Lynne Patton, 
Artistic Director and Owner

Miss Lynne has been a dance teacher and choreographer for 22 years, and was a vocal music education major. She has trained with Stan Picus, a former Joffrey Ballet dancer, Gloria Diemen, a former American Ballet Theater dancer and Gus Giordano, renowned Jazz choreographer. Her training has taken her to Chicago , Kansas City, Minneapolis , Seattle , Los Angeles , Las Vegas , San Francisco and Europe . With 10 years of vocal training in Classical, Pop and Jazz improvisation, she has established herself as a leading vocalist performing the lead roles of Mary Magdelene in "Jesus Christ Superstar", Sally Bowles in "Cabaret", Tzietel in "Fiddler on the Roof, Evita in "Tribute to Weber and Rice" and Mary in "The Pajama Game" at the Arvada Center.

Her favorite performances were on a European tour in 1987, performing in London , Paris , Prague , Denmark , Innsbruck , and West Berlin . She has choreographed high school, college, community theater and professional musicals including "Camelot", "Pirates of Penzance", "Pippin", "Hello Dolly", "The Wizard of Oz", and was the guest choreographer for the Miss Colorado Pageant from 1994-1996. She has judged local and national competitions for dance and talent, and directed the children's Summer Performing Arts Camp for Kirkwood College and the Cedar Rapids Community Theatre. She has performed vocal tracks for radio and TV commercials as well as industrial training videos. Miss Lynne has also been recorded locally and has several original compositions on CD that have been used in her dance productions. 

Her pride and joy is the annual "Christmas Story" that she created in 1986 and has produced for local audiences for the past eleven years. This spiritual (but non-denominational) interpretation of the Christmas story expressed through dance has become the holiday highlight for many families. 

Miss Lynne has received national accolades for her unique choreography as is now in demand as a guest choreographer and master class teacher nation-wide. Many of her dancers have taken top honors at regional and national competitions and conventions, and have gone on to careers in the Arts. Miss Lynne moved to Denver in the spring of 1987 and is currently in her 14th season as the President and Artistic Director of Rocky Mountain School of Dance. She is married to her husband Jack (who built the facility for RMSD) and lives in Erie with their cat and collie. Miss Lynne continues to pursue her dream of creating the highest quality dance school in the country.  

Kenny Jimenez has produced Entertainment Productions for world renowned artists and organizations such as MC Hammer, Digital Underground,Young MC, Arrested Development, Ace Young, Jamie O’Neal, Otis Day, Coolio, the NBA, AND 1 Basketball, the NFL, and more.

As a choreographer and Instructor, Ken has trained some of the most sought after dancers in the country, some who have gone on dance for Janet Jackson, Omarion, Britney Spears, Madonna, Aaron Carter, Cirque Du Soleil and more. Bringing Hip Hop’s top artists to the Western region, Ken is the founder of the annual “Colorado Hip Hop Festival”. Jimenez also owns and directs the award winning dance studio, Motion Underground as well as the internationally recognized professional company, “Elements of Motion”. No stranger to the competition arena, Ken has recently joined “Fluid Dance Conventions” as a faculty member for their 9 city tour for the 2007/2008 season. 

SARAH TALLMAN ~ Ballet Mistress

MEGHAN MAHALA

Miss Meghan is a graduated student from RMSD. After growing up in the RMSD family, she has proven her talent in performance, technique, teaching and choreography. Her national accolades range from 1st overalls at competitions and title awards. The passion and musicality that Miss Meghan brings to her students shines through when they are on stage and helps many dancers find confidence in their movement. Miss Meghan fulfilled an internship position at Paramount Studios in Hollywood , California . While in Hollywood , Miss Meghan trained from leading artists in the industry. Miss Meghan has expanded her career into the accounting profession and is an associate at one of the area’s largest accounting firms. As she travels from coast to coast providing a multitude of accounting services to her clients, she continually finds her way back to where her artistic soul and heart can best express themselves – her RMSD home.  

JENNIFER KURTZ

Miss Jen started dancing at the age of 3, studying ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance at The Turn Around in LeMars , Iowa . She was a competitive dancer and gymnast and qualified for the State gymnastics competition twice. She began teaching dance and gymnastics in 1985. As a high school student she spearheaded the opening of a satellite dance studio where she instructed dance and gymnastics.  Miss Jen attended Iowa State University where she studied dance and was one of two freshmen accepted by audition into the dance company Orchesis. She performed in various Iowa State dance productions including BARJCHE, and also studied dance at the University of South Dakota and Westmar University where she received a modern dance scholarship. During her junior and senior years of college she continued instructing dance and gymnastics at The Turn Around. She became a safety certified gymnastics coach under the United States Association of Gymnastics. Miss Jen graduated from Westmar University with a BA in Elementary Education and a minor in Reading . She was an elementary teacher in Des Moines , Iowa area schools and continued coaching gymnastics there before moving to Denver . She also designs handcrafted greeting cards and has been published in Paper Crafts magazine. She has been married to Jim for 9 years and they have two children - Emma, 6 and Sam, 3. Miss Jen’s enthusiasm in the class room encourages students to dance with passion!