Our Instructors

Julie Bierne, Director

JULIE BIERNE is a former professional ballerina and an experienced, patient, and passionate teacher of classical ballet. She believes in training her dancers in a demanding, structured, and nurturing environment. Julie was honored to assume ownership of CLASSICAL BALLET SCHOOL from her mentor, Kay Sandel, in 2015. In doing so, she found a passion for creating, choreographing, and designing full-scale, professional-quality ballets that CBS students perform for the greater OKC community each June. To date, Julie has produced six original ballets, Rapunzel, The Nightingale, Snow White & Rose Red, Raven Wing, The Princess and the Pea, Peter Pan, Thumbelina, and Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Julie is a Teacher Member of The Cecchetti Council of America and the Southwest Committee of the CCA and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from the University of Central Oklahoma. Additionally, she has studied abroad at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne, France.

At age 15, Julie was accepted into the Los Angeles Ballet summer intensive program. It was there, under the watchful eye of Russian ballerina, Irina Kosmovska, that her technique and artistry blossomed.  Julie has danced under such New York City Ballet greats as Edward Villella, John Clifford, Conrad Ludlow, Joy Feldman, Todd Bolender, Diana Adams, Bryan Pitts, and Laura Flagg-Pitts. As a former ballerina with Ballet Oklahoma (now Oklahoma City Ballet), she danced in productions of Carmen, Coppelia, Les Sylphides, Tangos, many Nutcrackers, and performed the “Peasant Pas de Deux” in Giselle.

Julie was 5 years old when her family returned to the United States from Venezuela. When asked what she wanted in her new home, Julie requested a canopy bed and ballet lessons…she received both!

Kristin Geddes

Kristin Geddes studied classical ballet at American Academy of Dance in Spring, Tx. for 10 years performing annually in The Nutcracker.  She received her Bachelors in Music Education from Baylor University, then traveled to Oklahoma soon after to attend Oklahoma City University.  Kristin studied Musical Theater there and received her Masters Degree.  After performing in many musicals throughout her college experience, she made the decision to teach locally as an Elementary Music teacher at Deer Creek Elementary School. 

Kristin married John Geddes and after their first child was born, Kristin decided to stay at home as a full-time mom.  Soon after, Kristin began her journey homeschooling her 4 children.  She has been teaching voice lessons, drama classes, and music classes at their local homeschool co-op for 10 years.

Lauren Terry

Lauren has studied dance since the age of 4. She has trained at Oklahoma Performing Arts, Classical Ballet School, and Academy of Ballet and Theatre Arts.

Lauren was accepted by audition and attended the summer intensive at Tulsa Ballet for four years. She also attended Summer Wind at the University of Oklahoma, as well as Kansas City Ballet and Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute for four years. In addition, she was accepted by audition to attend summer programs at The Alvin Ailey School, Long Beach School of Dance, Virginia School of the Arts and the Rock School. Lauren was also a member of the Edmond Memorial Pom squad all 4 years.

Lauren’s performance experience includes: "The Nutcräcker" with Tulsa Ballet for 4 seasons, with Oklahoma Festival Ballet (OU) for two seasons and with Lawton City Ballet. In 2003, Lauren also danced the role of the Fairy Godmother in the Academy of Ballet and Theatre Arts "Cinderella". In 2005, Lauren danced the role of Princess Aurora in ABTA's production of "The Sleeping Beauty". She has also performed in "A Chorus Line", "Coppelia", "Tom Grant" and "42nd Street".

Lauren has also competed at Dance Masters of America, Talent on Parade, Showcase USA, Dance Educators of America, Encore, Headliners, Dance Sensations, Showbiz, LA Dance Force and I Love Dance, winning many awards and titles.

She lives in Edmond with her two daughters, and son, and many fur babies!

Grace Wills

Grace Wills began studying ballet at age seven at Joy of Dance Studio in Vancouver, Washington, under Carrie Martin, where she was introduced to the Cecchetti method and passed her Grade I Cecchetti examination at eight years old.

She studied ballet here and there over the next 18 years at various studios until the birth of her daughter in 2015, at which time she became a full-time stay-at-home mom. In 2022, her then 6-year-old had developed a love for ballet and was in the studio multiple times per week, so Grace decided to return to ballet and was reacquainted with the Cecchetti method. Since then, she has performed in The Princess & the Pea, Peter Pan, Thumbelina, and The 12 Dancing Princesses.

In the summer of 2026, Grace began teaching Adult Beginner Ballet at Classical Ballet School. She is currently working toward her Cecchetti Grade I Teacher Certification and especially enjoys helping adult students discover—or rediscover—ballet in a welcoming and encouraging environment.

Outside the studio, Grace earned her accounting degree from Oklahoma Christian University and became a CPA in 2013. She now homeschools her two children with her husband, Tim, while also working part time in her own CPA practice.