Shopper Blog: How the Prima Dance Studio Owner Builds a Positive Legacy for Her Students
HALLS
Prima Dance Studio owner cultivates a positive culture for her students
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Once Katie Treece’s mother watched her doing cartwheels at age 7 in the outfield, she realized her youngest daughter wasn’t going to follow her sisters as a serious softball player.
That’s when Katie found her way into the world of competitive dance.
More than two decades later, Treece has turned her love for the sport into quite a career.
While Treece was at Halls High School, she was on the dance team that placed second in state competition. The 2011 graduate got the satisfaction she wanted from having a dance routine come together.
“I really liked to see hard work pay off,” Treece said. “My drive was the same as my teammates. For us to come together for the same goal felt great.”
Coaching was always in her blood. While attending Pellissippi State Community College, working on a degree in photography, Treece was coaching the Halls Middle School dance team.
“Coaching was a lot different than competing,” she said. “I never wanted to forget what it was like to be a dancer. The impact dance and competitive sports can have on a young person’s life is significant.”
In 2013, when she was 20 years old, Treece opened Prima Dance Studio, 6808 Maynardville Pike in Halls.
Studio offers instruction in variety of dance levels
There are two very separate regimens within the framework of Prima Dance Studio. Recreational classes are for casual dancers who may not have the skill or the interest to make a serious commitment. Numbers for those classes fluctuate from 50 to 80 participants.
Then, there are about 70 who are the competitive dancers. The youngest students are 4 years old. The elite teams start with eighth-graders and go all the way to college age.
The all-star (top-level) teams compete in hip-hop, jazz, pom and lyrical categories.
“My favorite (as a competitor) was pom,” Treece said. “It’s a very sharp visual. I liked the jumps in it.”
Treece coaches the all-star teams. There are 10 other coaches to handle the other age and skill levels. Students come from all over the Knoxville area.
One of Treece’s teams placed fourth in a field of about 30 teams in a Worlds competition two years ago. She also coaches the Halls High School dance team, which won a state title recently.
This year, five teams won national titles and Prima Dance Studio placed eighth in a Worlds contest.
'Circle time' can solve issues
Twelve years of running a dance studio have given Treece plenty of opportunities to learn. She found a way to manage through the COVID-19 pandemic and come out on the other end stronger than before.
“I’ve grown with a lot of emotional maturity,” she said. “I’ve become confident in the decisions I make. I don’t take things personally. I work hard to have a positive culture with positive vibes within the studio.”
“Circle time” has become a tool to foster that positivity. It’s a respite of 10-15 minutes, which could come before, during or after practice, that takes time to focus on personal growth. Treece has each dancer keep a journal to emphasize the lessons.
“We always have a ‘Word of the Week,’” she said. “It could be accountability, or communication, whatever. The entire focus is to avoid negativity, which could be hard with teenage girls.
“God has had the steering wheel for so long. I just keep it going.”
POWELL
Bible lessons plus survival skills: Powell mom puts together a different homeschool
Al Lesar, Shopper News
While Powell resident Kelly West was putting together the blueprint for her new homeschool program, she got personal with the direction she went.
“My family couldn’t commit to a cooperative once or twice a week,” she said. “We are a special needs family (children ages 13 and 10) and sometimes we just need a day to rest.”
West also feels strongly about two aspects of what the curriculum could be: Life skills should have a place in the learning process, and there should be a religious component to the instruction.
Those were the guidelines for Firm Foundation Homeschool Collective to be formed. There would be two sessions a month and any part would be optional. One session would be a four-hour block that would focus on the outdoors, and the other would be a field trip.
“Our plan is to form a community,” West said. “That’s why we’re calling to a collective, rather than a cooperative.
“We are unique. We’re going back to the old days. We want the kids to learn life skills, not just facts out of a book. This isn’t a drop-off program. We want the parents to be involved. A lot of times, the kids and the parents can learn together.”
Life skills will be important
For almost three years while she was growing up, West lived with her family in Alaska. Her dad was in the military and did his best to teach her the ways of the wilderness.
Those are some of the life skills she hopes to pass on.
“There are so many science-based lessons that can help people,” West said. “Kids will learn how to make a safe shelter if they’re caught outside in a rainstorm. They can learn survival skills − what plants you can eat; how to make a fire when it’s wet.
“There are tools out there. You just have to know how to utilize them. So many people don’t take the time to learn those sorts of skills.”
Besides learning these skills, students will have a classroom session to either write about their outdoor experience or create an art project from what they observed. West has a business as a photographer and loves to sew. Both of those will be offered at some point.
The final classroom instruction would be focused on the Bible and its teachings.
“Maybe there will be someone who’s not firm in their faith,” West said. “This would equip them for a walk through life with Jesus. Any questions they might have, they will know where to find answers.”
Field trips offer real-life learning
The second meeting of the month would be devoted to a field trip. Places like a local horse farm, the Museum of Appalachia near Norris, the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville, and the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue in Clinton are among the attractions that are planned to be visited.
“If someone’s not interested in a particular trip, that’s fine,” West said. “Nothing is mandatory.”
West said registration for the collective will run through July. With a plan in place, she just needs to work out details about where the meetings will take place. Her goal is to keep them in the Powell/Clinton area.
For more information, go to the Firm Foundation Homeschool Collective Facebook page.
HARDIN VALLEY
Hardin Valley Event Center opens with farmers' market
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
Who doesn’t love a good farmers’ market? More than a thousand folks gathered at the new Hardin Valley Event Center pavilion for the first of many farmers’ market events to be held 4-7 p.m. every Thursday until well into October.
The 21,600-square-foot pavilion held 48 vendors for its inaugural event June 5. Jeff Cannon, manager of Dixie Lee Farmers’ Market in Farragut, organizes this market as well. He says he’s looking forward to filling the space with about 90 vendors and still having plenty of elbow room.
The vendors seemed to be happy to be under cover in the shade and planted firmly on concrete. Some did say fans moving the air around would be a nice touch.
There was a wide variety of offerings, from handmade dolls to grass-fed beef, to herbs, to garden veggies.
While all the vendors got their due, one vendor stood out from the rest.
Jon and Page Helton of Enchanted Eats were on hand creating made-to-order charcuterie cups and platters featuring all the basics in addition to strawberries nearly as big as a fist.
Rebel Hollow Farm was there offering up grass-fed, grain finished meats and explaining the difference between their meats and that which is bought at a grocery store.
There were several food trucks and ample space to sit, relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
Music was provided by Garrett Gregg on guitar and Jack Hatfield on banjo. The boys are members of the True Blue Band and played classic bluegrass tunes.
Adding to the festive atmosphere was County Commissioner Larsen Jay, who rang the opening bell and garnered cheers from shoppers and vendors alike.
The HUB (building) is 75,000 square feet and is hoped to be the future site of many proms, sports banquets, corporate banquets, and community events.
The facility sits right off Beaver Creek, so co-owner Dale Akins hopes to open a kayak launch by 2026 as part of the 44-mile Knox Water Trail.
“We have different lanes of operation," said Akins. "One lane is the Pavilion Farmers Market where we have partnered with Jeff Cannon, manager of Dixie Lee Farmers’ Market. Jeff told me he was excited to grow a new farmers’ market in Knoxville’s largest covered pavilion.
“Another lane is a Friday night Christian concert series to be held once per month, and yet another lane is the water trail and kayak launch. We’ve also got several festivals, food truck events and even a few nonprofit events such as the Scouts’ Pinewood Derby and Trunk-or-Treat events.
“Hardin Valley is in dire need of an event space like this,” said co-owner Dave Carter. “We have big plans that’s going to be good for the community and fun all around.”
Located at 2620 Willow Point Way, the facility is in the very back of the property and has ample parking for most any event.
Info: hveventcenter.com. Find Hardin Valley Event Center on Facebook.
POWELL
Owner of Ada & Ila Handmade Purses puts sewing skills to work again
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Sewing has given Karen Devente the sense of accomplishment and creative outlet she has sought since graduating from Norris High School in 1971.
So when the Heiskell resident went out on her own, she fell back on a skill her grandmother taught her when she was 12.
The Knoxville area was loaded with sewing factories in the early ‘70s. Devente went to work in one and felt right at home. As the years passed, her family grew. She and her husband, Evert, had seven children — six girls and a boy — and child care was getting expensive.
“The big factories didn’t want to do small orders,” Devente said. “If someone had an order for 50 shorts, my supervisor would ask me if I wanted to do that at home. It took awhile, but I got it done.”
By the early 1990s, sewing factories were leaving Knoxville and heading to Mexico, where the work could be done cheaper. That opened the door for Evert and Karen to open Pro Sew in Heiskell.
One door closes, another opens
Having her own business checked a lot of boxes for Devente. She was able to bring her children to the factory (“My kids said we violated all sorts of child labor laws,” she said with a laugh), and they could handle the smaller orders.
Over the course of more than three decades, Pro Sew found its niche. It handled wrestling singlets for Adidas, football jerseys for various companies and outfitted all the servers at Dolly Parton’s restaurants in Sevier County.
By 2021, family issues affected Karen’s life. Her husband died. Her mother, who had dementia, passed away. And Karen went through a battle with breast cancer and had open-heart surgery.
It was enough to convince her to close Pro Sew.
However, while visiting her mother at the hospital in Oak Ridge, her place for a break was the gift shop. It was there she stumbled on some purses she thought were cute.
“I could do that,” she said.
That’s about the time Ada & Ila Handmade Purses was born.
Granddaughters inspired name of new business
Ada & Ila are the middle names of two of her granddaughters. They sounded good together, so she went with it for her business, which makes regular-sized purses, small ones whose straps can be draped around the neck, Bible bags, computer bags, cellphone bags and anything else Devente could think of.
It was August 2024 when Devente had her first show — a three-day square-dancing convention in Gatlinburg. Her small purses were big sellers, so the participants could keep them around their necks while they danced. She sold out.
Since then, positive feedback and custom orders have given her encouragement to keep this reincarnation alive.
She offers imitation and real leather along with vinyl and other fabrics to make her purses unique.
She has 35 machines at home but uses only four of those to do the sewing. Regular-sized purses range from $35-$40. Smaller purses and bags, as well as girls’ purses, are between $20 and $25.
Devente has a booth at Southern Market. Another way to check out her inventory is to go to the Ada & Ila Handmade Purses Facebook page .
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Film Fest Knox returns Nov. 6-9 to showcase and advocate for local creators
Jack Coker, Shopper News
Knoxville’s film scene has a growing reputation, and this fall it's stepping further into the spotlight.
Visit Knoxville has announced the return of Film Fest Knox , now in its third year, running Nov. 6-9, 2025, in partnership with Regal and the Public Cinema . The film festival is a uniquely Knoxville blend of craft, grit and story-driven ambition that lifts up voices often overlooked in bigger markets.
“We’re continuing to build on the success of the first two years of this festival,” said Kim Bumpas, president of Visit Knoxville. “MovieMaker Magazine recently announced that Film Fest Knox made their annual list of '50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee' — this is an incredible accolade from one of the top industry publications and speaks to the vision we have for this iconic event.”
The four-day event will include short and feature film screenings, panels and workshops, plus an opening-night VIP party and a final-night celebration. But one of the most talked-about elements of the festival is the Elev8or Pitch competition , a showcase and showdown for regional filmmaking teams.
The idea is simple, but the opportunity is huge: each team submits a 60-second pitch and an eight-minute proof-of-concept short for a feature film they want to make. From there, 20 shorts will screen during the festival, and the top eight teams will pitch live in front of industry professionals and a festival audience.
“The Elev8or Pitch presents an exciting opportunity for local and regional filmmakers to connect with industry professionals and take their stories from proof-of-concept shorts to full-length feature films,” said Curt Willis, senior director of the Visit Knoxville Film Office. “By providing both the Pitch event and a Development Lab for the selected projects, we’re creating a pathway to production and actively supporting the growth of feature filmmaking in Knox County.”
The Elev8or Development Lab is where winners receive feedback and mentorship from working professionals in the film industry. That hands-on support is a big part of what makes this program stand out in a town where movie dreams don’t always have Hollywood budgets.
“Our Elev8or Pitch and Short Film competition underscores Film Fest Knox’s commitment to our city's film community,” said Paul Harrill, co-founder of the festival and director of the Elev8or Lab. “We love how it puts a spotlight on the talented filmmakers living and working in Knoxville and gets their work in front of world-class industry professionals.”
Artistic Director Darren Hughes adds, “The goal of our film program is to showcase and advocate for movies that are personal and ambitious and that have what we call a ‘sense of place.’ The setting might be a province in France, a gentrifying neighborhood in Miami or a community here in East Tennessee. … Regional filmmakers have taken notice.”
Registration for the Elev8or Pitch is open at FilmFestKnox.com, with a $75 team fee (which includes one full festival pass). The kickoff party is at 5 p.m. July 17 at Scruffy City Hall.
BEARDEN
Catholic High tennis champion has rare combination of talents
John Shearer, Shopper News
Lillian “Lillie” Murphy of Catholic High capped quite a high school career by winning the state Division II-AA state singles tennis title on May 23 for the second year in a row.
She also won state doubles titles her freshmen and sophomore years and three consecutive state team championships her three undergraduate years after the team had also won in 2021. The Lady Irish team this year also reached the finals before losing to Baylor from Chattanooga in what was thought to be a slight rebuilding year.
With such a resume, Murphy is considered by area tennis observers as one of the best Knoxville high school tennis players of recent years. But pinpointing her reasons for all her success might not result in the same agreement.
Her coach, Rusty Morris, thinks she has a lot of positive physical and mental skills that together make her hard to beat. She, meanwhile, pointed out some of the intangibles that she thinks have helped her both succeed and enjoy the sport.
“What I lack in technique, I make up for in spirit,” she said with a chuckle over the phone a few days after the state tournament while trying to sum up her secret to success.
That spirit, however, has come along with a rigorous routine of practicing tennis six days a week, and practicing or playing two to four hours each day when she does not have a match. She also does complementary physical workouts three times a week.
All this work and talent have given her the complete skills, her coach says. And like with success in many sports, her ability starts with being good defensively.
“She has unbelievable defensive skills, and it is hard to get a ball by her,” he said. “She can scramble and get it back deep. It is hard to get a ball by her that she can’t return deep.
“And she is quick and good at looping and sliding the ball. And she has a good forehand. Usually, people are one or the other (offensive or defensive players), but she can do both. And she is a fighter and makes her teammates around her better.”
Despite the ease in which she now plays, the Furman signee came into tennis almost unexpectedly. Her mother, Whitney, grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with no sports background, while her father, Paul, played basketball at Bearden High.
But after he started playing some tennis at Cherokee Country Club as a working adult, and she began hitting some balls back to him for fun beginning at the age of 4 or 5, the passion was born.
“By the time I was 8 or 9 I started taking lessons at the Knoxville Racquet Club,” she said. The pro who began working with her there, Dave Thornton, the father of former Catholic teammate and current Lady Vol player Maeve Thornton, is still her personal teacher, she said.
Besides playing tennis this fall at Furman, she also plans to study business or entrepreneurship. Her father works in real estate development, and she might eventually get involved in that line of work, she said.
She will also study closely the lay of the tennis landscape and see if her game can continue to develop in college or beyond, while knowing a lot of factors can come into play.
Regardless of her long-term future, it has been quite a last few years in the sport for her. She admitted that she leaves with plenty of great memories of playing and being a part of the Catholic team. That includes when they won the 2024 state team title after her younger sister, Lauren, came back from various injuries to get the clinching point in the finals.
“And my freshman year in the state finals against Baylor, I won the doubles,” she said of her first big match in 2022 on a top-level high school stage. “And this season has been fun to see the girls come up. I was pretty pleased how far we got.”
And winning the state singles title a second time this year in dominating fashion − 6-1, 6-2 over Baylor’s Margarette Berdy at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro − was special, too. For her, the experience of being there for the second time was like having an extra coach.
“It was like a good way to end my high school career, and it helped to have some feeling like I had been there before,” she said. “I took care of business, and it was a great win.”
Coach Morris, who is also the tennis director at the Cedar Bluff Racquet Club, pointed out that she is one of several players to have helped carry Catholic to success in recent years along with Maeve Thornton, Eleni Liakonis and Payton Carroll, among others.
And this year was special for her the way she dominated the state singles tournament to achieve the feat of never having lost a singles match over the last four years.
“That is the most dominant performance I’ve seen in a while,” Morris added in summation.
HALLS
Family creates sustainable lifestyle, sweetened by sourdough, on Good Works Farm
Al Lesar, Shopper News
There was a time when Kelly Lopez couldn’t get that baking thing right.
Cookies would turn out either raw or burnt to a crisp.
A hairdresser for years, Lopez never dreamed that baking would become one of her passions.
Of course, while living most of her life out West, she had no clue that she would ever embrace running a farm in East Tennessee.
Kelly’s parents have lived in Corryton for a while. Since 2015, she and her husband, Albert, had wanted to move their family near them. It took seven years to get everything in order, but they sold most of their possessions and bought a 2½-acre farm at 6403 Maloneyville Road adjacent to Kelly’s parents — sight unseen.
“We bought the farm after doing a FaceTime call with a Realtor,” Lopez said. “We were looking for somewhere that would give us a sustainable lifestyle. We found this and we just love it.”
Good Works Farm has been thriving for the past few years.
Flowers, produce and baked goods for sale
The population of the farm — besides Albert and Kelly and their daughters, ages 12 and 4 — includes 22 chickens, one rooster, two guinea hens, two cats and four dogs. Several “big, fat ducks that won’t fly away” are planned to be added.
There’s also a 4,000-square-foot garden in which berries, tomatoes, grapes, potatoes, corn, cucumbers and flowers are planted.
The flowers and overflow vegetables that aren’t used by family and friends are sold at the stand in front of the farm, along with baked goods Lopez makes. She also makes natural beauty products.
Her specialty is sourdough concoctions, more than just bread. She bakes up with sourdough English muffins as well as sourdough cookies. Besides plain sourdough bread, there are cinnamon twist or jalapeño variations.
Hard work leaves no regrets
A loaf of sourdough bread takes two days to make.
“A lot of time and patience goes into the bread,” Lopez said. “On Wednesdays, I make the dough. After it’s put together, you stretch and fold. Then, it rests. After that, it’s put in the refrigerator overnight. Having it bulk fermented makes it easier on the gut.”
A plain loaf of sourdough bread is $8 at the stand. Cinnamon twist and jalapeño versions are $12. Cookies, with the favorites being chocolate chip and s’mores, are $5 a bag.
“A lot of people never heard of sourdough cookies, but they’re great,” Lopez said. “You don’t really taste the sourdough, but they have a great texture.”
In addition to caring for the farm and the livestock and doing the baking, Lopez said she homeschools her two daughters. They didn’t get a tractor until recently, so previous work was done by hand.
“I love it here,” Lopez said. “There has been a lot of hard work — blood, sweat and tears getting everything started — but I have no regrets. Some people look forward to going on vacation. I enjoy being right here at home.
“I love seeing people enjoy something I’ve baked. That’s the best satisfaction anyone can have.”
Lopez said for now, the eggs they get aren’t for sale. They are given to family and friends.
For more information or to place an order, go to Good Works Farm TN on Facebook or Instagram .
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper Blog: Prima Dance Studio owner cultivates a positive culture for her students
