Lindsay Walsh

Owner, Artistic Director
Ballet & Jazz Instructor

Meet Ms. Lindsay, our Artistic Director and owner of Grace School of Dance! Her favorite color is blue, like the ocean, and her favorite animal is the humpback whale. She is newly engaged to her partner of 3 years, Dean Jong M.M. When his schedule allows, Mr. Dean graciously accompanies ballet classes on the piano adding depth to our class experience. 

Starting dance at the age of 3, Ms. Lindsay has had the opportunity to train under many wonderful teachers, including Lori Ladwig and Linnea Strauss, Grace’s founder. She is entering her 19th year of teaching, getting her start as an assistant teacher at the age of 11. Ms. Lindsay received numerous dance awards and scholarships at intensives, competitions, and at the college level. After graduating high school, she studied dance at Alma College under the direction of Samantha Shelton, former soloist with American Ballet Theatre. In 2012, she came to teach with Ms. Linnea at Grace School of Dance and continued to grow as a teacher under her guidance and direction. Since then, she has continued in her dance pedagogy training by taking courses under Michelle Boutros and attending mini intensives with Samantha Shelton. Ms. Lindsay was appointed Artistic Director by Ms. Linnea before she was called home and considers it a great honor and privilege to continue the vision started by Ms. Linnea. 

Ms. Lindsay has a passion for teaching dance and is dedicated to instilling a love of dance to the next generation of dancers. She strives to create a relationship with each of her students to give them a “home away from home”. Ms. Lindsay teaches a vast array of classes at Grace, from Me & My Grown Up all the way up to our Advanced Ballet and Jazz classes. She loves designing the creative vision for our performances and collaborating with the staff and parents to bring those visions to life. Say hi to Ms. Lindsay!

Jessica Berry

Office Manager, Jazz Instructor

Meet Jessica Berry, affectionately known as Mrs. Berry to our students. Joining Grace School of Dance in the summer of 2020, she initially managed tasks like class preparation and tuition handling. Since then, her role has expanded to include teaching our younger dancers as a jazz instructor.

Jessica boasts a diverse dance background encompassing ballroom, jazz, ballet, and tap. Her dance ventures also extend to traditional Mexican dancing and Jewish folk dance, even teaching hip-hop to a wonderful group at a special-needs school in Lansing for three years. Her journey into traditional ballet began in her 30s, reinforcing her belief that it’s never too late to embrace your passion.

Residing in Jackson, Michigan, with her husband and four of their six children since 2016, Jessica is thrilled to be an integral part of this community.

You’ll often find her at the front desk, where her connection with students is marked by mutual respect. Beyond her official role, she cherishes sharing life stories and looks forward to exchanging tales with you as well. Say hi to Mrs. Berry!

Emma Klann

Ballet Instructor

Meet Ms. Emma! Her favorite color is yellow and she loves sunflowers, sunshine, and spending time outdoors- especially near water. Butterflies hold a special place in her heart, reminding her of her beloved great grandma. As a newlywed, her husband, Dean, often joins us at recitals, sometimes even gracing the stage himself! Spending time with family and friends also fills her heart with joy.

Ms. Emma’s ballet journey began at the age of 3, primarily under Miss Linnea, the studio’s founder, and continued under the guidance of Miss Lindsay, our current director. Their influence shaped her technique profoundly. Assisting both mentors during her student years led her to take on her first teaching role five years ago. Alongside ballet, she is a licensed physical therapist assistant, allowing her to blend insights on muscle function into our ballet practice. With the aim of enhancing dancers’ understanding and performance, Ms. Emma focuses on strengthening the muscles essential for ballet technique.

Ms. Emma co-teaches the Prep Level 2, Intermediate, and Advanced Ballet classes, as well as teaches Ballet 1 and our new Baby Carrier Class. She looks forward to sharing her passion for ballet and connecting with you, so say hi!

Sharon McGee

Tap Instructor

Meet Mrs. Sharon! Mrs. Sharon started dancing in 2013 at Next Step Dance Centre as a way to use up some of her crazy high energy. She started by taking jazz and added tap the following year. After losing her husband, supporter, and best friend in 2016, dance became a huge part of Mrs. Sharon’s life. She added ballet, contemporary, and hip hop to her weekly schedule, along with multiple tap classes. 

In 2021, her home studio closed due to the pandemic, a bittersweet twist that opened doors for her to teach tap at Grace. With her 20 years of teaching experience at the Pioneers homeschool cooperative, she is so amazed and thankful that God has brought her two loves – teaching and dancing – together at Grace. 

Mrs. Sharon has one adult daughter who also took tap and jazz with her. Mrs. Sharon currently lives on a comfy little two acre homestead that she shares with her niece Janae, two cats, two turtles, lots of fish, 6 chickens, and an amazing family of sandhill cranes who return year after year. When she’s not dancing Mrs. Sharon enjoys gardening, researching, biking, roller skating, hiking, camping, traveling, and playing FarmVille Country Estates. 

 Say hi to Mrs. Sharon!