To understand the origin of Cocolalla Conservatory, we need to take you back a couple of decades to 2003 to Mesa, Arizona, where the dream of building a ballet studio was brought to life by Melendie Pettingill and her husband, Rex.  Their first “studio” had truly humble beginnings in the small family room of their small home on North May street, and started simply as a fun way for Melendie to share her love of dance with her daughters, then three year-old McKhayla and one year-old Khandis, along with a few of their toddler friends.  Melendie had been a dancer nearly her whole life, gracing stages in the Philippines, where she grew up.

Soon, the girls’ dancing playdates caught the attention of their surrounding community, the dream grew, and an official studio was born as “A Little Ballet on North May.”  Being very handy, Rex built a small addition onto their home to create a real studio space, but didn’t anticipate the demand or the success of the program, and the studio quickly outgrew the space - and it’s “Little” name.  The Pettingills moved to another home nearby, where Rex built a respectably-sized studio, as well as an outdoor performance stage right in their backyard!  They named the school “Pointe Relevé Private Dance Studio - the Place to Rise”.  As the years went by, the studio grew and flourished, bringing in many dancers and memorable recitals for over a decade. 

In 2015, McKhayla went on her exciting journey to begin her pre-professional career on full scholarship with the world-renowned Houston Ballet Academy. The following year, Khandis received the same scholarship offer from the prestigious academy.  Not able to bear the thought of having both their young daughters away from home,  Rex and Melendie decided to relocate to Houston to support the girls in their professional ballet aspirations, leaving Pointe Relevé in the hands of some of Melendie’s longest and most talented students, who eventually made it their own and who are still teaching to this day!  While Rex and Melendie did not open a studio in Texas, they still remained in close contact with the dance world, becoming an official home-stay host family to several full-time Houston Ballet Academy dancers.  Meanwhile, McKhayla began her professional career with Houston Ballet in 2017, while Khandis continued to train with Houston Ballet Academy.

Between 2022 and 2025, McKhayla pursued her professional ballet career beyond America, dancing with The National Ballet of Canada in Toronto, and Ballet Zürich in Switzerland (where she is currently).  Despite being a top prospect and frequent performer with Houston Ballet’s junior company, Khandis’ dreams of becoming a professional dancer were sidelined in 2021 due to a persistent hip injury.  However, she soon developed a love for teaching the art form, just as her mother did, and has since taught dance in Sandpoint, Idaho and Bountiful, Utah.  In 2024, Rex and Melendie moved to their beloved property in Cocolalla, Idaho after purchasing the commercial space on the highway with the intent to build a ballet school.  In addition to the current studio space, they plan to add a large advanced studio floor and a smaller, beginner studio floor, along with additional changing rooms, dancer lounges, and other surprises as studio enrollment grows.  They are excited to be working with their talented, ambitious daughters in building a program that the Panhandle community will enjoy and benefit from for years to come!