Dance Teacher (Manager)

Dance has been integral to Madison’s life since the age of 2. With a decade of ballet experience, she attended Orlando Ballet School for seven years. Additionally, Madison explored various dance genres at Lake Mary Prep for five years and later transitioned to a competitive dance team at Lake Mary High School. There, she trained extensively in multiple genres, with a particular focus on jazz and hip hop, for four years. This team significantly contributed to her development as a versatile dancer and enhanced her leadership skills. Madison held leadership positions on the team during her sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Currently, Madison is a student at Florida State University, where she continues to pursue her passion for dance through participation in her sorority's dance team. She is eager to teach and share her enthusiasm for dance. Beyond leading her teammates, Madison has acquired teaching experience by working with various age groups at numerous dance clinics. Her favorite part about teaching is seeing the excitement a child gets when they finally perfect a new step they’ve been working on. Madison aims to create a fun, engaging, and supportive environment where children are comfortable expressing themselves and motivated to achieve their own goals.

Dance Teacher (Assistant Manager)

Makenzie has loved performing arts for as long as she can remember. She started dancing at four years old at Dancers Edge, where she trained in a little bit of everything—jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, lyrical, and flamenco—and performed with the studio’s company. Dance quickly became one of her favorite ways to express herself and connect with others.

She continued growing her passion at Millennium Middle School, a performing arts magnet school, where she spent all three years in Dance 4, the highest audition-based class. While there, she also participated in chorus and musical theatre, giving her a well-rounded background in the arts and a genuine love for being on stage.

Makenzie has always had a heart for working with kids. As the oldest of six siblings (and one of twelve total!), she naturally stepped into mentoring roles early in life. In high school, she completed all four years of the Early Childhood Education program and helped teach in the on-campus preschool. She also served as president of the ASL Club and earned her Associate of Arts degree with a focus in Sign Language Interpreting—skills that help her bring communication, inclusivity, and calm to her classes.

Makenzie has hands-on teaching experience from running a summer dance camp, where she choreographed routines, designed costumes, organized a showcase for dancers ages 5–15, and helped bring the whole event to life from start to finish.

She is excited to be part of the Starz Program team and hopes to create a class environment where dancers feel confident, supported, and excited to learn. She loves seeing kids discover new skills and have fun while doing something creative—and she’s grateful to combine her love for dance and children in one place.

Dance Teacher (Public Relations (PR) Specialist)

Anabella has been dancing since the age of five. She gained her dance training throughout her childhood at a dance studio in Lake Mary for 7 years. Beginning her freshman year of high school, she broadened her skills by joining and training on the Lake Mary High School dance team. Over four years with the team, Anabella specialized in jazz, pom, hip-hop, and high kick. Her leadership qualities were recognized early on, as she held leadership positions during her sophomore, junior, and senior years. In these roles, she contributed to choreography for both the junior varsity and varsity teams.

Anabella is eager to share her passion for dance with others who have similar interests. While serving as a leader for the Lake Mary Dance Team, she worked with various age groups from kindergarten through 12th grade, conducting dance clinics and fostering a love for dance among students. Anabella aspires to leverage her extensive experience and unwavering passion for dance to provide her students with an enriching experience, ensuring a fun, safe, and comfortable environment!

Dance Teacher

Mackenzie has been dancing since the age of five and has trained in a wide range of styles including jazz, pom, kick, hip hop, ballet, lyrical, and contemporary. She trained at a dance studio in Longwood, Florida for nine years before joining the Lake Mary High School Dance Team, where she spent four years performing and competing at the varsity level. Mackenzie took on leadership roles as co-captain her junior year and captain her senior year. These experiences helped shape her both as a performer and a leader. She gained valuable skills in leading practices, assisting with choreography, teamwork, communication, and motivation.

Mackenzie has a deep passion for teaching and working with children. She currently teaches hip hop classes to elementary-aged students and is praised for her ability to make each class fun, energetic, and supportive. She focuses on making dance classes a space where students can express themselves, build confidence, and enjoy the learning process.

Now a college student majoring in Elementary Education, Mackenzie is committed to combining her love of dance with her desire to inspire the next generation. She hopes to create a space where young dancers feel confident, creative, and empowered to be themselves.

Cheer and Gymnastics Coach

Ainsley has been involved in cheerleading for over a decade. She began her journey as a competitive All-Star cheerleader at the age of 3. Over the last 13 seasons, she has gained experience in tumbling, stunting, and performing under pressure. In high school, she expanded her cheer experience by joining the Lake Mary High School cheer team, where she served as the sideline Team Captain and participated in the high school competition team. Over the years, Ainsley has competed at prestigious events including Cheersport Nationals, NCA (National Cheerleaders Association), UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association), the Cheer Summit, the Cheerleading Worlds, and High School Nationals. She is a Summit champion, A Cheersport champion, a US Trials Gold Medalist, a Worlds silver medalist, and she placed third in the country at High School Nationals.

Ainsley’s passion for cheer goes beyond performance. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a Junior Cheer Coach at one of Central Florida’s leading competitive cheerleading and dance centers. There, she worked alongside coaches to help athletes build skills, gain strength and flexibility, improve confidence, and develop stage performance. She led practices, guided athletes through routines, and created a positive environment where young cheerleaders could grow. Ainsley is excited to share her love of cheer with new athletes, aiming to provide a fun, structured, and encouraging space for every child to succeed and shine!

Gymnastics Coach

Leila’s gymnastics journey began at just three years old at the YMCA in Arlington, Virginia, where she trained for ten years and advanced through the program to the Xcel Silver team. She then continued at Classics Gymnastics in Charlottesville, Virginia, competing on the Xcel Silver team from ages 13 to 15. After moving to Florida, Leila joined Ace Gymnastics, where she competed on the Xcel Gold team from 15 to 17. After finishing her competitive career, Leila found a new passion for coaching. She has been working with children ages 3–13, helping them build confidence, develop skills, and fall in love with gymnastics just as she did. Leila is dedicated to creating a fun, supportive, and encouraging environment where every child can feel proud of their progress and celebrate their successes, big or small!

Gymnastics Coach

Sandra was a competitive gymnast for nearly 15 years and proudly represented Peru as a member of the National Team for 8 years. During her athletic career, she competed in numerous national and international competitions across South America and abroad, gaining extensive experience and a strong understanding of what it takes to perform at an elite level.

Her years as a high-performance athlete instilled in her the values of discipline, resilience, and teamwork; qualities she now passes on to her students. After retiring due to injury, Sandra discovered a new passion for coaching and has spent the past five years helping young gymnasts build confidence and skill. She has coached athletes of all ages and levels, from beginners to competitive gymnasts, and has attended both national and international meets with her teams. In addition to her gymnastics career, Sandra is currently a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), majoring in Health Sciences.

Sandra is deeply committed to creating a positive, supportive, and empowering environment where children, preteens, and teens feel valued and motivated to reach their full potential. Her greatest joy comes from watching athletes fall in love with gymnastics the same way she did… Through hard work, perseverance, and pride in every accomplishment.

Dance Teacher

AspenRose is originally from South Bend, Indiana, and has spent most of her life in Orlando, Florida. She discovered her love for dance at just eight years old and has trained at several studios, studying a wide range of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip-hop. A graduate of East River High School, she was an active member of the dance team, cheer team, and Color Guard—where she proudly served as captain.

For the past two years, AspenRose has shared her passion by teaching dance to children ages 2 to 10. She strives to create a positive and encouraging environment where her students feel confident, inspired, and truly fall in love with dance. Her dedication to helping children grow both on and off the dance floor drives her as she pursues her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF)!

Dance and Cheer Coach

Izzy began dancing at an early age and quickly discovered her love for the art form. A significant part of her dance journey began at her home studio, South Coast Conservatory, where she was fortunate enough to experience many diverse opportunities over the years. There, she danced competitively, attending conventions and national competitions annually. Around the age of sixteen, Isabella started as a teacher's assistant and substitute teacher before leading her own classes. Later, she became the co-director of a performance company and instructed competition teams. In addition, Izzy performed with several dance companies and was inducted into the National Honor Society of Dance Arts. She was also highly involved in her high school's dance programs as a song leader on the Pep Squad and choreographer for various dance groups.

After graduating, she spent two years in the Orange Coast College Dance Department while earning her Associate’s Degree in Psychology, and then completed her undergraduate studies at UC Davis. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with minors in Education and Human Development. While attending college full-time, she worked as a competitive coach at a local studio, where her teams and soloists received numerous awards. Izzy also served as a choreographer for her college dance team, cheering at sporting and town events. One of her favorite memories is performing at an NBA Game and traveling with her team for March Madness.

Coming from an artistic family, Isabella grew up surrounded by creativity and developed a deep appreciation for dance. She believes dance provides countless benefits, including coordination, discipline, expression, and athleticism. Izzy is excited to work with a program that promotes physical activity and brings structured movement in school settings. She looks forward to bringing her high-energy, enthusiasm, and passion for dance to every class and inspiring the next generation of dancers.

Gymnastics and Cheer Coach

Skylar started her gymnastics career at the age of 8 as a level 3 competitive gymnast. She took a break from gymnastics to do cheer for 4 years and returned to gymnastics at 13 years old. She has competed at the levels Excel Gold and Platinum up until the age of 18, until the week before she went off to college.

At 17, Skylar realized that since gymnastics was such an integral part of her life, she wanted to start teaching the next generation of kids to love the sport as much as she did. She began coaching recreational classes at her home gym in Maumelle, Arkansas. Once she moved to Orlando, FL, to start her college education, she began working at Broadway Gymnastics as a recreational gymnastics coach and eventually moved to Reflex Gymnastics to become a competitive gymnastics coach, coaching levels Excel Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Skylar has worked with ages ranging from preschool all the way to 18 years old. What makes Skylar a notable gymnastics coach is her deep-rooted love for gymnastics and her passion to want each individual child to reach their fullest potential, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. Skylar is also attending the University of Central Florida (UCF) for her bachelor’s degree in psychology to hopefully become a pediatric occupational therapist one day.

Dance and Gymnastics Coach

Ava has been dancing since the age of two, developing a strong and versatile foundation in ballet, tap, jazz, acro, tumbling, hip hop, and lyrical. She began competing at the age of seven with her local dance studio, where she cultivated both her technical skills and passion for performance. Throughout high school, Ava was a dedicated member of the varsity Marionettes dance team for four years where she continued her dance training and adding, sideline, Pom and kick. Her leadership and commitment to excellence earned her the role of sophomore officer, co-captain her junior year, and ultimately captain her senior year. Under her leadership, the team achieved a national title for their game day performance, marking a standout moment in her dance career.

In addition to performing, Ava has a passion for teaching. She currently teaches hip hop at a local dance studio, where she enjoys inspiring and mentoring younger dancers. Ava will attend the University of Central Florida (UCF) this fall, where she plans to major in Elementary Education. She has a deep love for working with children and looks forward to combining her passion for teaching with her creative background in dance.

Dance and Cheer Coach

For Kherington, dance has always been more than learning choreography, it’s about building confidence, creating friendships, and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She began dancing at just two years old and started competing at the age of four while training at a dance studio. Throughout the years, she has trained in all styles of dance, developing both strong technique and a love for performing.

As a four-year member of the Lake Mary High School varsity Marionettes Dance Team, Kherington embraced every opportunity to grow as both a dancer and a leader. She served as sophomore officer, co-captain her junior year, and now captain her senior year. One of her proudest accomplishments was helping lead her team to a national championship. More importantly, she values being a positive role model for younger dancers, just as older teammates inspired her when she was growing up.

Teaching has become one of Kherington’s greatest passions and she has experience teaching dancers of all ages. She believes every student deserves to feel encouraged, challenged, and celebrated. Her goal is to create a positive environment where dancers not only improve their technique but also leave each class feeling more confident in themselves.

As she enters her senior year at Lake Mary High School, Kherington continues to pursue opportunities to lead, mentor, and inspire others. She is known for her faith, dedication, and genuine love for dance, she hopes to help every dancer discover their own potential while making memories they’ll carry long after dance class.

Dance and Cheer Coach

For Peyton, dance has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Beginning at just 18 months old, she quickly discovered a passion for movement, performance, and the connections created through dance. Over the years, she has trained in nearly every style, allowing her to develop a strong foundation in technique while discovering the creativity and artistry that make dance so meaningful to her.

Entering her fourth year as a member of the Lake Mary High School Marionettes Dance Team, Peyton has embraced the challenges and opportunities that come with being part of a team. Through dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to growth, she has created unforgettable memories with her teammates, including the achievement of becoming a national champion. Beyond accomplishments, she values the friendships, lessons, and personal growth that dance has brought into her life.

Peyton has also found a passion for sharing her love of dance with younger generations. Through teaching dancers of various ages, she enjoys encouraging students to step outside of their comfort zones, build confidence, and find their own love for performing. She hopes to create an environment where dancers feel supported while continuing to grow both technically and personally.

As she begins her senior year at Lake Mary High School, Peyton looks forward to the future and the opportunities ahead. While dance will always hold a special place in her life, she plans to continue her education in college with the goal of becoming a dermatologist. She carries with her the values dance has taught her: discipline, dedication, confidence, and the importance of inspiring those around her.

Dance and Cheer Coach

Megan is an Equity dancer, performer, and passionate artist with a career spanning theme parks, theatrical productions, and international entertainment. Her professional credits include performing as an Equity Dancer in Festival of The Lion King at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and in Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire at Magic Kingdom. She was recently an Elite Dancer with Royal Caribbean International, where she performed onboard multiple ships. She also performed as an NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerleader and spent several years as a Company Dancer with Dance Theatre of Orlando.

Trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, musical theatre, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary styles, and more. Megan brings a diverse skill set and a strong foundation of technique to her work. Alongside her professional performance career, Megan has shared her passion for dance through teaching at Marshall Ellis Dance School and dance studios helping students develop their technique, confidence, and love for movement. She is excited to continue inspiring young dancers as an instructor with the Starz program, where she looks forward to incorporating the knowledge, skills, and experiences she has gained throughout her journey as a performer.

Cheer and Gymnastics Coach

Grace has been involved in cheerleading for more than a decade, beginning her All-Star journey at just five years old. Over the past 12 years, she has trained and developed a love for both tumbling and stunting. She has competed at some of the largest and most prestigious events in the country, including Cheersport Super Nationals, Jamfest Super Nationals, NCA Nationals, UCA Nationals, The Summit, and the All-Star World Championship—earning multiple national titles.

Having had the benefit of great mentoring through coaching herself, Grace’s love for cheer naturally grew into a desire to coach. From 2023 to 2025, Grace served as a Junior All-Star Cheer Coach at one of the nation’s largest and most decorated All-Star cheer gyms. There, Grace coached two full-season Elite teams of young athletes between the ages of 4 and 8 - helping them build strong foundations in tumbling, stunting, performance, and teamwork. One of her greatest joys was seeing the dedication and teamwork of her young athletes pay off in completing an undefeated regular season and then finishing as Silver Medalists at the All-Star World Championship.

Grace is also a dedicated student-athlete at Hagerty High School in Oviedo, where she is a member of the Varsity Sideline and Competition Cheer Teams. In addition to earning a UCA High School National Championship Title and being a State Silver Medalist, she has earned academic honors such as National Honor Society induction and Seminole Athletic Conference All-Academic Team Honors.

With her strong coaching background, upbeat personality, and genuine love for working with children, Grace is excited to bring her experience to the Starz Program. She strives to instill confidence, spark creativity, and help young athletes discover the joy of sport and the pride that comes from learning something new!

Cheer and Gymnastics Coach

Mila Ching has been involved in cheerleading for nine seasons, developing a strong foundation in both All-Star and school cheer. She spent seven seasons as an All-Star athlete at Top Gun, where she trained extensively in tumbling, stunting, and performance. Over the past two years, Mila has continued her cheer journey in coed cheer at Cheerforward while also cheering for Windermere High School. With her high school team, she has competed at the state level and advanced to Nationals, gaining valuable experience performing under pressure.

Throughout her All-Star career, Mila has competed at several prestigious events, including The Summit, Cheersport, and Jamfest. These opportunities have helped shape her discipline, teamwork, and passion for the sport.

In addition to competing, Mila has developed a love for coaching. She spent a year coaching at Top Gun, where she gained hands-on experience working with young athletes. During her time there, she taught tumbling, stretching, and cheer choreography, while also learning how to create a safe, supportive, and positive environment for children. Mila is passionate about helping athletes grow both in skill and confidence.

Mila’s goal as a coach is to teach athletes skills they will carry with them for a lifetime, both in cheerleading and beyond. She strives to create a fun, encouraging, and structured environment where every child feels supported and inspired to succeed.

Sports and Cheer Coach

Faith is a lifelong multi-sport athlete and student leader who brings energy, experience, and positivity to the Starz Program. With a strong background in varsity athletics and youth leadership, she loves helping young children build confidence, teamwork skills, and a genuine love for sports.

Faith grew up exploring a wide range of sports—starting with dance and soccer, then moving into All-Star cheerleading, golf, and tennis. These early experiences helped her appreciate both team and individual sports and the life lessons each can build.

In middle school, Faith continued competing at major All-Star cheerleading events, including UCA Nationals, All Out Nationals, and The Summit. She also served as Captain of her school’s sideline cheer team while also competing on her middle school’s swim and tennis teams and playing club volleyball. Throughout high school, Faith played Varsity tennis as well as Varsity and club volleyball, earning multiple national titles and contributing to a State Runner-Up finish her freshman year on her Varsity Volleyball Team. She also served as Co-Captain and Captain of her Varsity teams. With a desire to share her passion for sport, Faith coached youth volleyball camps, mentored younger players, and included active elements in her babysitting experiences. Faith has earned numerous student-athlete honors, including sportsmanship and leadership awards, Seminole Athletic Conference All-Academic Team recognition, and induction into the National Athletic Honor Society.

Faith is committed to creating a positive, encouraging environment where every child feels supported and excited to try new sports. She loves helping young athletes discover their strengths, build healthy habits, and grow in confidence through movement, teamwork, and creative play.

Dance and Cheer Coach

Claudia is an energetic and passionate instructor who brings a lifetime of dance experience, including 14 years as a competitive dancer. She is trained in all styles; however, her favorite is Tap! She trained at Performance Edge 2 in Boca as part of their competitive team for all 4 of her high school years. Through dance, she fostered her love for working with children as she would assist in teaching tap classes. In high school, she was also a member of the cheer team for 3 years and loved showing her school spirit mainly through chants and stunting!

Currently, Claudia is going into her second year at UCF as a Psychology major, also minoring in Nonprofit Management. She is involved in Knight-Thon, UCF's Dance Marathon, as the Outreach Director, which showcases her passion for helping kids and giving back to the community. On campus, she is also a member of Pi Beta Phi Women's Fraternity. She is thrilled to continue teaching kids through the Starz Program, inspiring the next generation of Starz!

Assistant Coach

Kiana began her journey in cheer and dance at the age of six and has continued to perform and train throughout the years. She has over nine years of experience in competitive All-Star Cheer; of those, six years were in All-Star Hip Hop. She has been part of her high school sideline team for the last two years.

Kiana was a part of a team that took home the gold in Summit, one of the most prestigious All-Star Cheer competitions in the world. She was a proud member of the USA Youth Hip Hop team, which also earned the gold medal at the ICU Championships. She was a junior cheer coach at one of Central Florida's cheer and dance gyms, guiding younger athletes through practices and competitions.

All-Star has taught Kiana to become a stronger and better version of herself, and what it means to be part of a team. She has a passion for guiding and helping others, and is excited to share her love for cheer and dance with everybody!

Assistant Coach

Zayda has a life-long love for dance and over 8 years of experience in performance arts. Her passion was first sparked at the early age of 6 when she started performing publicly across the state of Florida with a small group of hip hop students. This continued for years until she changed dance studios and began taking ballet classes around the age of 9. She participated in multiple recitals over the years and was even encouraged by her instructors to join a competitive team. The urge to be on stage continued as she got older, causing her to volunteer as a background dancer for her high school’s musical theatre productions.

After spending years training inside of a studio, Zayda is ready to share her enthusiasm for dance with others. Her background includes experience organizing children’s recitals as a summer activities coach. Although she’s worked with adolescents of all ages, Zayda has spent the most time around children between the ages of 2 and 10 years old. Now, she hopes to create an energetic environment where any young dancer can thrive to their fullest potential. With her extensive background in ballet and a bubbly personality, Zayda strives to teach the building blocks of dance while also having fun!

Assistant Coach

Yeidi is a Communications major at the University of Central Florida with a strong background in athletics and youth coaching. She brings five years of experience in both sideline and competitive cheer, including time with Colonial High School’s cheer team, along with two years of gymnastics training.

She has also gained valuable experience working with young children, coaching gymnastics for ages 3–7 and serving as a junior varsity assistant coach for her high school cheer team. Through these roles, she has developed strong leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.

Yeidi is an energetic and positive instructor who is passionate about working with children and creating a supportive, encouraging environment where they can grow, build confidence, and have fun!

Assistant Coach

Kaylee has been dancing since the age of four, and has experience in pointe, ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary. Training in Gainesville, Fl, she also participated in her high school's theater program, taking on the leadership roles of dance coach and choreographer. Presently, Kaylee continues her passion of dancing by participating as a member of a dance club at her university. These experiences have given her the valuable skills needed to teach: teamwork, discipline, and creativity.

Kaylee has also volunteered as a camp counselor at both Camp Twitch and Shout and a youth sports camp, where she supervised and supported children and teens in safe, engaging, and inclusive environments. She fosters a deep passion of encouraging children's creativity in a welcoming environment, where they feel comfortable and capable of embracing and expressing themselves through the movement of dance.

Currently a student at the University of Central Florida, Kaylee is majoring in Film and minoring in Creative Writing. She is thrilled to join Starz, and share her love of dance with the next generation.