Artistic Staff
Rachel Prescott
artistic director
Native Destin, Florida local, Rachel Prescott, received her early classical ballet training with Mrs. Bernadette Clements Sims, founder of our notable Northwest Florida Ballet. Rachel moved up the ranks to become an esteemed company member under Ballet Mistress Mrs. Dorothy Daniels Lister, former company member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and head of the Children’s Department at the Robert Joffrey Ballet Company’s official school for 25 years.
She has performed a large variety of roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Giselle, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Scheherazade, La Bayadere and Cinderella among many other classical and contemporary works locally with NFB and Northwest Florida State College, and beyond.
An extensive and notable modeling career with Elite Model Management moved her from her hometown to New York City and Los Angeles, where she continued her dance training with Steps on Broadway, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Westside School of Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Throughout her career, Rachel was cast as a dancer in several music videos, SAG/AFTRA national television commercials and network live awards shows.
In 2015, Rachel returned to the Emerald Coast of her youth with her husband and young daughter. In late 2020, studio6twenty5 was born as a small, private, boutique ballet studio in the heart of Destin.
Teaching a wide range of classes and workshops at both local studios and schools within a variety of programs, has given Rachel the opportunity to instruct students of all ages and backgrounds in the local community. She has staged, arranged and choreographed full-length productions, including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Scheherazade, Coppélia, and Alice in Wonderland.
Rachel directs the Children’s Program and the Adult/Teen Division. She is an AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® Certified Teacher. She holds this prestigious certification in levels Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Shaye Smith
assistant director
Shaye Smith began her classical ballet training at just 2 years old with Birmingham Ballet Academy, where she continued training throughout her childhood and teenage years. She has performed classical roles with Moscow Ballet, Washington Ballet and Alabama Ballet, as well as in The Nutcracker on Broadway in New York City.
Her performance repertoire includes Coppelia, Swan Lake, Hansel and Gretel and many more.
Additionally, Shaye also competed at a state and national level with her high school dance team, and went on to work for - and judge for - the prestigious Universal Dance Association.
Through the opportunities with UDA, she performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and at Halftime of The Cotton Bowl.
Shaye attended Auburn University and studied modern, ballet, choreography, dance history and rhythm tap with the dance program. She performed in many dAUnce productions as part of the Dance Program under the Auburn University Theatre Department.
A longtime educator, Shaye began teaching ballet in college and has been teaching ballet, lyrical and jazz styles for over 10 years. She has been an official judge at both local and regional level dance competitions, as well as dance team auditions.
Shaye currently serves on the artistic staff as Assistant Director at studio6twenty5, as well as the Pre-Professional TEAM Director and choreographer for the 2024-2025 season.
Morgan Furgeson
teaching artist
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Morgan fell in love with dance at the young age of three years old. She spent most of her formative years under the instruction of Peggy Wingate and Mary Franklin at the School of Goldsboro Ballet. She performed with their civic ballet company in various full length productions including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Our Town, and more. She furthered her education at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in their Contemporary collegiate program. Under the instruction of Brenda Daniels, Sean Sullivan, Ming Lung Yang and more, she grew as an artist.
After, she spent continued performing with various organizations within her hometown community. After marrying her husband, she travelled all over finding performance opportunities where ever she went. She has performed with the Citadel Cirque Troupe during her time in New Mexico, and with studio6twenty5 during their 2023-2024 season. Throughout her time dancing, she found a passion for teaching the next generation of young artists. She is thrilled to be working alongside the other staff at studio6twenty5 to bring the magic of the stage to our community.
Shelby Valk
teaching artist
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Shelby began her dance training in 2006 in Orlando under the training of Irina Depler and Katerina Fedotova, and choreography of Vadim Fedotov. After her move to the panhandle area she continued with ballet from Patsy Graydon Hill and expanded with modern styles with A Time To Dance. In 2016 she began her teaching training as an assistant teacher, and by 2018 she was teaching independently. During this time she was fortunate enough to receive ballet lessons from the great Dorothy Daniels Lister.
As Shelby entered adulthood, she began taking ballroom lessons. With her ballet background, she was quickly recruited to assist as a consultant by the other teachers to help their students find fluidity in their movements. While she continues to love ballroom, post-Covid she transitioned to teaching specifically wedding dance lessons. That was until a student of studio6twenty5 recommended Shelby to audition for S625’s production of Alice in Wonderland in 2024. Shelby has since rekindled her love for ballet and is excited for the opportunity to work at such an incredible and unique ballet studio.