Turning Pointe Academy of Dance

Turning Pointe Academy of Dance offers Summer Dance Camps, Dance Camps, Dance Classes, and Dance Lessons for Adults & Children, including options such as jazz, hip hop, tumbling, tap, ballet, and modern dance classes. The program also offers specific sessions such as High Impact Dance Camp, One Week Theme Classes, Broadway & Acrobatics, a Three Week Intensive Camp, a One Week Kiddo Camp, a Half Day Dance Intensive, an Evening Summer Session, and a July Kiddo Camp. Turning Pointe Academy of Dance presents The Nutcracker ballet performance featuring local young dancers.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Options include one-week and three-week camps, a half-day dance intensive, and an evening summer session, with general hours Monday–Friday noon–8:30pm and Saturday 9am–2pm
• Price: $70 High Impact Dance Camp; $110 Broadway & Acrobatics (Age 7+); $75–$340 Three Week Intensive Camp (Age 9+); $70–$150 One Week Kiddo Camp

Turning Pointe Academy of Dance has been serving students in the metro-east since 2008 and has 15+ years in business. The studio has a full facility that includes sprung flooring. All full-time teachers have a Masters or Bachelors degree in dance. The owner, Dianna Andrews-Gaither, received a BFA in dance from Webster University, studied at The Ailey School in New York City, has twenty years of teaching experience, and has taught on faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Other instructors include Gwen Meeker, who teaches jazz, hip hop, and tumbling and holds a BA in Dance Management; Kayla Giger, who holds a BS in Dance; Loryl Breitenbach, who teaches tap, ballet, and modern; Jennifer Huffman-Olivas, who holds a gold medal from the 1999 Sports Acrobatics National Championship Competition and a BFA in Dance; Kristin Best-Kinscherff, who is Head of the Dance Department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and holds an MFA in Dance Performance; and Lindsay Kelly Stewart, who holds a BFA in Dance.

Turning Pointe Academy of Dance states that it strives to offer high quality dance classes in the metro-east and describes its atmosphere as non-competitive. The program states that it is dedicated to teaching, sharing, and encouraging a passion for the art of dance and performance, and that it focuses on nourishing the mind, body, and spirit to create a well-rounded dancer in a non-competitive atmosphere. Turning Pointe Academy of Dance brings to life Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, spotlighting local young dancers in this community performance. Turning Pointe Academy of Dance has been named the #1 Dance Studio in Southwest Illinois.

Parent testimonials describe the teachers as fun, loving, knowledgeable, patient, and kind, and mention that students receive support and encouragement. Parents report that their children love their teachers, have learned a lot, and have made friends, and one parent notes that annual recitals are professional, well organized, and entertaining.

Last updated May 24, 2026.