Our Staff
Franco Baleto
Franco Baleto has been a street dancer his entire life. Born in Dallas, Texas, Franco grew up break-dancing and competing in talent shows and battles. Following in the footsteps of Barry YoungBlood, Franco began dancing with GDDS seven years ago. He strives to encourage…
Rebecca Bean
Rebecca began her dance training at the age of three with Dorothy Taylor at Ballet Westside in Rogers, AR. She began teaching dance at GDDS in 2007. Her training includes classes in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and musical theater such…
Madysn Casteel
Madysn became a student with GDDS at the age of 15, studying ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. She was a member of DANCE est Joie, Inc. for three years, competing in Tulsa, Branson, Bentonville and Joplin. She has studied with Darryl Retter, Janice…
Jayci Hobson
Miss Jayci began her dance training at the age of three in her home town of Fort Smith, Arkansas at Grayce Dewitt Dance Studio. She joined the DANCE est Joie company at age 12 and shortly after began training at the pre-professional level at conventions and competing…
Maggie King
Maggie has been a performer all her life. Raised in Broken Arrow, OK, she spent almost all of her time singing, dancing, and acting— for audiences, and for her mirror. She attended the University of Oklahoma and was part of the prestigious Helmerich School of Drama…
Robbi Martin
Robbi began “dancing with Grayce” at the age of three, and was a DANCE est Joie company performer for seven years. She was a featured dancer in the Barry YoungBlood hip hop video series. Robbi served as a staff member and choreographer for the National Cheerleader…
Maeli McMahen
Maeli has trained at GDDS for 15 years, beginning at the age of two. She has studied various styles including ballet and pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical and contemporary, hip hop, and musical theater. She became a member of Dance est Joie in 2012 at the age of 7 and has…
Kayli Sossoman
Kayli has her BA in Dance at Lindenwood University, where she trained under Professors Janet Strzelec and Tricia Zweier for 3 1/2 years. She has attended multiple festivals while attending Lindenwood University. Kayli has had the opportunity to perform and take class…
Emily Wright
Miss Emily is an alumni of Alma High School. She is currently attending the University of Arkansas pursuing a degree in Interior Design. She started dancing at GDDS at the age of 7. During her undergraduate dance experience, she competed with DANCE est Joie for 7 years and learned from…
Mary Young
Mary’s dance career began at the age of two with Nancy Nicholson and Linda Kent at the Newport School of Dance. She continued training under the direction of Ann Boyce, who specialized in Ballet and Pointe, and The Irby Studio, where she was a member of their dance company…
About Grayce DeWitt
My love of dance began at the age of eight with Cecille Skaggs and Elaine Baker. That is when I decided to become a dance teacher. Nellie Jo Bridwell, Linda Irby Hausen and Glen Irby pointed me in the right direction. I traveled to New York City to study with Broadway Dance Center, New York Conservatory Of Dance and STEPS. I continued to train in Los Angeles at the Tremaine Dance Center and EDGE Performing Arts. I traveled to conventions and continued to study, attending Southern Association of Dancemasters “Joyce Newman Teacher Training School”, Musicworks Teacher Training School, and Oklahoma City University’s Dance Teacher Seminar. I have performed with the Fort Smith Civic Ballet, Western Arkansas Dance Theater, Russellville Ballet, Localmotion Modern Dance in Tulsa, and Fort Smith Little Theatre. I was honored to receive the 1998 Mayor’s Honors for the Performing Arts and the 2010 Marjorie Perry Spirit Award From Dancemakers, Inc.