River Elle Johnson

Owner & Director

“I want to dance,” proclaimed a 2 year old River Johnson, to Glenda Brown, Director of Allegro Ballet of Houston. “When you are 3,” answered Ms. Glenda. And so it began. At three, after trying a summer camp, River’s mom enrolled her in classes where she took ballet, tap and jazz. While at Allegro River had the opportunity of joining their Company and dancing in various roles of their performances of the Nutcracker. Moving to Adamson Ballet in 2007, River continued to grow in the ballet and jazz classes she took from John Adamson, Karen Adamson and Misty Chamber. There were many performances along the way. There were the Houston Rockets and Comets Dance Clinics and half time performances 2007, 2008 and 2009. After auditioning for Camp Broadway, River danced in the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City in 2008 and 2009. The summer of 2012 she attended the Texas A&M University Teen Intensive. She was challenged when she attended a Hip Hop Clinic with Jimmy R. O. Smith (dancer with Jennifer Lopez). While attending college at Texas A&M University she took ballet and choreography as well as Adult Ballet classes at Munro Ballet Studio. With many performances while at TAMU-CC, she performed in the Corpus Christ Ballet “Nutcracker” and performance of “Giselle” in various roles. River began teaching during college in 2014. Not only did she love it, she was good at it, as some of her former students are now dancing for companies, college dance teams and in the NFL. She loved sharing her passion. In preparation for this role as teacher, River has completed the in-studio Professional Development for the Teacher Training Workshop at the METdance in Houston under, artistic director Marlana Doyle and executive director Michelle Smith; IAP Career College Studio Owner certification program; ABT NTC Levels Pre-Primary to Level 3, and will continue the ABT NTC Levels 4-7 in the future. River has taught ballet, tap and jazz. She taught at Expressions in College Station, Forever Dance in Richmond, and Republic in Katy. River has resided in Katy, since 1999 and is a graduate of Katy High School. Opening a studio like Ballet Elle here in Katy is her long time dream!

Mrs. Michelle Moyer

“Hey y’all! I’m Michelle Moyer and I am so excited to be part of Ballet Elle and your kids dance education! I am originally from the suburbs of Chicago and ended up here in Texas after graduating from Texas A&M University. I started dancing at age 3 at Bonnie Lindholm School of Dance in Palatine, IL where I studied a large variety of styles including tap, ballet, jazz, musical theatre and pointe. I have loved getting to share my love for dance through teaching classes over the last decade! Outside of the dance studio you can find me watching college football (gig ‘em!), working on a craft project (I recently started looking to crochet) or trying a new recipe!”

Ms. Kristin Schultz

“Hi there! I’m Kristin Schultz, but your kids probably know me as Miss K. Teaching with Ballet Elle is such a rewarding and full circle moment for me. I was thrown into my first ballet class at Lesa’s Dancesations as a tiny 18-month with a bad case of the wiggles. From that moment, I was hooked! I spent the next 11 years training in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz and competed with their dance company for 6 of those years. After leaving the competitive dance scene, I made my way to Adamson Ballet School where I met River Johnson (I think y’all know her!). We became instant best friends and together we advanced throughout the ranks of our classes until we graduated high school. I am so grateful that our paths brought us back to do the thing we love the most together again!

I attended Texas Tech University, where I obtained a degree in HR Management. Although being a Dance Teacher is not my fulltime career, it is the one I am most passionate about. Outside of the dance studio, I am an HR and Recruiting specialist for a small consulting firm. While I am not working, I like to travel, spend time with my family & friends, and catch a good yoga class every now and then. Thank you to Ballet Elle for this opportunity and thank you to our community for entrusting us with your children’s dance education. I am so happy to be here!”

Ms. McKinley Young

McKinley Young has 14 years of studio dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, modern, & musical theatre. She has also been supplementing her dance training by attending workshops like Tap Festival & Dance Makers Inc. This has allowed her to study with master teachers, such as Anthony Morigerato & Sean Kaminski.

In addition, McKinley has a wealth of experience in competitive dance as a performer & a competitive choreographer & instructor with multiple choreography awards & national wins. McKinley’s professional background also includes being a former member of the professional tap company, Untapped, located in Arkansas. To continue her love of dance, McKinley has also gotten certified by the Texas Education Agency in dance education for grades 6-12 & has worked with Morton Ranch High School’s Maverick Belles dance team.

Mrs. Lindsey Tipple

Lindsey grew up in Minnesota dancing and performing on stage. A few years into her teaching career she moved to Colorado where she taught, competed and owned one of the largest dance studios. Over the years Lindsey has developed a teaching method that guides students of any age or level to achieve their dance goals. She’s won several top female instructor awards throughout her career. Along with winning top studio award at their last competition in Puerto Rico.
Lindsey has competed Pro/Pro and Pro/Am all over the US, Canada and Europe in American Rhythm, American Smooth, International Standard, and International Latin. She also has performed and choreographed for numerous shows, charity events, commercials, and music videos. Lindsey teaches 28 partnered dances and has her Professional teaching certifications in NDCA, ISTD, & DVIDA.

Lindsey and her family are new to Texas as of the end of 2024.

Ms. Deagan McWilliams

As a young and driven individual with a passion for the arts and sports, Deagan is always on the lookout for new opportunities to learn and grow. From her early years of ballet training to her ongoing practice on the flute and ukelele, Deagan has learned the value of dedicating her time and energy to improving her skills, honing her craft, and sharing her love for creativity with others. Coming from a big family with six siblings has also taught her the importance of patience, teamwork and communication. Over the years, she has had the pleasure of working with children in a variety of settings. She has a natural ability to connect with children, and hopes to use her experiences and talents to inspire kids to pursue their passions and make their own mark in the world. When Deagan is not practicing, performing, or dancing with the littles at Ballet Elle, you can find her on the volleyball court, drawing, or dreaming of becoming a teacher.