| Teaching Staff |
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| Kelly Almeida |
| Miss Nicole is 23 years old and has been an instructor for 7 years. She has been dancing since she was 2 years old, and has studied in all aspects of dance including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and Tumbling. Nicole has competed nationally where she has earned many awards for her talent, including Dance Spirit's "Future Star Award" and was featured in Dance Spirit magazine with her partner. She was also awarded the Stars of Tomorrow Scholarship for Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in California, and after auditioning, was chosen for the Dance Olympus VIP Touring Group. She has studied with top choreographers such as Doug Caldwell, Joe Tremaine, Wade Robson, Dan Karaty, Myles Thorogood, Marty Dew and Laurie Johnson, and continues to work with many more choreographers throughout the dance industry. Her choreography has received numerous awards in regional and national competitions, including winning Best of Show Award for her Hip Hop production routine. She has choreographed for the Richey Suncoast Theatre and other local theatres. As a senior, she choreographed her high school's rendition of Godspell. She has also choreographed for the JW Mitchell High School's J.V. Cheerleading squad for the past 3 years. Nicole loves children and dreams of opening a dance studio of her own one day. She enjoys sharing her passion and making people smile. |
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| Nicole Vaporis |
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| *ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER* |
| *OWNER/DIRECTOR* |
| Miss Kelly has been teaching dance for the past 18 years, including owning and directing Kelly's Dance Academy for the past 10 years before relocating to the Tampa Bay area. She instructs all ages and levels for Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Tumbling. |
| *BALLET INSTRUCTOR* |
| During the time Emily studied technique, performance, choreography, and theoretical coursework with the Florida State University Department of Dance, she attended master class with Suzanne Farrell, a renowned ballerina and muse of George Balanchine. During her two years of similar coursework with USF-Tampa, Department of Dance-Ballet, she studied under Sandra Robinson and Gretchen Warren, professor of dance and author of Classical Ballet Technique. While studying, Emily also performed professionally in musical theater in various chorus roles in Oklahoma, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Hello Dolly, Can-Can, Cabaret, Chicago, Brigadoon; she performed soloist roles as “Helga” in Cabaret, played “Val” in A Chorus Line and choreographed a production of Jekyll and Hyde. Her teaching experience and education is extensive in classical ballet and also modern, contemporary jazz, lyrical, and also choreography and classical, pre-pointe, and pointe technique, as well as private instruction and audition preparation, labanotation, kinesiology, ballet history, and injury education. Her modern choreography (particularly “Little Amsterdam”) has won accolades and awards in state-wide competitions. Personally she has been given performance awards for her roles in Cabaret and A Chorus Line, and training honors in academy, as well as company performances. She has also lead several lyrical and contemporary routines for benefit and charity performances in Pasco, Hernando, and Hillsborough counties. Her ultimate goal is to convey her expertise through deep love and passion for the classics of ballet and the expression and emotion of dance, as well as the strong foundation of technique necessary for professional study and performance. |
| Emily Taylor |
| Miss Emily trained in the Vaganova method of classical ballet (but also with experience and knowledge in Cecchetti and RAD, as well as evaluations), Emily has specifically studied classical ballet/pointe from Russian ballet masters Sasha Yapparov, Pavel Fomin, and artistic director Robert deWarren, but also many other forms, such as modern dance, specifically from Dudley Williams (the oldest member of Alvin Ailey), and jazz, Russian character, classical repertoire and variations, partner technique, flamenco, belly-dancing, and ballroom. Her intensive training and performance experience with the Sarasota Ballet Academy and Company has led her to many ballet performances, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Etudes, La Sylphide, Les Sylphides, La Bayadere, Raymonda, Serenade, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Coppelia (Swanilda), and The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy). |
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| *BREAK DANCING INSTRUCTOR* |
| Mr Jessie is 26 years old, and originally from Bronx, NY. He has been break dancing since the age of 17, and enjoys teaching and competing in Break Dancing competitions. He has taught break dancing at the Holiday Rec Center, and the Calvary Church during summer sessions and after school programs, in which he choreographed routines for all of their performances. Jesse has competed and performed at many events. He was asked to perform for DARE and at police banquets. He also has performed with the group LFO in concert, Showtime, and for local area performances at Sims Park. He was awarded 1st and 2nd Place for all his competitions, such as the Annual Bboy Competition in Tampa, the Boys and Girls Club Break Dancing Competition, and other talent and break dancing competitons in both Virginia and Florida. |
| Jessie Almodovar |
| If you are interested in job opportunities with us, please send your resume to misskelly@kellysdanceacademy.net - subject: job information Our studio is growing quickly and we are looking for teen student instructors! Student instructors earn FREE dance lessons! Call for information! |