Sydney has spent the past 4 years dancing on the San Diego State Dance Team. SDSU placed 1st in the UDA D1A Hip Hop division her freshman year and most recently placed 2nd with the highest scoring routine in their teams history. Sydney is graduating this May with an accounting degree and is continuing her education at Belmont’s Massey Graduate School of Business. Sydney grew up dancing in Nashville and is super excited to move back and join Dance Mania Nashville!

Relocating to Nashville to join the Dance Mania family!

Sydney Studio Roles

Caeden grew up in Ashburn, Virginia and danced competitively at PowerWorx Dance for 12 years. She then went on to become a member of the University of Tennessee Dance Team and won 2 National Championships while being on the team! Caeden is going to graduate at the end of May with a degree in Supply Chain Management and a collateral in Marketing.

Nashville native and moving back home to join the Dance Mania family!

Caeden's Studio Roles

Nécole is originally from Hendersonville, TN. She began cheering at 7 and was a two time TYFA All Star Cheerleader. She later trained at Center Stage Dance Academy and was a member of the nationally ranked Station Camp High School dance team. In high school and college she performed in numerous musicals cementing her love for the fine arts. Nécole went on to earn a Bachelor’s in Theatre Education, Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction, and PhD in Exceptional Learning from Tennessee Tech University.

As a professional educator, Nécole taught students of all abilities in early childhood settings for five years. She also taught at Stephen F. Austin University and Tennessee Tech University where she trained pre-service educators on curriculum development and implementation. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Evaluation for Metro Nashville Public Schools where she evaluates schools, district initiatives, and educational programs. Her proudest role however, is being a dance mom to her own Dance Mania Nashville dancer!

Nécole will serve as our Preschool Curriculum Director managing parent communication, curriculum implementation, and best practice for classroom management in our preschool recreation program. She will also help coach our tiniest competition teams.

Nécole's Studio Roles

A lifelong dancer, Kirstin began her dance teaching career 24 years ago. She has combined her love of dance with her degree in early childhood education. While a veteran of teaching and judging studio dance, she recognized the need for dance in schools many years ago . She founded many of the middle and high school dance teams in the greater Nashville area resulting in many state and a national championship. Kirstin co-founded the Music City All Stars in 2006. Her award winningchoreography has resulted in numerous national championships and finalists in the USASF Dance Worlds. Kirstin has served as a member of the USASF Worlds Advisory Board, Varsity Dance Cast board, and very involved in the dance team industry.
Her biggest accomplishment in her life is being a mother of her 9 year old Emerson. She has a passion for education and helping each child find their full potential. Bringing dance mania Nashville to life is an incredible honor. She can’t wait to lead the many parents and children who choose to join our dance family.

Dana has been dancing/training for over 30 years and has extensive training in jazz, pom, hip-hop, ballet, and lyrical/contemporary. She was an original member of the very first Dance Mania team in 1999 and is an alumni State and National Champion. She has been coaching and choreographing at Dance Mania for over 18 years and has led numerous teams through successful and triumphant championships. In addition, she choreographs for nationally ranked school, all-star dance, and college dance teams all over the country. She has competed with the nationally renowned Top-Gun Open dance team in Miami, has been a part of the professional COA cheer and dance staff teaching camps and judging competitions, and was a back-up dancer for recording artist Jennifer Glass. In 2009, she was awarded the “Coach Leadership” award at a national competition. In 2010, she was awarded the “Dance Coach of the Year” award at the USASF dance world’s competition, where she was chosen amongst coaches from all over the world. She was named the 2022 International Coach of the Year by the International Cheer Union. She was also chosen to be a member of the USASF dance advisory board, and the rules & regulations committee. She currently is the owner, creative director, and choreographer at Dance Mania All-stars, a choreographer for teams throughout the country, and a dance judge for national competitions.

I have been exposed to and performed for world renowned choreographers such as Fernando Alonso, Ramona de Saá Bello, Ana Julia Bermudez, José Zamorano and a methodology conference with Alicia Alonso. These experiences taught me the strength and weakness of Cuban methodology. I was brought to Africa to lead the way into the expression of the classic, neo-classic and Cuban technique while at the same time expanding on my own skills, experience and technique with the Vaganova Ballet School. The synergy of my training has given me a unique visual style which has appealed to audiences and critics the world over and has awarded me as a principal dancer.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT
I have successfully executed the principal roles in the following performances: Giselle (2012, 2019), Don Quijote (2015), La Traviata (2016), Big City Big dream (2017), Carmen, Nutcracker and a contemporary performance Fire and Ice by world renowned choreographer Redha Benteifour (2018/2019). During my time at Nashville Ballet, I have appeared on the cover of Point magazine (Feb 2022) and performed the principal roles in: Lucy Negro(2022 – broadcast on PBS; national tour to Kansas City and Denver), Firebird (2022), the Snow Queen and Sugar Plum in Nutcracker (2022/23), Anthology (2023), Cinderella (fairy Godmother and stepmother – 2022), Autumn in Four Seasons (2023) all choreographed by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Two Neoclassical pieces by Donald Byrd: 1. The Reframing Narrative at the Kennedy Centre From Others Suns world premiere, 2. In The Time I Leave It (2023). Snow Blind (Zena – 2023) by Cathy Marston. 4T Balanchine (Four Temperament 2023 – Choleric). Tutto Tranne Il Lavelloe Della Cucina by Val Caniparoli (2022). A Neoclassical piece by Justin Peck: The Lord couple in The Year of the Rabbit (2023 – national tour: Charleston), Included in my repertoire of soloist achievements are: Cinderella – Fairy Godmother and Stepmother, Snow White – Queen, Giselle – Queen of Willis, Sleeping Beauty – Lilac Fairy and Pas de trois, Le Bayadère – Gamzatti and Shadow pas de trois, Nutcracker – Fairy, Dying Swan, Coppelia – Friend and Dawn, Contemporary piece from the repertoire of Joburg Ballet. Further I had several performances in Corps de Ballet. Together with pas de duex: Flame of Paris, Spring Water, Grand pas Classique, Black Swan, Don Quijote, Walpurgisnacht, Firebird, Rose Adage and Esmeralda variation.

As part of social and cultural development and exposure workshops in townships and poorer
communities, I was a brand ambassador for the arts performing for the youth. I further helped raise funds for cancer through a charity drive in Knysna and Hermanus in South Africa.
I frequently travelled to countries such as China, Ecuador, Colombia, Ethiopia, Zambia and Italy to showcase each company’s collaborative mastery of techniques.

MY TEACHING PRINCIPLES
 I Identify and develop each students strengths and abilities.
 Awakening the beauty of movement and flow in the style of the dance.

 Evoking the passion for dance and expression of movement.

 Grounding each student’s technique in the classic, neo-classic methodology.

MY CAREER SUMMARY
10.2021 – present Principal dancer - Nashville Ballet
09.2022 – present Ballet instructor - Nashville Ballet
09.2018 – present Ballet instructor and Physical Trainer – Claudia Monja School of Ballet
01.2012 – 09.2021 Principal dancer - Joburg Ballet
10.2005 – 11.2011 Soloist – Ballet of Camagüey Cuba
06.2005 – 09.2009 Aspirant – National Ballet of Cuba

Kaeli is originally from Nashville, Tennessee. She began tumbling at the age of 5 when she started gymnastics at Intrigue Athletics. She continued her training at DC Dance Factory where she danced for 7 years on the competition team. After her dance career, she pursued tumbling and began cheerleading at her high school where she won 4 state championships, and 2 national championships. In Kaeli’s senior year of high school she was one of 15 girls selected for the Tennessee All State Cheer Team. After graduating from high school in 2018, Kaeli continued to cheer in college and was on the University of Alabama cheerleading team. By having her mother, Susan Dorsey, as her coach and being able to watch her throughout the years, she developed a passion and love to teach tumbling.

Lance Bowie was a college gymnast at the University of Washington. He was born and raised in Anchorage,AK and was the first Alaskan male gymnast to qualify for the USA JO National Championships. He is now one of the cheer coaches for the Vanderbilt Cheer Team. He is known for his positive encouragement and is truly the biggest cheerleader to of all his students.

Ashley has lived bi-coastally between Nashville and Los Angeles, and has immersed herself in the entertainment industry learning, guiding and supporting her daughters as they began and grew in their acting careers. During that time, she found her passion for guiding others on their journeys in this ever-evolving industry.
Ashley has a degree in elementary education from The University of Kentucky. She is a former collegiate and NFL cheerleader and has worked commercially in the local market.
She now resides in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and adorable dog, Knox!
She is looking forward to helping educate dancers on opportunities to become involved in the entertainment industry.

Kyle was born and raised in Murfreesboro, TN. He began dancing at 2 years old and danced competitively through high school. He then was a cheerleader at the University of Tennessee where he graduated with a Supply Chain Management degree. Kyle is very excited to help spread his positive attitude and energy to all the students he teaches.

Gracie spent 15 seasons at Dance Mania Allstars where she was a 2019 World Champion. She then spent 4 Years dancing at the University of Tennessee where she went on to win 2 National Championships! She also travels all over the country to teach classes and choreograph routines. Gracie is graduating this spring with a sports broadcasting degree!

Madison Russell is from Long Beach, California and has spent her last 4 years earning her public relations degree and dancing with the national championship winning dance team at the University of Tennessee. During those four years, Madison and her team won a Division 1 Pom National Championship and Division 1 Game Day national championship. What she loved most about her career was cheering on the Vols in Neyland Stadium. Before her time at TN, Madison was on her high school pom team which collected 4 national championship titles at UDA. Madison now resides in Nashville and is so excited to to share her expertise and passion for dance with youth dancers and she can’t wait to meet you all!