Janicka A. Arthur is an entrepreneur, choreographer, public speaker, creative business consultant, and Chief Movement Strategist at Art of VIII School of Dance located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She works directly with aspiring dancers to guide them through physical MOVEment as they develop a mindset of strength and a soul full of passion where their physical victories truly reflect an inner transformation.

After finding her passion in dance at ETA Theater, she continued her education at The Chicago Academy of Arts, the nation’s premier performing and visual arts high school under the direction of Anna Paskevska and Randy Duncan. Over the years, she became well-versed in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and West African Dance receiving additional training from the Ailey School, Ballet Chicago, Jeraldyne’s School of Dance, and Deeply Rooted Productions.

In 2008, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. It was there that her passion for guiding aspiring dancers was born. She credits the art and technique of ballet for nurturing me into a woman full of confidence, strength and tenacity, able to overcome any obstacle placed before her. Her desire is to empower students with this same glass-ceiling-shattering motivation that drives her today.

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Jayce Day is taking over the front office position with both dance and business experience.  He grew up dancing in Florida and continued his professional  dance journey performing and teaching with a national touring dance convention/competition.  After hanging up his dancing shoes, he was Assistant Art Director for One Company Arts Productions, Executive Assistant & Creative Designer for Dance Culture Center and recently joined  Guess as an assistant store manager.

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Tiffany graduated from University of Maryland with a degree in Dance Education. She received her dance training from Steps on Broadway, New Jersey Ballet, Princeton Repertory Ballet, Garden State Ballet, and Broadway Dance Center in NYC. Tiffany has taught and choreographed all forms of dance for over 15 years.  Classically trained in ballet, Tiffany has performed lead roles in many.  Her favorites are the leads in Nutcracker and Coppelia. She has choreographed and directed productions of Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia and Don Quixote. She has been a Judge for both Starpower Nationals and Power of Dance Nationals dance competitions. Her company dancers have won national titles and her alumni students have continued their dance careers on Broadway and in professional dance companies.  With an eye for detail and an emphasis on technique, Tiffany enjoys creating unique pieces and helping dancers achieve their potential.

Zach Law Ingram is from Miami, Florida where he graduated from New World School of the Arts. He is a National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) Gold medalist and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Ingram trained with The Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Miami City Ballet, to name a few. Ingram went on to join Alvin Ailey’s second company (Ailey ll), and soon became a founding member of Space T.U. Embrace project. Ingram has danced with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Armitage Gone!, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Lion King Las Vegas, Lion King on Broadway, and Walt Disney World’s Festival of the Lion King. He has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Dwight Rhoden, Alonzo King, Martha Graham, Judith Jamison, Twyla Tharp, Karole Armitage, Earl Mosley, Troy Powell and Peter London.

An innovator and choreographer, Zach has set works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Lion King Las Vegas, Ballet Noir, Dance Black Dance Theatre ll, and numerous dance studios throughout the nation. He began his own company, 6 o'Clock Dance Theatre , non -for profit organization,were he serves as founding and Artistic Director  of 6DT, since in January of 2014- present, based in the heart Dallas,Tx.

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During the 2021-2022 academic year Zach will be teaching dance classes at Southern Methodist University, including men's class, partnering and advanced ballet. He will also be setting a new work on the students there in Spring 2022.

Lindsay Lancaster (Cincinnati, OH) is a choreographer/teacher living & working in New York City. Currently, serving as Head of Dance at The Institute for American Musical Theatre in Manhattan. Lancaster’s professional career began after graduating from the EDGE PAC scholarship program in Los Angeles. She has worked with many artists like Mel B (Spice Girls), Melody Thornton (Pussycat Dolls), & Taryn Manning, to name a few. Some of her T.V. credits include: X-Factor, Dancing with the Stars, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Abby Lee’s Ultimate Dance Challenge, & America’s Got Talent. Lancaster first began teaching as an assistant to Bobby Newberry all over the United States, Europe, & Asia. She also performed with CollidEdance (directed by Erica Sobol), L.I.T.E. (directed by Tovaris Wilson), & Life Ball in Vienna (choreographed by Anthony Garza). She was a principal faculty member of the BELLAMOXI dance convention from 2015-2020. Lancaster has years of experience choreographing, staging, directing, & educating artists for their most successful performances & careers.

Nick Leos is a theatre director and choreographer originally from Mesquite, Texas. He recently returned to Dallas from London, where he received an MFA in Theatre Directing from East 15 Acting School, founded by Margaret Walker and based on the work of Joan Littlewood’s famed Theatre Workshop. DIRECTING: small hours by Lucy Kirkwood and Ed Hime (US Premiere, FIT2019), The Skin of Our Teeth (Mountain View College), Macbeth (Company of Rowlett Performers), Antony & Cleopatra (Stockwell Playhouse, Off-West-End), Free Solo: A New Musical by Jack Godfrey and Celine Snippe (World Premiere, Drayton Arms Theatre, Off-West-End), In the Continuum by Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter (Bread & Roses Theatre). CHOREOGRAPHY: The Drowsy Chaperone, Mame, Damn Yankees, The Wedding Singer, Curtains, High School Musical, The Pajama Game, and more. He currently teaches in the theatre departments at Eastfield College and Mountain View College, teaches theatre dance at Rowlett Dance Academy, is a company member of Danielle Georgoiu Dance Group, and runs Leos Ensemble—a theatre group focused on plays with international themes. 

Taylar Green MacQueenette is a graduate of Texas Christian University and received her degree in Spanish & Hispanic Studies and a minor in Kinesiology. She’s also earned her Master’s in Language Education. She danced for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre (GHDT) for 3 seasons and served as Rehearsal Assistant for 2 seasons. Taylar received her training from The Ailey School, Carol Graham School of Dance, Alabama School of Fine Arts, The Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, and Centro Danza Oggi; she was also a member of G2, the pre-professional company of GHDT as well as interned with the company for 3 years. She has had the opportunity to perform and teach masterclasses with UNESCO’S International Dance Council’s World Congress and perform internationally. She was chosen as Indianapolis Art Council’s 2017 Featured Dance Artist for the Art & Soul Festival. Taylar has been teaching dance for 10 years now, and currently teaches at All Star Dance Academy in Haslet, TX and also performs with 8&1 Dance Company in Dallas, TX. 

Kyra A. McCarty is a teacher & choreographer of Dallas, TX. She currently serves as Assistant Studio Director and Performance Company Director for Rowlett Dance Academy. Kyra began her dance training in her hometown of Oxford, MS. At the age of 13, she relocated to Birmingham, AL to further her dance education at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Upon graduation, Kyra continued her training at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, where she received her BFA in Dance and a BS in Math. Throughout her dance career, she has received scholarships to train with Tremaine Dance Convention, Hubbard Street Dance/Lou Conte Dance Studio, Bates Dance Festival, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She has performed works by notable choreographers such as Fabrice Lemire, Martha Faesi, Allyne D. Gartrell, Jamal Story, Jill S. Rucci, Millicent Johnnie, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. During the day, she works as an operations manager for a venture capital firm. The rest of her time is dedicated to caring for her 6 year old daughter and future performer, and teaching dance to children and adults in the Dallas community.

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Ms. Amanda, soon to be "Mrs.", is 25 years old and has been dancing since age 9 and teaching since age 21. She has made roots in Dallas, TX, and teaches dance full-time. She specializes in Jazz, Contemporary/Modern & Drill and is passionate about encouraging her dancers to challenge themselves & exploring dance as a way to increase their confidence and express their creativity. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, hiking, thrifting, going to musicals & concerts & spending time with her family & friends.

Michelle is an instructor at Rowlett Dance Academy, teaching Hip Hop, Drill Team Prep, and Adult Hip Hop. She was the Team Captain for the Award Winning Royse City High School Golden Debs for 2 years, a Division I Soloist, and a TDEA All-State Dancer in 2020! 

Michelle has choreographed numerous Hip Hop and Jazz Funk routines for studio 7, Providance PAC, and the Golden Debs. Hip Hop choreography she designed and developed for the Golden Debs has been showcased and performed during numerous performances for the Royse City Community. She was a Semi-Finalist for the try-outs of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blues Choreography Competition, and she has had soloists that have made college and high school teams! Michelle has also had the privilege to be a guest teacher at Acrotex Gymnastics in Austin, TX teaching Hip Hop dance. She is well known for her crazy facials and love for Hip Hop dance.

This year Michelle will be taking a Hip Hop crew to World of Dance nationals in California!

Michelle has had the opportunity to dance with and learn from many top dancers and teachers from around the world! She has danced with Fikshun (from NBC’s World of Dance), Teddy Forance (a Co-Founder of CLI Studios who has performed with numerous top musical artists such as Madonna and Janet Jackson, and also performed at the Oscars, Emmys, Dancing with the stars, Ellen, Good Morning America, and with Cirque Du Soleil), Angel Roberts (a Nationally recognized choreographer, dancer, teacher, and award-winning costume designer), Hayley Mac Cooper, Gev Manoukian, Mary Ann Lamb, and several other professional dancers, teachers, and choreographers such as Octavia Ellison, Terrill Mitchell, and Harry Feril. She brings so much knowledge, talent, artistic style, joy, and expression wherever she dances! 

Originally from Illinois and currently based in Texas, Ashlyn spent most of her young adult life in the dance world. She spent 3 years as a student and intern at Peoria Ballet Company, performing in a variety of full length ballets and shows. She then went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Dance performance in just 3 years from Webster University, graduating Magna Cum laude and with a minor in management. At Webster she was introduced to Aerial Arts and trained under Monica Newsam. Ashlyn has experience teaching and performing on silks, Lyra, static trapeze, and aerial cube. She is also featured in the single point trapeze technique and syllabus book, “Aerial Dance for Dancers” by Monica Newsam. She currently teaches aerial and flexibility classes at Dallas Circus Center and Altitude Aerial Arts in Frisco. In addition to teaching she performs every weekend all over the DFW metroplex. Most recently, Ashlyn has began her career as a contortionist, training under former and current cirque du soleil artists through Las Vegas Circus center.

Hey y'all! My name is Thomas Russ, I am 24 and a professional hip hop, tap, and musical theater master class teacher and choreographer! I have been dancing for 16 years and teaching for 6, proficient and trained in multiple areas of dance. My professional experience includes dancing in college for the Georgia Tech Goldrush dance team, performing regularly for collegiate football, basketball, and community events, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Basketball Tournaments, and winning a national championship in 2021 in the D1A Hip Hop category at the National Dance Alliance (NDA) nationals competition in Daytona Beach. I have also notably performed as an opening act for a Lil Baby concert for the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball game and in the Super Bowl 53 halftime show featuring Adam Levine and Maroon 5, Big Boi, and Travis Scott. Since then, I moved to Albuquerque initially for an engineering job, but have transitioned to dance full time, dancing professionally for and teaching at the New Mexico Ballet Company (NMBC), coached the St Pius X High School Dorados dance team for the 2022-2023 academic year, coaching and choreographing for the Albuquerque Dance Collaborative (ADC) competitive dance team, judging for the dance competition company Headliners, and emceeing for the dance competition company Starpower. My goals from here on are to choreograph and teach as many people as I can in any environment I can for studios, college teams, conventions, music artists, and films/tv shows alike. I love what I do, God has blessed me with this gift which I intend to use and share to the best of my ability to entertain and bring joy to others through the art of dance. 

Allison Watson-Festner grew up in Plano, Texas and began her early training from ages 2 to 10 at Dallas Ballet Academy in downtown Dallas with Elaine Comsudi-Tate, Ildiko Perjessy, and Nathalie Krassovska. Her pre-professional training continued with Pat and Tanju Tuzer, and later with Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson where she danced with Dallas Metropolitan Ballet for 5 years. After training on full scholarship with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and The Rock School, she was invited to join Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet) at age 17. Her first performance as a professional was on tour to The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to perform with the corps de ballet in George Balanchine’s Swan Lake. 3 years later, after a serious injury, she left the performance world to pursue her passion for teaching. Now, for over 25 years, Allison has trained and mentored dancers in the Dallas area. Her own extensive training in various techniques lends to the well-rounded and versatile style that she imparts. She is passionate about helping dancers achieve beautiful quality as well as a strong and healthy technical foundation. Allison’s students have been accepted to Pacific Northwest Ballet School, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre JKO School, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ellison Ballet and many others. She has choreographed classical, neo-classical, and contemporary ballet pieces for area youth companies and individuals and has coached for competitions including finalists and a Hope Award winner at Youth America Grand Prix. Allison has helped many area dance schools develop a comprehensive syllabus to aid their foundational Ballet Programs. She also has attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Teacher Training Program twice in the last 10 years. Ms. Allison has been teaching at Contemporary Ballet Dallas since 2014 and serves as Director of the Ballet Program as well as Director of the Youth Ballet company. She and her husband live in Forney and love film, music, and cycling.