Our Faculty

Michelle Stafford
Studio Director/Owner

Michelle Stafford is one of the top choreographers and dance instructors in the country. She is highly trained in all forms of dance. Michelle has trained with some of the top choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Andy Blankenbeuler, Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, Joe Lanteri and many more. Her passion for dance is second to none. Michelle continues to train with the top dance professionals in New York and Los Angeles to enrich her students in the art of dance.

Students under Michelle’s direction have won top honor awards and receive numerous dance scholarships at almost every dance competition and convention. Michelle continues to win Best Choreography Awards throughout the country. Her students have gone to college and to the professional arena to pursuer their dance career.

Michelle Stafford is truly your Next Step to becoming a well-trained dancer!

Rita Allen
Studio Owner

Jennifer Contreras
Drill Company Director / Instructor

Jen grew up in Duncanville, Texas where she began dancing at the age of 3. She grew up in a local studio studying in all genres throughout the years. Jen was a line member, Jr. Lieutenant and Senior Captain of the Duncanville High School High Hats Drill Team under the Direction of Kristi Beaty. She then went on to Navarro Jr. College where she was a Freshman Lieutenant and Sophomore Captain for the former Navarro College Showstoppers directed by Monica Aldama. She became an instructor, choreographer and adjudicator for American Dance/Drill Team School in 1998 and choreographed state and national level winning routines for her own teams, junior high schools, high schools and various colleges around the country. Jennifer continued her dance education and career with a dance major at Stephen F. Austin State University and was a 2 year member of the SFA Pom Squad. She has competed in 4 NDA Collegiate Nationals. While dancing at SFA, Jen also taught at the Lufkin Dance Academy under the direction/ ownership of Darlene Atkinson. She was privileged to teach all ages and genres and work with the performing company while at LDA. Jen then relocated back to the DFW area and became a member of the NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers for 2 seasons and a full time instructor at the Dallas Power House of Dance under the direction/ownership of Shella Sattler. She then went on to be the assistant for the Mavericks Dancers and Shella Sattler. Jen, Shella Sattler and Michelle Stafford formed and created a studio drill/dance/ all star team within the studio to give dancers another avenue to pursue in 2004. Jen has been directing studio drill teams and training dancers who aspire to dance on a high school, college dance/drill team, or professional sports team for 20 years. Jennifer also began directing the NBA Developmental G-League Texas Legends Dancers (affiliates to the NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers) in 2011 and is still the active director going into her 13th season with the Texas Legends sponsored and based out of Next Step Dance. Jen currently teaches combo technique classes to “little people” ages 2-5yrs in hopes to spark their love and passion for dance, jazz drill classes to all levels beginning at age 5-6yrs to adults to help improve their drill team skills needed, and directs all 5 Drill Company Teams from ages 5yr to Seniors in high school at Next Step Dance. Some of her former Drill Company and studio students have gone on to dance for the Kilgore College Rangerettes, Apache Belles, Texas Tech Pom Squad, SFA Pom Squad, University of Georgia Dance Dawgs, University of Georgia Georgettes, Arkansas Pom Squad, OU Pom, Baylor Songleaders, SMU Pom, Harvard Crimson Dance Team, University of North Texas Dancers, University of Texas Pom, OSU Pom. Jen’s also had a few students, but mostly former Texas Legends Dancers go on to make Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the former Dallas Mavericks Dancers, Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dancers, Dallas Stars Ice Girls, Houston Texans Cheerleaders, Dallas Mavericks D-Town Crew, Oklahoma Thunder Dancers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors Dance Team, Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders, Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, LA Charger Girls, New Orleans Pelicans Dancers, St. Louis Blue Crew, Seattle Seahawk Dancers, New England Patriots Cheerleaders, and New Orleans Saints Cheer Krewe. Jen is in her 14th season with Next Step Dance and her Drill Companies, 13th season with her Texas Legends Dancers and in her 25th year of teaching dance to dancers of all ages. She enjoys boating, traveling and amusement parks especially Disney and Universal!!s She resides in Frisco, Texas with her husband, Bentley, of 16 years and they have a son Skyler who is a Freshman at SMU.

Ashley Thon
Assistant Performing Company Director / Instructor

Ashley began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up in the competitive dance world where she received numerous scholarships and overall awards. She went on to attend Oklahoma City University and graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance Performance with a minor in History. At OCU, she was the deputy of the American Spirit Dance Company, co-directed the OCU Pep Dancers, and was taught the ins and outs of show business. Ashley has performed in theaters all over Texas, and also in the Rob Lake Magic Show and halftime performances with both the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks. She has worked professionally at Busch Gardens Williamsburg where she was promoted to Dance Captain. She has most recently been performing in the Shoji Tabuchi Show in Branson, MO as a dancer and vocalist and was part of the 2012 Shoji Tabuchi touring show. Ashley is excited to share her knowledge and passion for dance with the students at Next Step!

Nick Gomez
Assistant Performing Company Director / Instructor

Michael “Sharpie” Sharp
Drill Company Assistant Director / Instructor

6Michael hails from Copperas Cove, Texas where he started out as a competitive cheerleader in high school. Sharpie earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Dance from Stephen F Austin State University where he was on scholarship for cheerleading for two years. After those 2 years he made SFA history by becoming the first male in history to be part of the nationally ranked SFA pom squad. He entered into the professional dance world as an acro-dancer in Les Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. He’s been a soloist dancer with the American Solstice Dance company and a dancer and featured silk performer for Royal Caribbean Cruise lines. His dancing took him half way across the world to Tokyo, Japan where he was dance captain and a performer in the show ENCORE at Tokyo Disney Sea. He has also danced in the DFW area with Six Flags Over Texas, the Mary Kay Convention, and performed and choreographed the Miss Texas Pageant. He studied in various studios in New York, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and is now located in Dallas.

Katy Hunter
Drill Company Assistant Director / Instructor

8Katy began dancing at the age of three and has not stopped! She joined Drill Company at the age of 10 where she trained in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Turns/Technique, and Drill. She served as an officer of her Jr High team as well as at John Paul II High School. In 2011, Katy Became a member of the Kilgore College Rangerettes, and was also selected as a member of their elite team, Swingsters. During he time as a Rangerette she performed for Cotton Bowl, the 70th commemoration of Pearl Harbor, President Obama’s Inaugural Ball, and numerous parades and Cowboys football games. Furthering her education, Katy attended Texas A&M University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Dance Science. She has been a staff member for American Dance and Drill Team Company for 5 years where she has conducted camps across Texas teaching choreography, leadership, and technique workshops.

Malana Murphy
Tap Director / Instructor

Dance has always been my passion, my first love, and in the beginning there was tap.

Jenny Durbin Smith
The Officials Director / Instructor

6Jenny Durbin Smith is a nationally recognized and sought after award-winning choreographer. Her resume reads like a “who’s who” list in the dance industry! She trained in jazz and hip-hop during her college years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while obtaining a double degree in journalism and communication studies. During her time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill she was a member of the national award-winning cheer and dance teams.  Jenny has been a member of the NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers where she served as captain in her second year.  She has also been a principle dancer and actor for many national industrials, commercials and films. Jenny’s dynamic choreography has been featured on many national television commercials, industrials, films, reality television shows, and international stages including Oprah’s Vision Tour Dallas, ‘Queen of the South,’ Hasbro, Mary Kay, ‘America’s Got Talent,’ MTV’s ‘TRL,’ and Monday Night Football. In addition to being the proud director of the NFL’s first and only co-ed hip hop crew, the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue, she is a choreographer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, a master instructor for Professional NFL and NBA Cheerleading & Dance Conventions including All Pro and Choreography Pros, a contributing choreographer for the NFL’s Pro Bowl, and travels internationally choreographing for numerous high school, collegiate and professional dance teams and dance studios. Jenny was recently featured in Dance Track Magazine, Dance Team Magazine and Inside Dance!

CHOREOGRAPHY and ADJUCATION CREDITS:

• Director & Choreographer of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue Dancers
• Director of the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad, the first and only kids crew in the NFL
• Choreographer for ABC Studios “False Profits”
• Choreographer for FOX Network’s “Queen of the South”
• On-Set Choreography and Instruction for Toyota ft. Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach & Dak Prescott
• BuildaBeast TX Instructor, IMMABEAST Co
• Urban Legends Instructor, Urban Legends/Adrenaline Dance Convention
• Creative Director, Choreographer & Producer for the Dallas Cowboys “Back to Football Halftime” for NBC/Nike featuring the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue and the Kinjaz and Super Cr3w for NBC’s hit show, ‘World of Dance’
• Creative Director, Choreographer & Producer for the Dallas Cowboys “#FinishThisFight Halftime” featuring the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and the Rookie Squad
• World Of Dance Tour Panel Judge
• Dallas ‘Influencer Award’ Inaugural Recipient, Dallas Hip Hop Dance Festival
• Dallas Hip Hop Dance Festival, Master Instructor & Event Emcee
• Texas Dance Educators Association Master Instructor sponsored by Varsity Spirit
• NFL Pro Bowl, Contributing Choreographer
• Super Bowl 45 Party featuring Drake, Choreography
• CFL Master Class, Choreography CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Choreographer/Instructor for Choreography Pros and All Pro Convention
• DIFFA Dallas, Co-Director of Dance
• VARSITY PRO Choreographer & Faculty
• NDA & UDA Choreographer for Summer Camp Curriculum
• NDA & USASF, Hip Hop Score sheet Advisory Board
• NDA High School and Collegiate Curriculum Choreographer & Master Instructor, USASF/UDA/USA Hip Hop Master Instructor, NDA Judge, UDA Judge, USA Judge, Dance Summit Judge, USASF Dance Worlds Judge, ICU Judge
• Varsity University, Master Instructor and Presenter
• Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2005-Present, Choreography
• 2007 & 2008 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Thanksgiving Halftime shows featuring Kelly Clarkson and The Jonas Brothers, Choreography
• 2010 and 2011 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving halftimes featuring Keith Urban and Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull, Choreography
• MTV’s “TRL” featuring Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Choreography
• CMT’s “Making The Team” starring The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Choreography
• Monday Night Football Commercial featuring DCC, Choreography
• NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” Dallas Desperados Dancers, Choreographer
• Director & Choreographer of the Dallas Desperados Dancers, “The most exciting dance team in all of professional sports!”
• Choreographer for the Arena Football League, ArenaBowl XXI, XXII and the Aaron’s AFL Dream Team
• Choreographer for the Dallas Desperados Young Guns
• Candy’s Signature Cocktails “Honey B You”, Choreographer
• Choreographer/Director for the “Groovement Crew” & “The Officials” hip hop teams, award winning on the regional and national level
• World of Dance Dallas ’13 and ‘14, Choreography
• Choreographer & Principal Dancer for Tuaca’s Evolution National Tour
• C&C Productions, Executive Choreographer
• Mary Kay (x6), Choreographer
• Chuck E. Cheese commercials and industrials (x25), Choreographer and Principal Dancer
• Hasbro’s Spiderman commercial, Choreographer
• Hasbro’s Twister’s High School Musical 2 Commercial, Choreographer
• TXU Energy “Bauer Power Hour” Commercial, Choreographer
• WalMart, Sam’s Club, Lennox, and JCPenney Industrials, Choreographer
• Target, Pepsi and Dillard’s, Choreographer
• WFAA Dale Hansen commercial, Choreographer and Principal Dancer

DANCING/ACTING CREDITS:

• Sugarhill Gang, The Beach Boys, The Commodores, Rascal Flatts, The Black Crowes, featured Dancer
• NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers, Captain
• “Live with Regis and Kelly,” featured Dancer
• Chuck E Cheese Commercials & In Store Videos, Principal
• Hasbro’s DreamLife Superstar National Commercial, Principal
• Doritos, Principal Dancer
• Arby’s, Principal Dancer
• Harrah’s Casino VEX commercial, Principal
• Dave & Buster’s National commercial, Principal
• Heelys National commercial, Principal
• Frito Lay’s “The Voice”
• D Magazine, Principal Dancer
• Maxim
• Red Bull
• Shotz Energy Drink
• Nascar, Principal
• The Movie Channel
• Chevrolet
• Chuppa Chups Lollipops
• Betsey Johnson
• Toni & Guy
• Good Morning Texas & Good Day Dallas
• Farouk Hair Systems, CHI Industrial, featured Dancer
• Beauticontrol Industrial, featured Dancer
• Sony Music’s Chicago as Roxie, Viva Las Vegas, Studio 54 and Moulin Rouge Productions
• Viva-La Lance Armstrong
• Neiman Marcus Cattlebaron’s Ball/Dallas and Lubbock, TX

Kristal Russell
Intermix Performing Company Director / Instructor

Kristal Russell grew up in Arlington, Texas and has been dancing for 40+ years. She is a forever student having trained at studios, conventions, master classes and intensives all over the nation. She is an award winning dancer who has performed at Six Flags, Disney World, PBS and done promotional news spots. Kristal was a backup dancer in The Legends In Concert show in Hawaii and a magicians assistant/dance captain in the Depth of Illusion show. She was also a professional cheerleader for the Colorado Rapids MLS team.

Kristal continued her dance career as an award winning choreographer who’s students have gone on to schools such as Pace University and Juilliard as well as working on television, professional sports team, cruise ships, and on the Vegas Strip. She choreographed for the San Diego City Dance Company, was the Director/Choreographer for the Colorado Rapids MLS Co-Ed cheerleaders, was the Co-Director for a dance company in Colorado and most recently has been teaching and choreographing at a local Texas studio.

In addition to her dance credits, Kristal has been a fitness instructor at various fitness centers. She has prepared young dancers for professional cheer teams as well as judged auditions for multiple professional teams. She has also consulted on two Snap Books for Cheer and Stunting. Kristal was a Special Ed Instructional Assistant and Behavior Technician for San Diego ISD and worked alongside the National Guard in their Red Ribbon campaign for elementary and middle school students.

Kristal’s biggest joy in life is being the proud mama of her 3 kids. She works hard to instilling a love of dance, movement, music and art of all forms in her kids and students as well as a strong work ethic, equal pride in individuality and team work as well as a healthy sense of self worth and purpose.

Yulia Ilina
Ballet Director

Yulia was born to professional championship athletes in Kiev, Ukraine. Enforced with a commitment to hard work, her mother took her to the “arts school” in Kiev at the age of 7. On seeing her physical abilities, famed dance professor, L. Shatilov exclaimed, “A child like this is born once in a hundred years. She must be professionally engaged in the ballet”. Yulia attended the Kiev Ballet School in 1991, the only specialized school in the Ukraine at trains professional ballet dancers. By the end of the fourth year that training, she had already been included in the corps de ballet scenes of the National Opera of Ukraine, among the older dancers. During the last year she danced solo, Pas De Deux and a number of modern dance compositions. Upon graduation, she was the only one in the class who received a contract with Eifman Ballet Theater (St. Petersburg, Russia). From 1999 to 2004, as a member of the theater, Yulia toured all over the world. She danced in the U.S., France, England, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Croatia, South Korea and other locations. In addition, Eifman’s Theater performed on numerous Russian stages including the Bolshoy Theater in Moscow. In 2004, Yulia decided to expand her experience in teaching and choreography. At the invitation of A. Andreev, honored artist of Russia and master of the St. Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy, she was selected as assistant teacher- choreographer of his Drama class. Working with students of the Drama Department opened new pathways of artistic thinking and ways to apply it through many mediums in the profession. Yulia realized that in order to dance well, one does not necessarily have to encompass perfect physique and ballet training. When creating choreography for students, she tried to focus not only on common rules, but also on individuality of the artist. Ultimately, applying the same principle, she choreographed several productions for Operetta Theater, such as “Sylva”, “Cinderella”, and “Mr. X”. The 2005 premieres of these productions were successfully held in Riga, Latvia; Vilnus, Lithuania, and are standard repertoire for the Operetta Theater program. In 2007, Yulia returned to performing on the stage and became a member of the St. Petersburg State Academic Theater named after L. Jacobson. A month after signing a contract, she was promoted to the position of Principal Dancer. As a Principal, she toured extensively with the Theater in Russia, U.S., Mexico, Germany, Japan and Israel. Yulia’s repertoire includes principal and soloist roles in many classical and contemporary ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadere, Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker, Carmen and many more. Her performances received high critical acclaim. In 2010, the St. Petersburg Committee of Culture awarded Yulia the Diploma of Recognition: “for the best preservation of traditions and invaluable contribution to the development of Russian ballet”. In the conferral of her certification, to ascribe to the highest status for the Principal Dancer, the chairman of the Certification Commission stated: “Images of Ms. Ilina’s characters, written in secretly-fragile choreographic patters, unveils a saturated palette of her diverse personality. Each new work opens up new facets of her talent. She is able to lead and to assist the partners exceptionally well in the creative process.” In 2012 Yulia moved to the U.S. and became the guest Principal Dancers for the Avant Chamber Ballet, Collin County Ballet Theater, Denton Contemporary Ballet, International Ballet Theater, Mejia International Ballet and many others. As a teacher she worked for Hathaway Ballet Academy, Park Cities Dance, Studio A Dance and the Denton Ballet Conservatory. She also has been a guest teacher for University of North Texas, South Methodist University, Mississippi Ballet Theater, Texas Youth Ballet Conservatory and The Dance Space. In 2015 she graduated from the St. Petersburg State Theater Art Academy holding a Masters Degree in Teaching and Theater Administration.

Skylar Allen
Mini Officials Director / Instructor

Skylar began dancing in 6th grade after competing in all-star cheerleading for ten years. Skylar was a member of The Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad for two years and a member of Next Steps Hip Hop company, The Officials, for seven years. After graduating from Lewisville High School, Skylar became an assistant director to The Officials. She is entering her third season as an Assistant Director for The Officials and a second-year member of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dance Team! Skylar is a Junior at the University of North Texas studying Criminal Justice.

Taylor Goldman
Office Manager

13Taylor was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and began dancing at the age of three years old. She has trained in many styles including jazz, hip hop, ballet, tap, lyrical, and pom. She danced throughout high school and in college she became a member of the UNLV dance team, known as the Rebel Girls. The Rebel Girls performed at events such as men’s basketball and football, and they also competed at Nationals in Division 1A hip hop and pom. During her time at UNLV, the Rebel Girls placed in the top 5 consistently and in 2013 won a national championship in Division 1A Hip Hop. Along with being on the dance team, she also earned her bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. Taylor is currently the office manager at Next Step Dance and is excited to take on her new role as Mini and Jr. Texas Legends Director!

Younmi Kwak
Ballet Instructor

Sarah Allen
Office Staff

Joanie Fulmer
Office Staff

Barb Michniak
Office Staff

Lisa Holt
Ballroom Instructor

Lisa has been teaching in the dance industry for over 25 years. She has been  a head instructor, program curriculum developer and choreographer for NCA Danz, NCA collegiate program, and USA dance. She is a former captain of the NCA national  award winning Navarro college Showstoppers dance team,  former 5 year veteran of the Dallas Mavericks Dancers, she has danced professionally in numerous shows, and infomercials, including Mary Kay, Beauty Control, and Juice Plus.

Her love for dance branched out into ballroom about 13 years ago. She taught for the nationally renowned  program called Dancing Classrooms, which is featured in the films, “Mad Hot Ballroom” and “Take the Lead”.

She and her partner, israel Peña developed and directed the ballroom dance program at Power House of Dance Dallas and Frisco for the past 9 years. Along with there program at the studio, they have taught numerous workshops, master classes, dance intensives, and given seminars to elementary, middle schools, high schools, and universities, including Booker T Washington HS, University of North Texas, TWU, and UTD.

She and her partner also compete professionally in the international Latin division and have competed all over the country and abroad. Their highlight to date was competing in London and at the Blackpool Dance Festival. She continues to train and study with award winning and world renown coaches,from all over the world, such as Shirley Ballas and Martin Lamb.

Israel Pena
Ballroom Instructor

Israel Peña, with his partner Lisa Holt, is currently an International Latin Ballroom competitor and a teacher. Motown born and Texas raised. Israel is a graduate from the University of North Texas, where he discovered his passion and love for dance teaching salsa classes in college.  Shortly after graduating he began teaching Ballroom at a small independent studio in Grapevine Texas. From there Israel and Lisa started there own Ballroom program at Power House of Dance in both Frisco and Dallas and dedicated himself to becoming an International Latin Competitor. Israel has

since traveled and competed across the United States both with his partner and his students in all four ballroom genres. He has guest taught Master classes at Booker T. Washington, UTD, Texas Womens University, UNT, and numerous dance studios and public schools in the dfw metroplex.  His biggest accomplishments include competing in both London and Blackpool at the Blackpool Dance festival, attending the World Dance Congress, and teaching children as a teaching artist for Dancing Classrooms.  His most influential and continued inspiration come from being fortunate enough to work with, and continue to learn from, great coaches and world champion dancers including Martin Lamb, and Shirley Ballas. They have continued to influence his passion for knowledge in becoming a better dancer and teacher.

Derrick D. Redmon
Hip Hop Instructor

Local Lewisville High school graduate, Texas Tech University Alumni, and former “RAIDER RED” (the Texas Tech University Mascot), Derrick is no stranger to the world of dance or the entertainment business. Derrick has choreographed and performed globally and has been recognized and awarded as both a dancer and a choreographer. His credits include performing with Grammy award winning group Destiny’s Child during the 2004 Dallas Cowboys Visa Thanksgiving Day halftime show, principal dancer on the Tuaca Body Art Ball national tour for two years, and televised halftime performance during the MLS Soccer Championship just to name a few. He was also Assistant Choreographer for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders 2007 halftime show featuring Grammy award winner Kelly Clarkson and a 6-time Monsters of Hip Hop scholarship recipient. Not only has he choreographed for numerous competitve dance teams across the country where his work has won numerous awards, he also has choreographed corporate industrials and performances for companies such as JC Penney, Reebok, Pepsi, OG Coffee, the NFL, and the NCAA. Derrick continues to train with top choreographers in L.A., New York, Chicago, Dallas, and across the country and enjoys teaching and sharing his knowledge and love of dance with all.

Jasmine Mathew
Adaptive Fusion Instructor

Jasmine is the founder and choreographer of Jasmine’s Beat, an adaptive dance company. Currently, Jasmine’s Beat is working with students of all abilities at Next Step Dance to perform adaptive fusion dance (including different varieties of dance) as well as adaptive theater performance dance at North Texas Performing Arts of Plano-Starcatchers. Jasmine’s Beat aims to provide inclusive therapeutic dance classes to persons of all ages and all abilities, regardless of special need, in a neurotypical community setting. Jasmine is also a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, or Recreation Therapist. She has her degree of Therapeutic Recreation and Health Studies with a minor in Psychology from Temple University. She has worked for the past 18 years in various populations, including traumatic brain injury units, pediatric rehab, mental health hospitals, assisted living and nursing homes, as well as pediatric medical day centers. While using various recreational activities, Jasmine has often used dance as a means of therapy with beautiful results, including increase in self-esteem, spatial awareness, flexibility, stamina, leisure interest, self-pride, and healthy lifestyle changes for such patients. Jasmine has received an award from JCAHO (Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospital Organizations) for expanding therapeutic recreation implementation. Jasmine’s passion for dance started at the age of 8, training under M.G. Dance Institute in Philadelphia, PA to perform bharatnatyam (classical Indian dance). She also continued to perform in musicals in high school, learning the basics of stage performance and theater performance dance. Jasmine continued to perform Bollywood dance at various festivals and shows, including India Day Parade and KALAA in Philadelphia, IACA welcoming ceremony for archbishops in Washington, DC, as well as ISAT shows at Temple University. Jasmine has also worked in New York as a teacher for Arya Dance Academy, while working as a therapist in nearby rehabilitation centers. She has also taught BollyFit classes to adults. While in TX, Jasmine has been trained by Stretch & Grow McKinney in introductory ballet and jazz techniques for preschool age students. Jasmine has various certifications, including Certified Group Fitness Instructor, CPR, and Certified Car Seat Safety Installer. She is also the SAGE TXPTA rep (Special And Gifted Ed) for her local elementary school. Jasmine is presently assistant directing and choreographing theater productions for students with disabilities at NTPA-Plano and seeking to expand classes at Next Step Dance to also include wheelchair dancing. Jasmine believes every person has the ability to dance and be accepted in the community through mutual passions. Jasmine has the love and support from her husband, Tino, and her 3 kids, T.J, Arielle and Leo.

~ ”What’s Your Beat?” ~

Leti Hinojosa
Hip Hop Instructor

Born and raised in South Texas, living in McAllen, TX most of her life, Leti started dancing at the age of 3. She was a dancer at Kelly’s Center Stage in McAllen where she was on their competitive All-Star team for 8 years and she was Major of her high school dance, the Nikki Rowe Tiaras, for 2 years. During her time in high school, she was a Power Dance 4 time National Champion soloist from 2003-2007.

Leti danced at the collegiate level for The University of Texas at Austin and served as Co-Captain. While living in Austin, she also danced for the Austin Spurs NBA Development team for one year. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies.

After college, she moved to Arlington, TX to attend The University of Texas at Arlington for graduate school. While attending graduate school, she became the head dance team coach for UTA in 2014 and in 2016, she became the Spirit Groups Coordinator and where she currently oversees the dance team, cheer team, mascots and the Wranglers.

She was a member of the Texas Legends Dance Team for 3 years and danced for the first and only hip-hop team in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dancers for one year.

Amelia Blair
Ballet Instructor

Amelia Blair from Newton, Iowa began her dance training at the age of eleven. She danced at Grace Ballet Studio, completing RAD exams, dancing in the student company, performing the lead role in The Snow Queen, and competing in local competitions, where she won various awards, as well as in the Indianapolis Youth America Grand Prix. She danced roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Stars & Stripes, Dracula, and Don Quixote. Ms. Blair began teaching and started her own summer dance programs while also attending intensives with Kansas City Ballet and Zion Dance Project to further her training. Upon graduation, she received the Royal Ballet of Iowa Scholarship and moved to New York to dance professionally with Light of the World Ballet. She performed on tour in the U.S. and internationally in Israel and China, as well as guest teaching. Ms. Blair was promoted to company member and placed on their teaching and administration staff, where she set original works on the company and danced the lead role in Cayla Noreau’s ballet Creation’s JOY. She joined Ballet Hartford in 2020, performing classical (Giselle, Swan Lake, Raymonda, The Nutcracker), neoclassical, modern and contemporary works and continued teaching locally. She danced the lead role in Claire Kretzschmar’s (NYCB) Peter & the Wolf, performed with Project Dance NYC, choreographed and performed during Ballet Hartford’s annual Awakening Festival, and worked under many choreographers including Leyna Doran, Steve Rooks, Norbert De La Cruz III, Danielle Diniz, Vincent Hardy (Zion Dance Project), NSquared, Marc Spielberger (Miami City Ballet), Caleb Mitchell, Alizah Wilson, and Paiter Van Yperen (The Ailey School). She recently moved to the DFW area and is blessed to be dancing with Zion Dance Project II this upcoming season!

Marley Blanchard
Acro, Pom, & Jazz Instructor

Marley Blanchard, born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, has always been passionate about dance. Growing up in the studio, she thrived in conventions and competitions. This May, Marley graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Communications and was a dedicated four-year member of The Ohio State Dance Team. During her time on the team, she was elected captain in her senior year and achieved remarkable success, winning seven UDA national championships and two world championships in the D1A Pom, Jazz, and Gameday divisions. Her experiences allowed her to collaborate with renowned choreographers such as Shannon Mather, Travis Wall, Carsen Rowe, Danny Lawn, and more.

Marley‘s passion for dance is evident in her work. She aims to share this love with everyone, creating a welcoming environment where students can grow and express themselves. She excels at recognizing and nurturing the strengths of dancers of all ages and abilities.

Amanda Knecht
Strength & Conditioning Instructor

Amanda is a dance-trained Pilates instructor who blends her background in dance and Pilates to help dancers build strong, resilient bodies. She grew up training at Next Step Dance and earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona in 2019. In 2021, she completed a 500-hour comprehensive Pilates certification, deepening her expertise in functional movement and injury prevention.

Amanda specializes in strength and conditioning for dancers, offering classes designed to enhance performance, prevent injury, and develop lasting body awareness. Her programs focus on improving core strength, joint stability, flexibility, and overall control—giving dancers the physical foundation they need to perform at their highest level and recover safely.

Kelly Gleason
Ballet Instructor

Kelly Gleason, a Dallas/Fort Worth native, began her early training at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center before joining Chamberlain Ballet. In addition to her year-round training, she spent summers studying at San Francisco Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, American Ballet Theatre School, and Ellison Ballet.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Ballet with an Outside Field in Business from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she trained under Sarah Wroth, Michael Vernon, Kyra Nichols, Carla Körbes, Glenda Lucena, Sasha Janes, and Christian Claessens. While at IU, Kelly performed principal and soloist roles in Heatscape by Justin Peck, Le Jeune by Lauren Lovette, Ballad Unto by Dwight Rhoden, Silence by Ken Ossola, and several original works by Professor Sasha Janes. She also appeared in works by George Balanchine, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Marius Petipa, August Bournonville, Durante Verzola, and Michael Vernon.

Kelly is thrilled to return to her hometown and begin her professional career with Avant Chamber Ballet as an apprentice for the 2025–2026 season, while continuing her passion for teaching alongside her NSD family!

Erin Davis
Jr. DCC Director

Erin Davis was born and raised in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, where she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She went on to earn her BFA in Dance with a Minor in Arts Administration from TCU.

Erin continued her dance career as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for four seasons from 2018–2022, and returned as an “All-Star” for the 2022–2023 season. During her time with the DCC, she served as a 2nd Group Leader, led youth camps for Mini, Junior, and Senior age groups at the Dallas Cowboys Dance Academy, and gave back to the DFW community through volunteer work at local schools, nursing homes, and veterans hospitals.

She also had the incredible opportunity to perform alongside artists such as Queen, Meghan Trainor, and Luke Combs. Erin is now thrilled to lead the Junior DCC program at Next Step Dance and can’t wait to see each student shine!

Kat Puryear
Jr. DCC Director

Originally from Charlotte, NC, Kat Puryear cheered with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from 2019–2024, serving as a 2nd group leader, show group performer, and the ultimate hype woman for her team. She also represents the DCC as an All – Star.

Now, Kat proudly serves as Co-Director of the Jr. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, where she combines her leadership, choreography, and mentoring skills to inspire the next generation of performers. She loves helping young dancers grow in confidence while experiencing the tradition and spirit of America’s Sweethearts.

Outside of Jr. DCC, Kat is a commercial Realtor in the Dallas–Fort Worth market, helping businesses find the perfect space to grow. She lives with her cats, Arlo and Pote and her boyfriend Nigel – a future Navy pilot! She loves the adventure life constantly brings!

Rachel Green
Mini/Jr. Legends Director

Jason Ambrose
Ballet Instructor

Starting dance at the late age of 16 and beginning his formal ballet training a year later, Jason Ambrose, of Virginia Beach, VA., began his studies at the Virginia Beach Ballet Academy under the direction of Ana Maria Martinez. He furthered his training at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School where he danced roles in company productions such as Terrance Orr’s “The Nutcracker” and Derek Deane’s “Alice in Wonderland”. He has been accepted into and attended many prestigious year-round and summer programs such as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and The Kirov Academy of Ballet, all on scholarship. Jason has had the opportunity to study closely with teachers such as Hector Zaraspe, Marina Stavitskaya, Deborah Wingert, Daniel Ulbricht, Andrei Bossov, and the late Peter O’Brian. He is an alumnus of the Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program where he was coached and mentored by master teacher Edward Ellison.  

Jason has been recognized as “a rapidly rising choreographic talent”. His work has been featured in the annual Dance Against Cancer Benefit Gala (NYC), the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition Closing Gala and has been invited to be performed in the Youth America Grand Prix, (YAGP), closing gala in Lincoln Center. He has choreographed for and coached numerous Top Three winners in the YAGP Contemporary and Classical Solo Categories and was also a coach to the 2020 Prix de Lausanne Second Prize Winner. Jason received the 2020 WBAC Grand Prix Outstanding Teacher Award. In 2021 Jason was featured in Pointe and Dance Magazine. 

As an instructor he has been a guest teacher, faculty member, and choreographer for Boston Ballet, the Manhattan Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Ellison Ballet, Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory, NY, Charlottesville Ballet, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Dancers Give Back Dallas, the University of Texas at Austin, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp, Canadian Dance Company, Oklahoma City Ballet School, SoulEscape, Elite Classical Coaching, and Adrenaline Dance Convention. Jason worked as Ballet Director for Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center in Frisco, Texas and Canadian Dance Company in Oakville, Ontario. Jason served as a jury member for the 2021 San Francisco Dance Film Fest. 

Jason was personally invited by St. Petersburg Conservatory Dean and former Mariinsky (Kirov Ballet) Director, Oleg Vinogradov, to St. Petersburg, Russia as the first African American to study in their Ballet Masters and Choreographers Degree Program and to dance with the Ballet Theatre of the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. Jason travels the country, and internationally, as a guest ballet teacher and classical and contemporary choreographer. Ambrose has served as Resident Choreographer for Ellison Ballet, NYC, Ballet Master at Elite Classical Coaching, and a judge and teacher for Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and Japan Grand Prix. He was a Men’s Faculty member and the Children’s Division Principal at San Francisco Ballet School from 2020-2023 where he taught Levels 1-8 and SFB Trainees. 

Jade Bittner
Hip Hop Instructor

My name is Jade Bittner, I’m 20 years old and a junior at TCU. I grew up in Buda, right outside of Austin, and have about 10 years of experience in competitive dance. I trained mostly in hip hop and other urban styles, and I’m excited to be teaching this year!

Addie Mendolia
Tap Instructor

Addie is a tap dancer/instructor based in Dallas, Tx, who trained at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center during her formative years. Addie’s love of tap was displayed as a member of multiple youth companies, including Rhythmic Souls Tap company and Hyperfeet Youth Tap Ensemble. Once she graduated high school, she moved to New York City in order to further her preprofessional training, and performed at the Steps Beyond Foundation as well as in a production at the Arts on Cite theater produced by Derick Grant. She is also an alumni of the School at Jacobs Pillow class of 2021 and 2023, and has been an intern at RIFF Dallas and MiniShed tap camp. Addie is now back in her home town working towards a degree in Speech Language Pathology while continuing her love of teaching at NSD!

Leon McKenzie
Hip Hop Instructor