Abby Props has been teaching dance for almost 25 years.  She joined the Lafayette Area Gymnastics Club in the summer of 2012.  She started dancing at the age of 3 at the YWCA in Lafayette, where she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap.  While at the University of Indianapolis, she joined their dance team and competed at the NDA nationals her senior year.  She started taking classes and then teaching at Dancedreams School for Performing Arts in Indianapolis, where she entered the competitive world of dance for the first time.  She believes all students should have the opportunity to dance and compete, and sees competitions as an opportunity to learn and grow as a dancer and individual, not just getting an award.  While in Indianapolis, she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and modern and taught ballet, tap, lyrical, and jazz. Abby has been teaching dance classes for The Arts Federation’s After School Arts Program since the start of the program.

She believes dance is for everybody and every body.  She is a certified Rhythm Works Integrative Dance Instructor.  Her favorite thing is to watch the excitement on the face of students when they get a new step for the first time. 

She has her MS in Forensic Entomology and currently works at the Animal Disease Diagnostics Laboratory in the Pathology Section at Purdue.  When she is not working or teaching, she loves spending time with her three college age children.