Amy Gulbranson

Amy Gulbranson, Dance Instructor and Office Manager, began dancing at the age of 3 and is a native of Des Moines. Her dance training includes ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, and modern. Amy has attended dance conventions, dance workshops, competed and performed with Des Moines Dance Ensemble, and has taken classes at Des Moines Ballet, Ballet Iowa, and the University of Iowa. She currently lives in Clive with her husband and two children, both of whom are students at Charlee’s Elite School of Dance. She has worked at Eason Elementary as a teaching associate for 4 years, taught at Constructive Learning Center and West Lakes Child Care for five years, and works full-time at Charlee's Elite School of Dance.

Laurie E. Coder

Laurie E. Coder, Tumbling Instructor, grew up taking gymnastics and dance in Ames, Iowa. In high school she was a four-year letter winner and started on the Ames High gymnastics team. Throughout her high school career, she placed in the top six in various events at meets and tournaments, including placing fifth on beam at State Championships. Laurie graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Iowa State University. She was a member of the Ames Gymnastics Club, and taught for them for over 10+ years. In addition, she was an IDEA Foundation/ACE Certified Fitness Instructor at Fitness World West for 5 years. Laurie has a passion for both gymnastics and dance. She will further enhance the Elite Dance Program with tumbling. Her discipline, focus and drive in class helps the students establish and obtain their goals.

Kelly Ugolini

Kelly Ugolini, Dance Instructor, has been a dancer since the age of 10. She is a former Miss Dance of Mid-America for DMA, placing as a national ballet finalist. Mrs. Ugolini has a Master’s Degree in Education, and an undergraduate Elementary Education Degree with a Dance Minor from Iowa State University. At ISU she was a member of the Wrestling Cheersquad & Orchesis I Dance Company, performing in and choreographing for many University and NCDFA shows. She was also a member of the Waterloo Metro Dance Theatre, Moves Jazz Dance Company, and the UNI Orchesis team. Kelly has judged regional dance team auditions & competitions and has supervised elementary cheer and dance camps. She received her training at Moore Dance in Ankeny, where she was an instructor for a total of 10+ years. Additional training was received at Giordano’s in Chicago, UNI, ISU, U of I, and numerous regional and national workshops. Mrs. Ugolini has two dancing daughters (both happily part of the Elite Edge Dance Team), and one kindergarten-aged son. Kelly is a second grade teacher in the Saydel School District, where she has taught for the past 17 years. Creativity and movement are priorities to her, and she is here to help all dancers succeed!

Melissa Bartlett

Melissa Kathryn Bartlett began studying ballet at age of nine with Des Moines Ballet and Ballet Iowa until 1993, under the tutelage of Education Director, Lynn Andlauer Rehling. While at Ballet Iowa, she studied exclusively with Kennet Oberly, Gigi Oerter, Konstatin Uralsky, Beth Harano, Laura Zamboni and Clive Owens. Melissa performed in their Ballet Iowa Nutcrackers Performances from 1986-1993, in Cinderella in 1986, and in Stars & Stripes 1991 & 1993. She joined the Ballet’s Junior Company in 1988 and preformed several key leads in Cake Walk, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, 1991 Stars & Stripes. Additionally she was in many lecture demonstrations for schools, nursing homes, churches, and private fundraisers for Ballet Iowa. In 1992, she joined Pre-Professional level. Melissa taught in the summer for Very Special Arts Iowa in 1989 and 1993, co-authoring the curriculum for the program. She attended summer programs with Burklyn Ballet Theatre in 1990 and 1992, studying with Angela Whitehill, Che’rie Noble, Alexandar Bennett and Arthur Lefeve and the Milwaukee Ballet School 1991, 1993 and 1994 studying under Andrew Parker, Katherine Kersten, Van Collins, Susan Clark, Taras Kalba, Basil Thompson, Fiona Fuerstner, Leajato Amara Robinson, Dane La Fontsee, Nicole Sowinska, and Ed Burgess.

Melissa completed her senior year at Central Iowa Dance with Lynn Andlauer, and danced in Robert Thomas’s Dance Center Nutcracker in 1993 as a soloist.

She graduated with a BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance on Chancellor Scholarship at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, where she was the first freshmen to be allowed into all senior level dance classes in 1994. Melissa was also the first student to set a major section of La Bayadere (the ballet) in 1998. While at UMKC, she had the opportunity to study exclusively with Leni Wylliams, Mary Pat Henry, Paula Weber, Deanna Hyatt, Michael Simms, Catherine Plavcan and Susan Warden. Melissa had a major modern dance piece choreographed in 1994 and then restaged in 1999.
In 2006, she opened her own her Stott Pilates Studio. Melissa is excited to be a part of CESOD.

Trisha Smyth

Trisha Smyth, Dance Instructor, has been a dancer since the age of 5. She has been teaching in the Des Moines area for 15 years and choreographing competitively for 5 years. At the young age of 10, Trisha was selected to travel with a summer dance camp to assist with the camps in the next year. As a high school student she participated in Cheerleading, Dance Team, Show Choir and Colorguard. She has competed and received high honors in each of these programs. Trisha attended Knox College in Galesburg , Illinois where she created and grew the Dance Team program. Each of her 4 years at Knox, she was voted captain and choreographer. In her many years of dance, she has had the opportunity to learn pointe, ballet, tap, jazz, pom-pon, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical, modern and several styles of ballroom. She continues to broaden her education by attending dance conventions and workshops. Trisha currently lives in Adel with her husband and boy/girl twins and works for Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in downtown Des Moines . She is excited to share her ‘if you believe it, you can achieve it’ philosophy with the dancers.