The Women Behind the Magic: Celebrating Our Leadership Team

March is Women’s History Month—a time to celebrate the journeys of women who lead with heart. I couldn’t think of a more beautiful way to honor this than by sharing the stories of a few of the extraordinary women who make the magic happen every day at Tutu School Raleigh.

Each class begins with imagination, music, and movement. But behind every twirl, story, and joyful class moment is a team of dedicated women whose journeys in dance began long before they stepped into our studios.

Each of them started as dancers themselves before becoming teachers in the studio, guiding young dancers through their earliest ballet adventures. Over time, their passion for teaching and their commitment to our community helped them grow into leadership roles at Tutu School Raleigh that support our entire team of teachers, families, and students every day. 

Their stories remind us that the heart of Tutu School Raleigh has always been the people who bring it to life.

Kimberlyn

Director

Kimberlyn’s love for dance began early. At just four years old, she stepped into her first class and quickly became what she lovingly calls a “ballerina bun head.” Like many young dancers, she explored multiple styles in her early years — including jazz and tap — but ballet soon became her primary focus.

Her dedication to the art form led her to train seriously throughout her youth, including attending prestigious summer intensives such as Houston Ballet and The Rock School for Dance in Philadelphia. These experiences helped shape her technical training and deepened her commitment to ballet as both an art and a discipline.

Eventually, her training carried her onto professional stages, where she joined ballet companies in Arkansas and North Carolina, including with Carolina Ballet. It was during this time that she and Tutu School owner Lara met — long before Tutu School was ever imagined — and performed together for several years.

After retiring from the stage to focus on raising her family, Kimberlyn continued teaching ballet classes for students of all ages at schools in the area. As her children began school, she considered going back to school herself to become a preschool teacher, drawn to the energy and curiosity of young children in particular.

Then in 2015, as she was considering the crossover of both teaching ballet and possibly preschool, she reconnected with Lara and discovered Tutu School.

What immediately stood out to her was how different the environment felt from traditional dance studios. She remembers walking into the space and feeling like she had discovered a “sweet little jewelry box” — a studio designed specifically for young children, where imagination and joy were just as important as technique.

She joined the teaching team during the school’s first year and quickly became a beloved teacher among families and students.

Over time, Kimberlyn began taking on additional responsibilities behind the scenes. She stepped into admin work from registration processing and billing to customer service and studio operations, always bringing careful attention to detail and a natural ability to support both families and staff.

Today, Kimberlyn serves as Director, overseeing all three of our locations. In this role, she focuses on supporting teachers, maintaining consistency across the schools, and helping ensure every family feels welcomed and cared for. 

She also still teaches several classes each week at the Raleigh location and the heart of her leadership still comes from her years in the classroom and on stage — and from her deep belief in the power of dance to build confidence and joy in young children.

Mayerlin

Profesor principal

Mayerlin’s dance journey began in Colombia, where her dedication and natural ability quickly set her apart.

At just eight years old, she was selected for a prestigious ballet conservatory, chosen as one of only 20 students out of more than 200 who auditioned. This opportunity launched years of intensive training and opened doors that would eventually carry her across continents.

Through scholarships and continued dedication, Mayerlin’s training eventually brought her to the United States. First to New York City to dance with a few dance companies based there and where she met her future husband (also a dancer) and later to North Carolina, where her dance journey continued to evolve.

Mayerlin became the first teacher hired when the Tutu School Raleigh opened in 2015 It started with just a handful of classes a week but over time, as the school grew, so did her role.

She gradually added more classes and began helping with additional responsibilities around the studio — from organizing materials to supporting operations behind the scenes. When Tutu School Cary opened in 2017, she began teaching multiple classes each week at 2 schools.

Her commitment to both the students and the school helped her grow into one of the most influential leaders on the teaching team.

Today, Mayerlin serves as Principal Teacher, where she focuses on supporting instructors and maintaining the quality and consistency of Tutu School classes. She leads teacher training, ongoing curriculum support, assists with scheduling, and regularly checks in with families to ensure their experience remains joyful and meaningful.

She is also continuing her own education, currently working toward a degree in Business Administration, further strengthening the leadership and analytical skills she brings to the team.Despite her many responsibilities, Mayerlin still finds joy in the everyday moments of teaching. As she often says, one of the most special parts of her work is that she truly gets to “play for a living.”

Madeline

Site Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator

Madeline’s path to dance — and eventually to Tutu School — took a slightly different route.

Her first experience with dance came before birth as her mother was a Jazzerize instructor and had taught class even the day that Madeline was born! But she began classes of her own at age five, but after a particularly long and overwhelming recital experience that lasted nearly five hours, she decided the stage might not be for her after all. (Since then, she and her mother have wondered what her path may have been if Tutu School had been around back then!)

For many years, dance stepped out of her life. It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she returned to the studio, rediscovering her love for movement and performance. That rediscovery led her to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater, where she trained across a wide range of styles including tap, jazz, hip-hop, and musical theater performance.

Her background in theater and storytelling eventually led her to Tutu School, where the imaginative, child-centered approach to dance education felt like a natural fit.

Madeline joined the Tutu School team more than six years ago, initially teaching classes and guiding young dancers through the whimsical stories that define the Tutu School experience.

Over time, her role expanded beyond the classroom as she began contributing ideas and leadership that helped shape the broader school community.

Today, Madeline serves as both Site Coordinator and Social Media Coordinator for all three of our locations.

In her role as Site Coordinator, she helps maintain the welcoming, magical environment (affectionately known as our “jewel boxes”) that families experience each day — overseeing studio organization, managing our retail displays , and helping coordinate special events for the school.

As Social Media Coordinator, she also shares the everyday magic of Tutu School with the wider community, capturing joyful moments and connecting families beyond the studio walls.

Madeline often reflects on how meaningful it is to be part of a place like Tutu School — the kind of studio she wishes had existed when she was a young dancer. What she loves most about the environment is its child-first philosophy, where the focus is not on perfection, but on helping each child discover confidence, creativity, and joy through movement.

Growing Together

Kimberlyn, Mayerlin, and Madeline each came to Tutu School with different dance journeys, different training backgrounds, and different life experiences.

What they share is a commitment to nurturing children and building a joyful community through dance.

All three began as teachers in the classroom. Over time, their passion, creativity, and leadership helped them grow into roles that now shape the entire Tutu School experience for families and students.

Their stories remind us that Tutu School is not only a place where children grow — it’s also a place where teachers can discover their own paths, develop their talents, and become part of a joyful and supportive community.

This Women’s History Month, we’re grateful for the women who help bring Tutu School to life every day — and especially for these three leaders whose journeys continue to inspire our community.

And who knows? The next teacher who steps into one of our studios may be at the very beginning of a journey just like theirs.

If you feel called to work with young children, share a love of dance, and help create a space where imagination and confidence can grow, we’d love to meet you.

Explore opportunities to join the Tutu School team on our Careers page and learn more about what it means to be part of a community where the magic of dance never stops twirling.