More Than Technique
Dance builds skills that outlast the studio.
Confidence That Carries
We're not just teaching steps. Our dancers learn to walk into a room, hold their posture, perform in front of an audience, and believe in what they've prepared. That confidence follows them into school, sports, and everything after.
Strong Values, Always
Turning Pointe is built on character. Respect for instructors and fellow dancers, discipline in the studio, encouragement over competition — these aren't extras, they're the foundation of how we teach.
Lifelong Friendships
The studio becomes a second home. Dancers grow up together here — rehearsing, performing, and cheering each other on. Many of our families stay with us for years, and the friendships last much longer than that.
Meet Our Team
The instructors and staff who make Turning Pointe feel like a second home.
Nancy Galante
Founder & Instructor
Nancy brings more than 40 years of dance training and over 30 years of teaching to every class she leads. A native New Yorker, she trained at the Joffrey Ballet School and Harkness Ballet as well as with several modern dance companies, and danced the role of Clara in The Nutcracker with the New Jersey Dance Theatre. She teaches ballet in the Vaganova method and has directed full-length productions of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Coppélia. Her focus never wavers: technical excellence, delivered with the patience to help each dancer reach their full potential.
Jill Guenther
Instructor
Jill has taught dance for over 40 years and has loved it for a lifetime. She began her professional training in Buffalo, New York, under Kathleen Crofton and performed with the Buffalo Ballet, including appearances alongside the Bolshoi Ballet during its New York State tour. After moving to Florida, she continued her studies with Florida Ballet Arts under a range of distinguished instructors, performing classical ballet, contemporary, and modern works. A certified instructor through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in London, Jill builds classrooms where dancers grow technically and artistically, and feel supported the whole way.
Erin Hernandez
Instructor & Social Media Manager
Erin started dancing before she turned three and has been at it for more than 30 years since. She began competing at seven with Dance Theater Academy in ballet, jazz, lyrical, and tap, then danced with the Fort Myers High School Dance Team — performing with the marching band, marching in the Edison Festival of Light Parade, and competing in the Florida Band Assessment. With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, she brings a real understanding of how young dancers learn and grow into the studio. Erin also runs Turning Pointe's social media and community outreach, keeping families connected to everything happening here.
Jessica Skipper
Instructor
Jessica is a New York–trained dancer and instructor at home in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, acro-jazz, and musical theater. Her performing background pairs strong technique with genuine artistry, and she teaches with an emphasis on discipline and education. She has appeared in showcases, theatrical productions, community events, and conventions throughout her career, and continues to grow as both performer and choreographer. In her classes, dancers learn to move well — and to move like themselves.
Pamela Coyne
Manager
Pamela has spent much of her life in the performing arts, with roots in dance, theater, and costume design. She studied dance at Ballet Arts Studio in Fort Myers and, through Cypress Lake Middle and High School, competed in forensic speech tournaments and performed across the drama program — spending her senior year at a theater school in Sweden. In college she performed with the Erskine Players, earned induction into Alpha Psi Omega, the national theater honor society, and received an Erskine Award for excellence in costume design. For three decades she has brought that costuming expertise to dance studios across Fort Myers.
Bethany Spurlock
Substitute Instructor
Bethany has danced most of her life and started right here at Turning Pointe in the sixth grade. She carried that passion to the University of South Florida, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Dance in 2022. While in Tampa she performed with Relevétions, a company dedicated to raising awareness and support for women affected by incarceration, exploitation, and other hardships. Returning to Turning Pointe as a substitute instructor, she loves passing her love of dance on to the next generation of dancers.
Her First Pair of Pointe Shoes
Every ballet dancer remembers the day. Years of ballet class, strengthening, and technique work — and then, finally, the fitting. At Turning Pointe, pointe is earned, never rushed. Our instructors evaluate each dancer's strength, alignment, and technical readiness before approving them, because doing it right protects both their bodies and their love for the art. When a Turning Pointe dancer rises onto pointe for the first time, she's ready — and she knows it.
Where to Get Your Dress Code Essentials
We encourage our students to shop at The Dancing Shoe for all dress code necessities — shoes, leotards, tights, and everything else your dancer needs. As a Turning Pointe student, you'll be offered a discount.
Visit The Dancing Shoe →Come See the Studio
We'd love to show you around. Come watch a class, meet our instructors, and see whether Turning Pointe feels like the right home for your dancer. No appointment needed — but a quick call ahead helps us make sure someone's available to give you a proper welcome.
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