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
Bethany Fuller
Bethany has been an instructor at Ballet Etude Academy since the company’s first full-year season in the fall of 2024. She previously taught pointe and technique classes at Brigham Young University – Idaho under faculty mentorship, as well as pointe classes at Dancer’s Edge. In the summer of 2024, Bethany attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Training, where she deepened her knowledge of ballet pedagogy and training. She has also enjoyed teaching private lessons since 2023, valuing the opportunity to work closely with individuals to support their growth. In addition, Bethany has choreographed a variety of works for her students and finds great joy in watching both individuals and groups bring these pieces to the stage. She is excited to continue learning and growing alongside her students in the studio this year.
Instructor
Rosie Pedersen
Rosie’s teaching philosophy begins and ends with students in mind. She believes that young people are the future of the world, and that the arts are critical to their development. When children are exposed to the arts, they are inspired to grow, achieve more, and discover ways to give back to the communities that shape them. As an educator, Rosie seeks to instill a love of dance by creating an environment where all are welcome, emphasizing proper technique, and helping students recognize their individual worth in the studio so they may carry that confidence into all aspects of their lives.
Instructor
Kate Davis
Kate Davis graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She toured and performed with the BYU Theatre Ballet Company and has worked extensively with many professional artists including Duncan Cooper (SF Ballet), John Corsa (Parsons Dance), and Summer Rattigan (SFCD). She was a finalist in Utah Regional Ballet’s Choreography Design Project, at the Red Rock Dance Festival and at the SALT Choreography festival. She has choreographed recently on the Myriad Dance Company and on Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative. She has performed with the Lyric Opera Ensemble, Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, Body Logic Dance Company, Municipal Ballet, and Myriad Dance. She has taught ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, and tap for over ten years at various studios and programs, including the University of Utah Tanner Dance program, and is certified in ABT’s National Teaching Curriculum for levels Pre-Primary- Level 3. She has two beloved daughters, and another one due in November.
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.
Assistant Instructor
Ava Park
Ava Park began ballet at age 7 and has trained at several studios in town over the years. She has been dancing with Ballet Etude for the past three years, where she is now an assistant for Pre-Ballet and Creative Ballet classes. Ava plans to pursue dance in college and continue growing as both a dancer and teacher.
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.
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.