographing for student productions.

Cherokee’s dedication to her craft extends beyond the classroom. She has broadened her horizons through intensive summer programs at prestigious institutions like Giordano Dance Chicago, John Lehrer Dance, David Dorfman Dance, the Joffrey Ballet, Moonwater Dance Chicago, Numinous Flux Dance Nashville, Indiana University, and Inside Dance Chicago.

Most recently, Cherokee continues to captivate audiences as a company member with both Mixtamotus Dance and Impulse Dance in Dallas, TX.

Chloe Carr | Dance Faculty

Chloe is currently pursuing a degree in Nursing at Bellarmine University. A dedicated educator, Chloe is in her second year of teaching and brings a passion for learning and helping others to her role. With five years of dance experience, she has been a committed member of the Motion Studio Dance Company for the past two years, where she continues to perfect her skills and perform with enthusiasm. Chloe combines her love of education and dance to inspire and engage those around her.

Outside of teaching she is a PCT at Baptist Health Floyd Hospital. She loves shopping, hanging with her family, and socializing whenever she can.

Jeanne Doyle | Dance Faculty

Jeanne Doyle took her first ballet class at the age of 2 and hasn’t stopped dancing since! Jeanne began her training at the competitive-admission Alabama School of Fine Arts, before relocating and graduating from L’Etoile, The Russian Ballet Academy of Maryland, a rigorous pre-professional Vaganova program. She had the pleasure of attending summer intensive programs with many elite schools, including with the Alabama Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and the Richmond Ballet. She has been teaching for over 7 years and has held faculty positions with L’Etoile/RBAM, Baltimore Ballet, and Misako Ballet. Jeanne holds a degree in Early Childhood Development and enjoys bringing this knowledge into the studio to help her students maximize their potential and success.

Lew Winstead | Hip Hop Instructor

Lew is a native Kentuckian and a duPont Manual and YPAS graduate.

He attended New World School of the Arts in Miami Fl, before his love of dance took him on the road.

He is a former Walt Disney World dancer and also worked for Norwegian and Century Cruise lines. He was a dancer for Tonya Mitchell on the N’Sync Pop Odyssey Tour and was a company member in Culture Shock, a Chicago-based hip hop dance company.

Lilly Ann Comstock | Dance Faculty

Lilly Ann Comstock, a Louisville, Kentucky native, has trained in and continues to explore an eclectic culmination of dance styles. The origins of her dance training are rooted with the Louisville Ballet School, the Louisville Youth Performing Arts School, the University of Louisville Dance Academy, and the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts. Lilly accepted a full scholarship to Western Kentucky University in 2015 and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Performing Arts Administration in 2019.

Throughout her college career, she served as Treasurer of the WKU Student Chapter of the National Dance Education Organization. In 2017, Lilly traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel to study Gaga under Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance Company with full funding from a Faculty-Undergraduate-Student-Engagement Grant. Lilly has also trained with the Joffrey Ballet School on a full talent-based scholarship. Upon college graduation Lilly spent six months dancing professionally in New York City with VISIONS Contemporary Ballet Company under the artistic direction of Ranardo-Domeico Grays.

Lilly teaches contemporary, ballet, and improvisation movement classes at several studios in Kentucky, as well as choreographs works influenced by the all-encompassing human experience which explore the relevance of relationships and community. Lilly strives to live through awareness and acceptance, and places continual growth and learning at the forefront of her being.

Lydia Jones | Dance Faculty

Lydia has been dancing at Motion Studio for 9 years and is a member of Motion Studio Dance Company. She has completed four years in the teacher in training program.

Lydia is currently in the 11th grade and attending Ivy Tech.

When not at Motion she is part of a Shakespeare troupe called The Cream Faced Loons. She is also an accomplished pianist.

In her free time she enjoys playing and listening to music, learning sign language, playing games, bike riding, walking in her creek, and doing anything outside.

Norma Cathey | Yoga

Music Department

Jenny | Music Department Director

With now over 26 years active teaching experience under her belt, Ms Jenny originally started her music study at the age of four with the piano. She participated in dance, theatrical performances, skits, and choirs through her educational course. Throughout her life, Ms Jenny has received professional instruction in the spectrum of instruments including: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, violin, guitar, percussion, and more. She began her teaching journey and was taught the art of teaching by a prominent member of the Music Teacher’s Association. By the age of 14, she began teaching private lessons. When she turned 15 she joined the city’s jazz band playing the keyboard and was singing vocals at conventions all over the state. She teaches students of all ages, as well as has experience with teaching special needs children.

Her whole life she has participated in performances, recitals, shows, and concerts, as she furthered her musical education and experience.

She has also donated her time and worked pro bono to further the music education in her hometown. Among many side projects, she has composed multiple works, as well as created specialty lesson plans for early childhood piano instruction.

Theatre Instructor and Vocal Coach, for over 15 years, Ms Jenny has been coaching and instructing groups of students and classes in stage performances, choirs, skits, short plays, and vocals.

She has traveled to teach a variety of classes and groups who have performed at conventions in Quebec, Canaca; Destin, Florida; Gulfport, Mississippi; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and more.

Clayton Ray | Music Instructor

Clayton Ray has been involved with music since the age of 12, and began taking lessons with Louisville guitar extraordinaire Mark Hamilton for several years before continuing at the Bellarmine School of Music, studying jazz guitar.

Since 2009 he has been writing, recording, performing, and touring across the country professionally with various bands. He has countless hours of live performance under his belt, as well as numerous writing credits on guitar, bass, and drums. These include Parlour (guitar/bass), Future Fossils (drums), Work Shirt (guitar/bass), Barrel & Biscuit (guitar), and Deady (bass), among many others. Deady recently opened for legendary Los Angeles punk band Fear, and their status as one of Louisville’s most energetic bands continues to rise.

Clayton’s experiences with both performance and music education have given him a unique perspective on music and its importance to the critical development of a young person’s creativity. He firmly believes any person of any age can learn an instrument and ultimately, write their own songs. Let’s get you started!

Cody Cowles | Music Instructor

Cody started learning guitar at the age of 13, and in just a short time he began playing in bands after school and for his church. While being influenced by so many genres, Cody adapted his playing technique to fit the par to almost any style of music. Cody’s favorites would lead on to become garage rock, punk, and rock n roll, especially the bands from the New York CBGB era.

After College, Cody began studying music theory more seriously along with song writing, while also enjoying playing in as many bands as he could. Some of his acts went on to be Cody and the JailBirds, The Spurs, Sick Velvet, and his latest new band Smiley Coyote.

While playing in these bands, Cody was able to record several EP’s and albums that lead him to have four originals aired daily on 91.9 WFPK, and open for many well known touring acts of the underground rock and roll scene. He also was able to headline two years in a row at Louisville’s own Poorcastle Festival and make it on the cover of Leo Weekly, along with several interviews.

Currently, Cody is a Music Teacher at Green Valley Elementary and studying Music at Indiana University Southeast for the pursuit to always gain knowledge in the art of music. Since then he has also been able to pick up and learn a few new instruments such as the Bass, Ukulele, Drums, Recorder and he is currently learning the Piano among other instruments.

Marie Johnson | Music Instructor

Ms. Marie is a singer and engineering student who teaches voice lessons here at Motion Studio. Marie has trained voice, guitar, songwriting, and music theory in middle and high school choirs, Louisville Academy of Music, Louisville Folk School, Kentucky Music Week, private lessons, and under teachers such as Alexis Paxton, Richard Thompson, Sloan Wainwright, Sadie Gustavson-Zook, and Adrienne Lenker.

Having worked with children as her main focus, in daycares since the age of 14, tutoring since age 16, and teaching preschool since 2017, she realized that a huge part of her life – music – was missing in her work and was happy to find Motion Studio when she did. A life-long voice student, she is excited to now be on the teaching side of the lesson, grateful to share her love for music and support students in building their foundation for skillful and passionate singing.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and pets, as well as practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, painting, home improvement projects, writing/playing music of her own, and jamming with other musicians.

Michelle A. Welp | Piano & Vocal Instructor

Mrs. Welp got her start singing in choir at school and church in middle school and discovered her love for music. From there she began participating in musicals and show choir through high school and in local acting groups.

Her favorite characters to portray were Golde in Fiddler on the Roof and Sr. Robert Anne in Nuncrackers. While attending Oakland City University, her college choir performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City under the direction of composer John Rutter.

Mrs. Welp has had students and choirs attend local contests such as Solo & Ensemble and receive high scores resulting in silver and gold ratings.

Mrs. Welp holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Oakland City University with a minor in Vocal Performance and a Masters of Education from Indiana Wesleyan University.

She currently teaches K-8 music at Holy Family School and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. She also cantors at Holy Family Catholic Church.

Mrs. Welp lives in New Albany, IN with her husband, Adam, and their two children, Benjamin and Emma.

Ubaldo Lopez | Violin Instructor

Ubaldo began his career as a violinist at the age of 7 at the School of Arts in my hometown of Matanzas, Cuba. After completing the elementary level, he entered the Professional School of Music. In the same institution he was part of the Youth Chamber Orchestra and the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra.

He went on to study at the School of Professional Improvement of Music and became a professional member of the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra. At that time he also began teaching violin at the School of Arts.

He has performed in various countries and is excited to now call Louisville, KY home.

He is currently a member of the American Federation of Musicians and performs at private and corporate events, restaurants and teaches violin classes. Music is his passion, transmitting emotions and knowledge is the most important thing for him as an artist.

Administration

Erika Corbin | Business & Marketing Intern

Motion Studio is thrilled to announce the addition of Erika Corbin to our team as a student intern. Erika, a Senior at the University of Louisville, is set to graduate this Spring with a degree in Business Management. Her internship will involve collaborating closely with Amy on various office and marketing tasks, where she will gain invaluable hands-on experience in a dynamic studio environment. Erika’s enthusiasm for learning and dedication to her field make her an exciting addition to our Motion Studio family. We look forward to supporting her growth and contributions during her time with us!