MEET THE INSTRUCTORS.
MEET ELISE SIGMON
Clogging, Hip Hop, Preschool
Elise is the owner of Sole Impact Studios and co-owner (with her husband, Kyle) of The Big Blue Center for Expressive Arts! She grew up learning to clog and beginning her teaching career with the High Country Cloggers where she had the opportunity to perform in the 1999 Florida Citrus Bowl Halftime Show with Charlie Daniels!
After graduating from ASU in 2006 with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (concentrations in business and dance), she co-founded Appalachian Rhythm Clogging & Dance which allowed her the chance to clog in Hawaii (2007) and Disney World (2017)!
In the summer of 2018, a dream that she and Kyle had became a reality. They desired to create a community center where local artists and performers could join together to share space, ideas and a passion for the arts. Elise loves dancing and teaching dance to all ages.
In April 2021, Elise was named a finalist in the Business Owner category for the Boone Chamber 4 Under 40 Award!
Outside the studio, Elise enjoys being outside and tubing down the New River. She and her husband, Kyle, have five kids, Jacob (13), Jenna (12), Marshall (9), Miles (7), and a foster daughter (18). You will probably see them around the studio, hanging out and taking classes at Sole Impact!
MEET CHYNNA BIRKMIRE
Competition Clogging
Chynna began clogging and dancing at the age of 3 when her family moved to North Carolina. In dance, she has found her life long passion! She has been teaching clogging since 2013 and became a Certified Clogging Instructor (CCI) in 2016 at the National Clogging Convention in Nashville, TN. She has taught at numerous clogging workshops including Mason-Dixon Spring Stomp, Smoky Mountain Encore, Mountain Madness, and the National Clogging Convention in Atlanta, GA!
She has won numerous awards for clogging both as a soloist, team member, and duet partner (with her brother Addison), including 2 Grand Champion National Titles at the Cadence Clogging Nationals in 2014 and again at the USA National Championship in 2021 for her choreographed solo. Chynna has danced with the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, All That!, American Racket, and is a member of the 2021 NCHC All-Star Team. She was crowned the 2017 Miss Young Adult Southeastern Clogger and the 2018 Overall Miss ACHF Traditional Ambassador.
Chynna loves music and theatre and performed at Tweetsie Railroad as a clogger and can-can girl for many years, and is now performing at Dollywood! We are grateful and happy to have Chynna on our team and part of our stellar teaching staff!
MEET ALANA PATTERSON
Hip Hop
Alana Patterson was born in Boone, NC where her dance training started at age 3 with Studio K Dance Company. While attending Studio K, she was trained in styles ranging from ballet, lyrical, tap and hip hop. Alana danced as a Watauga High School Pacer all four years of high school acting as captain her junior and senior year. Alana attended Appalachian State University earning a degree in Biology, Secondary Education all while continuing her love of dance through classes at Studio K, Appalachian State, and performing at Tweetsie Railroad as a dancer.
Alana is currently working as a cast member at Disney World pursuing a long time dream! We cannot wait for her return for our 2023-2024 season. In Alana's absence, we have welcomed Ana Duncan, ASU Dance Team captain!
MEET BECKY MORETZ
Adult Clogging, QuickFit
Becky started taking ballet at the age of 5. She added tap and jazz at age 10 and competed with her dance group at local and national competitions. She danced on the dance team at Watauga High School ("Pacers", 1994-1997) and was captain her senior year of high school. Becky began clogging for fun in 2013 and quickly excelled to an advanced level. She is very dedicated and highly committed to practicing and is excited for another great year teaching clogging and QuickFit at Sole Impact!
Becky completed her undergraduate degree (2001), medical school (2005), and psychiatry residency (2010) at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is married and has 2 girls, Sydney (age 14) and Savannah (age 12), who also clog and dance. At her primary job she is the psychiatrist at ASU Student Health.
Becky has been clogging now for 10 years. Besides loving to clog, Becky also enjoys running and has run a marathon and many half marathons! Her friendly nature and warm smile will guarantee you feel welcome in her class.
MEET ADDISON BIRKMIRE
Clogging
Addison is new to our staff but not new to us, to clogging or to teaching! He has been clogging for almost his whole life and has been with Sole Impact from the beginning! He has taught at Smoky Mountain Encore and the National Clogging Convention.
He has won many solo titles in both contemporary and traditional clogging. He and his sister, Chynna, have also won numerous duet titles.
Outside of clogging, Addison is quite the performer! He has been a cowboy, clogger, and magician at Tweetsie Railroad and he has also been cast in several shows at Dollywood including It's a Wonderful Life and Dolly's Little Engine Playhouse Theater. This summer he will be at Dollywood performing as a dancer!
We are super excited to have him teaching with us this year!! He brings such positive energy and enthusiasm to Sole Impact!
MEET TERRI MILLER
Adult Clogging
Terri is Elise's multi-talented mom! She has been clogging for 13 years now and enjoys it for the exercise, the friendships and the mental challenge it provides! In 2017 and 2018 she and three other talented ladies won gold medals with their clogging routine at the High Country Senior Games and went on to compete in the State Games in Raleigh, NC.
Terri is not new to performing arts! She has a degree in Music Therapy from West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M), is a professional pianist and teaches piano lessons, taught middle school band and orchestra at Green Valley Elementary School and now owns Kudzu Music with her husband (Elise's dad), Richard Miller. Terri enjoys making music, spending time with her 7 grandchildren, and of course, clogging! Terri is pictured above with two of her dancing grandkids.
MEET SHEA HUYARD
Traditional Clogging
Shea began clogging when she was 5 years old and has loved it ever since! This is her second year teaching at Sole Impact and we are lucky to have her!
She is from Mountain City, TN and and a graduate of Northeast State Community College with an associate degree in nursing. She is now a Registered Nurse at Watauga Medical Center in the operating room! She recently got engaged and is planning her wedding for October!
Shea's friendly smile and warm personality will make you feel right at home!
MEET EMMA PINNIX
Creative Movement/Ballet/Jazz/Contemporary
Emma grew up in Boone and has been dancing since the age of 3 in styles such as ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, musical theater, and contemporary. She has performed with Studio K Dance Workshop in roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Columbine Doll, Sleeping Beauty Fairy. She also performed as a part of precision dance troupe The Carolina Snowbelles at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millennium Stage in Washington, D.C.
Emma recently moved back to Boone from Edmond, OK, where she taught at various studios in Oklahoma City and was a part of a professional dance training program, Arrows International. She traveled with the company to Costa Rica, Peru, and Southeast Asia sharing her love for dance. Emma will be teaching Creative Movement, Ballet 1, and Jazz/Contemporary and can’t wait to start her journey with Sole Impact!
MEET FAITH TRIVETTE
Clogging
Faith has been clogging for 12 years and has now found a passion for teaching! She and her husband, Thomas, just welcomed a baby girl, Jesslynn, in August 2021!
She is also a student at Appalachian State University majoring in accounting. She is a wonderful role model to young, impressionable students and a hard-working, friendly teammate. She's currently on maternity leave and we look forward to her return!