Welcome to MoveStudio Charlotte!

April is the Founder/Director of MoveStudio Charlotte and an instructor of both youth and adult classes in Pilates, acrobatics, creative movement and partner dance. She began her dance career as a toddler and continued training and performing into adulthood. She received most of her training from the University of Georgia where she obtained her BBA and dance minor in 1999 and her MBA in 2006. Specializing in ballroom dance, April has performed with, choreographed for and managed several dance companies, including the University of Georgia Ballroom Performance Group (Director, 2002-2006) and Contact Dance (Founder, Director, 2001-2006), both in Athens, Georgia. Her choreography has been performed on both national and international stages. A Pilates Method Alliance Certified Pilates Teacher, April enjoys training students in group mat classes and personal equipment training sessions. She is thrilled to bring the best of all her movement worlds together under one roof! When not dancing or practicing Pilates, April can likely be found on her yoga mat, traveling, boating, or hanging with her husband and two children at home in Charlotte, NC.

Erin is originally from Florida where she received her bachelors and masters in elementary education. She and her husband moved here to Charlotte in 2007 where they have raised their two children. Frances has always had a passion for working with children, becoming a preschool teacher at 18 and ultimately an elementary school teacher upon graduating from college. She has also always had a love for the performing arts. In her youth, she danced for 15 years and was competitively involved in her high school chorus as well as musical theater. She is grateful for the opportunity that MoveStudio has provided for her as an outlet to indulge her creative passions.

Jackie O’Toole was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA where she began her formal dance training. She received her B.A. in Dance and B.A. in Communications from Coker College. She received her M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University. Ms. O’Toole’s choreography has been presented in venues including the Cloud Dance Festival in London, the White Wave Festivals in New York City, and the American College Dance Association Festivals. She has set choreography on the dance programs at West Chester University, Winthrop University and was on the dance faculty at the American Music and Dramatic Academy’s Los Angeles campus (AMDA). Ms. O’Toole received her certification in Lester Horton Technique through the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She is currently a member of Bodiogragraphy Contemporary Ballet’s Charlotte Company. Ms. O’Toole was chosen as a fellow for the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Minority Serving Institution’s Inaugural program “ELEVATE”. She is the resident choreographer for Carowinds Amusement Park. Ms. O’Toole serves on the board of the Charlotte Dance Festival and is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Johnson C. Smith University. She is a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance.

Ashley Reid grew up training competitively in tap, jazz, ballet, and modern dance here in Charlotte at B B Dance Productions and Precision Dance Center. Her passion for dance led her to pursue further training at Carnegie Mellon University where she was a dancer and choreographer of the Dancer’s Symposium Performance Company. During this time she also joined a hip hop crew, IFS, participating in numerous performances and collaborative projects throughout the Pittsburgh area.

After graduation, she completed a research fellowship on attachment styles in adults and decided to return to Charlotte. She found herself in a Human Resources position, intrigued by the opportunity to apply her degree, organizational, and leadership skills in a new field. Soon after she learned she could merge her love for dance with her professional aspirations.

Back in Charlotte, she began teaching dance at several studios across the city. Additionally, she continued to perform with various dance groups, on the stages of festivals and special events. 

Now at a new shift in career, she works as a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant at Novant Health, where she provides hands-on care to patients on their journey to recovery. In addition to her clinical work, she teaches dance and yoga to all ages and abilities!

Ashley is thrilled to be part of the Move team, where she can continue to explore, learn, and grow in an open and encouraging environment.