(301) 364-7943
Welcome to Studio Orange Baton and Dance
About Us
Founder & Director
Christie Puhalla
Christie Puhalla is the founder and director of Studio Orange Baton and Dance. With over 20 years of experience in baton and dance, Christie is passionate about sharing her love for the arts with others.
Instructors
Laney Puhalla
Co-Director
Laney is the co-director and is a recent graduate from the University of Tennessee earning her Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience. While at UT she was the feature twirler for 4 years. Laney is a Former Miss Majorette of America, Grand National Twirling Champion and a 13-time World Champion baton twirler who loves to share her passion of twirling. Laney previously had a youtube channel where she posted instructional videos to help others learn more skills in twirling. Laney has also danced competitively throughout her entire life, claiming national and regional titles along the way. She is so excited to have to opportunity to teach both baton and dance and share her love of the arts with others!
Makayla Farace
Instructor
Makayla is currently a Feature Twirler at Stevenson University. She helped create the program at Stevenson (a private university in Maryland). She twirled competitively for 17 years in which she won multiple State, Regional, and National titles individually and in team. She attended multiple World Championships including 2015 WFNBTA, 2019 Grand Prix, and 2022 WFNBTA. At the 2022 World Championships, she won a silver medal in Twirling Corps alongside her teammates. Aside from coaching baton, she is currently a Senior in college majoring in Elementary Education. She can’t wait to share her love and passion for the sport of baton twirling with the next generation of twirlers!
Mindy Thomas
Instructor
Mindy is a former UT Majorette with a distinguished career in baton twirling, with awards earned at state, regional, and national levels. She’s the founder and head coach of TriStar Twirl, a baton twirling academy that develops award-winning individual and team twirlers.
Mindy is lending her talent to Studio Orange as an Adjunct Instructor, where her mission is to foster the growth and enrichment of baton twirling in the East Tennessee region. She loves collaborating with other baton instructors to introduce diverse coaching perspectives to her students.
Kaylee Kennedy
Instructor
Kaylee is a former University of Tennessee Head Majorette, Miss Majorette of Tennessee, and Miss Twirl Mania, she also has claimed a multitude of State, Regional and National titles throughout the years. Aside from coaching baton, she graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelors in Health Education and Human Sciences with a contraction in Sports Management and a Business Minor. She currently works as the Territory Sales Manager for Ole Smokey Distillery here in East Tennessee. Kaylee shares that she is so excited to have the opportunity to work with the girls and continue to share her love for the sport of baton in a new setting.