ABOUT US

Studio Owner and Artistic Director

Alexa Axthelm McNally began her dance training at the early age of three and has built a lifelong passion for helping others discover the joy of movement. Her dance career has included extensive experience in both studio and competitive settings, as well as on dance teams at a variety of levels. Growing up in North Carolina, Alexa had the opportunity to compete at national competitions across the East Coast with two studios that helped shape her as both a dancer and an educator.

At the heart of Alexa’s work is her dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive studio environment where every student can thrive. She has been instrumental in growing studio programs to ensure dance is accessible for all students—fostering confidence, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the arts. Alexa believes in the power of dance to build community and self-expression, and she strives to make those values central to every class, rehearsal, and performance she leads.

Alexa has trained in a wide range of styles—including ballet, contemporary, modern, lyrical, musical theatre, hip hop, and jazz—through classes, conventions, and workshops with a variety of teachers, giving her a broad and well-rounded perspective as both a performer and instructor.

In addition to her work in the studio, Alexa is an accomplished visual artist. She has worked professionally as a scenic artist for the past eight years, bringing her creativity and technical expertise to theatre productions and visual design. She currently serves as the lead scenic artist with The Lincoln Community Playhouse and recently worked as the choreographer for Concordia University Nebraska’s production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.

Alexa holds a BFA in Theatre Design with a focus in Scenic Painting from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Beyond her artistic endeavors, she is dedicated to giving back to her community as a Teammates Mentor in Seward, supporting and encouraging young people to reach their full potential.

A creative spirit at heart, Alexa finds fulfillment in helping young artists grow—not only as dancers, but as confident, expressive individuals with a lifelong love for the arts.

Lead Instructor

Celia Siebert began dancing at age 3 under the instruction of Pauline von Thaden of the Royal Academy of Dance. She was a member of Greentree Children’s Ballet Company in Northern California for 13 years and studied tap, jazz, hip hop, swing, modern and musical theatre. Celia also participated in choir in high school; earning a music theory award and a vocal honor from the California Musical Educators Association. She attended Cal State Sacramento as a dance major before moving to Southern California to pursue dancing further; ultimately working professionally with choreographer’s agencies and dancing in the daily parades at Disneyland. Upon returning to Sacramento she became a member of S/BAD (Sacramento/Black Art of Dance), an African Modern company with a heavy emphasis on the Katherine Dunham school of technique. Over the years Celia has been a teacher, a performer and a life long lover of dance! She is very excited and thankful for the opportunity to join William Henry School of the Arts!

Lead Instructor

Editor of WHSOTA Newsletter

Peyton Davis-Schmit has been dancing since she was four years old after telling her mom “I want to be a dance teacher when I grow up.” She was a founding member of Nebraska Contemporary Dance Theater, a pre-professional dance company, at her home studio in Lincoln. Through NCDT, she was also a part of Regional Dance America MidStates. She has trained in many dance styles including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, pointe, and hip hop. In May of 2023, Peyton graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a Minor in Gender Studies. She is now a Certified Social Worker in the state of Nebraska. Peyton will continue her education this fall at Nebraska Wesleyan’s trauma-conscious Master of Social Work Program. She places an emphasis on creating a safe and inclusive environment for your dancers to explore the art of dance. In addition to school and work, Peyton spends most of her time with her best four-legged friend, Luna.

Lead Instructor

Music Coordinator

Co-Costume Shop Manager

Ella Davis-Schmit began dancing at the age of two and danced at her home studio in Lincoln for 16 years. She was a founding member of Nebraska Contemporary Dance Theatre, a pre-professional dance company, training in a plethora of styles including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, modern, and hip hop. She also got the opportunity to be a member of Regional Dance America MidStates where she gained knowledge from many experts in the dance industry. In 2020, she received the Nebraska Young Artist Award for dance. Currently, she is starting her third year at William Henry School of the Arts. She is teaching students of all ages fostering creativity and joy in the classroom. She cannot wait to create art with your dancers and help them showcase who they are. Ella is a junior at Bryan College of Health Sciences earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and works as a Patient Care Technician at Bryan Hospitals gaining hands-on experience.

Lead Instructor

Haleigh FitzNelson started dancing at the age of 3! When she was young, a doctor recommended ballet to her parents in order to correct her posture and pigeon toe walk. Ever since then, she fell in love with the world of dance and all that it has to offer.

She is trained in ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, and contemporary. She danced with her studio’s traveling company for five years and danced around the world. From Disney Land to the professional stages in Branson, Missouri, her dancing career has taken her across the county.

In high school she joined her competitive team where she received state championship and All-American titles. After high school she was recruited to the Concordia University, Nebraska Bulldog dance team. During her four years she served as a captain and watched the dance program grow and flourish.

Outside of dance, Haleigh earned her bachelors and masters in English Literature and currently works for United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County in their finance department.

A fun fact about Haleigh is that she just got married! Haleigh tied the knot with the love of her life on November 8th, and is excited for this new journey.

As Haleigh continues her first year at WHSOTA she is loving the community, love, and excitement with all of her dancers. She is excited to continue watching her dancers learn and grow and can’t wait for what is to come!

Lead Instructor