Hazel Cartee
Ansley Cartee Minor
Upon graduating Clemson, Ansley received the ROARING 10 award from Clemson University in 2021 for being one of ten most distinguished Clemson graduates in the last 10 years.
Ansley’s training in baton & dance started at a young age. She has danced & twirled since just 2 years old. Ansley is a former National Twirling Champion, Miss Majorette of America, & member of the World Team. She traveled to Switzerland with Team USA in 2012 for the World Baton Twirling Championships and received a silver medal.
Ansley loves sharing her love for baton and dance with her students! She says she absolutely loves and adores all of her students and the relationships she has made with them! Her favorite part about being on staff at Carolina Superstars is seeing the impact her mother, Hazel Cartee, has had on so many young lives! Ansley wants to continue her mother’s life work by creating a pathway for her students to excel in all areas as well as loving each student like they were her own child! Ansley now lives in Anderson with her husband, son, & two dogs!
Melissa Hightower
We are thrilled to have Ms. Melissa as our front desk manager! Melissa was a student of Ms. Hazel’s about 50 years ago. She works at Montessori School of Anderson as the Director and Director of Admissions. Melissa is enjoying life and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She is so excited to be part of the Carolina Superstars family!
Marilla Riggs
Marilla graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance from Shenandoah University in 2014. Starting her 6th season this fall, Marilla is the coach of the Clemson Tiger Dancers, where she choreographs and leads a 19 member team through Death Valley performances along side the Clemson Tiger Band. She is excited for her 6th season at Carolina Superstars with the students and fellow staff she dearly loves.
From the young age of 3 in East Tennessee, Marilla has trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Also training in musical theatre, she performed in famous productions including High School Musical, Hairspray, and Seussical at a regional theatre. After college, Marilla lived in D.C. where she worked for a professional dance company, taught dance in multiple studios, and performed with a Grammy winning artist. Now residing in Spartanburg with her husband, 2 children, and 2 pups, Marilla strives to share her love of dance and performance with the next generation.
Gracie Page
Gracie is originally from Elberton, GA and is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia. As a Double Dawg, she received her B.A. in Advertising and M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis in Integrated ADPR. Gracie was a member of the UGA Majorette line for four years and was able to cheer on the Dawgs as they earned the title of 2021 National Champions. Gracie is passionate about helping the younger generation of twirlers gain the opportunities and experiences that twirling has allowed her.
Sophia Lutz
Sophia is from Columbia, PA and is a Feature Twirler at Clemson University. She has trained in baton, tumbling, and dance for the past 16 years, and has competed individually since she was 4. Sophia has won six summer national titles competing for Drum Majorettes of America. In 2021, she reigned as Majorette Queen of America where she had the honor to represent the DMA organization throughout the year! Additionally, she taught private lessons and classes in baton and dance at her home studio in PA. Sophia loves being able to build technique and confidence for all levels of learners. She is so excited to make Carolina Superstars her new home!
Nicole Chambers
We are beyond thrilled to welcome Nicole Chambers to our Carolina Superstars staff as an instructor! Nicole danced and twirled under Hazel as a child where she learned invaluable life skills along with broadening her dance & baton background! Nicole has been working at the studio in various capacities since her own child started taking at a young age! For the last 15 years, Nicole has assisted Carolina Superstars by being our recital coordinator, working the front counter, & teaching classes. Nicole received her Bachelors of the Arts degree from Anderson University in human services and Paralegal. Nicole says her goal when teaching is to make sure each child feels welcomed and that each child leaves class knowing they learned and had fun in class! We are honored to welcome Nicole as an instructor!
Alexandrya Poore
Alexandrya Poore is from Anderson, SC and currently majoring in business management at Clemson University with aspirations to have her own business one day! She has been twirling and dancing for 17 years and has competitively twirled since she was 8 years old. She currently is a Tiger Twirler at Clemson University and is so excited for this upcoming season with the leadership position as Outreach Coordinator! Alex hopes that as a teacher that she inspires and motivates each girl to work for their dreams and never stop pushing for their goals. She can’t wait to get back in the classrooms to see all her students and get to work!
Gracie Williams
Gracie Williams is from Pendleton, South Carolina. Gracie is an outstanding competitive baton twirler and dancer. She is the reigning South Carolina State Champion in Solo, Strut, 2 Baton, & Freestyle. This past summer Gracie won the advance solo for her age at Nationals at Notre Dame University! Gracie is also a member of Team USA and will be representing the U.S. at the World Championships in Liverpool, England in August of 2023. Gracie has been a student at Carolina Superstars since the beginning of her baton & dance career. She is excited to share her passion & love for baton & dance to the next generation of students.
Kenzie Lee
Kenzie Lee is from Anderson, SC and is a student at TL Hanna. She has been taking classes from Carolina Superstars for 11 years. She is currently on the Senior Elite Competition Baton Team and the Senior Elite Competition Dance Team. She has been competitively twirling for several years and has won many titles including 2022 Intermediate Junior South Carolina Pageant Winner. She is currently 2023 Intermediate Miss US Twirling Open and 2023 Intermediate US All Around Champion. She has been assisting Ansley with classes for 2 years. She loves the knowledge she has gained from working alongside Ansley and especially loves mentoring the younger ones.