Bella Ballet Teachers

Pristine Tam

Ms. Pristine started dancing when she was two years old and never stopped. Throughout her 16 years of training in classical ballet with a little jazz, tap, contemporary, and musical theatre, one of her greatest joys in life is to see Christ exalted and worshipped through every kind of dance. But an even greater joy for her is teaching young girls to do the same, glorifying the One who gave them their bodies and skills of dance and returning to their Creator his due praise. Having taught ballet and choreographed for two years at Soli Deo Gloria School of Dance and the Arts, she is thrilled to teach at and direct the Bella Ballet program while studying in the biblical counseling MDiv seminary track program at Boyce.

Alaina Andrecht

Ms. Alaina has been dancing since she was 5 years old. This is her first year teaching in the Bella Ballet Program and she is so excited to get to know all her students! She is an elementary education major here at Boyce!
Alaina teaches Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, & Beginner I classes.

Chesed Thifault

Chesed is excited to be a part of Bella Ballet in this upcoming semester. She is currently a Sophomore at Boyce College, studying Elementary Education. She danced in a local ballet company in Carmel, Indiana for three years in high school and otherwise danced in a variety of ballet classes since she was 5 years-old. She has taught several homeschool ballet camps over the past two years. This is her first semester working with Bella Ballet, and she is excited to see how God will use her love for the Lord and for dance.
Chesed teaches Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Beginner 1, & Beginner 2.

Elizabeth Smith

This is Ms. Elizabeth’s third semester teaching at Bella Ballet! She is also a personal friend of Ms. Lizzie. We are so thrilled to see how God is going to use her 11 years of Ballet Experience as well as her costume making skills to further our mission at Bella Ballet. We are confident she will be an incredible addition to the program!
Elizabeth teaches Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate, Advanced I, & Advanced II.

Emma Carlisle

Ms. Emma’s fifteen years of dance experience have solidified her love for this art, and she cannot wait to share this love with Bella Ballet students! Over the years, she has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical and has had multiple opportunities to instruct dance. From Texas, she came to Louisville to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Boyce College.
Emma teaches Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Beginner 1, & Beginner 2.

Lydia Merchant

This is Ms. Lydia’s first semester teaching at Bella Ballet. She has been dancing since she was 3 in her home state of Connecticut. After graduating from Belhaven University spring 2025, she got married and moved to Louisville with her husband for his studies at SBTS. Her passions include local and global missions, choreography, singing, and historical novels. She is thrilled to get to know her students and teach at Bella Ballet!
Lydia teaches Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate, & Advanced I.

Maris Howard

Maris is thrilled to be a part of Bella Ballet for a second semester. She has been dancing for over 13 years and hopes to use her love and passion for dance to serve her students and the Lord. She is an Elementary Education major here at Boyce and has always loved working with children. She cannot wait to get to know all of her students!
Maris teaches Beginner 1 & Beginner 2.

Sarah Rivall

Sarah fell in love with ballet at three years old and now has 15 years of dance experience. In addition to classical ballet, she trained in contemporary and modern dance. During high school, she expanded her training through summer intensives at Ballet Magnificat, Cincinnati Ballet, and Ballet 5:8. This is Sarah’s first year teaching at Bella Ballet and she is delighted to share the joy of dance with her students. She is currently a freshman at Boyce, studying Humanities.
Sarah teaches Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate, & Advanced I classes.

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