Gabrielle Rustmann Barnett

Gabrielle Rustmann Barnett currently owns and operates Studio One. Her teaching career began at the age of 12 when her mother made her an assistant with the three year old class. She continued to teach classes until she left for the University of Florida in 1992 where she was active in theatre and dance. She transferred to the University of Oklahoma in the Spring of 1994 where she was active in Sooner Scandals, a student performance competition. Her Senior year, she co-directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the Kappa Alpha Theta’s Sooner Scandals skit and won the “Best Choregrapher” award for her choreography and her group won the entire competition with their original musical skit. She was the music director for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and acted in OU’s SummerStage. While studying English Writing, she made sure she kept the arts in her life. Other dance and theatre accomplishments include: Captain Elite Squad Sophomore, Junior and Senior years in high school, Dance Team Captain Junior and Senior year high school, choreographer for Shortgrass Gymnastics, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute student in acting 1990, 1991 and 1992, Oklahoma Summer Olympic dance team captain and performer 1988, accepted to and attended The Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, CA in 1991 which included classes in dance, voice, and acting, won numerous awards at DanceAmerica and Tremaine dance competitions, summer training & competition with National Dance Association & Universal Dance Association, and held lead roles in Western Oklahoma State College’s production of A Chorus Line and Altus Community Theatre’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Gabrielle has also choreographed for multiple Altus All-School Musical Productions, Altus High School Dance Team Director 1999-2004, and held the title of Miss Altus 1996, winning the Talent Award, Interview Award and Physical Fitness in Swimsuit Award. She has choreographed for the Miss Altus Outstanding Teen Pageant numerous times. She has judged many pageants including Miss Oklahoma preliminary pageants. Gabrielle has a combined dance teaching experience of over 30 years. She began at twelve and even taught summer classes during her breaks from college. Gabrielle has a passion for the arts and enjoys watching her students develop a life-long appreciation for dance, music and theatre.

Gabrielle is a member of the Oklahoma Dance Masters Association and regularly attends classes to sharpen her teaching skills. She has attended dance teacher training workshops at OCU and through Dance Teacher Web live in Las Vegas and through numerous dance conventions such as West Coast Dance Explosion, Tremaine, Dance America/Olympus, ODMA, Hollywood Vibe, Showstopper and Dance Makers Inc.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Science in Psychology from Cameron University.

Gloria Rustmann – Founder of Studio One

Gloria began tap and ballet at age 5 with Leslie Brown of Jack Storey School of Dance in Lawton, OK.  She also studied with Evelyn Brooks, Jenna Burke, Jerry and Ginger Long in Altus, OK and Neil Hutton of OKC throughout her school years.  She opened Gloria’s School of Dance in fall of 1960 while a junior at OSU.  Gloria played Rosie in the OSU production of “Bye, Bye Birdie,” and was a featured baton twirler with OSU’s Cowboy Marching Band from 1958 – 1962.
She continued her dance education with Dorothy Tiffel of Ruth St. Denis School of Dance in Van Nuys, CA; Jerome Scott of Bel Air, CA; Santa Anna Ballet Academy in CA.
Gloria received a B.S. Degree in Music [piano and voice] OSU in 1962.
Additional accomplishments include:  Studied with Luigi in NYC; June Taylor School of Dance, NYC.
Teachers Accreditation at American School of Ballet, NYC 1963
Advanced Ballet with Etienne Morgan, Paris, France 1973
Served as Ballet Mistress with London’s Royal Ballet Academy under Margot Fonteyn in Hong Kong 1975-76
Hong Kong International School Elementary Music Teacher 1975-77
Performer/Choreographer in ACT and British Theatre Productions, Hong Kong, 1975-77
Co-founder of American Community Theatre, Hong Kong, Ltd. 1976
Choreographer of USA Bi-Centennial Celebration in Far East Asia, 1976
Played Gwen Stacy in movie “Green Eyes” filmed in Manila, 1976
Opened Studio One in Altus, OK 1969
Director/Choreographer Altus High School Dance Team 1983-99
Certified to teach 12 areas including English, literature, business English
Choreographed 48 musical productions [Hong Kong, WOSC, AHS, AJH]
Continual dance education through regional and national dance conventions, i.e. Dance America, Tremaine, National Dance Association, Universal Dance Association

 Kris Martin 

Kris Martin previously taught dance at Studio One for over 20 years! She teaches Tap, Ballet and Pointe classes. She was a gymnast and dancer growing up and went on to study dance in college.  She loves children and even though her family moved to Woodward, she continues to commute to Altus to teach.  Her daughter, Kennedy who is pictured with her, has been dancing at Studio One since she was three years old and joined our staff in 2021 as an instructor.

AcroDance Instructors – Hillary May, Gabrielle Barnett & Callie Smith

Combo Class Instructors (ages 3-8) – Gabrielle Barnett and Callie Smith

Musical Theatre Instructors – Gabrielle Barnett and Callie Smith

Jazz Instructors – Callie Smith and Kennedy Martin Perry

Hip Hop Instructors – Callie Smith & Gabrielle Barnett

Lyrical/Contemporary Instructor – Kennedy Martin Perry

Ballet/Pointe Instructor – Kris Martin

Tap Instructors – Gabrielle Barnett and Kris Martin

When enrolling through the PARENT PORTAL, you will see each class’s description and instructor listed.

A little bit about our studio from Gabrielle….

Our children are growing up in an age of instant gratification, amazing technology and social media.  There are many pros to today’s society but there are also many cons.  Gone are the “good old days” when we actually had privacy; when we had to pick up a phone and call our loved ones to speak to them.  Music, dance, acting, art, photography to name a few are some of the ways we can express ourselves.  Especially for our children, art in all forms is a way for our children to escape a hectic, demanding and judgmental society.  Studio One is your child’s happy place.  We encourage creativity, acceptance, self-confidence, positive thinking, empathy and love for one another.  We teach self-respect, self-discipline, manners and how to live a healthy lifestyle by creating good habits early in life.  Friends, I grew up in a dance studio and loved so much about it.  It is truly my pleasure to continue what my mother started so many years ago.  Your children are welcomed with open arms and loved with open hearts!  Blessings, Gabrielle Barnett