Instructors

Owners
The Floyd Ward School of Dance is owned and operated by Elma Layman, Valerie Moses, and Carlton Moses.  These individuals have invested many years in keeping the dream of our namesake and original founder, Miss Natalie Floyd Ward, alive.  As proprietors of this small business, they understand the importance of personal relationships between owners, staff, parents, and students.  They stress the value of directing the school’s staff, student body, and parental core as they would lead their own “family.”  Each of our owners has a deep love for children and strives to make each student’s dancing dream come true. 

Instructors

Jill Graybill, Artistic Director, has been teaching on facultyat Floyd Ward since 1976.  Mrs. Graybill teaches ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical. She is currently the instructor for the Floyd Ward Preteen Tap Ensembles, Preteen Jazz Ensembles, Junior Tap Ensemble, and Senior Tap Ensemble. Jill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Westhampton College/University of Richmond. She trained under Floyd Ward, Frances Wessels, Mildred Harper, and Luis Felicia. Jill has been dancing since the age of four and continued her dance training through college, performing and choreographing for the University of Richmond's Senior Orchesis. Mrs. Graybill was honored with the Presidential Citation from the Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts, recognizing her as one of Virginia's outstanding educators of 1995. She has choreographed numerous winning routines for Dance Troupe, Inc., Showstopper, Dance Makers Inc., and Celebration Talent. Ms. Jill predicts an exciting 2011-2012 dance season.

Tara Gallimore has been studying dance since the age of eight.  She began her studies of dance at Floyd Ward School of Dance in 1995. During her time at FW, Tara was a part of the jazz and ballet ensembles under the instruction of Jill Graybill, Mary Frances Broughman, and Amy Rapp among others. Tara is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance education. While earning her dance degree at Birmingham-Southern, Tara studied under the direction of Mira Popovich, Ruth Henry, Edith Monroe, and Terri Weksler. She received scholarship awards for ballet and jazz from Floyd Ward School of Dance and a dance scholarship for her hard work and training from Birmingham-Southern College. Mrs. Gallimore was accepted as a summer resident to Virginia's Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts in 2001. In the Spring of 2007, Tara completed her student teaching at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She is currently the instructor of the Floyd Ward Modern Ensemble, Junior Ballet Ensemble, Senior Ballet Ensemble, Pointe Ensemble, and Bitty Lyrical Ensemble. She is looking forward to the upcoming dance year.

Misty Keeney is a graduate from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance. While attending GMU, Misty studied modern, ballet, tap, rhythm tap, clogging, jazz, Afro-Cuban, and break dancing. Mrs. Keeney was a member of the Floyd Ward Tap, Jazz, and Ballet Ensembles. During her time as a college student, Misty performed in Sesame Street Live, Riverspan, Inside This Place, Swan Lake, Newspapers, Coils, Perception, and Impact and Lost...Fear Not! Mrs. Keeney previously taught dance for the Nova Center for the Arts as a clogging instructor, Hearts in Motion as a hip-hop instructor, and Studio One and Right Way Dance Studio as a tap and jazz instructor. She has also trained students in several studios throughout her former Texas community. Misty is a currently the instructor of the Floyd Ward Senior Jazz Ensembles, Junior Jazz Ensemble, Extreme Jazz Ensemble (acro), Hip-Hop Ensemble, Rhythm Tap Ensemble, Bitty Jazz Ensemble, and Bitty Tap Ensemble.



Chelsea Roark has been a dedicated dancer for the past fourteen years. She has served on all of Floyd Ward's Ensembles. She has performed and competed in tap, jazz, lyrical, liturgical, clogging, hip-hop, and ballet. Chelsea has won countless awards in dance including a High Score Achievement award, a Judges’ Choice award, and many gold medals throughout her dancing career. Chelsea received her degree in psychology with a minor in dance during her studies at Hollins University. She is currently the instructor of the Floyd Ward Preteen Ballet Ensembles, Bitty Ballet Ensembles, Dancing Dolls Clogging Ensemble, Preteen Clogging Ensembles, Junior Clogging Ensemble, Senior Clogging Ensemble, and the “Top Ten” Clogging Ensemble.



Amber Arthur started dancing with Floyd Ward at the age of nine. She has been a member of the Floyd Ward Clogging, Tap, Jazz, and Hip-Hop Ensembles. Amber has received multiple Judges’ Choice awards as well as platinum, gold, and silver medals in regional and national competitions. Currently, Amber is enrolled at Virginia Western Community College studying culinary arts. Amber has been on board our teaching staff as a substitute teacher for several years.  This past year, she joined our staff as an instructor in hip-hop and combination classes.  During the season, she won recognition for her choreography in the solo division in regional competition. After receiving her degree from Virginia Western, she plans to continue her dance education at the university level.

Dani Robinson began dancing at the age of seven with Floyd Ward School of Dance. She started taking under the direction of Jill Graybill and began competing the following year with DeLisa FiGart. Dani has participated in Floyd Ward Dance Ensembles since 1998. Her hard work has earned her numerous medals in tap, jazz, clogging, lyrical, rhythm tap, ballet, and pointe. Dani has been recognized as a Youth Dance Ambassador for Dance Troupe, Inc. To further her studies, she auditioned and was accepted to the Henrico Center for the Arts where she studied for one year. Her studies were concentrated in choreography, dance history, strength and flexibility, and nutrition. Dani's passion for dance was rewarded with a position as an assistant and substitute teacher at our studio. This past year, she established herself as a staff instructor and has been quite successful as a choreographer for competitive solos, duets, trios, and quartets.  Dani is a graduate of William Byrd High School and is attending Virginia Western Community College.



Jordan Mullen began dancing with Floyd Ward at a very young age.  She continued her training with us and successfully auditioned for the Floyd Ward Clogging, Jazz, and Tap Ensembles.  Miss Jordan was a member of the original “Happy Girls” clogging team.  This Floyd Ward team, under the direction of DeLisa FiGart, won a national title at Dance Makers, Inc. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  After many victorious years of dancing competitively, she branched out to compete on William Byrd High School’s competitive cheerleading squad where she excelled in precision routines and tumbling.  Her squad won the state title in 2005 and 2006.  Currently, she is studying at Virginia Western Community College while she assists our studio with her secretarial and management skills.  Since Jordan’s heart always remained in dance, she returned to Floyd Ward and eagerly united with our staff to teach clogging and preschool classes this past year.  Jordan is a welcomed asset to our staff and she is excited about the new season.