Meet our Staff
Kristin LaNae Vanderbeek Owner/Preschool Director
Kris Vanderbeek, was born in Kansas City Mo. She began dancing at the age of 2. Her training included, ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics and baton. When her family relocated to Atlanta, she started gymnastics and ice skating. Her love for ice skating grew as she continued her training when they moved to Maryland. Kris worked privately with a coach to move through the various levels of figure skating. When her family relocated to New Jersey and unable to find a rink nearby she returned to her first love DANCE. She started classes under Robin Horneff Performing Arts Center as well as acting in her high school where she had the opportunity to work with Danny Aiello, whom you may have seen in Jacob's Ladder, Harlem Nights, Broadway Danny Rose & The Godfather Part II to name a few. While attending college she worked closely with children as a nanny. She is married to her best friend and they have 3 daughters. Her love for the arts and children lead her to become a licence Kindermusic teacher after experiencing a class with her first daughter. Through the years Kris has worn many hats. 7 years ago, she walked into a new studio so that her oldest daughter could dance closer to home. That studio was Step on Stage. She has had the honor to be a parent, costume designer, visual artistic designer for all props, teacher, and as of June 2018 owner of this special gem. With her family by her side, the journey is just beginning.
Kris is a positive role model and brings a versatile expertise to this studio. She relishes the look on a students face when they have that "aha" moment. She ends every class with her students, saying, "I'm the BEST me ever",
Taliah Vanderbeek Lead Artistic Director
Taliah Jade Vanderbeek, raised in Willow Spring, North Carolina, began her early training with Cheri Crabtree at Steps on Stage Academy of Performing Arts. She is a recent graduate of East Carolina University where she received her BFA in Dance Performance. While at ECU, she danced in works by Richard Smith, Danielle Lydia Sheather, Ji-Eun Lee and Emily Schoen, and trained under Galina Panova, Tommi Galaska, Teal Darkenwald and John Dixon. She also had the opportunity to work with guest artists such as Koresh company members, BodyTraffic, Parsons Dance and Tiffany Rae Fisher to name a few. In 2014, she attended the Joffrey Ballet School New York City Jazz and Contemporary Intensive on scholarship and performed at Symphony Space in works choreographed by Jeremy McQueen and Andre Tyson. Taliah choreographed many of her own works during her time at ECU and recently presented her senior thesis project "You plucked the darkness out of my soul. You saved me."
Tammie Lumpkin
Tammie Lumpkin graduated HS in 1992 from Heidelberg Germany, where she competed in gymnastics. While competing she became the 1991 European All Around Champion and the 1991 European Vault Champion. She started her gymnastics career at the age of 3, after her mother watched the Olympics and saw Nadia Comaneci compete. Once she graduated from HS she moved back to the states and started coaching the team girls in Clarksville, TN at Clarksville Gymnastics. While in TN she met her husband of 20 years and they moved to NC. Tammie started working at North Raleigh Gymnastics as a recreational/team/conditioning coach. She decided to move jobs closer to home and started coaching and running the front office at the original Langley Gymnastics. Tammie coached many state qualifiers in her years of coaching. She has 2 children, Katie and Justin. Justin graduated in 2016 and is in the Army Reserves. Katie is going into the 4th grade and is very active and loves to tumble. (Mom self taught her). Tammie enjoys working with children and is a substitute teacher at McGees Middle school and works at Dynamic Elite Wrestling in Raleigh as the office manager.
Meet our Staff
Katie Padgett Brown
A native of Lexington, KY, Katie Padgett Brown spent her early days training at Diana Evans School of Dance in Lexington, KY. She has performed in local and national dance festivals, concerts, festivals, and competitions. Ms. Brown has taught at dance studios in Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Washington DC, and North Carolina.
In 2005, Ms. Brown was invited to perform in the annual Kennedy Center Gala performance in Washington, DC, hosted by Julie Andrews and featuring the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marvin Hamlisch. She was invited back to the Gala in 2006, this time hosted by Angela Lansbury, where she performed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. In 2008, she performed at Lincoln Center in NYC with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, again conducted by Marvin Hamlisch, in "Broadway's Greatest Showstoppers".
Most recently, Ms. Brown, her students, and her choreography have been seen at the Ellington Theater as part of the annual DC Tap Festival, Chicago's Contemporary Art Museum as part of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, The Workhouse Arts Center, The Ernst Cultural Center, and many other venues in the Washington DC area. Her choreography has been performed at several regional dance competitions in Virginia and North Carolina, and has taken several overall awards and been recognized for outstanding choreography.
Ms. Brown's students have gone on to perform with M.A.D.D. Rhythms (Chicago), The Mark Morris Dance Group, The National Ballet of Canada, Dorrance Dance, Houston Ballet 2, The Richmond Ballet, The Roanoke City Ballet, The Boston
Ballet, national television programs, and numerous Broadway shows & regional theatre productions. Her students have gone on to study with various college and university dance programs across the United States, including The Julliard School, Pace University, Chapman University, and UNC-Greensboro.
Ms. Brown is a proud honors graduate of Elon University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.
Katy Quick
Katy Quick has been dancing since the age of 2 training in Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Ballet. Her Junior and Senior years of high school she became rehearsal assistant at both Duke Univeristy and Elon University and was able to perform in Nina Wheeler's piece. Katy also worked with the Miss North Carolina Pageant in 2012 and performed in the opening piece. Katy has had the pleasure to study with professional dancers and companies including Hope Boykin, Joe-Joe Grooves, Charlotte Griffin, RiverNorth Dance Chicago, and Koresh. Katy graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Along with her dance degree she is also a personal trainer and exploring all the ways to get out and be active! During her years at ECU, she has studied under Tommi Galaska, John Dixon, Teal Darkenwald, Patti Weeks, Galina Panova, and Dirk Lumbard. In 2013, she was chosen by teacher John Dixon to perform his piece Consumption. This piece was performed at the American Dance Festival and then selected to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC later that year. Her second time as ADF she performed Tommi Galaska's piece The Lullaby. Katy is excited to teach and share her passion of dance with others!
Kylie Vanderbeek Manager
Kylie Vanderbeek joins her family at Steps on Stage as our front desk assistant, office manager, company manager, assistant instructor, substitute instructor and private instructor. Kylie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in management. She works well with others while providing leadership and guidance. When Kylie is not at Steps on Stage, she is pursuing a career as a hair stylist. She has a thriving business. We are so fortunate to have her.