Faculty
Virginia Hintze, Founder / Artistic Director
Mrs. Ginny began her serious dance training under the direction of Susan Boree and Gen Hammett, with the Academy of the Norfolk Ballet. While there, she danced with the Norfolk Civic Ballet Company, where she received most of her classical training doing soloist roles in Les Sylphides, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Graduation Ball, and many other ballets. At the age of 14, she received a summer scholarship to the American Ballet Center, the official school for City Center Joffrey. Mrs. Ginny continued receiving scholarships in New York until she graduated fro High School, when she started her professional career path the age of 17. Ms. Ginny has danced with the Chamber Ballet Co., Chrysler Dance Co., and has been a guest artist with the Richmond Ballet Co, and the Virginia State Opera in “La Traviata.” She expanded her career by touring with Anheuser Busch Entertainment Department in the “Macey’s Day Parade’ on the East Coast Tour as a German Dancer. While with Busch, she danced at the German Embassy in Washington D.C. and the “Tavern On The Green” in New York City. During that time she choreographed several musicals for the Community Theatre, including “Caberet,” “West Side Story,” and “Oklahoma”. Ms. Ginny also played the part of Velma in the National Tour of West Side Story. She is a veteran in TV commercials for Anheuser Busch, has been interviewed on the Merv Griffin Show, and has performed on DANCE FEVER. Ms. Ginny’s favorite performance experience was having the opportunity of doing a 6-month show for the World Famous Magician Mark Wilson based out of Los Angeles, California. In 1980, Virginia became interested in furthering her dance repertoire by training in Ballroom Dancing. She won many competitions throughout the United States, Canada, and Monte Carlo, specializing in Latin Dancing.
Since 1983, Ms Ginny has devoted her professional time to teaching and choreography. She has staged classical repertoire for several dance companies through out the South. She also taught for Bela Karoyli’s World Gymnastics in Houston, Texas. While there, she taught many World and Olympic Champions such as Phoibe Mills, Kim Zemeskal, Betty Okino, and Kerri Strug. She also taught Balance Team and Floor at The Junior Elite Training Center in Northridge, California. Ms. Ginny is a former USGF Compulsory Judge, has judged for Dance Masters of America, and has taught on both the East and West Coasts. She currently owns, operates, and instructs at the Hintze Dance Center, located in Northwest Houston, TX.
Elle DePau, Dance Instructor
Elle is a proud Hintze Alumni. She started dancing at the age of 3 and grew up dancing on Hintze’s competitive dance team. In high school, she served as a drill team dance officer at Cy Fall High School drill team for two years. Her senior year she was the Captain of her Drill Team. After graduation, Elle was a Kilgore College Rangerette for two years and served as Rule Bearer her sophomore year. Elle received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University with a minor in Education. She is also a collegiate dancer in the Texas Woman’s University Pioneer Pride Dance Team. Ellie has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Cotton Bowl Half Time Show, Texas State Fair, and Houston Texans Half Time Show.
Elle has taught dancers from ages 2-18 in various styles. She also has experience in teaching in both a public school and studio setting. Elle is excited to be back at her childhood studio sharing her passion for dance and love of tap!
ZoeAnn Jones, Preschool Instructor
I acquired a love for dance as a little girl, At Virgie Lee Emmons School of Dance and dancing has been my life! I have traveled to New York, California, Boston and more as faculty for many dance associations, including NADAA. I have owned and operated my own studio since the age of 16 and have taught for over 50 years. I guess dancing is in my blood! My specialty is working with the little ones but I love dance at all stages.
Kara Williams, Guest Dance Instructor
Kara is a Sophomore at East Texas Baptist University and is a member of the Tiger Pom dance team. While at ETBU Kara is majoring in Rehabilitative Science where she will then go on to Physical therapy to specifically help dancers. Kara began dancing at the age of 3 years old. She has attended a five-week Junior Division Summer Intensive at The Alvin Ailey School in New York City, New York. Kara danced at Hintze Dance Center where she competed at various regional and national competitions since the age of 10. She has received numerous judge’s awards and placed nationally for her group and solo dances. While dancing at Hintze, Kara was also a part of the Cypress Springs Panteras where she was captain her senior year. Kara has performed as the bluebonnet queen in the Houston Urban Nutcracker and received all-American at NDA over the past summer. She is excited for this upcoming summer where she gets to continue her passion for dance by teaching others.
Hayli Howard, Guest Acro Instructor
Hayli has been teaching tumbling for over 10 years. She has a passion for Acro and loves to see the skills come together when Acro meets dance seamlessly. Hayli's goal is to provide the best quality of instruction while also giving each student individualized direction.
She prides herself on providing a safe and energetic atmosphere, while also encouraging confidence and motivation to learn the fusion of dance and the athleticism of acrobatics. Hayli strives to be the best she can be and instill in her students the passion and fire that she has for Acro-Tumbling, allowing them to be passionate about what they are accomplishing.
Heather Lucas, Academy instructor
Heather Lucas is a dedicated academy dance instructor, who specializes in preschool thru elementary level combo classes and classical Ballet Levels I & II. Heather taught for Christian Dance Center for 10 years and has been the administrator for the past several years. She continues her dance education in order to be the best instructor for the next generation of young dancers. Heather has taught for Hintze Dance Center for the past 5 years and is one of our most popular preschool instructors for the Dance Center.
Alex Worrell, Guest Dance Instructor
Alex Worrell was a competitive dancer at Hintze Dance Studio. She went to Cy-Fair High School where she served as Colonel her Senior year and Junior Lieutenant her Junior Year. While on the team, Alex had the opportunity to choreograph many award winning dances and develop her love for dance team!
Alex is a graduate of Baylor University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with a minor in Dance. While at Baylor, Alex worked for Joy’s School of Dance, a renowned dance studio in Waco. While working at JSOD, Alex was given the opportunity to write curriculum, choreograph, and build relationships with amazing dancers. Through Baylor’s Dance Minor Program, she was able to get connected with the Midway High School Goal Tenders and become their Coaching Intern for two years. Alex was also an extremely involved member of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, where she was able to serve as StompFest Chair and Sing Choreography Chair. Alex graduated from Baylor in May of 2021.
For the 2021-2022 school year, Alex had the privilege of being the Assistant Director of the talented Lake Travis Red Rubies where she had the opportunity to choreograph their award winning competition contemporary dance. Alex also works as a choreographer for ShowMakers of America and does independent choreography as well.
Alex is currently the Assistant Director of the award winning Jordan Legacies Dance Team. She also co-founded the Jordan Golden Line JV Dance Team and the Legacy Company.
Tylan Perry, Academy Instructor / Company Choreographer
Tylan Perry fell in love with dance at a young age. She took her very first dance class at Hintze Dance Center and then went on to join their award winning competition team. She was a member of the Cypress Falls Sky dancers winning multiple solo, officer and team awards while serving as a Junior Lieutenant her 11th grade year and the Captain her senior year in 2014. After High school Tylan went on to Sam Houston State University were she graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology with a Dance minor. While at Sam Houston she also was apart of the 8x National Championship team The Orange Pride Dance Team were she got the chance to dance at football/ basketball games and compete in Daytona Beach Florida at NDA Nationals. She has been a 2x college dance assistant at TDEA convention were she got the chance to work with different choreographers, teachers and drill team captains all around Texas. Tylan has been trained and studied multiple styles of dancing. This knowledge gives her the opportunity to breakdown different skills and movements, in order to help every child reach their full dance potential. She stands by the quote “dance with passion, perform with personality and never lose your purpose of why you dance”.
Chris Rivera, Classical Ballet Instructor/ Company Choreographer
From her first day of class when she was eight-years-old, Chris immediately loved Ballet and eventually developed a passion for the art, which developed into a passion to share it with others through performing and teaching. For twelve years, Chris was under the tutelage of Effie Nanes (The Philippines premiere ballerina) at her select school for Classical Ballet. Progressing rapidly through classes, she was in the advanced and Pointe classes at age 9. It was also at this school where she taught beginner to advanced Ballet, as well as Pointe.
Chris attended several scholarship programs at Ballet Philippines. There she had the opportunity to be under the instruction of William Morgan (Ballet Master of Ballet Philippines), Nonoy Froilan (Premiere Danseur of the Philippines), Douglas Nierras (Noted Jazz teacher and choreographer), Perry Sevidal, Noordin Jumalon, Cecile Sicangco, and visiting Russian teachers from the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet Companies, as well as American, Japanese and French Ballet instructors.
She has danced as the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Spanish Dance and Waltz of the Flowers, all from the Nutcracker. She has also performed the role of Princess Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux, as well as the role of Odette and Odile, and as one of the Four Little Swans from Swan Lake. She has also performed in Les Patineurs, Serenade, Class, Etudes, Minuet, La Bayadere and Les Sylphide. Their group performance of Souvenir and the Dance of the Hours won them First Place in Ballet Fest Philippines in 1988 and 1989 respectively.
In college, she was an Apprentice for two years with the Filipiniana Dance Troupe, under the helm of Corazon Inigo, and with this experience Chris broadened her dance vocabulary and opened her to more styles of dance as well as teaching. After moving to Houston in 2000, she took classes under Dina Vail. She began teaching in the Houston area in 2004. She has choreographed solo pieces for dance competitions and drill team competitions that have placed over-all.
Michelle Warren, Academy Instructor / Company Choreographer
Michelle Warren graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance in December 2010 with Honors, she also danced on the Westfield High School Dance Team all four years where she was an officer her junior and senior year as Captain. She has over 18 years of training and over 8 years of teaching experience in various forms of dance with experience teaching at The Met, Dance Extreme and Synergy Dance Studio choreographing pieces for the company, duets and soloist. She has had the opportunity to be a part of Dance Force Productions and Planet Funk Dance Company in Houston, TX. She has had the chance to work with various artists such as Beyoncé, Solange, and Paulina Rubio and has appeared on Subway commercials and on the Discovery Channel. While studying at Sam Houston she had the opportunity to choreograph for many shows and perform for the faculty. “A dancer is not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” – Anonymous
Nicole Miller, Social Media and Website Design
Nicole Miller started dancing at a young age and grew up dancing at Hintze Dance Center on Company where she won numerous awards. She was a member of the Cypress Ranch Classic and held an officer position for three years. While on drill team, she choreographed award winning dances in jazz, contemporary, novelty and kick. She also won several personal awards, including Miss Drill Team Texas.
Nicole graduated Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Dance with a Business minor. She has worked with the Radio City Rockettes, Katy Dunn Hamrick, Jesse Zaritt, Eisenhower Dance Company, and ARCOS Dance Company. Nicole has performed in numerous places, including Hong Kong, Scotland, New York City, Orlando, Dallas, Austin, San Marcos, Galveston and College Station. Nicole has performed at the Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, TAHPERD annual conference and the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nicole interned with Stephen Petronio Dance Company in New York City as well as Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. She has taught students from ages 3-18 in multiple dance disciplines for over 10 years. Nicole has been a teacher and judge for Crowd Pleasers Dance for over 5 years.
Nicole currently resides in New York City, where she is the Digital Marketing and Content Manager at Broadway Dance Center.