Our studio

Bringing joy through dance

TC Dance strives to offer a diversified program of dance to all age groups and abilities. Our goal is to prov.ide a complete curriculum for the students, stressing a quality dance education, regardless of future plans in the dance world. We strive to do what is best for each student so that he or she may grow technically and personally. TC Dance provides a happy atmosphere in which young people can develop not only strong dance technique but also a healthy body, confidence, musicality and creativity

Meet our Staff and Faculty

Christine Rash

Director/Owner
Christine is the director of TC Dance Academy for the Performing Arts and is a graduate of Ball State University where she majored in physical education and dance. Christine began the Academy in 1989 with 39 students and 31 years later the enrollment has grown to 914! Dancers under her direction and choreography have received top honors in regional and national dance competitions, pageants, pursued collegiate degrees in dance, professional status and also acclaimed television exposure. Christine is married to Skip and have three children and five grandchildren.

Maude-Jo Yerrick

Assistant Director
Maude-Jo started dancing at TC Dance the very first year it opened. She began teaching when she was a junior in high school and continued to teach while she completed her Associate of Science in Business from IPFW, with a minor in Dance and Dance Pedagogy. This is Maude-Jo's 20th year teaching! She was involved in the Miss America scholarship program for three years, winning 3 preliminary pageants and the talent award for her tap routine at Miss Indiana. Maude-Jo has been featured on the TV show Dance Fever on ABC Family. She performed in the onboard production shows for Royal Caribbean and has even been a magician’s assistant and a back-up dancer for an Elvis impersonator.Maude-Jo loves sharing her passion for dance with all the talented students at the academy and is proud to call TC Dance her home. Maude-Jo is married to Ryan and they reside in Fort Wayne, with their two daughters.

Darilyn Ruse

Office Manager
How can it be that I’ve been a part of this dance studio for 30 years? I’m much too young for that! I began as a custodian and costume coordinator then started working at the desk part time. I then became the assistant director and now I am the office manager. I am married to RJ and have 3 children. Most importantly, I am also a grandma to three wonderful granddaughters! Oh wait…I’m much too young for that too! When people ask me “What do you do at the dance studio?” I reply “Everything but dance!

Shelby Carmichael

Dance/Tumbling Instructor
Shelby Carmichael began teaching dance and tumbling at TC Dance in 2017. She danced at TC Dance growing up and is a former competitive gymnast. Shelby has been teaching tumbling for over 10 years and is currently a judge for IHSAA gymnastics. She is a graduate of Purdue University Fort Wayne with a degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications. During college Shelby danced with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and coached gymnastics for SET-10 and More Than Gymnastics. Shelby is a former titleholder through the Miss America Scholarship Organization where she continues to dedicate her time as a Co-Director to the Miss Limberlost & Northern Lakes’ Organization. Outside of TC Dance, Shelby works for AMI Investment Management and resides in LaGrange.

Lynette Farrington

Dance/Tumbling Instructor
Lynette Farrington is passionate about dance, especially ballet. Lynette started her teaching career at the Patricia Krus School of Dance in Garrett, IN where she taught all genres, and was the head ballet teacher at the end of her 16 years teaching there. Lynette then opened Turning Pointe Dance Academy in 2005. She was devoted to all aspects of the business for the past 15 years. During Turning Pointe Dance Academy’s history, she was honored with numerous choreography, entertainment, costume and overall awards. The studio was award winning with its competition team that included 8 national championships and 3 victory cup awards. Lynette is a judge for the Star Dance Alliance where she judges dance competitions regionally and nationally throughout the country. She has also choreographed for Eastside Jr/Sr High School for the past 20 years for junior high and high school show choir and musicals and DeKalb Middle school for 12 years also doing show choir and musicals. Lynette started dancing at age 4 at Sara’s School of Dance in Angola, IN then was a student at the Patricia Krus School of Dance in Garrett, IN. She danced with the Young Michigan Dancers while in high school. Also during her high school years, she was given the opportunity teach dance on her own with local children in the town of Ashley, IN where she grew up. Lynette continued her dance education at Ball State University where she was a member of the university’s Dance Theatre and IPFW where she completed the dance minor degree. Lynette holds a teaching certification from Cecchetti Counsel of America, the Italian method of ballet, and is a certified instructor for Acrobatic Arts. She continues to stay educated herself taking classes at the Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the American Ballet Theatre New York. Lynette lives in Auburn with her son, Alex Dudash. Alex has danced for 16 years and graduated from Garrett High School this year. Alex will be attending Columbia College Chicago where he will be double majoring in dance and business. Teaching dance has always been Lynette’s passion and she is looking forward to sharing that passion with the students of TC Dance.

Sydney Hamblin

Dance Instructor
Sydney Hamblin is ecstatic to begin her first year teaching at TC Dance! She grew up dancing at TC Dance for 13 years and was a part of the competition team for 11 years. She attended many regional and national dance competitions, conventions, master classes and performed in numerous theatre productions at East Noble High School. Aside from TC, Sydney is a senior at Purdue University Fort Wayne where she is studying communication with a journalism concentration and a minor in public relations. She hopes to become a book editor after she graduates! In her free time, Sydney enjoys going on walks with her dog Murray, reading, painting and spending time with friends and family. She is so excited to enter her first year of teaching at the studio she has called home for so many years. She hopes to instill her passion for dance into her talented students and give them a place to have fun and express themselves.

Meghan Nowels

Dance Instructor
Meghan is honored to teach at TC Dance where her journey with dance began. Meghan danced at TC Dance for thirteen years and was a part of the competition team for 9 years. Meghan began choreographing her sophomore year of high school when she began working with Jo Drudge and Gaslight Children’s Theater. She choreographed six musicals during her time with Gaslight. Meghan is a recent graduate of IUPUI where she majored in Tourism and Event Management and minored in Philanthropic Studies. While in college Meghan was a part of a dance company called The Moving Company at IUPUI. During her time with the Moving Company Meghan served as Secretary during the 2017-2018 school year, President during the 2018-2019 school year, and served as a student choreographer all four years of her undergraduate studies. Meghan is very excited to return to TC Dance for her second year of teaching!

Christina Mast

Dance Instructor
Miss. Christina Mast grew up dancing at TC Dance. After graduating she studied Math Education and Dance at Anderson University. She graduated from college in 2019. She is in her fourth year of teaching math and her second year of teaching dance. She is super excited to be back at TC!

Ashley Miller

Dance Instructor
Ashley Miller began dancing when she was 3 years old. She trained in tap, jazz, ballet, and contemporary at the Patricia Krus School of Dance in Garrett, Indiana. She became most passionate about tap due to her love of rhythm and motion. Ashley attended countless dance conventions where she took classes from nationally renowned instructors and choreographers including Laurie Johnson, Ryan Lohoff and the Emmy nominated choreographer, Greg Russell. While in high school, Ashley's self-choreographed tap solo was recognized for its excellence by Dance Olympus where she won Regional Champion and further went on to compete for "Dancer of the Year" in New York City. She also auditioned in NYC and was picked to be a V.I.P. Dancer for the 2004 Summer Dance Olympus Convention Tour. During this tour she traveled the country and took daily classes in all styles of dance with the nation’s foremost elite choreographers, assisted these choreographers on the convention platform, performed routines in the faculty show, and was a mentor for hundreds of aspiring dancers. Ashley began her teaching career in 2008 at the Turning Pointe Dance Academy after finishing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Indiana University, Bloomington where she majored in biology and minored in sociology. She also competed in IU's ballroom dance team while attending school. During Ashley's teaching career, her tap students have won six National Championship titles. She has been recognized on four occasions as an Outstanding Choreographer by the Star Dance Alliance. She is dedicated to spreading her love of rhythm, sound and motion.

Becca Patton

Dance Instructor
This is Becca's sixth year teaching at TC Dance. She feels blessed to be surrounded by amazing students, staff and parents each and every week. Becca grew up dancing at TC Dance for 15 years. Throughout her dance career, Becca spent 9 years competitively dancing, attending many master classes and conventions and also spent 2 summers at the Radio City Rockette Summer intensive. She has also choreographed several musicals and been a member of a few dance troupes. Aside from TC, Becca is a Trine University graduate, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree. She is currently studying in Manchester's Master of Athletic Training program. Becca loves teaching her students and looks forward to always having the love of dance in her life.

Angie Ashby

Dance Instructor
Angie began dancing at the young age of 18 months old where she found a true genuine love for the art. When she moved to Florida in 1988, she began training with Su-Cheng Hong at International Dance Academy as well as Miami City Ballet, in addition to the extra Ballet she studied from with Mr. Gregory from Russia. She studied many genres throughout her career, including but not limited too, Chinese, African, Modern, Contemporary, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Musical Theater and Clogging. Angie also studied Tap with the great Gregory Hines while living in Florida. Angie attended Gibbs High School PCCA program (Pinellas County Center for the Arts) and danced at Disney World in Orlando during the summer breaks in 1997 and 1998. In 2000, she moved back to Fort Wayne, Indiana where a few years later she opened her own dance studio and decided her heart belonged with training and teaching kids to be great in this Art of Dance. Performing has been and always will be her favorite part of dance but Angie sold her studio in June 2018 and decided to travel and judge in hopes to continue to help blossom this Art of Dance that she loves so much!

Julie Sizemore

Dance Instructor
Julie is excited to be a staff member at TC Dance! Formerly a resident of Muncie IN and founder of Dazzle Dance and Cheer in Muncie, her family has relocated to the Ft. Wayne area. As a guest artist at TC Dance for the past two years, she celebrates over 25 years as a professional teacher and choreographer. Her students have achieved the highest honors, both regionally and nationally. Julie also has many theatrical credits including choreography and performance in the musicals Grease, Hello Dolly, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Annie, South Pacific, and Tommy, just to name a few. Julie received a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and marking from Ball State University.Julie continues to train with guest artists and attend conventions and workshops to stay up to date with the latest trends and movement in the dance world. She continually strives to enhance her knowledge of dance and sharpen her teaching skills.

Jenna Zabona

Dance/Tumbling Instructor
Miss Jenna is a TC Dance alumni and recently graduated from East Noble High School in 2020. During her ten years at TC Dance, she loved competing at the regional and national level, performing in East Noble theatre productions, and attending prestige dance conventions. Gymnastics & Acro was also a huge part of her dancing career at TC. She was a gymnast on East Noble High School’s gymnastics team where she was able to use her unique acrobatics into her dances at TC. Tumbling has always been a passion of Miss Jennas! She also danced in the “Nutcracker” with the Russian Moscow Ballet, modeled for “Motionwear” dance & gymnastics apparel, and competed her talent on the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen stage in 2018! Aside from teaching, Jenna is a junior at Trine University majoring in Human Resource Management on the pre-law track. Her ultimate goal is to be a practicing corporate attorney. At Trine, she is also a member of the high voltage dance team where she competes nationally through the National Dance Alliance. She is so excited to be entering her second year of teaching dance & tumbling this year at TC!

Shari Holbrook

Pilates Instructor
Shari has been withTC Dance for 18 years as our Pilates instuctor! She has certifications in Pilates, Personal Training, Fitness Nutrition, Lifestyle Weight Management’s, Advanced group exercise, SMR foam rolling. Shari is also a licensed hairdresser. She is married to Larry and has 2 children, 3 grandsons and one granddaughter. She is proud of her accomplishments in making people aware of their health and enjoys every minute of her fitness world !