Faculty
Our Faculty
Meet our faculty
Our faculty brings deep training and a shared commitment to clear, constructive teaching. We believe great technique and great kindness go hand in hand.
Teacher Bios
Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Kiersten Lewis
Kiersten Lewis is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ballet Etude Company and Academy. She began her ballet training at The Studio for the Performing Arts under the guidance of her parents, Jef and Karen Horne, both former professional dancers with Ballet El Paso. There, she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap, performing in beloved classics such as The Nutcracker and The Firebird, as well as original works. Over the years, she danced many leading roles in The Nutcracker, including Marzipan, Arabian, Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy.
Kiersten went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, where she trained extensively in performance, choreography, and teaching. She also studied Pilates and is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. Her passion for education and excellence in ballet instruction continues to fuel her desire to develop well-rounded, technically strong dancers.
Assistant Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Madissen Fujimoto
Madissen is the Assistant Artistic Director and co-founder of Ballet Etude Company and Academy. Her love for ballet began at age six and led her to train in Sacramento, California under esteemed teachers such as Marguerite Phares, Barbara Crockett, Alyson Deane, and Shirin Keyani-Rose. She attended Natomas Charter School’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy, where she deepened her training and served as a teacher’s assistant for Ms. Keyani-Rose.
Madissen earned scholarships to attend summer intensives with Sacramento Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, where she studied with master teachers including Ron Cunningham, Carinne Binda, Nolan T’Sani, Fernando Bujones, Peter Stark, and Alonzo King. After graduating high school, she began teaching ballet in Sacramento before relocating with her family to Rexburg, Idaho — a rural city with no professional ballet opportunities at the time.
Instructor
Jef Horne
JEF HORNE began his dance training at age 9 under Jacques d’Amboise of the New York City Ballet. He attended the School of American Ballet, performing children’s roles in The Nutcracker, Firebird, and Don Quixote with NYCB under the direction of George Balanchine.
After high school, Jef attended the University of Utah, where he met his wife, Karen. He joined Ballet El Paso, dancing many solo roles and serving as Ballet Master, while also guesting with Denver Ballet, Bozeman City Ballet, Ballet West, and Salt Lake Dance Center.
Jef earned his M.F.A. in Ballet Teaching and Choreography from the University of Utah in 1992. He and his wife, Karen, were invited to take over The Studio for the Performing Arts in Fallon, Nevada, originally founded by Rob and Suzie Wood. For more than 30 years, Jef and Karen have choreographed, staged, and produced numerous productions, including The Nutcracker, Firebird, The Snow Maiden, and several original works for their annual spring performances.
After 34 wonderful years, Jef left his studio in Fallon and is joining the Ballet Etude Academy faculty for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Jef has a passion for teaching dance and choreographing, and he and Karen are proud parents of seven children and their spouses. They are also blessed with 12 grandchildren
Instructor
Karen Horne
KAREN LEE HEUSSER HORNE has loved dance and danced throughout most of her life. She initially pursued dance as her major at Mesa State University in Grand Junction, Colorado, under the direction of Anne Sanders. Karen continued her studies as a ballet major at the University of Utah, where she excelled in both performance and choreography. During her college years, she was honored to be selected by Ballet West’s Artistic Director, Willam F. Christensen, to join Ballet West’s 1977 production of The Nutcracker, performing in Dance of the Snowflakes. Karen also danced in the Utah Opera’s production of Aida and was a principal dancer with Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre Dance Company.
After earning her B.F.A. in ballet from the University of Utah, Karen and her husband, Jef, joined Ballet El Paso in El Paso, Texas. During her five years with BEP, Karen performed as a corps and soloist dancer in productions of The Nutcracker, Scheherazade, Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. She has also returned to Mesa State as a guest teacher for its summer dance workshops.
For 34 wonderful years, Karen worked alongside Jef at The Studio for the Performing Arts in Fallon, Nevada, where she taught all levels of pointe and assisted Jef in rehearsals. After leaving The Studio, Karen is delighted to join the Ballet Etude Academy faculty for the 2026–2027 academic year.
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Instructor
Gretchen Smith
Gretchen has been dedicated to classical ballet for 13 years. Growing up, she studied ballet technique, pointe, and choreography at Classical Youth Ballet in Brigham City and loved performing in story ballets each year. Her favorite roles were a chimney sweep in Mary Poppins, the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and Ariel in The Little Mermaid. She also took dance classes at BYU-Idaho and has taught ballet in Idaho Falls for one year.
Storytelling and expression are passions of hers, whether through dance, writing, or filmmaking. She is excited to join Ballet Etude Academy as an assistant instructor for the 2026–2027 academic year!
Instructor
Molly Jorgensen
Molly is a dance artist, somatic movement educator/therapist, and mother with a Master’s-level education in dance. She's an adjunct faculty at BYU–Idaho where her interests focus on dance science, somatic practices, and embodiment for movement training, performance, and well-being. With previous years of experience teaching Children’s Creative Dance in the Pocatello community, she’s excited about teaching at Ballet Etude and returning to teaching children after a meaningful pause. Molly was taught by Mary Ann Lee, the Artistic Director of the Tanner Dance Program and Children’s Dance Theatre at the University of Utah and uses Anne Green Gilbert’s Brain-Compatible Dance Education approach to create a joyful, imaginative, and developmentally supportive environment for young dancers.
Administrative Assistant
McKinley Molina
McKinley has been dancing with Ballet Etude since 2022. As the Administrative Assistant, she helps support the day-to-day operations of the studio while also assisting in ballet classes. With a background as both an academy and company dancer, McKinley brings her love of ballet into both the office and the classroom. Her performance experience also includes working as a face character in Disneyland’s Entertainment Department, where she appeared in parades and throughout the park in meet and greets. McKinley is married and the proud mother of four children.
Assistant Instructor
Andilyn Jepsen
Andilyn Jepsen discovered her love for Ballet at age 11, studying in the Vaganova method with Beth Moore and Sergiu Brendusa. She trained intensively through a special ballet program and also studied jazz and contemporary. She has performed and competed at numerous ballet competitions.
She attended summer intensives at The Rock School, Next Generation Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet NY, and after graduating joined Next Generation Ballet as a New Artist. Andilyn has loved assisting in ballet classes and finds joy in supporting students as they grow.
