ARDM

Michelle Denny, B.A., early childhood education, is the founder of Dance Discovery (2000) and Avery Ranch Dance & Music (2012). She has over 30 years of dance training and has been teaching dance, tumbling & music for 34 years. She is licensed to teach grades PreK-6 and she is an experienced kindergarten classroom teacher and early childhood specialist.

Cherami has been a Dance Discovery instructor for 20 years. She trained at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She went to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond on a full scholarship and received a B.F.A. in dance/choreography. She has danced professionally all over the country. The most recent professional companies she has danced for are Wideman/Davis Dance from New York, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company & Circuitous Dance from Austin.

Karina Lucio is the General Manager of Dance Discovery studios overseeing the Central Studio, the Avery Ranch Studio, and all on site school locations as well. Karina holds a master's degree in communications and has been with Dance Discovery for over 15 years. Karina is the proud mom of Kallipe age 3. She works with our families and schools on a personal level coordinating everything from recitals to Dance Team vacations. For your convenience, Karina is available at both studios throughout the week.

Ashleigh Milton is the Office Manager at the Dance Discovery Allandale location. Ashleigh holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology from Texas A&M University, Whoop! She has been with Dance Discovery for over 3 years and loves being part of this dance family.  She has over 15 years' experience working with kids in a personal and professional manner. Ashleigh danced growing up, so she loves being back in the dance world seeing kids passionate about dance as well. 

Rachel has studied dance for 15 years including: ballet, jazz, tap, modern, Afro-Haitian and creative dance  She attended San Francisco State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and she also holds a Master’s degree in Geography from UT Austin. Rachel is the mother of three children, ages ten, seven, and four. For the past 11 years she has been a stay-at-home mom. Rachel enjoys sharing her love of dance with children and families. Rachel specializes in teaching young children. 

Carla has been dancing for over 20 years. She began the Pre-professional program at CBT at the age of 13 and studied under acclaimed choreographer Nell Hacker, Alisher Suboruv (former dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet academy and Moscow Ballet), Sally Hart (former dancer with Joffrey Ballet), and Julie Miles (founding member of the Washington Ballet).  In her professional career she performed with the Manassas Ballet Company and in 2017-2018 was a member of the Au Deum II dance company. Carla has a B.S. with emphasis in Sports Medicine and Exercise Science and a Minor in Dance from Belhaven University. Carla has been teaching children for 15 years and she loves watching each student find their strengths as a dancer and grow in their love of the art form. 

Jeannine has over 7 years of experience working with children. She got a Bachelors in Interior Design and a Masters in Sustainability Design at UNT and minored in Dance because dance has always been her passion.  She has 15 years of dance training and 7 years of gymnastics/tumbling training.  She enjoys seeing the students express themselves through movement and seeing them work together to explore different ways of telling stories with their bodies.  

Natalie Uehara is a former professional dancer who holds a BFA in dance from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC. She is an award-winning choreographer and sought-after dance and theatre educator who is skilled at helping performers of all levels reach their highest potential. Many of her former students are current professionals in the dance & theatre industries all over the world. She is proud to be the Musical Theatre Director at Dance Discovery & Avery Ranch Dance. Additionally, she is the Co-Director of the McCallum Youth Dance Company and the resident choreographer for MAC Theatre, both located at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy in Austin, TX.  

Tinka is a previous member of Texas Association Teachers of Dance(TATD) and Dance Educators of America.  She owned a dance school in Austin for 40 years and holds a BBA from McCombs School of Business, UT Austin. She is also a licensed Real Estate Broker. 

Cassidy has an extensive background in theatre and dance training with over 10 years of performance experience. She studied musical theatre at NYU Tisch School of the Arts before deciding to pursue a degree in PR at UT Austin. She holds a bachelors degree in Public Relations with a minor in Business Administration. Cassidy brings a high level of connection and organization to the customer experience at our studios!

Jamie teaches musical theatre and dance to students of all ages. She comes to us with a BA in Theatre Performance and a Minor in Dance from the University of North Texas. Jamie has been working with children for 5 years and her performance career has been diverse. She has performed in the American College Dance Festival as well as 13 years of theatre productions including commercial and film work. Jamie gives children the grace and love to mess up and get back on track that all of us need to learn and grow! Students leave her classes with incredible confidence!

Micah holds a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from the University of Texas at Austin. They have been working with children for 6 years. Micah has 17 years of extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary. Micah is  most proud of the immersive, multimedia project "machine organ50" that she co-created and performed in Austin. Each moment in Micah's class is magical. They make everyone feel included and valued each week.

Abigail has 7 years of dance competition experience, as well as 18 years of ballet and pointe training. Her advanced training in jazz, and contemporary make her classes challenging and invigorating for youth. She was a Kilgore Rangerette and currently dances professionally here in Austin for the Dance Project and Delve. Abigail holds a BA in fashion merchandizing from Texas State University.

Sami has been training as a dancer for 15 years at Dance Discovery of Austin. She was a dance major at McCallum Fine Arts Academy High School for 4 years. While studying at Dance Discovery she was a part of the Teacher Training Program directed by Cherami Steadman and assisted classes for 2 years. She is currently studying in college as she purses a degree in psychology with a primary focus in child development and a minor in dance. Sami is a gifted instructor that truly knows how to meet each child on their level and break down movement so that they can learn with ease.

Peyton has been dancing for 18 years. She was a member of the pre-professional Company at Dance Discovery of Austin for 6 years. She graduated from North Carolina School for Arts with a degree in ballet and will complete a BS in Food Science & Human Nutrition from Clemson University this August. She competed in the YAGP twice receiving an invitation to join the summer intensive at the Bolshoi without an audition. Peyton was also an esteemed member of the Clemson University Dance Company and she is excited to be coming home to Austin to teach our youth at her home studio. Peyton motivates teens and pushes them to high technical standards with the heart of a teacher and the spirit of a coach!

Amanda is a choreographer, dance artist, and teacher. Her love for dance began at a young age and continued to college earning a BA in Dance Performance from Keene State. As a student, Amanda’s choreography was selected to be presented at the American College Dance Festival. In her graduating year she was honored with the Alta Lu Townes Memorial Dance Award for excellence in the dance program. Following graduation Amanda became a dance instructor and performer in Boston, MA. As an artist she danced for the company Modern Connections, performing in Boston and New York City including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Center of the Arts, HUBWeek Boston, and Mark Morris Dance Center. As an instructor, she has taught students of all ages in varying styles. With over 10 years of teaching experience her joy for creating art through movement continues to grow. Amanda recently moved to Austin and is excited to meet new students and share her passion for dance.

Allyson is a native of Austin, Texas and began dancing at the age of 3. Throughout her youth, Allyson has danced competitively and on her middle and high school’s dance teams. Allyson continued her dance training at Texas Christian University’s School for Classical & Contemporary Dance where she earned her B.F.A in Modern Dance. Allyson has performed at American College Dance Festival, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, 254 Dance Fest, and Chutzpah Dance. Allyson’s choreography has been showcased on dance teams, music videos, TCU dance concerts, and Chutzpah Dance’s NYC show. Allyson is excited to share her love for dance with the next generation!

Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts with a minor in Dance from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has choreographed for a wide range of ages and productions, including theatre and circus performances. With a strong background in performance and storytelling through movement, Vanessa is passionate about creating engaging, supportive environments where students can grow in confidence and creativity. She is excited to help nurture children’s love for movement, expression, and the joy of dance. 

Cate is from Austin, Texas and has been dancing for 17 years. She started dancing at Ballet Austin at age 6, and at age 15 she was invited to Miami City Ballet’s pre-professional program where she trained for three years and performed with the company. She joined Colorado Ballet at age 18 and danced there for two seasons, performing corps de ballet roles in Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker, among others. In both Miami and Colorado, she was part of the company’s outreach programs, performing and teaching classes in schools around the states. Cate danced with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles for one season before returning to Austin to study social work at the University of Texas. Her favorite style of dance is ballet, and her favorite ballet she has performed is Who Cares? by George Balanchine. A fun fact about Cate is that she volunteers at the Arc of Austin doing art therapy with adults with disabilities. She is very excited to join the team at Dance Discovery!