Staff
Monica Renwick - Owner
Monica Renwick has appeared in Major Motion Pictures, on National Television and in Equity Stage and Touring Productions. She has worked as an Equity, Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA performer with such famous stars as Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Melissa Gilbert, David Copperfield and Christopher Walken.
Monica started studying dance at the age of three and became a professional Equity performer at age sixteen as a principle dancer and singer at Starlight Theater. She has taught and performed throughout the United States and Canada as a master dance instructor with world renowned dance educators such as Frank Hatchett, Joe Rowan, Art Stone, Savion Glover, Gregg Russell, Sam Fiorello, Debbi Dee, David Howard, Gus Giordano and Pam Killenger. Monica has taught and judged for DANCE OLYMPUS, DANCEAMERICA, STARPOWER, DANCE MASTERS, INTERNATIONAL DANCE CHALLENGE and ELITE DANCE CUP regional and national competitions.
Monica’s credits also include Worlds of Fun choreographer, promotional choreographer for Starlight Theater for over 20 years, Starlight Theater Gala and Convention choreographer, Master Teacher for the British Congress of Dance, Mr. Art Stone’s dance partner for 18 years, V.I.P. Choreographer for Dance Olympus, producer and choreographer for the “Christmas in the Sky” show at Longview Lake, Lee’s Summit North High School musicals and the proud owner of Monica’s School of Dance for 44 years.
Monica and her studio have been featured in Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher and Dance Magazine. Monica has been trained in all forms of dance and musical theatre. Monica’s dance videos and music CDs, produced by Statler Records in New York, have been sold throughout the United States.
Monica feels the secret to her success is, “The loving support and encouragement from my family and working alongside my husband. My professional career, experience and teaching have helped open many doors of opportunity for my students to pursue professional careers. I am very proud to have helped my students receive prestigious scholarships to colleges and professional dance academies. I want to share my lifetime love of dance with my students and make a difference in their lives.”
Monica’s favorite saying to her students is, “Have fun, always do your best and believe in yourself. Your dreams will come true if you give it everything you’ve got.”
Michael Coupe, Co-Owner
Michael Coupe, Monica’s husband and co-owner, is the artistic director at Monica’s School of Dance. Mike has designed and built countless props and sets for 44 years of productions in Monica’s recitals, Starlight Theater promos, convention shows and musical productions of “High School Musical”, “Hairspray”, and “Annie”.
In addition to designing and building the props and sets in Monica’s “Christmas in the Sky” at Longview Lake, Mike plays the part of Santa Claus.
Mike has also designed dance costumes for Art Stone “The Competitor” in New York.
Mike has done portraits for an impressive list of clients from the sports and entertainment world; Tony Bennett, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Don Shula, Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith to name a few. Mike’s work can be viewed locally at Garozzo’s, Cascone’s, Salvatore’s, and Conroy’s Public House restaurants as well as restaurants around the country. His portraits were used in the movie “Platoon Leader” and the T.N.T. special “Elvis U.S.A.” His portrait of Ronald Reagan was acquired for the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Instructors
Kailey Young-Crawford
I have studied under Monica since 1993 and have had the privilege of teaching with the studio since 2013. Dance has always been a huge part of my life, and I am grateful to share that passion with the next generation of dancers.
After graduating from Monica's School of Dance, I continued my dance career at Northwest Missouri State University, where I was a member of the Bearcat Steppers Dance Team. My experiences as both a competitive and collegiate dancer have shaped my teaching style and my passion for helping young dancers reach their full potential.
Over the years, I have choreographed numerous award-winning routines and love helping students grow both technically and artistically. My greatest joy, however, is being a positive role model and mentor for each child who walks into my classroom. I strive to create a supportive, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, develop strong work habits, and discover a lifelong love of dance.
I am incredibly thankful to be part of the Monica's School of Dance family and look forward to inspiring dancers for many years to come.
Maddyn Smithpeter
Maddyn's love for dance began at age two, when she took her first class at Jo Noth's White Oak Dance Academy. What started as a childhood passion quickly grew into a lifelong commitment to the art form. She began competing at age four and went on to achieve success at both the regional and national levels.
Throughout her competitive studio career, Maddyn earned the titles of Dance Masters of America Petite Miss Dance (2008), Junior Miss Dance (2010), and Teen Miss Dance (2012). She was also a Top 10 Finalist at the Dance Masters of America National Competition in both 2008 and 2010, and was named 2nd Runner-Up for DOTY at the Dance America National Finals at the Petite, Junior, and Senior levels.
From 2011 to 2015, Maddyn was a four-year member of the Blue Springs South Touch of Silver Dance Team, serving as captain during her senior year. She earned 2nd Place in the Senior Solo division during the inaugural year that solo competition was offered at the Missouri State High School Dance Team Championships.
Maddyn continued her dance career at the University of Missouri as a Mizzou Golden Girl from 2018–2019, where she was a member of the National Competition Team and was honored as the 2019 Rookie of the Year. Following her senior year, she was selected as a Kansas City Chiefs Cheer finalist and earned a spot on their Training Team.
Since 2019, Maddyn has poured her passion for dance into teaching and choreographing at Monica's School of Dance — a place she truly loves being part of — where she has created multiple nationally award-winning routines. She currently serves as Assistant Head Coach of the Blue Springs South Touch of Silver Dance Team, giving back to the program that helped shape her into the dancer and leader she is today. Maddyn loves helping young dancers build technique, confidence, and passion while creating lasting memories along the way.
Outside the studio, Maddyn works as an Account Executive at Cloud Inventory in Overland Park, Kansas.
Erin Brown
In addition to teaching at Monica's School of Dance, Erin leads the 2026 NDA National Champion Blue Springs High School Dance Team as Head Coach, and works as a Special Education teacher at Blue Springs High School.
Erin grew up in Raytown, Missouri, and first found her passion for dance as a teenage student at Monica's. She went on to attend Avila University, where she became a member of the university's inaugural dance team in 2000 — helping lay the foundation for a program that continues to thrive today.
Erin's coaching career includes serving as Assistant Coach at William Jewell College from 2004 to 2010, and Head Coach at the University of Central Missouri from 2010 to 2012. She then began her tenure as Head Coach at Blue Springs, where she has since led the program to national championship success.
Erin now lives in Grain Valley, Missouri, with her husband, Chris, and their daughters — Savannah, a volleyball player, and Olivia, a student at Monica's School of Dance, carrying the family's dance legacy into the next generation.
Whitney Huell
Whitney Huell trained at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities under the tutelage of Stanislav Issaev and Robert Barnett. She attended Indiana University earning a B.S. in Ballet and Psychology before joining Ballet West. With Ballet West, Ms. Huell performed featured roles in Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Petite Mort, and Jewels. In January 2011 she was one of Dance Magazine's Top 25 to Watch and was also featured in Pointe Magazine's September 2012 issue. With Kansas City Ballet, she has performed works by Amy Seiwert, Adam Hougland, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Monique Meunier, Stanton Welch, Edwaard Liang, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, Mark Morris, Jirí Kylián and Jerome Robbins. She has been featured as The Lead Woman in James Kudelka's The Man in Black, Jeté Woman in Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Dark Angel in Balanchine's Serenade, Myrtha in Devon Carney's Giselle, Tiger Lily in Devon Carney's Peter Pan, the Solo Woman in Balanchine's Rubies and Mercedes in Anna Marie Holmes' Don Quixote. In 2018 she was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Devon Carney's production of The Nutcracker, becoming the first African American in KCB history to perform the role. In 2024 Ms. Huell participated in Pathways to Performance: Exercises in Reframing the Narrative, performing at The Kennedy Center and Jacob's Pillow. She is also a 2024 Arts/Entertainment honoree on the Monument to Freedom, Justice & Courage in Jackson County, MO.
Ms. Huell has proudly been teaching at Monica's School of Dance for 12 years, sharing her passion and expertise with the next generation of dancers.
Dan Colvin
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Angela Culbertson
Angela Culbertson is a dedicated real estate agent, a proud mother of four, and a loving grandmother of four — with family at the heart of everything she does. Angela has always had a special passion for working with and encouraging children.
She spent nine years teaching cheerleading and more than 15 years teaching gymnastics, mentoring young athletes, building their confidence, and watching them grow both in and out of the gym.
For the past 10 years, Angela has proudly worn two hats at Monica's School of Dance: dance mom and teacher, cheering on her daughter as she's grown up dancing here. Over the years, Monica's has become so much more than a studio to Angela and her family — it's a community full of friendships, memories, and people who hold a special place in their hearts.
Whether she's helping a family find their perfect home, cheering on her children and grandchildren, or supporting the dancers at Monica's School of Dance, Angela lights up when she's involved in her community and making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Jodi Pyltsov
Jodi Pyltsov grew up in the Raytown area, dancing since she was 3 years old and competitively since age 10. She attended Raytown High School, where she was a captain of the Jaywalkers dance team. She also played Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street and was part of the top singing choir, where she scored a 1 at State on her solo and was asked to join the All State Choir.
She went on to Missouri State University, where she majored in Musical Theatre and played Judy Haynes in White Christmas. She was also part of the Sugar Bears dance team there. From there, she went on to perform professionally, starting off at Dollywood in their shows Dreamland Drive In and Christmas in the Smokies. While there, she had the opportunity to sing with Dolly Parton at the end of one of her shows!
She went on to Midtown Arts Center, where she was an understudy for Penny and Amber in Hairspray, then played Carla in In the Heights, Serena in Legally Blonde, and appeared in Shrek the Musical. From there, she performed in various regional theatre shows, including Pam Tillis and Friends, Hershey Park, a Dinner Theatre Christmas Show, and West Side Story.
Jodi has been teaching dance since she was a teenager and loves teaching all aspects of performing. Her daughter Lexi has danced at Monica's since 2020 and is loving the dance team! Teaching at Monica's School of Dance since 2021, Jodi has loved being part of this dance family.
Damion Cooper
Damion is a proud dance dad, strength and conditioning coach, and brings plenty of hip-hop flair to Monica's School of Dance! Over the past three years, his involvement at MSD has continued to grow — from helping competition teams build strength and conditioning to bringing high-energy hip-hop moments into class.
You may also catch Damion on stage during Christmas in the Sky or at recitals, whether he's dancing as "The Grinch" or performing a solo act! Most importantly, he's the proud dance dad of Briella, a member of the MSD competition team.
Damion loves working alongside Ms. Monica, Mike, the incredible MSD staff, and all of the amazing dancers and teams. Whether he's giving an encouraging speech, coaching, dancing, or cheering loudly from the crowd, you can count on Damion to bring energy, encouragement, and a whole lot of fun to the MSD family!
Brandi Dorton
Brandi Dorton brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our dance family. She holds a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Neonatal Therapist at Children's Mercy Hospital. As a former competitive athlete who played sports through college, Brandi understands the dedication, discipline, and physical demands that young athletes face.
Brandi's focus is strength, conditioning, and flexibility training designed to improve performance while helping prevent injuries. Her expertise allows our dancers to develop healthy movement patterns that benefit them both in the studio and beyond.
As a dance mom whose two daughters have been dancing at Monica's studio for years, you will often hear her cheering on all the dancers. Brandi is dedicated and passionate about working with all ages, ensuring dancers build confidence in themselves while having fun both in the studio and on stage.
Amy McConnell
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Assistant Instructors
Evie Kerley
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Annabelle Addington
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Bernadine Tittle
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Kaylee Stephens
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Guest Instructors
Sam Picart
Sam won Ellen DeGeneres' Dance Off competition. He was then a featured guest and performer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. He has danced featured roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Jose Limon's "Psalm," and Camille A. Brown's "New Second Line." He has performed for MLB games, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Microsoft, and he tours internationally. Sam has trained in Seattle, Canada, and New York City with the Joffrey Ballet.
Lawrence Alexander
Lawrence Alexander began his dance training at age nine right here at Monica's School of Dance in his hometown of Kansas City, MO. A three-time scholarship recipient to the Ailey School in New York, he went on to earn his BFA from The Boston Conservatory. Upon graduation, Lawrence joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he performed works by world-renowned choreographers including Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, and Ohad Naharin.
Following his passion for musical theater, Lawrence moved to New York City, where his Broadway credits include Follies, Anything Goes, and Disney's The Lion King. His other stage credits include the 1st National Tour of Young Frankenstein, The Band Wagon and On the Town (both part of Encores! at City Center), Show Boat at Carnegie Hall, and Anything Goes at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City, among many others.
On screen, Lawrence has appeared in the SMASH pilot, danced as a backup performer for Beyoncé, and performed in the NBCU Upfronts at Radio City Music Hall. He can be seen in the upcoming third season of The Gilded Age.
Beyond dance and theater, Lawrence is also a Pop/R&B recording artist, releasing original music including his debut EP Naked and the award-winning single "For Sure," which won Best Music Video at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Thank you, Monica, for the love and support and for building the foundation that made it all possible!
Eva Bennett
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