Cassie grew up in recreational and competitive dance programs from an early age. She started teaching at the age of thirteen and was given many leadership opportunities at her dance studio. From 2006-2013, Cassie taught and helped direct a dance ministry in Indianapolis. During this time, the ministry grew to over 150 girls. When she left Indiana for Tennessee, she continued to be one of the main choreographers. In the past she has also been a part of Ignite Dance as a dancer and choreographer. In 2022, she performed in Nicholas Scheuer’s Beauty and the Beast Ballet. Her passion is to meet dancers where they are at in life-both on and off the dance floor and foster their personal growth.
Many of her students have gone on to have talented dance careers or take their dance knowledge and be successful in other endeavors. One student took the poise she gained from dance class and went on to be the only American girl to model for Gucci in 2016!
Outside of dance, Cassie stays busy raising her five children and three step children. She also tutors many local children in math and reading as teaching is in her blood!
Quality : Recreational programs can and should be designed to give performers the utmost exposure to the discipline and maintain a high expectations of teaching. Therefore, if/when a performer is ready to move up in intesity he or she will have a solid foundation to do so.
Community : Nestled in the heart of College Grove, you will find that your child is known and loved. As a student, your child will make friends with other local students. Our classes and performances are designed to foster a rich sense of community. As a parent, we welcome you to hang around and catch up with friends or take a stroll with a friend through the neighborhood!
Family : Classes are designed to be high quality without sacrificing family time or family finances! We are a community committed to loving and celebrating your family.
Content : You will always leave our classes and performances feeling good about the content. From costuming to music selections to dance moves, we are intentional in all that we teach so that performers can thrive from the inside out.
Simplicity : We try to keep things simple for you as a family. We don’t believe extracurriculars should be stressful!
College Grove Performing Arts (formerly Falls Grove Dance and Theatre) is a high quality recreational program that focuses on performance skills while also growing student’s life skills and connection to the community. You will find that our classes are filled with high quality content that you as a parent can feel good about, hard work, laughter, joy, and friendships.
In July of 2019, Cassie Gillett moved into the Falls Grove neighborhood. At the time, her daughter was four and born out of a desire to nurture her daughter in dance, she saw the Falls Grove dance room in the clubhouse and took action! The first season there was only one class a week with ten girls. It ended the season amidst Covid in her kitchen for the recital! Since then, the number of dancers has nearly quintupled!
In the spring of 2023, Cassie asked Caitlin Theobald for help with a day-long production of Cinderella. Recognizing Caitlin’s amazing talent, she convinced her to come alongside her! It’s been an incredible addition as students continue to gain performing skills while also growing from the inside out.
