LYLA WOOD

Lyla was born and raised here in Colorado Springs. She has been dancing since she was three years old and has been training in styles such as, Ballet, Tap, Musical Theater, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Worship, and Pointe. Lyla has also been in plays since she was 7 and in musicals since she was 13. She has performed in parts such as, Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, Mrs. Mayor in Seussical, Marilla in Anne of Green Gables, and many more. She graduated high school and is currently studying at PPCC in Elementary Education. She wants to become a 3rd grade teacher once she graduates. She has a passion for teaching and building relationships with children. She began at Turning Pointe fourteen years ago. She also participated in Starz and is currently in Fidele. She was a TA for two years and an Intern for one. This is her first year student teaching and is extremely excited to work with the kids. She teaches Twirl and Primary Ballet. Besides dancing she enjoys, drinking coffee, drawing and painting, history, hiking, reading, writing, playing with her cats, worshiping, caring for others, and spending time with friends and family. Being a part of Turning Pointe is a dream come true for her and she is excited to see what else God has in store for her here at this studio.

MORGAN NELSON, Special Needs Liason

Morgan first studied Ballet and Pointe at Ballet Society of Colorado Springs from elementary through high school. Then in college at John Brown University, she trained in and performed Ballet, Contemporary Worship, Lyrical Worship, and Modern while getting her degree in Early Childhood Education. Morgan began teaching at Turning Pointe in 2013, as well as teaching elementary school for 7 years. She received her Masters in Special Education and is the teacher of our Creative Collaborators class. She is also the mother of Baylee Hope, in whose honor the Baylee Hope Scholarship Fund was created. As a young child Morgan learned how to worship the Lord through dance and wants to pass this same beautiful expression of worship on to each of her students.

SARA MURDAUGH, Pointe Director

Sara comes from Longview, Washington where she received an AAS in Pre-Physical Therapy. In 2001 she received her BA in dance from San Jose State University where she graduated Cum Laude and received the “Senior of the Year Award” for excellence in performance, choreography and academics. While attending San Jose State University, under the tutelage of Janet VanSwoll, Gary Masters and Fred Mathews, she was invited to perform with the University Dance Theater, which enabled her to perform with the Limón Company as well as work with world-renowned choreographers. Sara has performed in various venues during her multi-decade career, including on the cruise ship The Big Red Boat and eight years with the Ormao Dance Company and Mathtastic. Her award winning choreography has been used all over the west for dance companies, musicals and competitions to name a few. Ms. Murdaugh has had the pleasure of working with all ages and levels in multiple positions including public schools and ice rinks. Through the years, Sara has had the honor to work with students that have been scholarship recipients in some of the best dance schools in the nation, as well as world recognized ice skaters. Currently a Cecchetti Qualified Teacher (Level V) and PBT licensed, Sara teaches at several area studios and was the Training Division Director at Turning Pointe Dance for 11 years.

SHANI KREUNEN

Shani was born and raised on the island of Kaua’i where at six years old she began dancing Hula.  At the age of 13, she had the honor of representing her home island along with her halau (Hula school) in the most prestigious international Hula competition, The Merrie Monarch Festival. 

Shani first fell in love with Hip Hop at a very young age while dancing around the house to 80’s tunes.  Hip Hop became her passion while on the cheer/dance team during high school where they performed at a number of community events, and participated in the AmeriCheer/Dance National Competition in Orlando, FL.  She began her Hip Hop training at Excel Dance Studio, and was chosen as a primary dancer for various productions on Kaua’i.

In addition to her major studies, Shani continued studying Hip Hop in college.  She spent much of her time training for community dance projects such as Hip Hop for Heart, and was also a Hula choreographer for the Hawai’i Club at the University of Oregon.  

 Shani later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in dance where she continued to study Hip Hop at The Athletic Garage Dance Center.  A few years later, she found herself creating a worship dance ministry for children and teens at her local church.  She was dedicated to helping students discover their gift and passion for dance, and to use that gift to bring glory to God.

 Along with dance, Shani loves everything beachy, sunsets, dark chocolate, coffee and family adventures with her husband, Eli, and their three children: Brynna, Vincent and Zayden.

TONYA HAYDEN, Company Stage Manager

Tonya started dancing when she was 6 years old. Jazz and hip hop are her favorite styles of dance. Even more, she loves mixing the two styles for a more urban feel. One of her fondest memories is when she decided to do her middle school talent show. She choreographed a hip hop dance with a friend and fell in love with it. In high school, she danced and competed on her high school drill team. During that time she competed at various places including the National Drill Team Competition in Orlando Florida. After high school, she continued to take more hip hop classes and soon after taught at various studios and gyms in Utah and Colorado, including the Fountain Arts Center, Northridge Dance Center, and the YMCA. She has been fortunate enough to attend conferences, like the Chicago Association of Dance Masters, Dance Revolution, and trained in various cities such as Vegas, L.A., and NYC. She’s goofy when she teaches and she loves for her students to have fun, but also learn skills that can help them grow. She is currently serving as the Event Coordinator for Turning Pointe Dance, and Stage Manager for Starz Theater Company. In these roles, she has found a new love for all the details that go on behind the scenes.