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The proud owner and director of Xpress Yourself Dance Studio, Miss Kristin, began dancing at a young age, studying several disciplines including: tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, acro and hip-hop. Though she has a love for all dance, Miss Kristin is truly in her element teaching and choreographing tap!
Miss Kristin continued her life-long passion for dance and received a degree in both Performing Arts and Business Administration with a minor in Dance Theater from the University of Tampa. It was during this time that Miss Kristin began choreographing and teaching. She also received many accolades at her alma mater including: Choreographer of the Year and Dance Student of the Year.
A talented teacher and choreographer, Miss Kristin continued to perform as well and was a featured dancer/singer/actor in Rome Saladino’s production of “Singin’ and Dancin’ in the Rain.”
While she loves being on the stage, her passion for teaching has always come first and she strives to be a life-long learner by attending events such as the Dance Teacher Summit and Dance Life Teacher Conference.
Every student that walks through the doors earn a special place in Miss Kristin’s heart. From babies to adults, she does all that she can to give her students a quality dance education and a second home to her growing dance family.
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Miss Cassandra can be seen in class teaching both academy classes and assisting with Company choreography. You’ll also find her behind the scenes helping to manage the studio and social media presence.
Growing up, Miss Cassandra’s favorite classes were always jazz and ballet. As she continued dancing, she was fortunate to explore other styles such as lyrical, tap, musical theater, hip hop, ballroom, and modern at her alma mater, Otterbein University. She continues to stay involved as a Board Member of the Otterbein Theatre and Dance Alumni Network. You can see her love for jazz and ballet influenced in her choreography.
Miss Cassandra believes all people are capable of dancing because dance is an expression of our feelings within. She also believes that all people are teachable, and, like any other subject, it takes the right teacher and interests to be discovered for a student to thrive.
Miss Cassandra is thrilled to be teaching and helping at such a warm and encouraging dance studio and loves to be part of the XY family.
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Brooke began dancing at the age of five in South Florida, training extensively in ballet, lyrical, jazz, and tap. By nine, she joined a competitive dance team, where she had a successful competition career. In 2013, she was recruited by Abby Lee Miller and trained at her studio during the summer of 2014.
In 2015, she advanced her training by joining a pre-professional ballet program. She later attended the University of Florida, earning a bachelor’s degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, specializing in biomechanics, anatomy, and exercise prescription as they relate to dance. At UF, she worked as an Exercise Specialist with UF Shands, helping individuals improve strength, mobility, and injury prevention–knowledge she applies to her teaching.
She began teaching dance in 2020 and is thrilled to be a part of Xpress Yourself, where she looks forward to sharing her passion and knowledge.
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Lexi began dancing at Xpress Yourself Dance Studio at the age of ten. While at Xpress Yourself Dance Studio she competed in all genres including Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. She graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in 2018. Upon graduation she moved to Texas and completed a Bachelors’ of Science degree in Exercise Physiology at Baylor University in Waco Texas. While attending Baylor University she taught at All That Jazz Academy of Dance for four years. She taught Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary Tap, Acro, and Hip Hop, as well as choreographing routines for their competition team.
Lexi is passionate about working with children and teaching them how to love and appreciate dance. Dance taught her the value of teamwork, perseverance and hard work and she’s excited to be back as part of the Xpress Yourself staff.
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Dez was born and raised in Queens, NY. She began dancing at American Dance and Drama Studio at the age of eight, training in various genres from Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern. Even though she was well rounded in various styles, Miss Dez connected to Hip Hop the most.
Miss Dez has had the opportunity to professionally train at Alvin Ailey and Broadway Dance Center in New York. She has taught Hip Hop for eight years in Philadelphia, PA. and is passionate about creating more pieces as she transitions to Florida.
She has received various awards for her choreography and continues to strive for greatness, not only for herself but her students as well!
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Leah started her dance training at the age of three at Southern Dance Theatre located in Boynton Beach. She was accepted and attended both Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos School of the Arts majoring in Dance. Leah continued her dance career at Marymount Manhattan College where she studied Entrepreneurship and Dance. She continued her studies outside of college at Broadway Dance Center training with choreographers such as, Theresa Stone, Phil Orsano, and KC Castellano.
Leah has choreographed for Loud Live Productions under the direction of Kenneth Fowler for the past four years and recently choreographed and performed at Immerse Fest in Orlando. Additional choreography credits include Fright Nights in October of 2021.
Although Leah teaches daily, she continues to train and is mostly known for her unique Contemporary-Fusion movement. She a member of Virtual Movement Academy, under the direction of Michelle Olson and Sakura Liu, as well as Unikiyo, where she is a company member.
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Ms. Marisa has been dancing since age two and hasn’t stopped since. A former Captain for Coral Springs High Drill Team, she’s performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Superbowl Halftime Show. She’s coached middle and high school dance teams, was a former director for Suntree Dance Academy, and created the Tiny Toes program. She takes pride in being a part of the XY Family since its opening and has worn different hats around the studio. Her ultimate passion remains with our smallest dancers in Tiny Toes and Preschool 1. She has continued her dance education by attending Dance Teacher Summit and Dance Life Teacher Conference. As a dance mom, she strongly believes dance teaches more than just dance.
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Miss Rosanne comes to Xpress Yourself with an impressive background including owning and operating a dance studio in the Pittsburgh, PA area for over 20 years. She brings an extensive knowledge in dance, and we could not be more thrilled to have her on staff! Some of Miss Rosanne’s accomplishments include: Board of Directors of Dance Masters of PA #10 for over 30 years severing as President for two terms and is also a member of Ceccehetti Council of America (Classical Ballet), Dance Masters of America, Dance Masters of Florida, and National Twirling Judges Association.
Miss Rosanne studied at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, Luigi’s and ABT. She has attended Dance Masters of America’s national conventions for the past 30 years, as well as the Teacher’s Training School and holds a continuous education with Dance Masters of America.
Miss Rosanne is delighted to introduce students to the wonderful world of dance and hopes to touch students’ lives in a positive way while exposing them to the art of dance.
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Ms. Kayla has been dancing for over 20 years and teaching for over 15. She loves all styles of dance but her heart is with hip hop. Ms. Kayla comes from a family of dancers as well as a family who previously owned a studio for over 13 years. Aside from dancing, Ms. Kayla is a full-time school teacher, wife, and mother to three beautiful kids. When she is not working or dancing, Ms. Kayla loves spending time with family, going on vacations, relaxing at home or the pool, taking pictures or making things!
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Miss Nia wears many hats at the studio and is truly a Jack-of-all-trades. When she’s not teaching an amazing class, you can find her photographing professionally and throughout the studio. Miss Nia brings an incredible amount of expertise in many different dance forms…and we could not be more excited to have her as part of our XY team!
In addition to recreational classes, Miss Nia works hard preparing our Company and Performance Team dancers for each and every performance and competition. After competing for several herself, Miss Nia moved to Cali, Colombia to begin her professional ballet training at Incolballet under the direction of Gloria Castro. She also began to train in Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, Hip-Hop and Tango.
Growing up, Miss Nia loved the freeness, explosive movement, and all around groove and happiness while dancing Jazz.
After attending Earl Mosley’s summer intensive in 2011, Miss Nia discovered a great passion for teaching and eventually became the Artistic Director of a children’s Jazz and Lyrical company with Be! Danza in Cali, Colombia. Miss Nia is constantly traveling and taking classes to expand her dance knowledge, to places such as New York City, Cuba and Los Angeles. Her goal is to give students a new language through which they can express themselves freely and confidently. Miss Nia is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also certified through Progressing Ballet Technique. Miss Nia is currently working on becoming a Certified Personal Trainer through NSAM. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Film.
Miss Nia teaches dance to instill confidence and body autonomy to all of dancers. Overcoming obstacles gives confidence to approach harder things in life. She hopes that at the end of each class, her students have faced a challenge and feel proud of the way they navigated it. Making progress everyday is an important life skill.
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Jaki Hicks started her dance journey at a young age with gymnastics, cheerleading, and dance. When she graduated high school, she continued her training in acrobatics and aerial arts in South Florida. She has trained and taught Acrobatic Dance, Aerial Dance, and gymnastics for over 10 years now, and has received her certifications in Acrobatic Arts, and Dance Cirque (Circus and Aerial Arts training for children). Jaki has participated in numerous studio and community events, such as “Dance for Food”, and “Wings to Fly”, as well as “Trunk-or-Treat”, Studio Spirit Week, and Competition events! Jaki recently moved back to the state of Florida and is currently performing aerial arts throughout the region with her circus troupe. Jaki is thrilled to share her knowledge of Acrobatics and Dance with the students of XY Dance Studio!
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Tricia, was born and raised in Miami, FL, and recently moved to the vibrant Broward County area. Her dance journey began in high school as a beginner, where she quickly discovered a deep passion and aptitude for the art. Through dedication, Tricia advanced rapidly and was honored to serve as Captain of the VPA Dance Academy during her senior year, where she first explored choreography by creating pieces for our showcase.
Tricia has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, modern, and contemporary, with jazz and hip-hop holding a special place in her heart. Tricia’s skills were honed through master classes with renowned dancers from America’s Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as the Captain of the Miami Heat Dancers and top LA hip-hop choreographers- all enriching her understanding of diverse styles and performance techniques.
With over 20 years of experience in both training and performance, Tricia has shared a love for dance as a teacher at studios, elementary schools, and a musical theater company, working with both children and adults. Now, as part of the front desk team, Tricia brings a dancer’s perspective to create a welcoming, supportive environment for students and families. “By combining my organizational skills, customer service expertise, and passion for the arts, I strive to help the studio thrive and inspire the next generation of dancers.”