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Elite Academy Staff

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Leslie 

Studio Owner

Career Highlights:

  • Graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Sociology and Criminology Certificate.

  • Three year member of the U of U cheer squad.

  • Assistant coach for the U of U cheer squad for 11 years.

  • Three year member of USA dance team. 

  • Awarded Riverton Business Woman of the year in 2021.

  • 2023 LA Dance Magic Dance Educator of the Year

Fun Facts:

  • Her hero is her dad

  • She despises cooking

  • She loves movies, shopping and watching her boys play sports

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Arial 

Company Director

Career Highlights:

  • One year member of the Hawaii Pacific University dance team.

  • One year member of the University of Utah dance team. 

  • Two year member of the NBA Utah Jazz dance team. 

  • Awarded 2020 coach of the year by the Utah Dance and Drill association. 

  • Retired from coaching drill team after 12 years. 

  • Certified in FRC and Emotion Coding. 

Fun Facts:

  • She has a screw in her foot. 

  • She is missing two of her teeth. 

  • She cannot live without her coffee. 

  • She enjoys traveling, working out and being with her family!

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Nacole

Assistant Company Director 

Career Highlights:

  • Featured dancer in High School Musical. 

  • Featured dancer in MTV Movie "American Mall". 

  • Four year member of Odyssey 2. 

  • One year member of Expansion Dance Company under the direction of Bonnie Story. 

  • Certified in Acrobatic Arts. 

  • Dancer with Royal Caribbean Cruises. 

Fun Facts:

  • Her heroes are Michelle Obama, Bonnie Story and Britney Spears. 

  • She has always been flexible but her fingers have never been able to bend backwards.

  • She enjoys dog sitting, wine, cooking with her husband & friends and of course choreography!

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Starrlyn

Rec/Tumbling Director, Preschool Teacher, Company Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Trained in dance in Utah since the age of 2.

  • Received many scholarships and overall awards during her years of training.

  • 3 year member of the Riverton High Dance Company under the direction of Peggy Caughey and Brynn Perkins.

  • Member of Expansion Dance Company in 2015, and Starry eyed Dance Company in the summer of 2016.

  • Toured with LA Dance Magic convention on their company in 2016.

  • Danced in Alex Boye "Drummer Boy" music video.

  • NBA Dancer for the Utah Jazz in 2016-2017.

  • Assistant coach for Kearns High cheer team in 2018-2019, Assistant coach for the Cedar Valley Drill team and helped them achieve their first region Championship their first year as a school in 2020.

  • Staff member for Dance America Summer Slam dance camps since 2017.  

Fun Facts:

  • Her hero is her dad.

  • She has a Respiratory Therapy of science degree.

  • She enjoys boating, surfing and shopping!

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Amy

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Began dancing at the age of 2, training in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop and clogging. 

  • Three year member of Hillcrest Drill Team. 

  • Three time National Drill Team Champion. 

  • Two year member of the SLCC Spirit Squad. 

  • 20+ years teaching experience. 

Fun Facts:

  • Her hero is her mom. 

  • Leslie was her teacher growing up. 

  • She enjoys camping, playing, games and being with family!

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Stocktyn

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • She has been dancing at Elite Academy since she was 2 years old.

  • Ballet West Nutcracker in 2014.

  • Performer with Odyssey Dance Theatre for 8 years.

  • LADM Junior and Senior Company.

  • Riverton Dance Company for 3 years.

  • Freshman on BYU Cougarettes.

Fun Facts:

  • Her parents are my heroes.

  • She loves anything and everything crafty.

  • She enjoys tanning, boating, doing puzzles and coloring!

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Maryann

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Miss Drill Utah/USA/International Top 5.

  • BYU Cougarette.

  • Graduated from BYU with a BS in Sociology and minor in Dance & Communications.

  • Walt Disney World Professional Dancer

  • Paramount Productions Professional Dancer

  • Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Professional Dancer

  • NYC Professional Dancer

  • Choreographer & Teacher for 30 years

Fun Facts:

  • Her hero is her mom. 

  • She despises creepy crawly things.

  • She loves shopping, fashion, all things pink, her 2 girly girls and her sports loving boys!

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Ashlyn

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Danced on the Weber State Dance Team.

  • Three time drill state champ.

  • Spent three years on Bingham High School drill.

  • Danced the majority of her life, along with cheer, tumbling, and junior Olympics gymnastics.

Fun Facts: 

  • She loves to travel.

  • Loves everything outdoors and summer is her favorite season.

  • She is a big fan of CrossFit!

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Carly

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Three years performing in the Ballet West Nutcracker, 1 year performing as Clara.

  • Performer Hale Center Theatre: Singin' in the Rain, Aida and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

  • Voodoo Productions Dancer/Actress

  • Modern Display Entertainment Performer

  • Scene Makers Entertainment Performer

  • Two years IntensiT dance fitness presenter. 

Fun Facts:

  • Her heroes are her mom and dad.

  • She lived in Australia from the age of 10 months to 6 years. 

  • She loves makeup, laughing and adventures with her husband and 5 kids. 

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Oaklee

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Current member of the UVU dance team.

  • Salem Hills assistant drill coach.

  • 2 year member of Maple Mountain High School drill team.

  • 2 year member of Maple Mountain High School dance company.

  • 1 year member of Maple Mountain High School cheer team.

  • 1 year member of Maple Mountain High School song leading state champion team.

  • Worked with epic.   

  • Began dancing at the age of 3, training in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, tap, and tumbling.

Fun Facts: 

  • Her heroes are her parents and her main dance teacher growing up.

  • She loves snowboarding, wake surfing, and spending time with her family.

  • She loves podcasts and self-help books.

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Ella

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Professional dancer with Shift Dance Company 

  • Former member of the Utah Valley Dance Team 

  • Assistant Coach for the Corner Canyon Dance Team for 3 years 

  • Recipient of 2, $20,000 scholarships to AMDA College

Fun Facts: ​

  • She loves Harry Potter. 

  • Scotland is her favorite place she has ever traveled. 

  • She has a puppy named Fozzie.

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Megan

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Two year member of the Idaho State University, Nationally ranked Bengal Dance Team. 

  • Two year All American USA Collegiate Dancer. 

  • Performer/Entertainer Las Vegas, Nevada Live Marketing. 

  • Performer/Entertainer Las Vegas, Nevada Physicians Formula. 

  • Performer/Entertainer Las Vegas, Nevada downloadingdance.com

  • Lead dancer in Minnie Maddens "Speakeasy" Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

  • Copper Hills Drill Team Coach 

Fun Facts: 

  • Her hero is her husband.

  • She loves being outdoors and hiking in the mountains with her family.

  • She absolutely hates spiders. 

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Cassie

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Started dancing when she was 2 years old, trained in all styles of dance.

  • Her favorite style of dance is ballet, and jazz!

  • Was in multiple nutcrackers over her career, some roles she was cast in: sugar plum, snow queen, Walt’s queen!

Fun Facts:

  • She is a mom of 2 kiddos. 

  • She can’t live with our coffee.

  • Pink pink and more pink, I love pink!

  • She is a dance photographer.

  • She also designs dancewear and loves it!

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Avree

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • She started dancing at the age of 4 and danced at Elite Academy for about 10 years.

  • She attended Bingham High School and was a part of the drill team, the Minerettes for 3 years.

  • She was a 3X State Champ

  • She is now attending University of Utah studying Education 

Fun Facts: 

  • She loves to shop and hangout with her family. 

  • Her favorite color is pink.

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Callie

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Three year member of the Copper Hills Drill Team.

  • 3X Drill State champion

  • 2X Drill Region Champion

  • 3X All-Region Drill Team member

  • Member of the Underground Crew

  • Performer with Odyssey Dance Theatre 

  • Assistant Coach of the Cedar Valley Drill Team

Fun Facts:

  • She loves Disney!

  • She is a cosmetologist outside of teaching dance!

  • She has the Cutest golden-doodle puppy named Remi!

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Noah

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  •  Dancer in the Thespian Festival.

  • Dancer Utah Ballet 

  • Dancer Odyssey Dance Theater 

  • Co-Director for Odyssey Dance Theater 2

  • Co-Director Expansion Dance Company 

  • Received Bachelors Degree of Fine Arts in Ballet with a teaching and performing emphasis from the University of Utah

Fun Facts: 

  • His hero is Ronald E Bright 

  • He absolutely loves french fries 

  • He loves hiking, working out and movies

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Cheryl

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Taught dance for over 30 years. 

  • Graduated from Utah State University with Bachelors degree in Business Education & studied dance there as well. 

  • Competition director of Classic Dance Competitions. 

Fun Facts:

  • Grandma to a beautiful baby girl. 

  • She loves to travel.

  • She is a huge disney fan!

  • Loves to read when she has extra time!

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Addison

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Been dancing since the age of two. Trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hiphop, tumbling

  • Began with Rokita Dance Center then once in high school also was apart of the Francis Howell Varsity Dance Team

  • Now apart of the Utah Valley Dance Team

Fun Facts: 

  • Her hero is her momma

  • She grew up in Missouri

  • She is majoring in business marketing

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Aubrey

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Trained in ballet, contemporary, and tap, primarily in New Mexico

  • Choreographed for Mann Dance Academy, San Juan College, and The Heritage Community

  • Teamed up with therapists to create therapeutic dance programming

Fun Facts:

  • She is from New Mexico, and she misses the food and culture!

  • She is a family life and relationship educator and work with adolescents and parents

  • She spends her time camping, fishing, and hiking

  • Had 10 screws put in her hips over several surgeries 

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Natasha

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Three year member of Cedar Valley drill team

  • One year member of Cedar Valley dance company

  • Drill region champion

  • Cedar Valley drill team assistant coach

Fun Facts: 

  • Her mom is my hero

  • She loves dancing, reading, traveling, and concerts

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Amanda

Teacher

Career Highlights: 

  • Currently a group fitness instructor specializing in barre, High Fitness, Surge fit, and dance conditioning at various gyms across Salt Lake County for the last five years.

  • Danced professionally in Rick Robinson’s Evolution of Dance for three years.

  • Danced on BYU’s contemporary company, DanceEnsemble for three years.

  • Taught dance for five years at various dance studios across Salt Lake and Utah county, including jazz technique classes at BYU.

 

​Fun Facts:  

  • She has 5 kids ages 3-11

  • She loves movement and being active through fitness, dance, or being active outside. 

  • She could eat street tacos and chips and salsa every day!

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Maleia

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Grew up dancing at local motion dance studio for over 8 years 

  • Bingham Dance Company for all 3 years of high school 

  • Moved to St. George for 2 years where she worked with a small professional company “St. George dance company” and got to be apart of the production hope for the new world 

Fun Facts: 

  • She is a student at Utah valley university studying elementary education! I love working with kids 

  • She loves going to concerts and anywhere that has live music 

  • She loves traveling the world, especially the beach.

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Chenelle

Teacher

Career Highlights: 

  • Former Utah Jazz Dancer

  • Dance Captain on Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Vision Tour 

  • Dance Captain Tony Robbins Virtual Seminars UPW, Business Mastery and Date With Destiny.

  • Has worked across dance, fitness, wellness and entertainment, with brands like adidas, Nike, alo, Disney, Women’s Health Magazine, MTV, Vh1, ifit, Fab Fit Fun, Motown Records, Harley Davidson, Forbes and the NBA. 

  • Chenelle has shared the stage with artists like Rita Ora, Lele Pons, Fuego, Peter Andre, Lindsey Stirling, Julianne Hough, David Archuletta, Flava Flav, Alex Boye, and more. 

  • Chenelle has had the opportunity to perform with and choreograph globally for the NBA, CBA, AFL, Broadway Rockettes, and in many national ads, fashion weeks (LA, London and Italy), industrials, film & TV. 

 

Fun Facts: ​

  • Her favorite color is orange 

  • She has a twin brother 

  • She has a small hobby farm with 8 chickens, 2 bunnies, 2 cats and 2 dogs

  • She loves to travel the world 

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Ella

Teacher

Career Highlights: ​

  • Current BYU Cougarette

  • Odyssey Dance Theatre alumni

  • Performed with Hale Center Theatre as an ensemble member in “Hello, Dolly”

  • Velocity Dance Convention MVA(+) alumni

  • Hollywood Connection teen company alumni 

  • Danced since I was 2 years old and have been teaching since I was 14

Fun Facts: 

  • I speak Mandarin Chinese 

  • Currently pursuing a BA in English and a minor in Contemporary Dance at BYU 

  • Trained under Bonnie Story from ages 2-13

  • I love reading, boating, painting, and spending time with my family

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Octavia

Teacher

Career Highlights:

  • Studied and competed many genres for 18 years including ballet, hip hop, pom, tumbling and jazz.

  • Former member of  University of Utah’s Spirit Squad. 

  • Ambassador for discount dance as well as many dance photographers.

  • Taught all levels gymnastics and trained employees at numerous gyms in the state of Utah.

  • Recipient of multiple scholarships and awards throughout her competitive dance career. 

Fun Facts:

  • I love to traveling and try to go somewhere new multiple times a year.

  • Currently in school for Digital Marketing and Digital Media.

  • I enjoy shopping, reading, and being with family and friends!

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