The LVSD Staff

Jill Rhiannon Payne

Ballet & Lyrical

Jill comes to LVSD with a great variety of dance education, teaching and experience. This dynamic woman has studied with professionals from the Oregon Ballet Theater, as well as the founders of the Tatar Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet in Kazan, Russia. She has also studied with ballet masters Boris Rachminin and Natalia Zolotova of the Bolshoi Ballet. A choreographer since her teen years, Jill has also performed as Sugar Plum and many other roles in the Nutcracker, and a variety of other solo and corps work many other ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and Don Quixote. Jill has been teaching all levels of ballet to children and adults for over 20 years starting with Lynn Marchant Dance Academy in McMinnville. She has also shared her experience with Newberg’s Professional Dance Center, Gallery Ballet and Tap in McMinnville, and has been with LVSD for over 10 years. Jill’s dance objective is “to overcome challenges and be able to be creative while assisting others in conquering their own challenges and finding their own creativity”.

jill

Jean Phillips

Tap

Jean has been in love with dancing for all her life. She has some basic experience in ballet and jazz, but tap dancing is her true calling. She started tap as an adult at Lake Oswego Academy of Dance. After several years her husband discovered there were dance lessons at the community grange hall and she has been dancing there ever since. Having been influenced by a number of talented teachers she has gone from student to instructor/choreographer, leading the adult tap class for about 10 years. The goals of the class are healthful physical and mental exercise, enjoying friendships and having a lot of fun.

Samantha Broyles

Mommy & Me, class support

Leslie Hansen

Piano

Leslie has enjoyed music all her life, playing piano and viola.  She also enjoyed a house full of music as she was raising her children. Each of them picked up a different instrument: piano, French horn, trombone, clarinet, and voice. She has no specific degree in music,  but loves to teach children. and has spent her life teaching them in many different and varied circumstances:  Gymnastics, scouting, home school groups, as well as in children and youth ministry. She is excited to offer group piano lessons for kids.  Group piano lessons offer many benefits.  Children naturally enjoy learning in a fun group environment.  Learning in a group setting also fosters social development, teamwork, and boosts confidence in performing before others.  As one student progresses it also encourages others to press forward in their learning. There are classes for children ages 5-14.