ABOUT | TippyToe DanceStudio

Jette Rainwater

Instructor

Advanced Contemporary

Averie Allen

Instructor

Contemporary

Kim Petesky

Office Manager

Our Mission

At Tippy Toe Dance Studio, we strive to instill the love of dance in each student by providing quality instruction in an inclusive environment. By actively giving back to our local and global community, we cultivate a culture of responsibility within our staff and students.

Our studio produces original and thought-provoking performances that inspire dancers to use their creative abilities as a positive influence on the world.

At Tippy Toe, we turn dancers into artists.

Our History

In 2009, ballet dancer Rebecca Swisher set out to do something different while taking a hiatus from her lifetime of classical training. A fresh mind allowed her to discover an unexplored passion in theater choreography, eagerly seeking new artistic freedoms and styles of movement. Quickly she began to define herself as a choreographer with a unique method in the community. As Swisher developed as an artist, she soon had an opportunity to fall back in love with classical ballet when friends and family asked her to teach their children private classes. Within a year, these small lessons in her living room expanded into a formal studio, requiring it’s own space and name. Tippy Toe Dance Studio’s methods blend disciplined ballet training with the profound storytelling musical theater offers.

As each new student joined, Tippy Toe became a studio experience without equal. More than just the uncommon approach to instruction or the creative freedom Swisher provided, the belief that anyone could and should be welcomed to dance rings through to each student. It allows the dancers to feel vulnerable, respected, and safe as they create performances that blow audiences out of the water.

Tippy Toe’s encouraging and inclusive family extends to the entirety of their community. Swisher started regular studio-wide outreach to organizations and programs in Salem that are helping make a difference. The Tippy Toe dancers spend their non-class time working with the KGW Toy Drive, One Billion Rising, Awesome 3000, TEDxSalem, the Center for Hope and Safety, and many more! The studio also prides itself on providing scholarships for over one-third of their dancers and have an unspoken policy to never turn a child away from doing what they love, simply due to financial barriers.