Casey Adams

Casey Oates Adams is the owner and lead dance instructor at Academy. She is a Lufkin native and was trained at Academy of Gymnastics and Dance from the age of 3 to 18. Her dance education at Academy included ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, hip hop, and gymnastics. At Academy she served as a student teacher, was a member of Academy’s first ballet company, and competed with Academy’s dance team for 5 years, performing in over a dozen Platinum winning routines. Her training at Academy prepared her for roles as an LMS Cheerleader, LHS JV Drill Member, and LHS Panther Pride Member and served as Panther Pride Captain her senior year. While on Panther Pride she performed at Disney World and competed at Orlando’s Contest of Champions winning the distinction of Team National Hip Hop Champions.

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After high school graduation, Casey was a 67th Line Kilgore College Rangerette and performed at venues in Chicago, Stamford, Indianapolis, and across Texas including the Cotton Bowl. During her time at Kilgore, Casey worked multiple high school dance competitions. Casey completed her Education Degree at Baylor University where she performed with and choreographed for Baylor Dance Company and served as the company’s President. While living in Waco, Casey taught child through adult level classes for Joy’s School of Dance. Casey was also a lighting tech for a professional dance company performance in Austin. Upon college graduation, Casey moved back to Lufkin and worked at Academy of Gymnastics and Dance teaching combo level classes up through high school.

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Casey married her husband Matt and, as a newlywed, began her professional dance career in Northern Virginia with a performance season with the Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre specializing in Graham and Limon technique along with an intensive in Chinese folk dance. She continued her dance training at Joy of Motion in Washington D.C. focusing on contemporary dance. Her professional career followed their family move to Southern California with the PGK Dance Project Too in San Diego, California where she performed at various dance venues including San Diego’s Dance on the Edge Festival. With company director Peter G. Kalivas, her dance technique was enhanced through training in the Horton style of modern dance. Casey taught dance and gymnastics in Oceanside, California while working as a guest teacher with the Ascend Project, a nonprofit for pre professional dancers based in San Diego.

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Bringing her closer to family, Casey moved back to Lufkin and began working for Lufkin Middle School for 7 years where she served as dance and cheer instructor, drill team director, cheerleading coach and dance team coach. She has been a supporter of Lufkin's Dancing with the Stars both as a performer and as a choreographer.

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Casey has choreographed for groups in East, Central, and North Texas along with Southern California including professional company repertoire, high school competitive teams, studios in Lufkin, Kilgore, and Waco, and church performance events. 

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Casey believes in 2 fundamental dance truths:

1- We are created to move. Dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading are the greatest ways that we can honor the gift of movement that we have been given.

2- All students who are willing to try have value and should feel welcome and supported in their performing arts classes.