FACULTY
ALECIA LAKERNICK
STUDIO DIRECTOR
Alecia is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Meredith College with a B.A. in Dance , a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Campbell University with a B.S. in Spanish with K-12 education certification and is certified in Early Childhood Education. As Miss Henderson 1992, she won the Talent Award at the Miss North Carolina Pageant & was a Top Ten Finalist. In 1987, as Miss Topsail Island, she captured the only Non-Finalist Talent Award at The Miss N.C. Pageant and was chosen as a member of the Miss NC Performing Troupe. Alecia toured 5 summers with Hoctor’s Dance Caravan as an instructor, performer and head coordinator for the Caravan Kid program. Studies include: N.C. School of the Arts, The Columbia City Ballet, Wake Forest University, Dance Theater of Fayetteville, Broadway Dance Center (NYC) and Steps (NYC). She has choreographed for Dance Caravan, Miss Henderson Pageant, Miss Erwin-Denim Pageant, Miss Topsail Island Pageant, Louisburg College, Vance Rec Players, Granville Little Theater, Lakeland Cultural Arts center, Broadway & Beyond Theatre Camp, Imagination Station, Vance County Show Choir, as well as, for high school majorettes & twirlers at Triton, Midway, Webb and Northern Vance. Alecia has judged for many dance and baton competitions including: Star Talent, Applause Talent, On Stage America, Stars of Tomorrow and Drum Majorettes of America. She is a certified judge and instructor for Drum Majorettes of America and has over 30 years experience teaching dance and baton.
DASH MICHAELS
COMPETITION DIRECTOR
Dash Michaels began dancing at the age of eight in Charlotte, N.C., under the direction of Kathy Baldwin, Joanna Nichols and Jayson Michaels. Dash was a dancer for the Energy Source Dance Association and helped raise money for Operation Smile and was also a Dance Caravan Kid with Scott Benson. Dash studied very closely with teachers such as Frank Hatchett, Mia Michaels, Stepp Stewart and Devora Cooper. Dash Michaels was named Mr. Dance of Virginia for Dance Educators of America, as well as a three-time Mr. Dance of North Carolina for Dance Masters of America. He has been featured in many dance productions such as Gypsy as Tulsa, Coppelia, Road to Victory, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake to name a few. In 2000, Dash won Best Choreography for Encore DCS, Premier2000, Kids Artistic Revue and Choreographer of the Year for Star Systems Nationals. He has worked on productions for PBS, MTV, ABC Broadcasting, FOX television and 19 Entertainment. Dash has had the honor of teaching at conventions alongside Wade Robson and Marquis Cunningham on the Convention circuit. In 2006, Dash appeared on the syndicated television show, “So You Think You Can Dance”. Dash is the Executive Director of his own digital production company, DMDC and has directed & produced numerous shows such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Grease, The Miss Gastonia Pageant and the Junior Miss Pageant of Lynchburg. Dash has choreographed for Madonna’s 50th Birthday Bash at the Volstead Club in London, England and in 2022, he became the resident Hip Hop Instructor for the All Stars Competition Team as well as the Ballet Arts Competition Director.
CAYLA REED
COMPANY & RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
Cayla Reed has been dancing since the age of 10. She was born in Tampa, FL and moved to Geneva, Ohio when she was 5 years old. Her dancing career didn’t take off until she moved to Wake Forest, NC in November of 2004. She attended Dance Works Studio in Youngsville, NC until her senior year of high school. She competed at many dance competitions and attended multiple conventions/intensives all credited to her wonderful teacher and choreographer, Wendy Penatello Denney. In December of 2016 she graduated from The University of North Carolina Greensboro where she studied to get her BFA in dance. She’s performed an original piece from Martha Graham’s Chronicle, Prelude to Action, at the Joyce theatre in New York. She lived in North Hollywood, California as a freelance dancer/choreographer for 4 years. She is currently in North Carolina excited to get back into the dance competition scene, sharing her love and passion for the beautiful art of dance. Cayla is the resident Contemporary Instructor for the All Stars Competition Dance Team.
LINDA SLONSKI
COMPANY & RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
Linda has been clogging since age 9. She was a member of the Silverheel Cloggers in Randleman, NC and taught clogging classes there until attending UNC Chapel Hill. While at UNC-CH, Linda joined the NCSU Clogging team. She is a member of the competitive clogging team, Pride of Carolina Cloggers, where she continues to compete, perform and attend workshops, in ACHF and Cadence competition sanctions. Linda was inducted into the American Clogging Hall of Fame All American Clogging Team at the 2012 World Championships. Linda is the resident Clogging Instructor for the All Stars Competition Dance Team.
JEANIE CHROME
COMPANY & RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
Jeanie Chrome started her dance training at the age of 5 at Kay's Act II Dance Studio in Trevose, PA. Her passion for the sacred ritual of dance and the movement possibilities of the human body led her to continue her dance education after high school. In 2008, she received her B.F.A. in Dance from the rigorous training program at University of the Arts where she majored in Jazz Dance Performance. Miss Jeanie has performed with some of the most respected choreographers in the Pennsylvania tri-state area including Ronen Koresh, Christine Cox, Scott Jovovich, Molly Misgalla, Wayne St David, Kim Bears-Bailey, Donald Lunsford, and Ginger Cox. She danced as a soloist with Alchemy Dance Company for 5 years, as well as RHYP dance company, did industrial work with Mega Productions, Synergic Sounds Entertainment and 2Life Talent, Musical Theater with Mainstage Theater Company, worked the television pilot for the D-Train Comedy and Variety Show, was the face of Prissy Ballerinas tutu line, performs as a magicians assistant, and judges dance competitions. In July of 2014, she completed the Vaganova syllabus teachers training program under the direction of Mr. John White at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, and is now certified to teach levels 1-6. Vaganova’s syllabus is a world renowned standard of excellence in the training of ballet students. This amazing experience has completely changed how she instructs classes. Miss Jeanie was the owner and artistic director of Releve Dance Academy in Phoenixville, PA for five years where she taught 6 days a week as well as ran and choreographed for the award winning competition team. Her dancers have won titles, some have gone to college for dance and are even dancing and teaching professionally now. In April of 2021 she most recently became certified in Progressing Ballet Technique for junior, senior and advanced levels. Miss Jeanie is eager to have the opportunity to train a new group of students and to continue to nurture, challenge and motivate dancers to be the very best artists they can be.
GIGI CONDREN
COMPANY & RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
Condren is a 2023 graduate of University of Miami (Fl.) where she gained a B.A. in Criminology and Dance. Born and raised in the Boston area, she started dancing at age 3 and joined a competition team at age 9. She continued to compete in 4-5 regional and national competitions a year until she graduated high school in 2019. Attending a high school with a performing arts education, she refined her basic training while studying classic modern techniques and exploring west-African, Brazilian and other international dance forms. She has performed and choreographed dances in the genres of lyrical, jazz, hiphop, acrobatics, contemporary, modern, ballet and more. Before her choreography won numerous awards at regional dance competitions in the 2023-2024 season, she was a member of the Miami Motion Dance Team at the University of Miami. She even performed in the Shakira & Jennifer Lopez Superbowl Halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium!
PAIGE WORSHAM
Company & recreational instructor
Paige Worsham is from North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for high school. As a member of the ballet program at UNCSA, she performed in works including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Who Cares?, Tenderness of Patient Minds, Donizetti Variations, and the annual Nutcracker productions. She also performed in the inaugural Carolina Ballet performance of Western Symphony and attended summer intensives at Boston Ballet and Virginia School of the Arts. Following graduation, she danced with Atlanta Ballet. In New York City, Paige was a member and choreographer for the Peyari Dance Project and performed off-Broadway in association with Spotlight On Productions. She trained and choreographed dance pieces for Miss Virginia, Miss North Carolina, and Miss America contestants, and taught as guest faculty for the UNCSA Festival of Dance. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for college and law school and has continued to teach a variety of dance genres for 20 years across North Carolina.
PINKY THOMAS
COMPANY & RECREATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
Nicole Thomas affectionately nicknamed “Pinky,” embodies the roles of Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, Ethnographer, and Cultural Ambassador. With roots based in St. Louis, Pinky has immersed herself, since the age of 5, in a diverse array of techniques such as Ballet, Dunham Technique, Jazz, Tap, African, Hip Hop, and Musical Theatre. With over 25 years' experience in education, Pinky’s fluency in multiple techniques encompasses historical lineage, grounding movement in its cultural context. Passionate about working and nurturing creative minds, artists are challenged to embrace all forms and aesthetics of movement and music becoming diverse communicators.
OFU CAIRNS
SPECIALTY CHOREOGRPAHER
Ofu started dancing at Ballet Arts when he was 8 years old and took classes in the styles of tap, contemporary, jazz, clogging, ballet, and lyrical. Early on, Ofu showed a passion and dedication to the art when he started assisting Ballet Arts faculty members on top of his own training. He eventually became a student-teacher when he was 15 years old and taught tap classes here until graduating from high school in 2020. He is now pursuing his bachelor's in Biology at Swarthmore College where he's currently exploring the field of physical therapy and continuing to dance. Ofu now works as a guest instructor, coming back on his breaks to share his love for dance with our students.
BAILEY HADDOW
specialty choreographer
Bailey began dancing at Ballet Arts when she was 3 years old. She took classes like contemporary, tap, ballet, acro, jazz, and had many solos. Bailey loved dance and eventually decided to share her love by teaching classes at the age of 16. These classes consisted of ballet, acro, and tap. Bailey graduated high school in the year 2021 and began her studies at NC State University. She is now pursuing a bachelors degree in psychology with hopes of completing a masters and doctorate in clinical psychology. However this doesn’t stop Bailey from sharing her love of dance with others. Bailey is now working for the studio as a guest choreographer to choreograph solos and duets for our students.
AMY BROWN
STUDIO ADMINISTRATOR
Amy is originally from Norfolk Virginia and now resides in Henderson. She is a graduate of Shaw University, in Raleigh. Amy has many years experience teaching and directing praise dance groups in churches and the dance studio setting. She is a certified elementary school teacher with 30 years experience teaching in the public schools and was selected as Granville County’s Teacher of the Year for 2020. Amy has been affiliated with Ballet Arts for over 20 years.
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KRISTIN VICK
BATON
Kristin Vick is a Ballet Arts alumni. She is a former Competitive baton twirler and has trained in ballet, lyrical,tap, jazz, clogging and musical theater. Kristin traveled the country competing nationally for years and won many local, regional, state and national titles. She earned the status of advanced and elite levels. Kristin from seventh grade until graduation was the feature twirler for JF Webb high school as well as color guard captain. Kristin has been teaching twirlers for over a decade. She is a veteran instructor at Ballet Arts and is returning after a hiatus to focus on mommy duties for her recently adopted girls and toddler son. Kristin has master level skills in baton and has taught 1, 2 and 3 baton, fire baton, knives, hoop, streamer, flag, and rifle.
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CINDY BLEVINS
VARIOUS GENRES
Bio coming soon.
AMAYA BROWN
various genres
Bio coming soon.
phil lakernick
studio manager
