What Our Creative Board Means
Our Creative Board is made up of incredible women who have believed in ALoveChoreo from the beginning & continue support us in our vision & growth. Each of these dancers comes from a different background & brings a unique perspective, & valuable insight that helps strengthen what we are building. Their support allows ALoveChoreo to navigate ideas, make thoughtful decisions, & stay rooted in our mission. We are truly thankful for the time, care, & heart our Creative Board pours into our studio & the Clarion community.
Leah Chambers
Board Member
Leah is an educator and the co-founder and co-director of the Community Learning Workshop, a non-profit that brings after-school tutoring, homework help, & educational programming to Clarion & the surrounding communities.
She spent a decade cheering from the sidelines as a dance mom before ALoveChoreo gave her a reason- & a push- to step onto the floor herself. The studio's warmth & genuine sense of community challenged her to take on things she hadn't expected, including the occasional musical theater class.
As a board member, she draws on her deep passion for community partnerships, connecting ALoveChoreo with other organizations in the region & building the collective momentum that makes a community stronger.
Kristie Taylor
Board Member
Kristie has spent 26 years as an educator & school administrator in the region, & she has been performing- as an actress, singer, & dancer- since she could walk & form sentences. She serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance & as the Founding President of the Marlin Community Collaborative, Inc.
Her driving goal is simple & sincere: to get a little better at being human each day, & to make this region vibrant with opportunities to share stories, art, education, & creativity. ALoveChoreo's welcoming, nurturing community unlocked a vibrancy in her that she thought was gone, & she loves to witness the same transformation in others-the creativity, the whimsy, & the strength that emerges when someone steps into a class.
Social Media Manager & Board Member
Megan Smelscer
Megan Smelscer is ALoveChoreo's Social Media Manager. A graduate of Clarion University & a former middle school English teacher, she brings a strong set of media literacy skills & creative problem-solving to everything she does for the studio.
Megan loves her four cats, spending time with family and friends, &- in a detail that surprises absolutely no one who knows her- a frozen Pop Tart.
The growth she has experienced at ALoveChoreo- personally & professionally- is what drives her passion for the studio's work.
Board Member
Hillary Durum
Hillary is a musician, artist, & lifelong learner who finds joy in creating- whether at the keyboard, the canvas, or the kitchen. She owns & runs a music & art studio in Clarion, where she spends her weekdays teaching piano, guitar, violin, cello, ukulele, banjo, & voice. On weekends & at special events, she leads workshops in stained glass, mosaic, jewelry, & watercolor.
A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Hillary brings the same discipline & enthusiasm to the dance floor. When ALoveChoreo opened, she jumped at the chance to dance multiple times a week- & discovered something she hadn't expected: a studio culture that is genuinely fun, supportive, & welcoming, & exactly what so many people need.