Christine Bourgeois Autin, a native of Baton Rouge, LA, has been teaching ballet for 25 years and most recently taught at Revolution Dance Company in Baton Rouge, LA. She implemented the first dance program at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge in 2006, was Director of Dance, a Pilates instructor, and Psychology teacher at Episcopal High School of Baton Rouge from 2007-2011, as well as Co-Director and choreographer of The Bridges Project for the 2008 Young! Tanzsommer Tour in Austria and Germany. Christine was also the Production Stage Manager for Debbie Allen for her productions of “Dreams”, “Just Dance”, and “All the Right Moves”, has appeared on Mario Lopez’s “Name Your Adventure” on NBC, was a guest dancer for Luciano Pavarotti’s Concert Gala in Baton Rouge, and danced with former NBA player Glen Davis, the first year of Dancing with Big Buddy. Christine has trained around the globe, such as the Royal Ballet in London, Joffrey II in San Antonio, Joffrey Ballet in NYC, & The Rock School in Pennsylvania. She was also accepted into the School of American Ballet in NYC, Virginia School of the Arts, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Houston Ballet School. She was a principal dancer with Louisiana Dance Theater and Mid City Dance Project, & also performed with the Delta Festival Ballet & Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre. She is certified in Kathy Corey Pilates (formerly West Coast Pilates) for Mat and small apparatus, Reformer, Wunda Chair, Spine Corrector, Cadillac, and Ladder Barrel. She is also certified in PiYo, Progressing Ballet Technique, a Merge Level I practitioner, and recently completed the Dance Teacher Training with Australian physiotherapist, Lisa Howell. She is a 200-hour RYT & member of the Yoga Alliance, a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), a NASM Virtual Coaching Specialist, an AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor, a Fascial Fitness Trainer, & an Advanced Instructor & Master Trainee with Buti Yoga, certified in all 7 formats. Being a lifelong lover of learning, Christine is currently working on the Brain Longevity Therapy Training Certification with the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation, and will begin her 300-hour YTT & Ayurvedic Nutrition Certification this summer. Christine is excited to share her love of ballet, yoga, and fitness in and around Austin, TX, where she currently resides with her family. Click HERE for Ms. Christine’s schedule.

Melissa began dancing at age 2 and has studied dance across the world from New York City to Germany.  Her dance career has been very active in the local Austin community since 1999, teaching in numerous dance studios and Drill Teams in around the country. She is certified as a pre-school teacher where she is educated and trained in early childhood development and has spent the most of her adult life inspiring a love of life and dance in her students.  From 2013-2020, she co-owned Evolution Dance Center and created a nurturing home for professional seeking dancers with the award winning EVOLVE Dance Company. Melissa is passionate about cultivating an environment that is safe and explorative for her dancers, challenging them to set goals, take risks, and make change. Under her direction, her dancers have received regional and national recognition and her choreography been nationally recognized and awarded.   Melissa brings a fresh and exciting energy into her classroom, instilling confidence and creativity in her students.  As a military wife, she is ready for anything life throws at her, and is passionate about cultivating a future of leaders that are confident, powerful, fearless, and creative. Melissa’s goal is to provide a customized dance experience for each dancer based on their own personal needs and goals and to provide a safe space to explore their growth and lead us in the future. Click HERE for Ms. Melissa’s schedule!

Melissa Introduction Video

Kim was born with the love of dance and the love of children. Teaching and working with children began in High School and grew to be her passion. During this time, Kim choreographed solos and team routines, competed locally and nationally and was repeatedly recognized as an All-American Dancer.
Kim continued to dance on a scholarship to Blinn College Treasures Dance Team, traveling and competing nationally. Her education continued at Texas State University, in San Marcos, where she obtained a Bachelors of Science in Dance. During her studies of dance, she landed a teaching position at Hermann and Sons School of Dance, in New Braunfels, where she later became the studio’s director. Further training was obtained while assisting dance directors at Bailey Middle School, in Austin, and San Marcos High School, teaching conventions and master classes prepping dancers for auditions.
In 2006, Kim’s the youth director and mini company director for another local studio company, where she later became the coordinator for Blast Dance Convention and the office manager. Three years later in 2009, Kim opened her own business, where she was able to share the love of dance with preschool children all over the Austin and surrounding areas. Her passion continued while working at yet another local studio, where she became the office manager and director of their youth program.
In 2018, Kim moved to another local studio, where she was an office administrator and instructor for all ages; she later added the title of Mini/Petite Company Director. No Matter where Kim calls her dance home, she continues to share her love of dance with as many children as she can and will keep doing so in her years to come.

Jeannine has been dancing since the age of six. She trained in San Antonio at the Turning Point Dance Center and competed with Visions Dance Troupe her entire youth. For the last few years of high school she was in the prestige youth tap group RPM under the direction of Barbara Ryan Phillips.

She began her teaching career at the age of 15 and has had a passion for it ever since. After graduating high school she continued to teach, choreograph and perform all forms of dance. She joined the musical theatre world in 2017 with the Wonder Theatre Academy teaching Tap and Musical Theatre Dance and was most recently the Lead Choreographer for The Wonder Academy’s youth performance group, Premier.

Outside of dance, Jeannine works in events with a non-profit association supporting educators in the use of technology in the classroom. She most enjoys spending time with her family, especially her four nieces and nephews.

Jose “Zay” Galdamez is an artist and choreographer born in Inglewood, California and raised in Austin, Texas. Jose did not begin formally training in any style of dance until they were an adult but quickly fell in love with the connection that it gave him with music. Jose’s disciplines include hip hop and house, but he continues to train in other styles such as waving and locking. Although Jose did not get to experience a formal education as a studio trained dancer, he is a true believer that with hard work, anyone can achieve anything.

With over 35 years of experience, Leslie is a nationally recognized choreographer and instructor known for her cutting-edge style, award-winning choreography, and dynamic musicality. She has trained in Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop/Funk, Ballet, Tap, Breakdancing, Whaacking, House, and Cardio-Fitness under master instructors across the U.S.

Leslie teaches all ages—from toddlers to seniors—and has worked with top teams, studios, and competitions nationwide. Based in Austin, she’s the former UT Dance Team Coach and currently leads the Concordia High School Flight Crew. She owns Cutting Edge Dance and Music and Urban Dance Empire, and is the founder of elite hip hop companies The Empire and Lab Ratz.

Her high-energy classes, creative choreography, and bold personality have earned her the title “First Lady of Hip Hop” in Austin. She also DJs, creates custom music mixes, and travels the country teaching, choreographing, and judging.

Livv is a dancer, mentor, teacher and choreographer coming to us from El Paso TX, where she taught and was the assistant director at her family’s dance studio for over 15 years. Growing up a “convention kid”, she began dancing at a young age and danced competitively, primarily in hip hop, from ages 13 to 22.

She has an extensive resume (i.e., her first mini tour at the young age of 12, many local performances and dancing in the SunBowl halftime show with Rihanna) and a few competition choreography awards under her belt (i.e., Best of Streetz Albuquerque 2023, Tremaine High Score Preteen Line Dallas Summer 2024). She has trained in multiple styles over the years, both in the studio and traveling to various conventions (Pulse on Tour, Monsters, KAOS, 24Seven, etc), which gave her the opportunity to teach in those styles however she mostly teaches and has a love for hip hop, jazz, and jazz funk currently. She has also been teaching adult classes such as beginner hip hop, hip hop cardio and heels for 10 years.

“I take pride in providing an inclusive environment (especially for young girls) and hone in on performance, confidence & self love! Growing up dancing with my dad and brothers, there was a lot of things I had to figure out on my own as a female in the industry. My goal is to make dancing fun and exciting for each of my dancers while also teaching them skill-sets and life lessons they can carry with them long past their time spent with me.”

Bio coming soon

Avery, originally from Savannah, GA, began her dance journey at the age of 3. She’s studied a variety of movement styles, including tap, jazz, acro, ballet, modern and contemporary. She graduated from Emory University in the spring of 2021 with degrees in neuroscience and dance movement studies. There she gained a deep appreciation of dance as a link between mind and body communication. Now, Avery looks forward to helping others discover their own creative voice using movement as a means for self-expression.

Kyra Jackson is a dancer, choreographer and performer born and raised in Austin TX. She has choreographed for Impact Arts as well as Westwood High school Musical Theatre (starting when she was 17) . She has worked with many theatre companies including Impact arts, The Alchemy Theatre Company, Magnolia Theatre Company and Bandwagon Arts . She is passionate about theatre and dance and loves influencing the younger generation and creating bonds with the kids she teaches. She hopes to be a role model and inspire others to create!

Allie Keiner grew up in North Austin and began dancing competitively at a local studio at age eleven. After attending the Kirov Academy of Ballet summer intensive, Allie discovered her love for Ballet and began training more extensively once returning home. During the summer of 2023 after graduating, Allie attended DanceMakers Nationals event and was awarded a spot as a member of the ‘Collective’ assistant program. For the past two years Allie has been a student at the University of Arizona where she was a member of Ardor Dance Company, l. Now that Allie is back in Texas, she is so excited to have the opportunity to share her love for Ballet, while also having the opportunity to learn from all of the other incredible instructors!

Anna Kriofske grew up dancing in Winston-Salem, NC before she moved to Northampton, Massachusetts to attend the CLI Conservatory in 2022. After graduating from CLI, Anna moved to NYC where she lived for a year, continuing to explore her journey with dance. Anna has also attended Justin Giles’ SoulEscape events in the summers of 2021, 2022, and 2024, where she trained under Justin and the company in Dallas, TX. Anna is grateful to have had so many opportunities to connect with artists, share the love and joy of movement, and continue growing each day. She hopes to share this feeling with her students, using her experiences to provide new perspectives for them, create safe environments, and keep passion flowing in and out of the studio!

Kyrie Lloyd began her dance training in Philadelphia, PA where she studied classical ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Upon graduating high school, she attended Palm Beach Atlantic University earning a degree in dance. While at PBA, she had the opportunity to study under Demetrius Klein of Demetrius Klein Dance Company, Jin Young Lee from NYCB, and Eileen Hebron from ABT. She also performed and choreographed original work for the university’s dance ensemble. Since graduating college, she has been teaching at dance studios teaching all levels of dance, with an emphasis on ballet and modern dance. She also teaches barre fitness classes for teens and adults. She has performed for various South Florida dance companies and artists including Demetrius Klein Dance Company, REACH; A Dance Theater Collective, and Florida Grand Ballet. In addition, she has worked with MUSE Theater Company and has performed works such as CHICAGO and A Chorus Line. Click HERE for Ms. Kyrie’s schedule!

Selena Offenberg is originally from Munich, Gemany, and enjoyed a 14-year professional career; Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Nuremberg City Ballet, Germany; Paul Henry Dance Company, London; Concert Dance Theater, Munich; Michael Mao Dance and Dance Imprints, NYC.

Selena worked with choreographers Royston Maldoom of the Scottish Ballet and Mauricio Wainroth of Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal. She also trained with Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv; Ballet Rambert and Michael Clark in London; David Parsons and Alvin Ailey School in NYC.

In the fashion industry, Selena was a dance model in fashion shows with Nike, Reebok, Goldwell, Wella, and Mercedes Benz. Selena also worked as a personal trainer with members of the HBO Fitness Center, NYC, and in Miami. From 2007 to 2013, Selena was ballet mistress, instructor (all ages) and administrative director with the New Mexico Dance Theater School and Performance Company. Click HERE for Ms. Selena’s schedule!

Kelsey Oliver, an Austin native, is a freelance choreographer, performer, and artist in the digs for ridiculously experimental theatre, video, and dance. As she has taught a wide swath of styles, commercial/competitive dance forms, as well as experiential post-modern explorations, Kelsey has more recently fallen in love with Momentum + Floorwork, her squirrelly take on contemporary movement. Routinely in scrappy, maximalist, humor-struck collaborations, Kelsey has worked with Frank Wo/Men Collective, Rude Mechanicals, Salvage Vanguard Theatre, Magdalena Jarkowiec, Heloise Gold, Thee Gay Agenda, Body Shift, + more. Kelsey received a B.F.A. in Dance in 2015, studying at the University of Texas at Austin and Le Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers, France. She has also been an adjudicator, choreographer, and dance instructor for studios and teams throughout Texas.  Click HERE for Ms. Kelsey’s schedule!

Cassie comes to us from Iowa where she began dancing at the age of five. She danced competitively with Dance Centers of Iowa and had the opportunity to perform at events around the Quad City Area through her home studio’s company. She was a varsity member of her high school dance team for four years, and was selected as a senior officer. Cassie attended college at Iowa State University wher she minored in dance. She was a member and officer of the Orchesis I Dance Company, and was even selected to perform at the American College Dance Festival Association regional conferences. Cassie has a special love for the littles, but also thoroughly enjoys working with dancers of all ages in varying styles. She has been teaching for over twenty years, and loves to continue to learn as well.

Bio Coming Soon

Ally Rodriguez started dancing at the age of three years and has been moving ever since. She has 22 years of experience in tap, acro, jazz, contemporary and ballet and has been a student and teacher back home in San Antonio at Amy’s All Stars Dance Studio. With her love for dance, she was a part of her high school dance team for all four years and was colonel her senior year. Above all, she enjoys working with kids and is currently a middle school social studies teacher.

Jak Michael Ryan was born in Melbourne, Australia. Given his parents were Austral-asian champions and his aunties and uncles: world semi finalists. All of which owned a dance studio together….there was clearly no escaping a pair of Cuban heels and a lifetime in the Ballroom/ Latin world.
Jak’s career began being coached by his family. Jak’s dedication earned him many titles in Australia, all whilst honing his teaching skills in the family studio and schools around Australia. Teaching was always just as important as learning for Jak. At the age of 18 , ever hungry, Jak decided to venture to the United States to form relationships and gain knowledge from some of his favorite dancers and the top coaches in the business. From then on, Jak continued to absorb and pass on information from some of the best dancing minds of all time. Jak has dedicated his entire life to the purity and authenticity of Latin American dance. Jak takes great pride in entertaining, educating and empowering. His mission, with his own dancing or his students has always been to create dancing you can feel instead of just see.

Dani Simmons, CPT, FMT is a wellness professional who focuses solely on dancers’ health, fitness, and performance. A native Texan, Dani grew up dancing in the DFW area from a young age. She was heavily involved in her dance studio as a student teacher and was captain of her drill team. She then went on to study dance in college until her early twenties when hip injuries pushed her in another direction. This is where her passion for training and educating dancers about their bodies began. 

She then graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Texas State University, where she specialized in dancers’ strength training. Years of dance, coupled with a formal education in kinesiology and physiology, allow Dani to help dancers keep their bodies safe and reduce injuries so they can continue their passion for a lifetime. She has worked in fitness boutiques and dance studios across Texas, as a faculty member and masterclass teacher, with a focus on teaching and advocating for the healthy physical, mental and emotional development of dancers. 

Dani is a professional member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, as well as the National Dance Education Organization. She has contributed to many different organizations by writing articles and publications centered around dancers’ injury prevention training and development. 

You can find Dani teaching youth classes for CTDC north and south locations, as well as adult FUSE bungee fitness classes and private training sessions. When not teaching, she is hiking with her pups, taking yoga classes, or traveling the country. 

Click HERE for Ms. Dani’s schedule.

Amanda started dancing at 2 years old and tumbling at 4 years old. She has danced competitively for 27 years, yes even as an adult, and has attended numerous intensives and workshops throughout the US to continue enhancing her dance skills and technique. She was on her high school dance team all 4 years. She also served as the Historian her junior year and 1st Lieutenant senior year. Entering college to study Psychology and Special Education, she also joined her college dance team and began attending the Rockettes Summer Intensive. She continued attending RSI each year from 2014 to 2019. She then went back to school to get her master’s in social work at the University of Southern California.
Starting as an assistant teacher helped inspire Amanda’s future career. Her goal is to become a dance therapist and allow children and adults with disabilities to express themselves through the art of dance. Amanda loves working with children and teaching them dance and tumbling. Her belief is that dancing has made her a better and stronger person and dances/tumbles every chance she gets.

Alex Wood is a dancer and artist, originally from Michigan. He studied dance at Marymount Manhattan College, with a concentration in choreography. Since college, he has worked with several dance companies & performance art groups, including Ann Liv Young Dance Company, as well as creating independent works.