Michelle Coomer

Owner, Director & Instructor

MICHELLE COOMER was born in Southern California. She started dancing at the age of 3. She trained in jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and gymnastics. She enjoyed performing and competing in many dance competitions. In 1998, she won the title of Junior Miss Dance of Southern California at the Dance Masters of American Competition for her classical ballet technique. Soon after, she attended the summer programs of The School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and The Houston Ballet Academy.

At the age of sixteen, Michelle was asked to join the Houston Ballet Academy’s prestigious year-round training program on full scholarship and stipend. During that time, Michelle represented the Houston Ballet Academy in The USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. There she was a finalist and received the Heinz-Bosl Foundation Scholarship award.

In 2002, Michelle joined the Houston Ballet. In 2007, she was promoted to Demi-Soloist. After 9 years of dancing with the Houston Ballet, Michelle retired to focus on starting her family. She and her husband, former Houston Ballet first soloist and Ballet Master, Christopher Coomer, have 3 beautiful children. She has taught around the Pearland and Houston Area for the past several years. Michelle is thrilled to be able to share her knowledge and love for dance with dancers in the area.

Kelly Robles

Business Manager & Owner

Bio Coming Soon

Christopher Coomer

Owner & Instructor

CHRISTOPHER COOMER was born in Birkenhead, England, and received his training at Wallasey School of Ballet and Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy. He joined Houston Ballet in 2004 and was promoted to first-soloist in October of 2018. After 18 years dancing with Houston Ballet, Chris retired.

Chris is currently a Pre-Professional instructor at Houston Ballet Academy.

Chris and his wife, Michelle Coomer, have 3 children. He is excited to share his love and knowledge with his students.

Steven Carmona

Elite Competition Director & Instructor

I’m Steven! I began my dance training at the age of five. I trained in all genres, but my passion for Jazz, Tap & Ballet stand out among all others. In addition to 10 years of competing at several dance competitions per season, I was also a member of Ballet Jetè Pre-Professional Ballet Company under the direction of Milena Leben where i performed at The Houston Hobby Center and Wortham Theater for Dance Houston Contemporary Dance Festivals, landed several leading roles in various full length ballets such as Don Quixote and The Nutcracker, learned multiple contemporary pieces and ballet variations for the companies annual mixed repertoire production “Enchanted Evening”, and competed in the ‘Youth America Grand Prix’ ballet competition. 

In addition, I was also a member of TNT Tap Company performing in the Space City Tap Festival’s Showcase alongside renowned tap dancers including Jason Samuel Smith, Chloe Arnold, Acia Gray, and Derek Grant.

I began choreographing at the age of 14 when I was given the privilege to choreograph solos, duets, and group dances in various styles of dance for several studio and drill team dancers. Specializing in Contemporary, Jazz, and Tap.

I worked with multiple studios around the Houston area before finding my home away from home at Coomer Ballet! I started out as one of the OG instructors when the studio first opened, only teaching a couple of nights a week, and have since found many incredible opportunities as time has gone on. I currently serve as the ELITE Company director. This has allowed me to train dancers, especially to succeed in the competitive dance arena and increase my knowledge for dance education and choreography.

Though the Competition Team is my main focus, I am very grateful to have a hand in all studio projects including stage managing, social media, adding special touches to costumes for Competition and The Nutcracker, technical aspects of each of our shows, and most recently taking on our brand new summer camps and workshops!

I am happy to be on year 6 with Coomer Ballet, and hope to continue educating the dancers at the studio, as well as around the Houston area!

Aimee Kilgore

Pre-Professional Director, Adaptive Program Director, & Instructor

Aimee Kilgore (she/her), Pre-Professional Division Director, is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer currently based in Houston, TX. She grew up in the Houston area training under Sharon Teague and Lauren Anderson, performing lead roles such as the Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker, Odette (Swan Lake), Paquita from Petipa’s Paquita, the Sylphide (La Sylphide), and many more. She supplemented her classical ballet training at HSPVA under Janie Carothers and Courtney D. Jones, where she graduated as dance major. Aimee spent summers studying at prestigious schools such as Ballet West, LINES, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, SALT, and Batsheva Dance Company. She went on to graduate summa cum laude from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program in San Francisco in 2021, where she had the opportunity to perform around the Bay Area in residencies and with choreographers such as FLOCK, Maurya Kerr, Liv Schaffer, Dexandro Montalvo, and more. Since moving back to Houston, Aimee has been a teaching artist with Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement program since 2022, where she travels to various schools and hospitals teaching adapted dance to students with Autism, Down Syndrome, and children diagnosed with cancer. Outside of dancing and choreographing, Aimee is working towards her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy. Aimee is elated to have the privilege to share her knowledge with a broad range of dancers and movers. 

Rachel Van Buskirk

Instructor

Rachel Van Buskirk is a celebrated dancer, choreographer, educator, and co-founder of Atlanta’s Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. She began her dance training with the Royal Academy of Dance, earning her Advanced R.A.D. certification, and continued her studies under Li Yaming of Coastal City Ballet. Rachel danced professionally with Atlanta Ballet for 13 years, performing in featured roles across a wide range of classical and contemporary works by renowned choreographers. Highlights include North American premieres of David Bintley’s Carmina Burana as the principal lead “Fortuna”, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, and the world premiere of Lauri Stallings’s big with Big Boi from Outkast. Her favorite roles include "Lucy" in Micheal Pink’s Dracula, “Autumn” in James Kedulka’s Four Seasons, and the duet in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16. Other featured works include Ohad Naharin’s Secus, Alexei Ratmanksy’s Seven Sonatas, Alex Eckman’s Cacti, and Christopher Wheeldhon’s Rush.

Rachel has been recognized for her artistry and leadership, appearing on the cover of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” named to ArtsATL’s “30 Under 30,” and honored with a Nonprofit Leadership Award. As co-founder of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre and Terminus Ballet School, she has expanded her role as a choreographer & creative director with works like Secrets, Peter & the Wolf, The Nutcracker Suite, and The Wave Breaks, which was awarded Regional Dance America’s National Choreography Award in May 2025. Rachel is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and she is completing her bachelor’s degree in Management at Georgia State University with a 4.04 GPA, expected to graduate in Fall 2025. In addition to her artistic and academic work, Rachel is also embracing her newest and most rewarding role—motherhood.

Jeremy Carmona

Instructor

JEREMY CARMONA began dancing at Kennedy Dance Theatre at the age of five. He has studied many genres including Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Contemporary. He participated in the Space City Tap Fest with World-renowned choreographers Jason Samuel Smith, Chloe and Maude Arnold, Derek Grant and Acia Gray. Jeremy also danced with Kennedy Dance Theatre’s Ballet Jete Pre-Professional Company under the direction of Ms. Milena Leban. He was a member of Ballet Jete for six years and competed in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in Dallas and Houston. He performed at The Houston Hobby Center and Wortham Theater. Jeremy had lead roles in The Nutcracker Ballet and many Tap productions.

Jennifer Godinez

Instructor

Bio coming soon…

Laura Hilley

Instructor

LAURA CATHERINE HILLEY began training at Mobile Ballet at age three. As her passion for the art grew and her performance opportunities increased—under the artistic direction of Winthrop Corey—she became singularly focused on dance.

After multiple summer intensives in New York City, first with American Ballet Theatre and then with The School of American Ballet, Ms. Hilley relocated to Houston to train full-time with Houston Ballet Academy on merit scholarship. While there, she had numerous opportunities to perform works by Stanton Welch and Ben Stevenson O.B.E. with Houston Ballet.

Ms. Hilley then became a member of Cincinnati Ballet, where she worked with choreographer Adam Hougland and toured with the company to The Kennedy Center. Some of her favorite reps include Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, and Septime Webre’s Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

With her love of teaching and performing, she is sought as a guest performer and master instructor throughout the Houston community and region.

Khila Lyons

Instructor

KHILA LYONS was born and raised in the Houston area, and now lives in Pearland, Texas. She fell in love with dance at an early age and started training briefly before joining the Pearland High School Prancers in 2016 as a freshman. Fast forward to junior and senior year, she was a part of the military officer line as a Junior Lieutenant and during her senior year she was Co-Colonel with Laci Cannon. After high school, she chose to continue dancing at Stephen F. Austin State University as a member of the SFA Dance Team and was offered an amazing position at Ascension Dance Co. as a part of their Dance Staff. After two years with SFADT and a National Championship later, she decided to end her competitive dance career and started to do more choreography and technique lessons to high school dance teams and students of all ages around the Houston area.