Mrs. Orton is a proud graduate of Anderson High School where she was a member of the Trojan Belles Dance Team. After high school, she auditioned to become a member of the 71st line of the World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes. As a Rangerette, she had the opportunity to perform in the McDonalds Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago, the 75th Commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as well as Dallas Cowboys football games, the Cotton Bowl, weekly football games, local parades, and the Rangerettes' annual show, Revels.
After Kilgore, Mrs. Orton attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology: Dance Science. At A&M, she studied many styles of dance including ballet and modern, as well as focusing on injury prevention and rehab, Pilates, dance wellness research, and choreography. During her time at Texas A&M she fell in love with Pilates and how beneficial it can be for dancers. She obtained her comprehensive Pilates certification through Balanced Body, traveling across the US for different training sessions and workshops. During her time at Texas A&M, Mrs.Orton also taught and choreographed for MA Dance Productions at various summer dance camps.
Mrs. Orton was the assistant director for the Bryan High School ShyAnnes before returning to Austin to get married. She taught Pilates full time at various studios around town for a year before coming to work at Anderson.
Mrs. Orton is looking forward to her eighth year at Anderson and will be teaching Dance I, Dance III/IV, Athletes Dance, and is the director for the Trojan Belles.
Hayes Harkins Assistant Director
Ms. Harkins began her dance career at age 3 in Austin, Texas. After a move to Keller, Texas, she continued to train in competitive studios. Ms. Harkins attended numerous conventions and competitions advancing in her dance training and career. As she entered high school, she became a member of the Timber Creek Sky Dancers in Keller, Texas. She eventually went on to lead her team as Captain to State and National titles.
After high school, Ms. Harkins attended the University of Texas at Austin where she was selected to be a Texas Pom. As a Texas Pom, she performed and cheered for crowds of up to 100,000 in Darrell K Memorial Stadium and The Frank Erwin Center. Ms. Harkins and her teammates were featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and performed alongside Third Eye Blind at ACL. While attending college, Ms. Harkins taught and choreographed for Crowd Pleasers Dance for 5 years. She traveled across Texas working with various high schools and middle schools on their dance training and leadership skills. With Crowd Pleasers, she aided in coordinating regional, state, and national competitions. Ms. Harkins graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Youth and Community Studies and earned a minor from The McCombs School of Business.
Upon completion of her degree, Ms. Harkins began teaching and coaching at Premiere Dance Center in Dripping Springs, Texas. She trained students ages four through adult in Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre.
Ms. Harkins is honored to call Anderson High School her new home. She cannot wait to see what this next year holds as a dance teacher and assistant director for the Trojan Belles.
