Meet Our Team
Our team at Rose City Arts Academy is made up of passionate professionals who are dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists. With extensive experience in musical theater, dance, vocal performance, and a love for teaching, our instructors inspire students to reach their fullest potential. We believe in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. Learn more about our talented team and their commitment to the arts!
Owner
Kimberly Lee
Kimberly & her husband, Max, have been married for 25 years & have 5 children. Graduating from Kilgore College & Stephen F Austin State University, Kimberly has completed 32 years of teaching in the East Texas Area. Two decades ago, Dr. Charles Whiteside, Jeanne Johnson, James Vermillion, & Kimberly Lee founded The Music Machine Sacred Music Camps, a ROSE CITY successful fine arts day camp opportunity for children!
Along with Nicholas Sheffield, Kimberly is the owner of Rose City Arts Academy, where they provide fine arts, performing, & competition opportunities for students in the Tyler & surrounding area.
Owner
Nicholas Sheffield
Nicholas, a graduate of TJC & UT Tyler was born & raised in Tyler, Texas. Winning 1st place overall in the 2025 National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, you will find Nicholas performing in & around the East Texas Area, including Henderson Civic Theatre & Tyler Civic Theatre Center.
A favorite & most clever choreographer, Nicholas brings an abundance of joy to the stage! Nicholas, along with Kimberly Lee, continues to bring Music Machine Sacred Music Camps to the Tyler community, June 29-August 3, & the Kilgore community, August 6-August 10, 2026.
Instructor
Mackenzie Lee
Mackenzie Lee is a 2024 Dance Major Graduate of TJC & will be graduating from Arlington Career Institute, Court Reporting & Voice Recording in July 2026.
Qualifying for Nationals, Mackenzie is the 2026 High Score Overall Synergy Shazaam Platinum Dance Competition Champion in her age division.
You will find Mackenzie, along with Nicholas Sheffield, performing in the First Christian Choir on Sunday mornings, as well as in community theaters around our area.
Guest Instructors
Christy Evans
Christy has been dancing for over 45 years. She spent her childhood years in the studio, and traveling to attend dance conventions. After 4 years of high school drill team, Christy attended Tyler Junior College as a member of the Internationally Famous Apache Belles. She served as Freshmen Representative and then as Head Dance Captain. Christy was a head instructor and choreographer for HTEDance for over 15 years.
After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance from Northeast Louisiana University, Christy’s first job was the director of the Brenham Belles where she garnered multiple awards for performance, creativity,leadership and choreography.
After 2 years, Christy moved to Tyler to begin her work as an assistant with the Apache Belles during which times she earned her Masters of Education degree in Kinesiology at UTTyler. Christy remained at Tyler Junior College as the Artistic Director/Choreographer of the Apache Belles for 25 years.
Today, Christy remains in the dance industry as an adjudicator for competitions and tryouts, a freelance choreographer, and a business owner of PACDance, which does custom home camps for schools.
She is a member of the Texas Dance Educators Association’s Hall of Fame, which is the highest award given and she also teaches for Special Strong in Tyler which is a rewarding adaptive fitness class.
Christy has been married for almost 30 years and has 2 beautiful children and 2 fur babies.