About The Movement Center School of Dance 

Sue Parker is the managing director, founder, and co-owner of The Movement Center. She has taught all forms of dance, including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, tumbling, and baton. Sue studied ballet with Marie Ott and tap with Joel Ruminer. She later studied in New York with such greats as Henry LeTang, jazz master Luigi, Frank Hatchett, Phil Black, and Charles Godderitz. She also studied in Chicago with Gus Giodano. She has won numerous national choreography and high point awards over the years. Sue manages the studio and continues to offer guidance to her staff.

Nicole has studied dance for over 20 years across the country. She studied with and was assistant to tap great Debbie Dee. She also studied with Sam Fiorello, Steve Boyd, Bill Dericco, and Savion Glover. Nicole was a previous member of the Otterbein College Dance Faculty. Her extensive dance training and teaching experience includes choreography, competition, and performance work in all phases of dance with an emphasis on tap. She is a versatile choreographer and she and her students have won many, many awards and scholarships over the years. Nicole also recently began judging national and regional competitions. At The Movement Center she teaches tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop for our competitive company and is responsible for our competitive stretch and conditioning program.

Tessa is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatics Academy in New York City. In New York she studied voice with Don Lawrence and Scott Conner; and dance at both Steps and Broadway Dance Center. She has performed locally in the All-Ohio Thespian production of Chorus Line, EventCo’s production of American Rocks, and Columbus Children’s Theater production of Cabaret. She also performed at the Scotland Fringe Festival in Pippin. Tessa performed in New York in cabaret venues as well as regional productions of Crazy For You, Fame, and Baby. Each year, Miss Tessa’s students and groups place in the overall awards at competitions and consistently win choreography & entertainment awards for her work with our junior competition company.

Mallory started competition dance at the age of 5. She interned at Otterbein College with the dance program for 2 years in 2003-2004. She has also trained at Ballet Met here in Columbus, Ohio. When she graduated in 2004, she won a scholarship at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California. She has been trained by and worked with many of today’s finest, such as Tabitha and Napoleon, Brian Friedman, Sonya Tayeh, Phi Nguyen of Jabbawockeez, Tucker Barkley, Tovaris Wilson, Mandy Moore, Mark Meismer, Matt Cady, Scott Hislop, Greg Russell and the list goes on. She trained in all genres of dance such as Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, etc. After finishing the program, she signed with Clear Talent Group. She was a dancer in the “Queen Bees Vamp the Lounge” burlesque show on the Queen Mary in Long Beach for 6 months. She was a dancer in Britney Murphy and Paul Oakenfold’s music video, “Faster Kill Pussy Cat.” She also toured with Hollywood Vibe Dance Company for 2 ½ years as an assistant teacher to many choreographers/ teachers. Also, while in LA, Mallory did a few independent films, and many shows on stage. She was a dance instructor/choreographer at Wilson High School, USC and a few local studios in the LA area. Mallory moved back to Ohio in 2009 and has been teaching with us ever since.

Jessica Umbleby began dancing at The Movement Center at three years of age. When she was seven she joined the competition company until turning eighteen. Jessica was accepted in and attended Eastland Career Center’s Performing Arts Program, majoring in the dance program. Currently she is attending Columbus State Community College for Dental Hygiene along with teaching at The Movement Center. Jess has been teaching mini, junior, teen, and adult classes at the center since graduating in 2006. She teaches everything from ballet and tap to jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical. She has and continues to take master classes with many well-known teachers and choreographers from the east and west coast such as Greg Russell, Ryan Lohoff, and Barry Youngblood. Jessica loves working with children and looks forward to many years of being part of the TMC family.