About Kutztown Dance Center
By nurturing confidence, grace, and bold exploration of creative expression, we give students the self-esteem to make the whole boundless world their stage.
Our Goals:
- To create a safe environment for artistic expression, camaraderie and laughter
- To instill respect for education by honoring and celebrating students’ growth and evolution through learning
- To connect young people to fiercely caring mentors who encourage self-assurance, structured learning and a positive body image
- To find the real joy behind the “stage smile” in grace and discipline, movement and music
- To transform hesitance into confidence, uncertainty into strength
Our Teachers
Micaela Hulsebos, Director
Micaela is the owner and business manager of Kutztown Dance Center and has been dancing since she was three years old. During her school years, she studied at Marilyn’s Dance Studio, Dance Pointe, and Culture Shock. She also attended programs at Point Park University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and danced with Amherst Ballet and Northampton School of Dance. She specializes in ballet and contemporary but has also taken classes and workshops in modern, jazz, hip-hop, tap and acrobatics. She has been teaching for fifteen years and has been the director of Kutztown Dance Center for eight years.
Micaela received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her MS in Accounting and Information Analysis from Lehigh University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Pennsylvania and currently works remotely for a local company based out of Orwigsburg.
Priscilla Knight
Priscilla began studying ballet at the age of three with her mother Kay Knight. Kay Knight was the ballet mistress for San Francisco Ballet's Academy.
By the age of 14, Priscilla became a member of Muncie Ballet Theater. While performing during the school year, she continued her studies in ballet at Butler Ballet, Cincinnati School of Ballet and the Indianapolis School of Ballet. During the summers, Priscilla studied at Jacob's Pillow where she became a Jacob's Pillow dancer, the performing aspect of the school. She also spent one summer studying with George Balanchine in New York at the age of 13. She also studied with Lew Christianson of Ballet West at age 17.
Priscilla's professional career began at 14 with Muncie Ballet Theatre, after graduating high school she joined Indianapolis Ballet, and was a visiting artist at Cincinati Ballet. Roles included the Firebird, Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), 4 little swans (Swan Lake), Sugar Plum (Nutcracker). Ballets she performed in with Demi solos include Les Sylphide, La Sylphide, Giselle, Copelia, Jewels, Agon, Appalachian Spring, Rite of Spring, and many others.
Priscilla's teaching credentials. Bachelor of Arts and Masters Indiana University in ballet, certified in Royal Ballet from Harkness Ballet, certified in Bournonville at Jacobs Pillow, certified with Dance Educators of America.
Teaching experience include 4 years as professor of ballet at Kutztown University, 20 years as instructor at Marilyn's Dance Studio, 5 years instructor at Dance Pointe, assistant instructor at Indiana University.
Priscilla's philosophy: all students of dance should have qualified training in ballet regardless of the individual students preferred dance form. Ballet is the foundation of all western forms of dance. Students of ballet should also have the experience of performing in full length ballets as well as the opportunity to perform lead roles in ballets rather than hiring professional dancers.
Abigail Gipe
Abby began dancing at the age of 4 at Richie’s school of dance in Highspire, PA. There she learned a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and baton twirling. She was an assistant teacher at Richie’s for 3 years in high school mostly working with the preschool and beginner classes. She graduated from Middletown Area High School in 2016.
Abby is a 2020 graduate of Kutztown University where she studied special education. At KU, she was president of performing dance portmanteau (PDP), a dance company on campus. In PDP Abby choreographed many dances in styles such as contemporary, lyrical, and tap. In 2025, Abby earned her master’s in special education with a concentration in autism. Abby currently works as a special education teacher.
Maya Kusznir
Maya has been participating in dance classes since she was three years old. Maya has taken classes at Marilyn’s Dance Studio and Kutztown Dance Center. She has experience in a variety of styles such as ballet, lyrical, modern, jazz, tap, and hiphop. Maya’s mother, Melanie Chester, inspired her to begin dancing and pursue dance instruction.
At Marilyn’s Dance Studio, Maya was a hiphop assistant for many years. At Kutztown Dance Center, she assisted and taught hiphop classes. Through her high school career, she served as the choreographer for her school musicals. Maya currently works as the choreographer for the Fleetwood Middle School drama club, choreographing shows such as Beauty and the Beast Jr. and Singin' in the Rain Jr.
Maya is a graduate of Kutztown University and has received her bachelor’s and master's degrees in Social Work. She works in Wyomissing, PA at Mind Matters Coaching, Counseling, and Psychological Associates as a mental health clinician, specializing in work with adolescents/children, ADHD, and anxiety. Along with being passionate about mental health treatment, Maya is passionate about sharing her love of dance with her students. She will always remind them how awesome, beautiful, and amazing they are. She loves being a part of the KDC staff and is looking forward to many great dance seasons to come!
Molly Hill
Starting at a young age as a gymnast, Molly didn’t start dancing until she was 9 years old, though it did not take long after starting for her to realize that dance was what she loved. She spent the rest of her K-12 years studying dance at E-Dance Center in Elizabethtown, PA. Throughout her time there she studied various styles including acro, ballet, modern, lyrical, hip-hop, jazz, and pointe. She also spent five years as a teacher’s assistant for classes including beginner teen ballet, acro, creative movement, and beginner modern.
Molly attended and graduated from Kutztown University in 2021 with a BSEd in Secondary Special Education and Social Studies Education. At Kutztown, she was secretary and then president of Performing Dance Portmanteau (PDP), an all-inclusive dance company on campus. While involved in the club she choreographed jazz and contemporary routines.
Molly has since received her MA in Special Education from Arizona State University and works as a high school autistic support teacher. Her favorite part of working at KDC is seeing students land a trick for the first time. She loves teaching acro and jazz and looks forward to working with all of you at Kutztown Dance Center!
Catherine Thomas
Catherine has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and theatre, as well as guest choreographed for the Pen Argyl High School's Theatre Department. She was part of Northampton Community College's dance program where she further trained in ballet, jazz, modern, and theatre while teaching dance locally and teaching preschool. She still continues to study dance at various venues in the Lehigh Valley. In 2020 she was hired at Kutztown Dance Center to further their preschool dance program. She is extremely thankful to be a staff member at Kutztown Dance Studio and continues to share her love of dance with her dancers.
Hannah Miller
Hannah began dancing at the age of 6. She learned a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. She has competed in competitions with many styles over the years. She graduated from Catasauqua High school in 2020. She attended Reading Area Community College and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2024. Hanah is currently a student at Kutztown University with a major in Prek-4 Education and a Minor in ESL. She is on track to graduate in the spring of 2026.
Hannah has been working with young children for about 5 years and wants to inspire young minds in the art of dance. She took a few years off from dancing but is excited to be a part of the dance community again. Hannah is looking forward to sharing her passion of dance with her students and wants to inspire dancers to reach their full potential—on and off the stage.
Gabby Krick
Gabby has danced for most of her life, taking classes and competing at her local dance studio. She trained in various styles including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and Polynesian. She has the utmost appreciation for the space and friendships her studio provided. Dance has always been a creative outlet for her and she was thrilled to continue that in college.
Gabby is a graduate of Millersville University where she earned a degree in business. While she never planned on pursuing teaching, she found her love for it on her college dance team. The day her first choreographed number hit the stage, she never looked back.
While Gabby has primarily worked with college students she has always appreciated young minds since student teaching in high school. She is excited to work with and get to know the kids as well as the team at Kutztown Dance Center. It is a privilege to move and share her passion, and that is not something she takes lightly.
Abigail Engle
Abigail Engle has been training as a dancer since the age of three. Her journey started at Culture Shock PAC. There she practiced Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Acrobatics, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap, Irish, and various Polynesian styles. She joined the CSPAC competition team at eight years old and joined the "Shock Therapy" Elite competition team as a freshman in high school.
Additionally, Abigail trained under Priscilla Knight & Micaela Hulsebos from the ages of 12 to 18. Under their direction, Abigail's love for Ballet grew. She participated in many performances including the annual spring showcase, The Nutcracker, The Naughty Child, Alice in Wonderland, competed with the KDC Ensemble, and performed in the travel ensemble for many years.
At 13, Abigail began student teaching under the guidance of CSPAC Director, Anita Doucette. Abigail was hired as a CSPAC Choreographer/Instructor in 2019 (aged 17) and has been teaching ever since. Abigail joined the KDC team in 2024 and is looking forward to continuing that journey!
Upon graduating high school in 2020, Abigail attended Cedar Crest College and earned her Bachelors of Arts in Dance. There she explored various styles of Jazz and Modern but largely focused on Ballet (under the tutelage of Patricia Bostick-Winn). Abigail's Senior Project thesis emphasized the importance of athleticism, musicality, versatility, resilience, and passion as an artist. All of these attributes are pillars of Abigail's philosophy as an instructor.
Abigail continues to invest her time in instructing, choreographing, and coaching the local youth, hoping to spread the love, respect, and passion for dance.
Cassidy Parson
Cassidy has been dancing since the age of 3. She has explored many different styles including hip-hop, jazz, ballet, pointe, contemporary, and tap. She began assisting at Kutztown Dance Center 5 years ago. Along with dance she is attending Kutztown University, majoring in elementary education with a minor in psychology. Cassidy is thrilled to start teaching her own dance classes at Kutztown Dance Center!
