Designed2Dance: About Designed2Dance Studio

Hi! My name is Kelsie and I love the Lord and love to dance! I’m the owner/operator of Designed2Dance Studio which opened in 2010. My goals for the school are to share that God created our wonderful, unique, and complicated bodies and how, through dance, we can use theses bodies as a way to express joy and worship to our all-amazing God! It’s been such a delightful journey and I’m very excited to see how God will grow and use Designed2Dance in the future!

~ Kelsie Leininger
Owner/Opperator

I started dance at the age of 3 years old and have been dancing ever since! Over the years I have studied - tumbling, gymnastics, jazz, tap, modern, and ballet. At age 11 I decided to focus on classical ballet and joined a Christian ballet school called On Your Toes Studios under the direction of Melissa Mellinger. I have always known that I wanted to teach dance, but really began to show an interest around 14 years old. I was teacher's assistant for about a year under two Christian ladies that taught at my studio (OYT), when God ignited my passion for both teaching and sharing His message through ballet. When I decided to pursue ballet at a more advanced level, I started training in Portland and began teaching on my own. Offering beginning ballet classes at a local church, God began inspiring me, and in the fall of 2011 I directed my first ballet “The Lost Lamb”! The following year, I opened the studio up at my home, continuing to instruct children in a Christian environment. I have just loved working with my students!
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While teaching I also had opportunities to continue my own training in ballet under John Magnus, Artur Sultanov, and Sara Rigles as well as receiving training in modern/contemporary/jazz under Les Watanabe, Mary Hunt, Anna Rigles, and Lauren Richmond. In addition to receiving excellent instruction during this time I also had the privilege to perform in The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Russian Spring directed by Artur.
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I’m currently training at Paradosi Ballet Company in WA, now beginning my second year with them! Although I am not in Oregon I still will be running the school and very excited to be having a teacher come in this year!
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I'm so grateful that God has given me this passion and opportunity to glorify Him through dance!

Dance instruction in order received

Sites w/Bobby Jo
Sandy School of Ballet w/Anna Gyer
On Your Toes w/Mellissa Mellinger
Portland Festival Ballet w/John Magnus
Sultanov's Russian Ballet Academy w/Artur Sultenov
Classical Ballet Academy w/Sarah Rigles
Paradosi Ballet Company w/Debbie Duram and Tennille Carver
And many other various teacher throughout the summers!

~ Moriah Kearney
Ballet Teacher

At six years of age Moriah Kearney fell in love with ballet when she was studying under Mrs. Waddle at Joy of Praise.

She continued her training with; On Your Toes under Kelsey Neumann, The Clackamette Youth Ballet under Jacquie Kunzman and Melissa Mellinger, Abernethy Performing Arts under Keith Walls, Cynthia Tosh, Paige Finley, Steven Houser, and is currently in her fourth year at the Sultanov Russian Ballet Academy under Artur Sultanov, Allison Roper, Les Watanabe, Brett Mills, Yuka Capizzi, Raisa Chazova, Kemba Shannon, Danny Black and Yelena Foley.

Moriah has performed in The Enchanted Toy Shop, The Heart of the Toy Maker (twice), For Such a Time as This as Queen Vashti, Russian Spring, Alice in Wonderland, Pas de Trois from Swan Lake with Lucas Threefoot from OBT, plus numerous Summer Intensives.

Pas de Trois from Swan Lake

This year will be her eighth year in The Nutcracker as well.

Moriah has found ballet to be a rewarding and an enriching experience, and is grateful for all the input and training she has received.