Faculty
Allee Blake Passmore
owner, Artistic Director, Teacher
Allee Passmore is a lifelong Lawtonian who loves teaching, dancing, and the Lawton-Fort Sill community. She started dancing at age seven with Ms. Sherri. Allee began assisting and teaching classes at Sherri's Dance Center when she was 14 years old. Allee graduated from Lawton High School where she was a Captain of the Highsteppers dance team and went on to graduate from Cameron University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership. While in college, Ms. Allee was a member of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry Dance Team, eventually becoming the Dance Team Coordinator. Ms. Allee is certified through the Oklahoma State Department of Education in the areas of Social Studies, English, Secondary Principal, and Dance. She was a long time coach of the Lawton Highsteppers as well as the LHS Cheerleaders, and the former Activities Director at Lawton High School. She was also an Epic Charter Schools educator for 3 years. She is a member of the Texas Association Teachers of Dance where she attends convention every summer to continue her dance education. Ms. Allee is level 1 certified in the Progressing Ballet Technique Method and believes continuing her own education is the best way to enrich and better serve her dancers. She has choreographed for many years for area pageants, various cheer and dance competitions, and variety shows. Ms. Allee has taught dance to all ages for over 15 years
Adla-Marie Tait
Teacher
Adla-Marie Tait, raised in Cincinnati began dancing at a young age and continues to this day. She trained at a studio in Cincinnati, where she began competing at the age of seven and continued her studies in dance through college at Bowling Green State University. At BGSU, Adla-Marie went on to earn a BS in Dance Education, minoring in Business Administration while choreographing and performing in multiple dance performances with her program, as well as with the Bowling Green State University Dance Team. As a part of the BGSU Dance Team, she performed at all home football and basketball games, and also competed at UDA Nationals each winter. Adla-Marie continued developing her skills by training for a summer at Gus Giordano Dance School in Chicago; she also performed in the Spring to Dance Festival in St. Louis, Missouri with Kristi Faulkner Dance. Her main focus is aiding students in becoming a well-rounded dancer, developing skills that can be used to help them continue to grow within their dancing and throughout life.
Aisha Valle Quinones
Teacher
Aisha Valle Quinones danced for Sherri’s Dance Center for a total of nine years. Along with dancing for Sherri’s she is a former Highlanderette who danced for four years on the MacArthur High School dance team. In those years she landed officer positions making her a lieutenant her junior year and captain her senior year. After graduating high school Aisha went to Cameron University to obtain her degree in Early Childhood Education. Aisha is currently pursuing her master's degree at Cameron in Reading. Ms. Aisha is also an early childhood educator in Lawton at Scissortail Children's School. Aisha is loud, sweet, quirky, and full of spunk. She loves to teach and find the beauty in curiosity.
Valli Duffy
Teacher
Valli started out dancing at Sherri's Dance Center in 2017. She is currently a Sophomore at Cameron University where she is an early childhood education major. Valli has been teaching and assisting at Sherri's Dance Center for 4 years. Valli loves working with children and sharing her passion for dance with her students.
Jordan Bailey
Teacher
Jordan is very excited to begin her first year as a teacher at Sherri's Dance Center. Jordan has loved dance as long as she can remember since she started dancing at SDC in preschool. She enjoyed 14 years as a dance student at Sherri's. Jordan likes all styles of dance, but has a special place in her heart for ballet. Jordan fancies all things mystical, the great outdoors, yoga, a good book, and the color green. In addition to working for Sherri's Dance Center teaching dance classes, Ms. Jordan also teaches at a nature and play based children's school in Lawton. Jordan believes it is rewarding to work alongside children guiding them to learn about what they love and explore the world around them.
James & Dee Burkey
Acro Teachers
James & Dee Burkey are lifelong educators. James began teaching gymnastics at his gym in Wayne, Oklahoma over 25 years ago. It was there that he met his wife Dee. They both moved to southwest Oklahoma where they began coaching cheer and gymnastics for various gyms and school districts.
Amber Wuergler
Acro Teacher
As the daughter of James and Dee Burkey, Amber grew up in Oklahoma and began her gymnastics journey in Wayne at the age of 5. She participated in competitive gymnastics until age 12 before beginning competitive cheerleading. Throughout her time in cheer, she won 2 state championships with Wayne, 3 national titles with the Oklahoma Twisters, as well as several individual awards.
Amber began coaching gymnastics for James and Dee Burkey while in high school. She coached a few cheer teams before moving to Washington. While in Washington, Amber coached preschool gymnastics at the YMCA. Now that she is back in Oklahoma, Amber is excited to teach acro at Sherri’s Dance Center! Amber has a passion for working with kids of all ages and strives to make class fun and challenging.
Amber began coaching gymnastics for James and Dee Burkey while in high school. She coached a few cheer teams before moving to Washington. While in Washington, Amber coached preschool gymnastics at the YMCA. Now that she is back in Oklahoma, Amber is excited to teach acro at Sherri’s Dance Center! Amber has a passion for working with kids of all ages and strives to make class fun and challenging.
Madalynn Elkouri
ASSISTANT TEACHER
Madalynn ElKouri was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. She danced for Sherri’s Dance Center for 15 years. Along with studio dancing, Madalynn was a four-year member of the Eisenhower Pom team in high school as well as being the head captain her senior year. Since graduating high school, Madalynn has continued her studies at Cameron University, where she was on the Cameron Dance Team. Throughout her high school and college dance career, she attended National Dance Association dance camps. She is currently pursuing a major in Strategic Communication with a concentration with Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. Madalynn’s dream is to make a difference in her community and make an impact on every student that walks in the door.
Tannon Meaders
Assistant Teacher
Tannon Meaders danced for 9 years at Sherri's Dance Center. While in high school Tannon was a MacArthur Highlanderette and was a part of the state championship team in 2021. Tannon attends many dance conventions and intensives each year, and was named All-American at the National Dance Alliance summer camp in Edmond, Oklahoma. Tannon loves all styles of dance but especially loves every opportunity to let her personality shine on stage. She enjoys teaching and coming up with new ways to engage her students. She is currently a student at the University of Oklahoma where she is pursueing a degree in education.
Sherri CoNwell
Founder
Sherri Conwell founded Sherri’s Dance Center in 1982. She is a member of the Texas Association of Teachers of Dance. She was a founder of Southwest Oklahoma Dance Alliance and served on the board for Arts for All. She was named a Lawton Cultural Award winner as an Educator in the Arts. Sherri was Miss Lawton 1978. She has danced in productions of “Oklahoma,” “A Chorus Line,” and with the Oklahoma University Modern Dance Company.
Sherri has choreographed for many different events including; SODA’s Choreographer Showcase, local pageants, a commercial for The Salt Cellar as well as The Drowsy Chaperone for Cameron University. Sherri was also an Artist-in-Residence for the Oklahoma State Arts Council for 15 years.
Students of Sherri’s Dance Center have been accepted into many dance departments including Walt Disney World, the Oklahoma Summer Arts Intensive at Quarts Mountain, the Bill Evans Dance Institute, the University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, and the University of California at Irvine. She also has taught students in several musical theater programs including the University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma University. In addition Ms Sherri has had students accepted into a to a variety of Oklahoma University Youth Programs.
Miss Sherri's Students have also attained honors such as: winners of several area and state level pageants, a finalist for Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant, soloists for SODA’s Nutcracker Ballet, OK Kids Scholarship winners, LA Dance Force Scholarship Winners, National KAR solo finalists. Miss Sherri's students also have obtained careers as cast members of Broadway musicals to include; Hamilton, Les Miserables, and Radio City Rockettes' Holiday Spectacular.
Sherri has choreographed for many different events including; SODA’s Choreographer Showcase, local pageants, a commercial for The Salt Cellar as well as The Drowsy Chaperone for Cameron University. Sherri was also an Artist-in-Residence for the Oklahoma State Arts Council for 15 years.
Students of Sherri’s Dance Center have been accepted into many dance departments including Walt Disney World, the Oklahoma Summer Arts Intensive at Quarts Mountain, the Bill Evans Dance Institute, the University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, and the University of California at Irvine. She also has taught students in several musical theater programs including the University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma University. In addition Ms Sherri has had students accepted into a to a variety of Oklahoma University Youth Programs.
Miss Sherri's Students have also attained honors such as: winners of several area and state level pageants, a finalist for Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant, soloists for SODA’s Nutcracker Ballet, OK Kids Scholarship winners, LA Dance Force Scholarship Winners, National KAR solo finalists. Miss Sherri's students also have obtained careers as cast members of Broadway musicals to include; Hamilton, Les Miserables, and Radio City Rockettes' Holiday Spectacular.