Maryhelen Mayfield started dancing with Mary Joyce Lind in Des Moines, Iowa. She then received professional training at the University of Missouri at Kansas City under the direction of Tatiana Dokoudovska. She continued with additional training in Washington, DC with Frederic Franklin, and later in New York City with Vladimir Dokoudovsky. She returned to Kansas City Ballet where she danced with the professional company under Ron Sequoio. She went on to become the director of Greensboro Ballet, where she developed a ballet school and professional company until her retirement.
John Dennis also started dancing with Mary Joyce Lind in Des Moines, Iowa. He received professional training from Walter Camryn and Bentley Stone in Chicago, Illinois. He danced with Dallas Ballet under the direction of George Skibine. John danced with Greensboro Ballet and then became the director of the School of Greensboro Ballet where he ran the program until his retirement.