Meet the Team

You’re in Great Hands

Crystal Ashe

Owner and Creative Director

Crystal has owned and directed HADA since it’s conception in 2011.  Growing up in Appalachia, she trained with Fletcher School of Dance under instruction and direction of Peggy Fletcher, Nicole Kmezca, and Tracy Raper, as well as Asheville Center of Performing Arts under the instruction of Nicole Kmezca.  She had the honor of experiencing guest instruction from a first generation Balanchine dancer, Melissa Hayden at North Carolina School of The Arts Master Classes.  After being a soloist and corps member of the Asheville City Ballet, she attended Walters State Community College and Western Colorado University, where she obtained a bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education in 2008. She teaches multiple levels of Ballet Technique, Pointe, and competition choreography in Ballet, Pointe, and Lyrical.  Crystal has a passion for technique and seeing dancers progress through their training, as well as cultivating a team of instructors with a love for dance, education, and the future generation of dance.

Shelly Clements

Dance Instructor

Shelly Chapple Clements is a professional dancer and master instructor who settled into her forever home in Gunnison in December 2018.  Shelly grew up in Amish country in rural Pennsylvania.  She was accepted into the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School at age 9, attended the National Academy of Arts in Champaign-Urbana, IL under direction of Petrus Bosman at age 14, and graduated from the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts. As Shelly Chapple, she enjoyed a 12 year career as a professional dancer and instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area where she trained at Lines Contemporary Ballet under Alonzo King, and ODC SF, the first modern dance company in America to build its own facility, under Brenda Way.  Shelly performed with choreographers including Joan Lazarus, Liss Fain, Patricia Jiron, Reggie Savage, Joe Landini, Margret Jenkins, and more, as well as co-directing and dancing principal roles with John Butterfield’s New Urban Dance Company. In 1995 Shelly returned to Pittsburgh to work with The Dance Alloy (now Attack Theatre), Kevin Maloney, Tome Cousin, Doug Bentz, and more. Famous? No. Dancing like crazy and loving life? Yes!
In 2003 Shelly relocated to Colorado, in Colorado Springs, and met her husband the first day she arrived; in 2007 she became Shelly Clements.  Ms. Clements graduated from Colorado Mesa University with degrees in Spanish Translation and Interpretation, Hispanic Literature and Dance.  She spent 2011 and 2012 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico where she taught English and Ballet.  Upon returning to Colorado, in the Denver Metro area, Shelly worked with various competition studios and loved that time on the competitive dance circuit.  She attended CU Denver and the School of Education and Human Development masters program with a focus on cultural diversity in classrooms.  Before relocating to Gunnison, Ms. Clements worked for Arts Immersion/Summit Education Group (now AIM Global) as an online teacher and curriculum developer. What a pleasure to be a part of this mountain dance family!

Melissa Duetsch

Dance Instructor

Melissa is HADA’s first Alumni Instructor.  After training under Crystal Ashe, Jessica Cunningham, and many other local instructors, as well as assistant teaching for mulitple years, she returned to Gunnison to join the team. She teaches PreK and recreational Jazz, Ballet and Tap classes. Melissa says “The kids are what makes my job amazing.  I hope that my ability to teach and choreograph will excel as I watch my fellow teachers grow as choreographers”.

Brenda Lee

Dance Instructor

Coming Soon

Kate Oros

Dance Instructor

Kate has been teaching dance for 15 years.  She teaches Ballet Technique, Zumba Fitness and competition choreography in Jazz, Tap, and Hip-Hop. She loves seeing the kids progress and surprise themselves by doing something they didn't know they could.

Chelsey Turco

Dance Instructor

Chelsey has taught at HADA for 5 years as the Acrobatics and Tumbling Instructor.  Chelsey is thoroughly enjoying her time at HADA because of the close knit family of teachers and the students’ eagerness to learn.  She is excited about the ADTA Curriculum that she has been following for the past season, and can’t wait to continue to implement it in the coming years as well.

Heather Wild

Fitness Instructor

Heather danced for 15 years, growing up in Gunnison, and also has a passion for fitness and health.  She is a multiple year certified instructor of Zumba Fitness, who is known for her high-energy, aerobic morning Zumba classes.  Heather wants you to know that Zumba is a great workout, no matter your fitness level.

Hailey Bryant

Dance Instructor

Hailey has a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Dance Studies with an emphasis in performance and choreography from Humboldt State University in Northern California. Over the last 12 years, Hailey has been teaching dance. Her focus is to help each student become a stronger dancer and a thriving individual, which is built upon developing artistry and a strong technical foundation. Hailey’s expertise is in ballet and modern dance. Since she is also a personal trainer, she teaches conditioning and pilates based body work classes. After living in California, New Mexico, and Wyoming, Hailey and her husband are excited to call Gunnison Valley home.

Jessica Cunningham

Office Assistant

Jessica has been teaching dance in the Gunnison valley for multiple years. She recently relocated to Katy, Texas with her family. Jessica is greatly missed in the daily routine, since is known for her high-energy classes and innovative choreography.  She continues to do office work from afar, as well as guest choreography.