Wheeler Hughes is a Paducah native that grew up in the competitive dance world. In high school, Wheeler was an assistant for Liz Imperio for West Coast Dance Explosion and traveled to Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles for training and performing opportunities. At 18, Wheeler was accepted into New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she majored in Dance and graduated in 3 years with NYU University Honors. While attending Tisch, Wheeler performed with contemporary and modern dance companies, Ron K. Brown, Sydney Skybetter & Associates, James Martin, Laura Peterson, Keigwin and Company, and studied under Gus Solomons Jr., Deborah Jowitt, Pamela Pietro, and Jackie Villamil. She has had the privilege of dancing at Madison Square Garden, The Joyce Theatre NYC, The La Mama Theatre NYC and The New York Lower East Side Theatre for the premier of The Graveyard Shift- a new musical performed for the prestigious New York Fringe Festival. Wheeler was featured as a Top 40 performer on Season 3 So You Think You Can Dance and traveled to Las Vegas with the Dance on Fox network. Wheeler has been seen in "Magic" music video by Emii and "Run This Town" with Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. She can also be seen as a featured dancer in Step Up 3D. While in New York, Wheeler fostered her love for teaching by teaching master classes at the Ballet School of Stanford and CaRu Entertainment in Pennington, New Jersey. While at CaRu, she helped director, Cassie Russo start their competition dance program and choreographed pieces for their inaugural season. Wheeler moved back to Paducah in 2013 and immediately started working with the McCracken County Public School system as the GT Dance Director. She then started at McCracken County High School full time teaching Dance I, Dance II, Dance III and Advanced Dance. She is the current head coach for the nationally winning McCracken County Dance Team (National Champions 2026) where she coaches, teaches and does all the choreography for the award winning dances. Wheeler is also the choreographer for all McCracken Theatre musicals and the resident choreographer for MainStage. In 2026, Wheeler, along with the cast and crew of Oklahoma, took home the KPA Bradley award for Best Dance Execution in a musical for her choreography in Oklahoma. All together, she has choreographed over 58 shows and counting! Wheeler has found immense joy in helping her dance students get accepted in prestigious programs like GSA and college dance programs such as Marymount Manhattan College, Point Park University, Florida State University, the University of Oklahoma and Davenport University's nationally ranked dance team. After spending her youth at a competitive dance studio, Wheeler is thrilled to work at MainStage where creativity and performance is nurtured over competition, and dance is treated as an art form. MainStage dancers will discover a true appreciation for the art of dance through its incredible athleticism and artistry. Wheeler has one son, Eli and two cats- Skimble and Aslan!