NS Faculty
Natalie Simpson
Owner/Artistic Director
Jazz/Pre-School
Began her dance training at just a year and a half with Birmingham Dance Theatre. As a student, she has competed at both the regional and national levels winning many first place honors and scholarships. She has also trained at Broadway Dance Center, STEPS, The Edge, Moro Landis, Tremaine and PAC. Disciplined in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Hip-Hop. She was captain of the John Carroll Cavalettes Dance Team and was a member of the Auburn University Tiger Pause Dance Team where she graduated with a degree in Marketing. She has worked with Auburn's mascot "Aubie", the University of Alabama's Cabaret Dance Team as well as the Hoover Buccanettes and Vestavia Hills Rockettes. Natalie was one of five picked to perform the opening number at the 1999 Ani Difranco Concert in Birmingham. She has also been so fortunate as to work with the Alabama's Junior Miss program as co choreographer in 2003 and 2004 in Montgomery, Alabama. As a teacher, Natalie has choreographed talent routines for students competing in Jefferson, Shelby and Montgomery County Junior Miss Programs. Her students and Choreography have held titles at both the regional and national levels. Natalie has also judged for Star Systems National Dance Competition and is currently a member of the Dance Masters of America organization.
Shad Simpson
Owner/Artistic Director
Tap/Clogging
Quite literally, Shad has known dance all of his life having grown up in a dance studio. Shad began his dancing at the age of 2 under the direction of his mother, Beverly Simpson, owner of Beverly's Dance Unlimited. At the age of 9 Shad expanded his training to Birmingham Dance Theatre under the direction of Joni Nash Scofield. As a student he held the titles of Dance Masters Chapter 33 Junior Mister Dance and Mister Dance. Shad also received numerous awards at both the regional and national levels. After graduating high school he moved to Orlando to become part of the Magical World Of Disney. His credits include " Kids of the Kingdom", "Barbie's Magical World", Pleasure Island Dancer, "25th Anniversary Magical Memories Tour "and "Pocahontas Media Promotions "with Vanessa Williams. He was a featured dancer/singer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and is a member of the Actors Equity Association. (AEA) His Industrial/Television credits include, IBM International, General Electric, Mary Kay, Kodak, the Discovery Awards and Star Search. He has taught for Dance Educators of America as well as Dance Masters of America. He has trained at Edge Performing Arts, Tremaine, and Broadway Dance Center. In the Summer of 2002 Shad was on faculty as a guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and a few months later went on to be in the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular". As a teacher, Shad's students and choreography have received numerous awards on the regional and national levels. Shad has judged for Star Systems National Dance Competition and is currently a member of the Dance Masters of America organization.
Bella Rector
Contemporary/Jazz
Isabella has been dancing for seventeen years studying genres of dance such as tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, pointe, and acrobatics. Through dancing competitively for 9 years she was awarded several scholarships including faculty assistant at NRG and Hollywood Dance Jams, both as a dance protege. She is now attending the University of Alabama in Birmingham and was a member of the UAB Golden Girl dance team. Isabella has a history of choreographing for a multitude of competitive teams as well as several musical theater productions. She enjoys assisting the growth of children through dance, and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with her students at NS Dance.
Madison Ryan
Ballet/Jazz
Madison Ryan began dancing when she was four years old at A Touch of Class Performing Arts under the direction of Lori Rayborn. Growing up in the competition circuit, she has received awards including Miss dance of Louisiana, NYCDA Outstanding Dancer, and qualifying for finals at the Youth American Grand Prix and the American Ballet Competition. She has received and accepted scholarships to train with Orlando Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, and Sarasota Ballet. Madison began her professional career when she was eighteen, joining the Alabama Ballet as a Corps de Ballet company member. She has since performed repertoire including Van Fleteren’s Romeo and Juliet, soloist roles in Don Quixote, and Cinderella, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, just to name some of her favorites. Madison also teaches at the Alabama Ballet School.
