Faculty & Staff
Leanna Polk Bodnar
Executive Director/Artistic Director of Performing Arts
Leanna is a Bay Area native whose passion for the performing arts began early. Her training under renowned mentors such as Yehuda Maor and Eric Vetro led to her professional debut at 17 as Maggie in A Chorus Line. She went on to perform principle roles in Broadway National Tours of Cats, Grease, and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. Regional credits include lead roles in Evita, Crazy for You, The Sound of Music, and Fiddler on the Roof. During her 20 year career, she had the honor of studying under Uta Hagen, and sharing the stage with stars such as Sutton Foster and Bebe Neuwirth.
After retiring from performing, Leanna turned her focus to teaching, driven to foster technical excellence and artistic confidence in young performers. She has taught in studios, schools, and community theatres, and now serves as the Executive/Artistic Director of Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts (HBPA). Since stepping into leadership in 2018, HBPA has tripled its student body and expanded its programming to include musical theatre, voice, acting, and community outreach.
Under Leanna’s direction, HBPA has partnered with local arts organizations and launched inspiring outreach programs like Books to Ballet, Books to Broadway, and a sensory-friendly version of The Nutcracker. She also founded a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, and led a successful transition to HBPA’s new studio home in downtown Hickory. In 2023, HBPA was awarded a grant from the United Arts Council of Catawba County to facilitate the organization’s first strategic plan, which has resulted in additional support from The Beaver Family Foundation, The Stevens Family Foundation, Community Relations Council, TSH, Corning, Arts Culture Catawba, and a sustaining grant from the North Carolina Arts Council.
With a blend of professional experience, visionary leadership, and heart for the community, Leanna continues to shape the next generation of artists—on stage and beyond.
Adrienne Lowman 
Artistic Director of Ballet/Director of Educational Outreach
Originally hailing from Virginia, Adrienne started dance lessons at a young age. She trained at Avery Ballet throughout high school under teacher and mentor Lisa Snape Avery, and attended summer intensives at Richmond Ballet, BalletMet, American Ballet Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet. In 2003, she joined the Nashville Ballet 2 company and performed in such productions as Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Degas and the Little Dancer, and The Singing Tortoise. In 2011 Adrienne graduated summa cum laude from Appalachian State University with a degree in Spanish Education. In addition to teaching Spanish at Bandys High School, Adrienne performed with New Art School of Ballet in such productions as The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella, as well as choreographing productions of Coppelia and Peter and the Wolf. In fall of 2018, Adrienne was named Artistic Director of Ballet and Educational Outreach for Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts. A certified Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT) instructor, she has worked with students at all levels and continues to pursue her passion for teaching the next generation of dancers.
Lily Bodnar
Jazz
Lily Bodnar started her training as a gymnast, but found a home at Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts. In addition to performing such roles as Giselle in Giselle and Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker, she is a writer and composer of five original musicals including Finding Fairies, which was a HBPA outreach program. She recently completed a semester of Musical Theater studies at the Tony Award-winning Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, part of the National Music Theater Institute.
Lark Bodnar
Costumer/Prop Master/Musical Theater
Lark Bodnar is a musical theater performer, writer/composer, director, teacher, and designer who has worked on numerous projects at Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts including The 12 Dancing Princesses, Peter Pan, Annie Jr., Finding Fairies, Emperor’s New Clothes, and Spongebob Youth Edition. Lark and her sister Lily work together as Wingarden Creative, a writing and composing team dedicated to creating socially relevant and emotionally intelligent works. Lark is an alumni of the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and is certified in Vocal Technique and Musicianship through Berklee College of Music Online. Lark graduated from NC State in 2022 with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and a Minor in Theatre.
Kelly Boggus
Ballet/Tap/PBT
Kelly started her training at Jane Kohl School of Dance in Guntersville, Alabama. She furthered her skills with master classes throughout the southeast, studying with the Montgomery Ballet trainee program, and earning a Dance Minor from Huntingdon College. She is certified by Dance Masters of America to teach ballet, tap, and jazz. From 2003-2018, Kelly taught creative movement, ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance—as well as teaching and special needs instruction—in southwest Michigan for Hearts in Step (HIS) Dance Academy, Turning Pointe School of Dance, and For His Glory Ballet. Since 2018, she has continued teaching at Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts and Betty’s School of Dance. Her passion is to develop dancers of all ages and abilities to glorify God with their gifts and talents.
Justin Chaple
Jazz, Turns and Leaps, Ballroom
Originally from San Bernardino, California, Justin began dancing at the age of 7. He grew up competing on the east coast and west coast winning national awards along the way. After high school he was a professional dancer for the cruise line industry for 6 years; working for Holland America, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean. During that time he was dance captain and company manager of up to 16 cast members. Justin performed in shows featuring themes from Las Vegas to Broadway where he traveled the globe. On land, Justin has worked for Arthur Murray International teaching and competing in the genre of ballroom, he was trained by world winning international Latin and Smooth champions. Justin is certified in tap and jazz through Dance Masters of America. He has choreographed high school musicals, judged show choir and dance competitions. Justin is currently a doctor of physical therapy and is working towards blending the art and science of human movement.
Eloisa Jingle Enerio de Niet
Ballet/Yoga
Jingle started ballet at age 12 in Manila under the tutelage of Felicitas Radaic. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and progressed to become a company member with Dance Theatre Philippines at age 17. Her professional career extended to Canada and the United States and lasted for 21 years, during which time she performed principal roles in contemporary and classical genres. After retiring from the stage, Jingle continued her passion in ballet as an instructor, a choreographer, and a coach. For the last 20 years, including a move to Hickory in 2021, she has been guiding young dancers in reaching their potential as dancers and artists. In her decades of experience, she has always believed that movement is essential in mind and body wellness. She is certified in Yoga and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), and holds degrees in Human Services—graduating summa cum laude—and Gerontology. Her latest endeavor is creating Move NOW, a recreational program designed for older adults who are looking to keep the body and mind in shape. She enjoys the serenity that nature brings, often going on hikes with her husband and their loyal dog. She has been blessed with a daughter who brings her constant joy.
Aubrey Garcia 
Contemporary
Aubrey is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has a bachelor’s degree in dance, with an emphasis in choreography and performance, from Brigham Young University-Idaho. In addition to her performances, Aubrey taught modern and jazz classes, choreographed numerous collegiate productions, and was a director for the Fall 2019 Dance Show. She also participated in BYU-Idaho’s dance company, Dance Alliance, touring through eastern Canada, as well as the southern and southeast portions of the US. After her collegiate career, Aubrey has gone on to choreograph multiple award-winning competition routines. She has completed her yoga certification through Yoga Alliance. Trained in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and contemporary, Aubrey loves pursuing dance and wants to continue investing in this passion.
Sandy Jahn
Administrative Manager
Sandy is a summa cum laude graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College (now University) with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. A certified Director of Christian Education in the United Methodist Church, she was named Director of Christian Education Emeritus upon her retirement from First United Methodist Church, Hickory. She has been an active community volunteer, particularly through her work with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of North Carolina, where she served as state president in 2006-08. Sandy and her husband Tom have three children and ten grandchildren with whom she enjoys spending time. In her rare spare time, she also enjoys traveling, reading, golf, socializing with friends, participating in her church’s activities (especially the music ministry), and playing in the New Horizons Band. Sandy is pleased to be joining the Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts family in order to support the arts in the Hickory community.
Ava Miller
Musical Theater
Based in Hickory, NC, Ava Miller is an educator, music director, and performer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama with a minor in musical theatre from UNC Greensboro and has a passion for the arts. Ava has been teaching private vocal lessons, directing ensembles, and working an administrative role at Hickory Music Factory for the past 2 ½ years, as well as teaching classes, performing, and music directing shows such as Moana Jr. and Shrek Jr. at The Green Room Community Theatre. Under her direction, Ava’s students have earned acceptances into competitive schools such as NC Governor’s School for music and theater and UNCSA’s high school theatre program, as well as lead roles in their school and community. Some of her favorite credits include JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (HCT), LEGALLY BLONDE (TGR), ELF (TGR), STEEL MAGNOLIAS (CTG), and MEMPHIS (CTG). Ava’s love for the arts has blossomed into a passion for helping people of all ages find confidence in their voice and in themselves.
David Nields
Acting
David is the Theatre Instructor at CVCC. He’s acted in and directed for educational, community, and professional theatre. Recently, he appeared as Ben Jonson in The Book of Will at Hickory Community Theatre, and he is currently directing Pride and Prejudice at the Green Room. In a previous life, he toured the country in a folk/rock band. He’s worked at Walt Disney World in Florida, and for Disney English in Beijing, China. He holds a BA from Wake Forest University and an MFA in Directing from Catholic University. Webpage: www.davidnields.com
Shayna Skonieczki
Jazz
Shayna is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native who began dancing at the age of 8. She pursued her passion through college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After graduation, Shayna toured internationally with Stiletto Entertainment, performing aboard Holland America’s Volendam cruise ship with stops including Alaska, Australia, and New Zealand.
Following her travels, Shayna joined the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, where she performed for two seasons. During her time with The Met, she had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers such as Kiki Lucas, Joe Celej, Caleb Mitchell, Kate Skarpetowska, Jason McDole, and Kiesha Lalama-White.
In addition to performing, Shayna has a rich teaching background, having taught dance in Pittsburgh, Houston, Corpus Christi, Lexington (KY), Buffalo, NY, and now Hickory. Six years ago, she and her family relocated to Hickory. Outside of the studio, Shayna serves as the Assistant Director of the Bears Club at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where her husband, Adam, is the Head Baseball Coach. They are proud parents to Isla and Cash.
Naomi Tysinger
Ballet
Naomi Tysinger was born in China, but raised in the local Hickory area. Currently she is a senior at Hickory Christian Academy with hopes to minor in dance within the near future. She started with gymnastics and cheer before committing to ballet around age 10. Naomi began and has continued her training under Adrienne Lowman, and has performed roles such as Cinderella in Cinderella, Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky’s, The Nutcracker. She has attended summer intensives at Carolina Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet, plus the winter intensive at Cary Conservatory and the Charlotte Ballet JR. Summer Intensive. When she is not dancing, she is helping and leading the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, which prioritizes service to others and recognizes dancers for their artistic achievements as well as academics. Naomi loves the Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts family, and she will continue to love and pour into kids to bring out a love for dance and service.
Dr. Ashley West-Davis
Music
Dr. Ashley West-Davis is a performer and educator with a passion for fostering creativity and collaboration, both in the classroom and on stage. She has taught for a number of institutions, including Lenoir-Rhyne University, Winthrop University, Texas Tech University, and her own company, West-Davis Voice Studio. Professional highlights include Flora in La Traviata with Opera Carolina, Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show with Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, and Vocal Coach for the Off-Broadway premiere of Here There Be Dragons: A New Musical Quest, which ran at the Players Theatre in NYC in 2022. Favorite roles in community theatre include Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray), Paulette (Legally Blonde), and Miss Honey (Matilda). Ashley has performed with The Green Room, Lincoln Theatre Guild, Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, Opera Carolina, Moonlight Musicals, New York University Opera, Operafestival di Roma, La Musica Lirica, and Manhattan Opera Studio, where she was a soloist in concerts at the National Opera Center and Carnegie Hall. Ashley holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre from Coker University. She currently serves as Education Director and Production Manager at The Green Room Community Theatre in Newton. ashleywest-davis.com
Kate Yaiko
Pre-Ballet
Kate Yaiko was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary, before relocating to the United States during middle school. She began ballet at a young age and has trained under instructors from Hungary, Finland, England, and Russia. Since joining Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts in 2023, Kate has performed in numerous productions and continues to grow in her love for dance. Currently a high school sophomore, she enjoys inspiring and encouraging younger dancers as they begin their own journeys in the art of ballet.