The Hillsteads

Adison & Hailey Hillstead are a husband and wife dancing duo with combined teaching, competitive and performing experience of over 30 years and are both national champion dancers and former/current touring performers. They have performed around the world with the Clog America Folk Dance Ensemble based out of Salt Lake City and have toured all over the country as professional entertainers with Powerhouse Percussive Dance out of Southern California. Their most memorable dance moments were dancing for celebrity judges on season 8 of America’s Got Talent together, winning National MVP A Capella Duet together in 2021 and performing with their studio for Disney in 2016 and 2022. Although both Hailey and Adison pursued degrees in science (HAILEY- Geology with emphasis in Volcanology/Horticulture ADISON- EMT/Fire Science and fluent in ASL) they switched directions very quickly being drawn back to the thing they loved more than anything- DANCE. The Hillsteads each grew up competing at clogging competitions throughout the Western states and taking workshops and classes in other dance forms and now share a deep love of dance, teaching, performing and choreography for Ground Control Studio, the local

TFHS show choir, JIVE!, local community and school theatre groups

and for competitors from around the West Coast.

They have a 12 year old who loves ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and ballroom and a one year old who already owns little clogging shoes and is fast becoming enthralled with the dance world.

BOOK THE HILLSTEADS FOR PRIVATE LESSONS, CHOREOGRAPHY OR WORKSHOPS HERE

ADISON HILLSTEAD

Adison currently tours seasonally with Myrtle Beach based all-mens clogging team ALL THAT and is a performer for Disney Cruise Lines since 2016. Adison is a member of the America On Stage National Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Ring of Glory as well as the America On Stage Legacy Award. Adison was recently featured on season one episode two of Game of Talents on Fox with ALL THAT! Adison is the proud father to Lexi Lyn and Jett Hudson and enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends.

HAILEY HILLSTEAD

Hailey grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho and has been dancing since 1998 taking classes and workshops in Clogging, Irish Step Dancing, Tap, American Folkdance, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Ballroom in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon and has been a dance choreographer since the age of 16 producing routines for competitors, teams, pageant winners, musical theatre productions, soloists and workshops. While a Portland citizen, Hailey was a member of Portland, Oregon’s in.GAUGE Dance Company’s hip hop team until having to quit due to a dance injury (2013), she portrayed Marzipan Elf for the Portland Sugarplum Elves for four years, and started her own performance clogging group Eclectic Rhythm (2011-2013) consisting of her and three other dancers. Hailey was recently a featured choreographer from 2021-2023 for the America On Stage pro level show solo. She is excited to now be a permanent member of the America On Stage All Around Solo Committee with choreography featured and performed by hundreds of dancers on the America On Stage competition stage every year! Her first love is choreography and is often found pouring her heart into projects, routines and shows for her dancers. Hailey is the creative and productive brains behind all things at Ground Control Studio and is passionate about providing a safe and inclusive space for all dancers who walk through their studio doors. Hailey has been a guest judge for Mr. TFHS (2019) and Battle Royalé, a Twin Falls Drag Queen competition. She is also a thespian in her free time and has performed with several theaters in Oregon and Idaho; her favorite character she’s portrayed was Velma Kelly in Chicago the Musical for the Orpheum's Repertoire Theatre of Twin Falls. On top of running Ground Control Studio full time, Hailey is also a certified Floral Designer (Portland Floral Design Institute Graduate) and has a wedding floral business Desert Rose Floral Artistry. She also prides herself in her roles as step and mom to two incredible dance kids.

ACHIEVEMENTS

HAILEY & ADISON:

Season 8 America's Got Talent Celebrity Judge Audition (not aired)- 2012
Platinum Top Ten National Clogging Directors of the Year- 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Voted Best Dance Lesson Studio by the Times News Best of Bridal- 2019
Voted Best Family Fitness by the Times News Reader's Choice Awards- 2020
Modern Woodsmen of America Hometown Hero Award- 2020
National A Cappella MVP Duet Champions- 2021

ADISON:

Wyoming State Male Freestyle Champion- 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Clog America (SLC) USA Representative- 2002 - 2006
Co-Director/Team Choreographer of the High Country Cloggers (Evanston, WY)- 2003 - 2005
National Male Freestyle MVP Champion- 2005, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022
America On Stage National Hall of Fame Inductee- 2008
Powerhouse Percussive Dance Performer (Anaheim, CA)- 2011 - 2017
Clog Dancer for Eclectic Rhythm (Portland, OR)- 2012 - 2013
Idaho State Male Freestyle Champion- 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021
Performance/Competition Director/Instructor of Ground Control Studio- 2014 - Present
Clog Dancer for ALL THAT! (Myrtle Beach, NC)- 2016 - Present
America On Stage Ring of Glory Award- 2018
Performer On Season 1 of Game of Talents (Fox)- 2020
America On Stage Legacy Award- 2022

HAILEY:

Rocky Top Cloggers Dancer of the Year (Now HEART OF GROUND CONTROL AWARD)- 1998
Clog America (SLC) USA Representative- 2005 - 2009
Co-Director/Team Choreographer of the Rocky Top Cloggers (Twin Falls)- 2006-2009
National A Cappella MVP Champion- 2009
Powerhouse Percussive Dance Performer (Anaheim, CA)- 2009 - 2017
Artistic Director of Eclectic Rhythm (Portland, OR)- 2011 - 2013
Hip Hop Dancer for iN.GAUGE Dance Co. (Portland, OR)- 2013
Idaho State A Cappella Champion- 2009 & 2016
Owner/Artistic Director/Instructor of Ground Control Studio- 2014 - Present
Modern Woodsmen of America Hometown Hero Award- 2022
Official Member/Choreographer of the America On Stage Solo Committee- 2023 - Present

As life-long dancers and performers, we are thrilled to grow our studio and to help raise up our dancers to become successful young adults. WE TAKE OUR JOBS VERY SERIOUSLY and we value the life lessons dance teaches us. Our goal is to coach our dancers on proper dance technique and performance attitude from beginner to professional level and to help them fall in love with the arts. We encourage students to learn how to push themselves and sharpen their performance skills so they may gain the confidence they need to carry on their dance experiences at other institutions they may pursue after Ground Control Studio.

-Hailey and Adison Hillstead

DIRECTORS' MISSION STATEMENT

Contact

We are always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.

studiogroundcontrol@gmail.com

208-731-9092