Inspirations Dance Centre

Shiloh Ransom is the founder and Executive Director of Inspirations Dance Centre. A native of Wilmington, Shiloh began her dance training at South East Dance Theatre where she performed and competed at regional and national competitions winning top and overall awards. After graduating from John T. Hoggard High School, she attended UNC-Wilmington for elementary education while continuing her dance training. She has studied with master teachers such as David Howard (ballet), Frank Hatchett (jazz), Mia Michaels (contemporary), Emilietta Ettlin (ballet), Tracie Stanfield (jazz & tap), Karen Hebert (ballet), Gene Medler (tap), and Debbie Dee (tap) along with attending master classes at North Carolina School of the Arts and East Carolina University. Her performances include The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Chicago , Sweet Charity, and Oklahoma! She has also performed in the

Bahamas

and for Carnival Cruise Lines. Shiloh ’s choreography has won top awards at regional and national competitions. She has worked with the Moscow Ballet, Dance Theatre of Wilmington, The Wilmington Ballet Company, and was the founder/director of The Wilmington Broadway Dance Company. Her teaching experience includes South East Dance Academy, Danceworks, and The Wilmington School of Ballet. Her students have gone on to attend year-round and summer programs at North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet in NY, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Austin Ballet, Harid Conservatory, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Kirov, and Boston Ballet. Shiloh became a member of Dance Masters of America in 2000. Since moving to Southport in 2007 with her husband and three children- Kiernan, Auriella, and Emma- Shiloh has grown to love this community and is excited about "giving back" through the art and beauty of dance. Shiloh's excellent education, along with 25 years of experience as a dancer and 15 years of teaching experience, has given her a keen insight into working with her students and guiding them to be the best they can be.

Erin started dancing at the age of 5 and began dancing competitively at the age of 7. She danced at Weir Dancin’ in Charlotte, NC for 10 years under the direction of Allyson Weir. Erin has trained in the styles of contemporary, jazz, ballet, and hip hop. She attended many national dance competitions and conventions all over the country. Her dance company at Weir Dancin‘ has won the Starpower National Victory Cup three times along with several other national titles. Erin was named “Outstanding Dancer of 2009” at the Starpower National dance competition in Myrtle Beach. She has trained with renown dancers and choreographers such as Dee Caspary, Nick Bass, Billy Larson, Denis Caspary, Sam Renzetti, Joey Dowling, and Caroline Lewis. Erin is currently a student at UNCW and a member of the UNCW hip hop team, Physical Graffeeti. She has also performed with the James Thor Project in Wilmington and traveled to Jacksonville, FL to perform a Michael Jackson Tribute for the Indian Chamber of Commerce Gala.

Kim McGee has been dancing since the age of 3 and performing/competing since the age of 8. She has studied dance in the areas of tap, jazz, ballet, acro, lyrical, modern, hip hop and pointe. Kim has traveled all of the country winning awards regionally as well as nationally. In 1998 she won the title Teen Miss Dance of NC and followed that up in 2000 by winning the title of Miss Dance of NC. She has studied under master teachers such as Debbie Dee, Sheila Barker, Nick Lazzarini, Liz Imperio, Karen Hebert, Gene Medler and Frank Hatchett. Kim graduated from East Carolina University with a B.F.A. in dance performance, concentration in Jazz in 2006. While at ECU, she performed every year in the faculty dance concert, as well as many Senior Choreography concerts and with the East Carolina Performing Company. Kim was chosen to perform in guest artist pieces choreographed by Eddy Ocampo and Nick Pupillo of Chicago, IL. She performed in the Jazz Dance World Congress in 2001 and Dance Chicago in 2006, both held in Chicago, Illinois. Her senior choreography piece in college was chosen to perform in the American College Dance Festival, held at Florida State University, where it placed in the top 10. Kim has choreographed for the North Carolina Dance Festival. She was a performer in NCDF as well as Dance-A-Lorus, held in Wilmington. She has set choreography on South Brunswick and Cardinal Gibbons High School. Kim’s choreography has won top honors and overalls at regional and national competitions. Her students have also won scholarships to many conventions and workshops.

Tiffany has been dancing since the age of twelve and teaching for the past eight years. She has competed across the country in national conventions as well as competitions where her team won Grand Champion on several occasions. Ms. Tiffany went on to perform in "An Irish Dance Show" in Myrtle Beach and other local venues. She is proficient in teaching all levels of clogging and Irish step dance and has a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and is currently pursuing her Masters degree. Tiffany welcomed a new baby girl, Cayleigh Marie, to her family in July.

Becky graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1986 with a degree in General Business and has worked in as an office manager/bookkeeper and a Certified Paralegal. Becky moved to the Southport area in 1999 with her husband and two children. Her and her husband are passionate about and support children and youth programs. Through the years, she has volunteered her time at her son’s elementary school, Girl Scout leader, team mom for various children’s sports teams, elementary age programs at church, and assistant youth leader at church. Although she does not have a dance background, she loves Zumba and loves how it has changed her life. She started doing Zumba in the summer of 2009 when she joined a gym after 15 years of no exercise. She wanted to take a group exercise class, but was somewhat intimidated about going into a class by herself. Zumba was so easy to go to because it does not discriminate against a person’s age, size, or background. It is one form of exercise that is easy to stay committed to, because it so much fun and burns so many calories. Zumba has given her significant medical benefits, has helped her to lose 75 pounds, and has led her to other forms of exercise. She even did a sprint triathlon in the fall of 2010. She became a Zumba instructor to share what she has learned and help those who struggle with the first step in an exercise program.

Ashley Stewart Faculty

Ashley has been dancing for eighteen years and teaching for four years. She began her dance training at the Oak Island School of Dance under the direction of Erin Hughes and Pat Pittenger. At ages nine and eleven, she danced with the Greensboro Ballet Company and the Charleston Ballet Company. Ashley was captain of her high school dance team and was selected to perform in the Pro Bowl 2003 in Hawaii by the All American Dance Association. Also in 2003, she performed at the North Carolina Dance Festival with the Dance Cooperative and in 2005 she was selected to perform with Forward Motion under the direction of Tracy Varga. She has participated in several local events such as Southport ’s Annual Chili Cook-off and the 9/11 ceremonies. Her repetoire includes Amahl and the Night Visitors, Les Patineurs, Le Papillon, and the Nutcracker. Ashley is a certified dance educator and is a graduate UNC-Wilmington with a BA in Psychology.

Sarah began dancing at the age of 6 with ballet and tap. As a teen, she discovered hip hop and began competing with Elite Cheer and Dance, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, where she won numerous first place and overall awards at the highest level. She is currently a student at UNCW and a member of Physical Grafeeti, UNCW's hip hop dance team. Sarah has also acheived a 1st degree black belt.