Turning Pointe

Rafaela Ray – Artistic Director

Rafaela has been a dancer since the age of 5 and received most of her dance instruction in Houston, Texas where she studied with the Pasadena Civic Jazz Ballet Company and the Bay Area Performing Arts Center.  She has studied Ballet, Modern, Pointe, Jazz, and Tap and has been pleased to bring her skills and experience to the Turning Pointe family.  Rafaela is happy to be celebrating her fifth year as a Turning Pointe instructor and will be taking over as Artistic Director next fall.   She is looking forward to the blessings, challenges, and growth that this will bring.  When she is not dancing Rafaela works as a professional counselor employed with the Neuropsychological Clinic here in Abilene.  She is married to Joshua Ray and they have two children Shelby, age 16 and Benjamin, age 2.

Tonja Gray – Ballet Eleve Director

Tonja graduated from McMurry College with a BS in Elementary Education in May of 1988.  She has taught in several public schools in the Big Country area since graduation.  She was the color guard instructor in Hawley for 8 years.  She has been married to Ian since 1987, and they have two lovely young ladies, Charlene and Alecia.

Teaching has been a lifelong dream for Tonja, but her love for dance came along much later in life.  She has been dancing in church since 1987, and she began formal training at a local studio in the spring of 1992.  She moved to Christina’s Dance Expressions in 1998, and she stayed with the studio when it became Turning Pointe a short time later.  Tonja never dreamed that her love for the Lord, teaching, and dance would all come together.  That all changed in the fall of 2001 when she became an assistant at Turning Pointe and a teacher the following year.  She has also danced and acted with the Word of Emmanuel Dance Team, The Mountainview Dance Team, the Crossroads Dance and Drama ministries, and the Fountaingate Fellowship Dance ministry.  She has been a member of Ballet Élevé since the fall of 2002.  Tonja loves sharing her love for the Lord and dance with her students, and she hopes to continue to do so for many years to come.  She also loves using dance and acting as a ministry tool and hopes to one day be able to share her faith through the arts on the mission field in Europe.  Tonja is thankful to Turning Pointe for give her a safe place to grow and share.  Isaiah 40:31.

Laura Logan
Although she began dancing as an adult, Laura has developed a passion for dance and truely loves the time she is able to spend teaching (and learning!) at Turning Pointe.  Laura studied voice and piano at Hardin-Simmons University and is blessed to be involved in the Children and Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Clyde.  She has been married to her husband, Eric, eight years and is proud mother of a daughter, Alex (7) and a son, Carter (6).

Sheila Ritchie
Sheila has danced for 4 years and has taught for one.  She has enjoyed teaching Liturgical class because of the time spent in worship and the opportunity to minister to others.  This year’s Liturgical class has been blessed to take their ministry outside the studio with monthly programs at several retirement and nursing centers around Abilene.  In addition to teaching here at Turning Pointe Sheila has home educated her own four children and teaches Communication as an Adjunct Instructor for ACU and CJC.

Hope Hayes
Hope has been dancing for 12 years and received her training at the Dance Gallery in Lubbock, Texas.  This was her first year as an instructor with Turning Pointe and she has had the pleasure of teaching Hip Hop and Boy’s Tap.  She has loved the experience and the kids, and looks forward to next year.

Aimee Leath
Aimee is just finishing her freshman year in high school and her tenth year of dance.  She has been blessed for eight of those years at Turning Pointe Academy.  She has been an assistant for the past two years and was thrilled to begin teaching this year.  Ballet has been her passion, from the moment she put on her first pair of ballet shoes.  In addition to her technique classes she has also been in Ballet Eleve’ for four years.  She is thankful for the opportunity to use her God-given talent to minister to others.  Her desire is to continue to use her dance to glorify God.

Brooke Farmer
Brooke is 17 years old and a junior at Wylie High School. She has been dancing for 13 years. She began dancing at Christina’s Dance Expressions in 1997 and stayed with the studio when it changed to Turning Pointe in 2000. She has been an assistant at Turning Pointe since 2004 and has been in Ballet Eleve for 5 years. Brooke is involved with Wylie Baptist Church’s youth group and student choir.   She has completed her second year as a instructor here at Turning Pointe and has been so excited to have the privilege of teaching your children.  She is thankful to her family for the support they have given her.

Shelby Ray
Shelby is a 16-year-old sophomore at Wylie High School and has been dancing with Turning Pointe since the age of 7.   She was excited to begin teaching this year and had the pleasure of working with our younger tap students.   She dances with Ballet Eleve’ and has been blessed to be able to use both her dancing and singing talents to glorify the Lord.  She hopes to one day be a missionary.

Rachel Ritchie
Rachel is 16 years old She has been dancing for 13 years.  Although her primary focus is ballet, Rachel has also trained in lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, and tap.  This is her fourth year as a member of Ballet Eleve’.  Her mother, Sheila, is also a teacher at Turning Pointe, and her siblings, Levi, Lexi, and Becca attend classes as well.  Her father, Matt, is a proud supporter.  Rachel has been homeschooled her entire life, but began taking duel-credit courses at Cisco Junior College this semester.  Rachel will be starting her Senior year this fall.

Hannah Gregory
Hannah has been a dancer since the age of 3.    She has received all of her instruction at Turning Pointe Academy.    Hannah has been a member of Ballet Élevé since the first year it started.    She has been trained in the areas of ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical.  Her passion is dance and she hopes to pursue a career that includes some form of dance.   Hannah loves teaching small children and has a strong desire to be a good example for her students to follow.  She is a high school student attending Abilene High School.

Lindsey Brotsch
Lindsey is 22 years old and has been dancing for 9 years. She joined Turning Pointe in 2004 and Ballet Eleve in 2005. This was her second year to teach for the studio. Last week, Lindsey graduated Summa Cum Laude from McMurry University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She plans to get a job in the psychology field for a few years before pursuing graduate school and her counseling license.  Lindsey loves dancing and is proud of how much her students have grown and accomplished.

Kim Romines

Ruth Gregory – Business Manager