Meet The NHPA II Staff!
Dawn Dippel (co-owner) has been dancing most of her life and is co-owner of NHPA & NHPA II, co-Director and founding member of Revolve Dance Company, and a former member of the Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre. She grew up in the Houston area, graduated from Houston’s High School for the Performing & Visual Arts Dance Department, and since then continues to train in and outside of Houston. Dawn’s choreographic works for Revolve Dance Company have been showcased at many of Houston’s various local performance events including Dance Houston, Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Triple Focus, Choreographers X 6, Dance of Asian America, and Revolve On Camera. In the 2008 issue of Dance Magazine she was named as one of "25 to Watch" for up and coming artists across the country and was also named one of Houston's 100 creatives by the Houston Press. In 2014, "Revolve On Camera" premiered at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and won the audience choice award at the Dance Camera West festival in California.
Currently Dawn is teaching at NHPA II, Ad Deum II and Houston Ballet Academy. She has spent many years working beside many talented and professional artists who have been an influence and inspiration in her journey of this art!
Currently Dawn is teaching at NHPA II, Ad Deum II and Houston Ballet Academy. She has spent many years working beside many talented and professional artists who have been an influence and inspiration in her journey of this art!
Matt Dippel (co-owner) was born in Houston, Texas and began his dance training at North Harris Performing Arts at the age of 7. Matt has over 15 years of training and exploring in the arts, and is the seventh member to enter into co-ownership of NHPA™ dance studio. He has worked with such instructors/choreographers as Wes Veldink from The Wes Veldink Movement; Barbara Bears, Naomi Glass, Damian Schwiethale, and Fred Strobel of Houston Ballet; Randall Flinn of Ad Deum Dance Company; numerous other teachers from New York and L.A., and has performed onstage with the Latin percussion group Mayan Kingz from Las Vegas. In 2002 Matt performed in the Magic Company at the performing Arts Center in L.A. and was offered representation by the Dorothy Day Otis Talent Agency. He has performed as a guest artist with Amy Ell's Vault, Ad Deum Dance Company, Dance Houston, and in Dominic Walsh Dance Theater's "Made In Italy", "Sleeping Beauty", and in the PBS documentary "The Last 24". Currently Matt is working as a teacher & choreographer at NHPA II and offers instruction in Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, and Leaps & Turns.
Jane Thayer (co-owner) is also co-director of the NHPA™ II Dance Company and a member of Revolve Dance Company. She was born in Joliet, Illinois and grew up in Spring, TX where she began her dance training at NHPA™ in 1995 under the instruction of Amy Cain, Dawn Dippel, and Ken McCulloch. Jane has also had the opportunity to work with other choreographers/teachers in the Houston area such as: Fred Strobel, Barbara Bears, Naomi Glass, Damian Schwiethale, and Clara Cravey of Houston Ballet, and Randall Flinn of Ad Deum Dance Company. Other notable instruction has come from Wes Veldink, Jason Parsons, Natsuo, Malaya, Mandy Moore, and Ryan Heffington (from New York and L.A.), and Yung Woo of Korea. She has performed in Revolve Dance Company's concerts since their premiere in 2005, as well as in Ad Deum Dance Company's "Mystery and Miracle" in 2007, Dance Houston, Choreographers X6, DAA's East Meets West, and the "Revolve On Camera" premiere at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in 2014. Jane has her degree in Theatrical Costume Design which has provided her with opportunities of seamstress work for iMEE, and to work with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater as a seamstress and Wardrobe mistress for several productions. She has also been the resident costume designer and seamstress for the NHPA™ and NHPA™ II Dance Companies and Revolve Dance Company since 2005.