Turning Pointe 
                  Centre for the Arts 
began as a vision for Susanne Sanders to have a full arts facility that would train kids through adults in every art form to Glorify our Heavenly Father. 

With her extensive professional career as well as her educational degree she has the background, dedication and passion to train talents to fulfill God's call on their lives.

Susanne created a volunteer board to establish the Turning Pointe Theatre and within several short months, provision was in place to move into a state of the art new 3200+ square foot facility.  Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts was established to offer the highest quality of education in a Christian
environment.  

TPCA, TPT and TPMT Agency offers kids through adult the opportunity to train and pursue a career in the modeling, theatre, and dance world. Lexington community-at-large, including budding artists and children should come by for an open call auditions for the Modeling & Talent Agency or take classes to further their career in the discipline of choice. Performances and educational opportunities are available for the young and old. Susanne realized that a unifying organization with the right perspective could bring the arts to Lexington County, South Carolina and around the world in a productive and inspiring way. She believes that an organization such as the Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts would improve the quality of life of every participant.

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 Faculty

Owner/Director/Teacher: 
Susanne Sanders
            Susanne has studied and performed throughout the United States; Chicago, N.Y., Oklahoma, and Atlanta where becoming Principle dancer with both: International Ballet & Jazz Companies - as well as Modeling, Television Commercials and Movies.

    Her principle roles included Le Corsair, Don Quixote', Chopiniana, Four Seasons, Coppelia, Carmen, Pas de Quatra, Facade, Grand Prix, and many others.  Television commercial / Modeling:  Ford Car, Ga. Public Television, Rear View Mirror with Lee Remick, and many industrial documentaries. 
        Susanne graduated from Charleston Southern University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and Pre-Med. with an emphasis in Dance and was selected to: Tri-Beta National Honor Society, Who’s Who Among Colleges & Universities, Outstanding  Young Women in America, Cambridge Whose Who, and is currently Artist in Residence for S.C.

     Susanne is a former South Carolina’s Junior Miss(winner of four preliminaries) then represented SC at America’s Junior Miss, two time finalist in the Miss South Carolina, and 1^st Runner up in the Mrs. S.C. International Pageant.

     Through her extensive performing, pageant and modeling career she is  involved in all phases of pageantry: (directing, choreography, production, coaching and judging) in S.C., Ga., N.C., and RI with the Miss America and America’s Jr. Miss Scholarship Program. She is currently the Director of the Lexington’s Junior Miss Scholarship Program.

          Presently she owns and operates Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts, Turning Pointe Theatre Inc. 501(c)(3) (non-profit professional company), and Turning Pointe Models & Talent Agency which is presently working with Southeast Talent Search. 
       She also, travels performing, teaching master classes, and workshops in all phases of dance, modeling and Praise and Worship locally and around the world.


Teacher: Leslie Rizzuti 
    Leslie Rizzuti earned her music degree from Kansas State University. After teaching for several years, Leslie and her brothers traveled in full-time music and teaching ministry across the USA and overseas for 8 years, recording 5albums.    In the mid 80’s, she hosted a television talk show in Myrtle Beach for 6 years, and continued to sing around South Carolina. While establishing herself as one of South Carolina’s pioneering home school leaders, Leslie led worship for 15 years at Willow Ridge Church, in Lexington, directing praise teams, choirs, dramas, musicals, and interpretive movement. She has taught and coached her daughters, Rachel and Noel, their whole lives.     Rachel is a recent graduate from Liberty University with top honors in the worship department. She has recorded a CD in Nashville and is on staff at Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville,North Carolina.    Noel is the former President of the Student Body at White Knoll High School, and was WACH FOX 57’s Teen of the Year. She has a long record of achievement in leadership, music, athletics, pageants, drama, and overall excellence, and  attends Winthrop University.

    Leslie has been involved in teen ministry for over 20 years. It will be her privilege to work with your students and encourage them to use their gifts with excellence.

         
Teacher: Ellen Neely
Ellen Neely (TPT assistant) 
        Ellen Elizabeth Neely is a dance instructor and graphic designer for Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts. With over fourteen years of dance experience, she is excited about teaching dancers to become not only physically strong, but also spiritually solid in the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 62 verse 6 says “He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” 
        With dance training from around the world, she has learned various forms of dance such as ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, tap, and clogging. She has trained under many dance instructors and choreographers like Susanne Sanders, Mimi Worrell, Val Salnikov, Serguei Chtykov, Joulia Moisseeva, Shamil Yagudin, Eriberto Jimenez, Stacey Calvert, and Anna Dragoni-Logan. Ellen has been assisting with dance choreography and has choreographed her own dances since the age of ten. She has been a dance teachers’ assistant for three years and a dance instructor for one year.
        Ellen has many pageant awards to her list, and the most recent, winning the title of Miss Lexington County Peach Festival. She went on to represent Lexington County at the Miss South Carolina Competition in July of 2009. She won overall fourth runner-up and won the swimsuit award as well as the talent award for her ballet dance en pointe called “The Swan”. She works with young girls in pageantry and has experience with make-up artistry, modeling, interview, and wardrobe. 
        As the official graphic designer for Turning Pointe, Ellen specializes in creating corporate identity pieces that meet the advertising needs for all types of customers. She completed the two-year Advertising Design course and Photoshop course at the Lexington Technology Center with honors. She interned at Pine Press Printing in Lexington her senior year of high school were she worked as a customers sales representative. 
        Ellen is currently a student at the University of South Carolina were she is studying nursing. She is also furthering her professional career in dance with Turning Pointe Theatre.

 
Teacher: Magda Rice
 (Musical Theater, Vocals, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Beginner Piano.) 
    Maggie Rice earned her teaching and music degree at Charleston Southern University.  While at CSU, she studied vocal performance and technique.  While attending CSU, she performed with the concert choir, chamber ensemble and jazz band.  She and her husband were also charter members in New Vision.  New Vision is a vocal and drama ministry group that travels for CSU.  While in Charleston, Maggie sang in the Piccolo Spoleto Performing Arts Festival.  She also participated in the Opera Workshop.  Since coming to Columbia, she has been a member of the Columbia Choral Society. 
     Maggie taught both music and drama for three years at Abundant Life Christian Academy in Charleston, SC.  Maggie has led many children and youth choirs both in South Carolina and Kentucky.  Some of the musicals she has directed include Psalty and the Singing Songbook, Rainbow Express, Family Christmas and Love in Any Language among other.  
     In addition to her vocal experience, Maggie has over 15 years experience in playing the flute, clarinet and saxophone.  While attending CSU, she played in the marching, concert and jazz bands.  She also played for the Charleston Singing Christmas tree for three years using all the wood winds. 
     Maggie also has a love for the deaf and hard of hearing.  God has given her a heart for these people and their beautiful language.  She has incorporated her love for sign language into the creative arts field in the past, and would love to continue this while at Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts. 
     "Therefore I will praise You, Lord, among the nations;  I will sing about Your name."  Psalms 18:49  God has created us to worship Him; what better way than through the creative ways He has gifted us with.


Teacher: Sarah Rich
(Vocal and Choir Teacher) (Private Voice Lessons)
   Sarah Rich is a native of Columbus, GA and a 2007 graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, AL.  She holds a Bachelor of Music Education in Music degree, summa cum laude, with Honors  in Vocal Performance.  A Samford Presidential Scholar, Sarah was awarded singing accolades from NATS (the National Association of Teachers of Singing) and the Birmingham Music Club.  She was also selected by the Samford music faculty to perform on the 2007 Honors Recital and was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa honor society.  Her student teaching included nine weeks in the music department at the Alabama School of Fine Arts.            While in college, Sarah was a four-year member of the renowned A Cappella Choir, serving as section leader, treasurer, and vice president.  With the choir she toured to St. Petersburg, Russia, Beijing, China, Washington, D.C., and throughout the Southeast.  A member of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, she served as music director, leading rehearsals and arranging group performances around the community and for the Atlanta Braves.  Additionally, Sarah served in CMENC (The National Association for Music Education), Samford’s LEAD (Leadership Education, Awareness, and Development) program, other student leadership organizations, handbell choir, and a local Baptist church choir.          As a teenager, Sarah was extremely active in her church youth group, mission work, and music program.  She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and president of the student government association.  Sarah attended GA All-State Chorus five consecutive years, was selected to attend the GA Governor’s Honors Program in vocal music, and won honors from several local and state singing festivals.          After graduating from Samford, Sarah married her college sweetheart, Matt.  Until recently they lived in metro Birmingham, AL, where she taught general music and choir at two elementary schools.  The Richs were both active in the Mountain Brook Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir, Psalmist Ensemble, and couples’ Bible Study group.  Matt and Sarah now reside in Lexington, along with their Dachshund, Tyson.  Sarah currently works as a substitute for Lexington School District One and is an Associate Member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).  Her career goal is to enable others to have incredible experiences through the gift (and Giver) of music.  “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”  -- 1 Chronicles 17:16



Teacher: Tori Baker
(Modeling & Etiquette Classes)
    Tori is the daughter of Susanne Sanders and has been raised around the love of the performing arts.  She has been an assistant to her mother all her life and is now currently working in the ministry arts with her.
    Tori has been Modeling, Singing and Acting  for over 6yrs and TPCA assistant teacher for three.  She is the assistant director for Turning Pointe Models & Talent Agency.   The last three years Tori was selected to attend the SouthEast Talent Search in commercial and TV acting, vocals and high fashion modeling.    In which she received many call-backs with the top agencies in the world.  
    Currently  she is a  Turning Pointe Theatre Inc. company member and recently traveled on the company missions trip to Germany, as a singer/actress.  While on tour Tori teaches children's acting classes and workshops as well as sings many of the company worship songs the dancers perform.
    Tori is a competitive Equestrian Horse Rider and loves everything to do with riding.  Currently she is a senior and plans to pursue and vocal and acting career as well pre-natal nursing.



Teacher: Seth Schneider

Seth Schneider was born in Knoxville, Tennessee in the year 1990. He’s the son of Apostle Sam and Lisa Schneider of Rivers International Worship Center in Blythewood, SC. He attended Aiken Technical College on a basketball scholarship, but later followed his call to ministry. Seth is a Christian musician and a part of Turning Pointe Center for the Arts, where he teaches drums and hip hop dance. He has previously recorded  his first CD “Through the Storm” and released it December 2010. He is currently working on his next project. Seth has studied musical theatre, acting, and vocals with Turning Pointe Center of the Arts, he is presently a professional member of the International touring company Turning Pointe Theatre.

  
Teacher: Addi Limehouse
Addi Limehouse began dancing at age twelve. She has trained under the direction of Columbia City Ballet’s principal dancer, Regina Willoughby, and currently trains with professional Russian-trained ballerina, Susanne Sanders. Addi is a dancer at Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts’ professional company, Turning Point Theatre, and works as a dance instructor at the school. Because Addi’s heart is for missions, she feels blessed to be involved with Turning Pointe Theatre because its purpose is to use all of the arts for the glory of God and take them around the world. Her life verse is Luke 10:2-3, “He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” and she desires to fulfill this command for the rest of her time here on earth and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.



Teacher: Danielle Morris

Danielle Lauren Morris is an instructor at Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts. Prior to her employment at Turning Pointe, Danielle was trained through various Dance styles that include ballet, pointe, lyrical, tap, hip hop, jazz, vocal training, acting, and musical theater. Desiring to be trained in the Vaganova style of Ballet, Danielle enrolled as a student at Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts. Under the instruction of Susanne Sanders, Danielle has continues to pursue her dreams and calling in the mission field by traveling internationally and using the arts for God’s glory. She hopes to always live out her favorite verse, John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go out and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…..” Her professional career prior to Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts included Worship Leader for various venues, Drama Team Leader with Three Days Later, Leadership Member in specific trainings conducted under the auspices of the SALT and LEAD programs offered in Elizabethton, TN, as well as a member of Mixed Blessings musical choir.

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 Join Today for classes...!

Turning Pointe Centre for the Arts
Turning Pointe Models & Talent Agency
Turning Pointe Theatre

4732 Augusta Road, Suite-A
Lexington, SC 29073
Office: 803.957.2323
Fax: 803.957.4646

Contact any of our staff at:
Staff@TurningPointeCentrefortheArts.com
Susanne@TurningPointeCentrefortheArts.com
susannesanders@sc.rr.com