Director - Shelby Westover
Shelby Westover comes to Atascocita High School from Kingwood, Texas, and has 20+ years of extensive dance training and performing. She is excited and honored to begin working with the Atascocita Patriettes and the entire dance program!
Ms. Westover is a graduate of Kingwood HS and where she was a 4-year member of the Award-Winning Fillies Dance Team serving as Captain and Lt. Colonel. After high school, Miss Westover continued her dance career as a member of the 74th Line of the World-Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes, where she was also chosen as a Rangerette Swingster, and was a member of the Kilgore Dance Department. As a Rangerette, she had the opportunity to travel and the privilege to perform at multiple prestigious events across the U.S. and Internationally, that included The Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, Edinburgh University in Scotland, the Annual Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas, Opening Ceremony of the State Fair of Texas, Texas Medal of Arts Society in Austin, Texas, etc. Miss Westover graduated from Kilgore with her Associates Degree in Fine Arts with honors, spent a year at SHSU where she was a member of the Orange Pride Dance Team, then transferred to Stephen F. Austin, where she graduated with her B.S. in Dance and Secondary Education and Minor in Fitness & Human Performance. While at SFA, she was an active member of the Dancers Against Cancer organization. Shelby also served as an All-State Collegiate Assistant at the Texas Dance Educator’s Association Convention for multiple years. Miss Westover recently earned her Masters in Educational Leadership, with a Concentration in Athletic Director
Professionally, Ms. Westover was the JV Director for the Travis Belles and former Asst. Director for the Clear Falls Emeralds for 3 years. Shelby is in her 7th year as an instructor/adjudicator for American Dance and Drill Team. Her dance training began at age 3 and continues to this day. She continues to attend dance conventions and master classes, and believes it is important to continue to learn and train and remain fresh in her own movement and ideas.
Miss Westover is proud and excited to return to Humble ISD and begin her teaching career at Atascocita HS and working with the Patriettes and all of her dance students. Her mission for her students is for each to reach their highest potential as a student, teammate, and dancer and to develop a strong work ethic and the self-discipline they will carry with them into their future. Dancing teaches not only skills and technique, but the dedication and drive it takes to achieve goals and dreams. Shelby loves being part of a dance “family” and wants to inspire her students to strive to be the best they can be, not be held back by their fears, and to encourage them to enjoy it above all else.
She is thrilled to be the PATRIETTE Director and share her love of dance!
Assistant Director - Cassie Starks
Cassie Starks discovered a love for dance at the age of four. She has trained in multiple dance genres and danced locally at Profusion Performing Arts in Atascocita, Tx where she enjoyed dancing competitively for a number of years. Mrs. Starks was also a proud member of the Atascocita High School Patriettes for four years where she served as Jr. Lieutenant and as Captain her senior year. After high school, Mrs. Starks was hand-selected to train with Universal Dance Association where, as a member of the UDA staff, she worked with high school dance teams across Texas, providing quality educational dance training with additional emphasis on motivation, inspiration, and energizing of the entire team. Mrs. Starks attended Stephen F. Austin State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Education and a minor in General Business. During her time at SFA, she was invited to be a member of the Repertory Dance Company which afforded comprehensive training in a diverse repertoire of dance styles and forms, as well as additional opportunities for growth through numerous professional guest artist choreographic works, master classes, and regularly held workshops. Throughout her time as a member of the Company, she enjoyed a multitude of performance opportunities, in addition to annual departmental concerts.
Mrs. Starks is excited to be back at AHS having the ability to pass on her knowledge, experience, and love of dance to AHS students. This is her ninth year teaching dance and her fourth year teaching in a public school setting.
