Artistic Director
Molly Koon Quist

Having grown up as a solosit for the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet, Mrs. Quist is now in her 20th season as ORCBA's Artistic Director. She studied under many talented teachers and directors, including Anna Marie Holmes, David Holmes, Suzanne Skeel, Steve McBride, Leslie Swazee, Cristian Addams, Jill Hollingsworth, Bruce Alan Ewing, Bill Martin-Viscount, and Southwest Ballet Center. Mrs. Quist holds a B.A. from the University of South Alabama (where she attended on scholarship), and a M.S. from the University of Tennessee. She was a dancer on the University of South Alabama Dance Team. Mrs. Quist is the owner and director of The Dance Centre of Knoxville and Oak Ridge. Her dancers have received many awards over the years in both regional and national competitions. Mrs. Quist resides in Knoxville with her husband, Knoxville attorney Brian Quist, and their three children (Katrina, Andy, and Alex). 

Assistant Artistic Director 
​Sharon Nicklow-Cousins

Mrs. Cousins trained with Anna Marie and David Holmes, Bill Martin-Viscount, Southwest Ballet Centre, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Tennessee, Eda Krasova, and in Italy. She danced professionally wtih the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, and performed as a solosit with ORCBA and the Tennessee Festival Ballet, dancing lead roles in La Fille Mal Gardee, Cinderella, Paquita, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Fire Bird, Aurora's Wedding, and Giselle. Mrs. Cousins is married to Hal cousins and has two children, Andrew and Elizabeth. She has a BSN in Nursing from the University of Tennessee, and has previously worked in Neonatal Intensive Care at the UT Medical Center. She currently enjoys working as the clinic nurse at Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge. 

Assistant to the Directors 
​Sarah Jett

​Sarah Jett is currently a 2nd year graduate student at Northeastern University in the distance program focusing on nutrition and fitness while working as a physical therapy technician at MaxPotential Rehabilitation. Sarah is in the Senior Company at The Dance Centre where she has studied under the direction of Molly Quist for 19 years focusing on ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, contemporary, and hip hop. She is beginning her 8th year as an instructor for The Dance Centre as well as her 4th year as the competition choreographer and coordinator. She also has participated in ORCBA productions for the past 12 years dancing a variety of roles such as ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ and ‘Clara’ in The Nutcracker, ‘Aurora’ in Sleeping Beauty, ‘Firebird’ in The Firebird, and ‘Giselle’ in Giselle. She also had the opportunity to direct and choreograph ‘A Tribute To Frozen’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, and ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ in The Tales of Hans Christian Anderson this past spring.