Julestarz Dance Academy
Faculty & Staff
Academy Owner
Ms. Julie Kenny
Owner
Ms. Julie Kenny holds a Masters Degree in Arts and Humanities in Dance and Theatre from The State University of New York at Buffalo and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from Westminster College. Julie has been a faculty member of the Theatre Studies Program at Niagara University where she taught dance classes for three years. She also taught theatre, acting, and public speaking classes at Daemen College. She is a tenured music teacher for the Buffalo Public School District and the Baltimore County Public School District, where she taught music to grades K through 8. Julie was an NFL cheerleader for the Buffalo Bills for three years, and served as captain for one season.Read More…
Dance Instructors
Ms. Liz
Competition Team Director/Dance Instructor
Ms. Liz Strehle started dance at age three and has had nineteen years of dance training in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Jazz. She has been teaching dance classes for five years. She is from Pensacola,FL and recently moved to Tampa in June to pursue her bachlor of arts in Dance. Liz has danced for Pensacola School of Ballet and the Emerald Coast Ballet Company, training under Anthea Nader and Marrol Hiederaly.Read More…
Ms. Sarah
Assistant Competition Director/Dance Instructor
Sarah Lochridge has been dancing for 32 years, and has had the opportunity to teach at studios across the country and beyond. Her career began at Cheryl’s Dance Studio of Baytown, Texas where she studied and competed in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Musical Theatre. As a dance scholarship recipient, Sarah studied modern dance under Dr. Suzanne Oliver and Rob Davidson at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas. While completing school, Sarah was on staff at Premier Dance Academy as the Mini Company director..
Ms. Candice
Dance Instructor
Ms. Candice Cunningham is from Mesa, AZ, where she graduated from MCC with her AFA in dance, highest distinction. She continued her Dance Education at Cornish College of the Arts where she graduated with her BFA in Dance. While at MCC she performed with the MCC Dance Company for two years, during which time she displayed her choreographic works alongside faculty.Read More…
Ms. Shani
Dance Instructor
Ms Shani is originally from a small town in New Hampshire and began her dance journey at the age of eight at Kathy Blake’s Dance Studio. What started with Jazz quickly blossomed into a lifelong passion, leading her to train in Ballet, Modern, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and Hip-Hop. By 13, she was selected to join the studio’s dance company, earning opportunities to train in New York and Los Angeles at various elite intensives.
After graduating high school in 2009, Ms Shani moved to Tampa to attend The University of Tampa, majoring in Business Management and minoring in Applied Dance. During her college years, she served as Captain of the Spanish Dance Team and choreographed for UT’s Fall and Spring Dance Happenings. In the summer of 2011, she worked as a dance instructor at Camp Vega for Girls in Maine.
Her performance career continued to grow when she became a Tampa Bay Storm Cheerleader in 2012, returning for a second season after graduating in 2013. She also remained active in Tampa’s dance community by training, performing, and participating in local productions.
Ms Shani’s teaching career took her to North Carolina in 2015, where she taught at Dance Theatre of New Bern and choreographed for the New Bern Civic Theatre’s productions of Evita and Catch Me If You Can. In 2017, she joined Power House Dance, working with both recreational and competitive dancers.
Ms Shani has been a proud part of the Julestarz Academy family since 2019. She has loved watching her dancers grow, celebrating multiple first-place wins and title recognitions alongside them. Her passion for teaching, strong technical foundation, and love for performance create a nurturing and inspired classroom environment.
Outside the studio, Ms Shani enjoys spending time with her family—her husband Miles, and their children Ava, Deckard, Layton, and Leila—who are her greatest supporters.
Ms Shani is thrilled for another amazing season at Julestarz and can’t wait to continue sharing her love of dance with her students!
Ms. Bella
Dance Instructor
Bella started dancing at the age of 2 and hasn’t stopped since! As a member of the Julestarz competition team for 10 years until she graduated in 2024, her dances won multiple judges and special awards and received countless top overall placements. While on the team, she performed throughout our local community as well as Disney, USF basketball game half time shows, and even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. After being an assistant teacher for many years, Bella became a member of our teaching staff in 2021 where she shares her passion for dance through the technique, performance and competition classes she teaches.Bella is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at the University of South Florida and is on her second season as a member of the Golden Bulls Dance Club Gold Competition Team at USF. Through the Golden Bulls, she continues to be able to grow as a dancer and showcase her love of the stage in dance classes, performing in the community and on the competition floor!
Ms. Lily
Dance Instructor
Lily Grace Cummings, originally from Clemson, SC, moved to New York City at the age of 14 years old to be a Jazz & Contemporary trainee with Joffrey Ballet School, receiving a four-year dance certificate. Following her time at Joffrey, Lily received her BFA in Dance from New Jersey City University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Lily has since relocated to Tampa, FL after a decade of working professionally in the arts and entertainment industry in the Big Apple, and two years in Upstate South Carolina, as both performer and dance teacher. Read more…
Ms. Trisia
Dance Instructor
Trisia LaShon is an international choreographer that has worked withmajor artists such as Flo Rida, Trina, Natalie LaRose, Gladys Knight andmore! Her work has been featured on Major Television shows such as TheEllen Show, The Nickelodeon Awards, The Today Show , The Voice, andAmerica’s Best Dance Crew! Trisia has over 15 years of experience working with the NBA, NFL, and many competitive dance and cheer teams. Trisia LaShon has worked internationally on televised production shows…
Ms. Liv
Dance Instructor
Ms. Liv has danced at Julestarz since she was 2 years old. During this time she has trained in many genres including ballet, jazz, acro, lyrical, contemporary, and aerial hammocks. Additionally she has taken part in many master classes put on by top teachers and choreographers in the dance industry. During the years before she joined the competition team in 2022, Ms Liv also cheered and took gymnastics alongside of her dance classes.
As a current member of our competition team, you can find Ms. Liv in classes each night, performing in our community or on the competition stage where her dances have brought home many special awards and overall placements! Some of her performances include USF basketball game half time shows and Disney World. In the summer of 2025, after 5 years of being an assistant teacher, Ms. Liv joined our teaching staff where she combines her love of teaching and her passion for dance in performance and technique classes for students of all ages.
Ms. Regina
Dance Instructor
Regina Palazzolo is a Florida native who was born and raised in Trinity, Florida. She began dancing at the age of three and trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theater. Her passion for dance led her to pursue higher education in the arts, studying dance at the University of South Florida before earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Dance from the University of Tampa.
After graduating, Regina fulfilled her dream of opening her own dance studio, which she successfully owned and operated for ten years. During that time, she shared her love of dance with countless students while building a strong foundation in dance education and leadership.
As life evolved, Regina embraced a new chapter, welcoming two beautiful sons and relocating to the Sarasota area. There, she expanded her passion for education by becoming a second-grade teacher, where she has spent the past several years inspiring young learners in the classroom.
Now residing in Ruskin, Florida, Regina is thrilled to combine her love of dance and teaching once again. She is excited to join the Julestarz Academy family and looks forward to helping students grow in confidence, artistry, technique, and a lifelong love of dance.
Ms. Rachel
Dance Instructor
Ms. Rachel is a dancer, dance educator, and choreographer with over 15 years of competitive dance experience and advanced training through the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.
She has taught ballet, tap, lyrical, contemptorary, jazz, musical theater and acro as well as choreographed many pieces in the Tampa area for the past seven years. Rachel also performs professionally at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and ZooTampa at Lowry Park with Odd-O-T’s, combining her love of performance with her passion for inspiring the next generation of dancers.
Ms. Kirstyn
Dance Instructor
In addition to her dance background, Kirstyn is pursuing a career in Physical Therapy, allowing her to combine her passion for movement, wellness, and education. She believes dance should be both challenging and enjoyable, and strives to create a supportive environment where students feel confident taking risks, exploring their creativity, and growing as artists. Kirstyn is passionate about helping dancers build strong technical foundations while fostering a lifelong love of movement and self-expression. She is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with the next generation of dancers.
Ms. Alex
Dance Instructor
Alexandra Pelzer is a 24 year old choreographer from the Sarasota area. She graduated high school from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2020, and got her BFA in dance from Cornish College of the Arts in 2024. Since graduating, she has had numerous choreographic opportunities in the Sarasota/Tampa area including being selected as a Rising choreographer for Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s summer intensive in 2024, and being a resident choreographer with Break the Mould Dance Company in 2025. She has also been teaching at competitive dance studios in the area and recieved an Excellence in Choreography award at Nexstar Dance Competition in 2026.
Ms. Tatiana
Dance Instructor
Ms. Tatiana received her training through the Moscow State Institute of Culture and performed as a Principal Dancer spanning throughout Europe with the International Ballet Collective in Moscow, Russia.
She has worked as a choreographer with Olympic Ballet Theatre in Edmonds, Washington, as a teacher with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington, as a ballet teacher teaching both character dance and classical ballet at Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, Florida, and as a Summer Intensive Ballet and character dance teacher at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
In addition to working with dance studios and academies, she has also worked with ice skating and gymnastics clubs to help their athletes develop their dance technique skills for their routines.
Ms. Tatiana loves her dancers and looks forward to helping them grow each year.
Ms Marissa
Dance Instructor
Ms. Marissa has been dancing and tumbling for 20+ years, she started teaching hip hop in 2012 shortly before she graduated high school. Specializing in tumbling, hip hop, jazz, musical theatre and contemporary.
From 2011-2012 she was the varsity cheerleading captain at Wiregrass Ranch High School. In addition to teaching dance she coached gymnastics from 2023-2024 at Titanium Gymnastics and Cheerleading.
As Ms. Marissa teaches she takes pride in furthering her education in dance and tumbling by continuing to train herself.
Ms. Melanie
Dance Instructor
Melanie began dancing at just 2 years old and has developed a strong foundation in a variety of dance styles. Since joining Julestarz at age 13, she has competed as a member of the Elite Diamond Team and is currently a member of the Hip Hop Onyx Team.Throughout her dance journey, Melanie has trained in jazz, ballet/pointe, lyrical, contemporary, acro, and hip hop. She is passionate about continuing to grow as a dancer and has expanded her training by attending numerous dance intensives, including the USF SunDolls Dance Team Intensive and the UCF Dance Team Intensive.
Ms. Mali
Dance Instructor
Mali Davis is a dedicated dancer who spends lots of her time in the studio both teaching and dancing. She has been a competition dancer for 5 years, and dancing since she was 5 for recreational dances. She has been a soloist for 4 years and places often at competitions.
After many years assisting classes, Ms. Mali is excited to join our teaching staff and share her passion for dance with students of all ages.
Music Instructors
Mr. David
Music Instructor
Mr. David Cannistraci received his Bachelors Degree in Music from the The City College of New York, minoring in Education. He spent four years teaching piano, music theory, and music history at the New York learning Center in New York City and has extensive experience as a percussionist for Broadway Musicals and jazz sets.Read More…
Mr. Joe
Music Instructor
After hearing his music teacher strum a few chords in class Joe Weaver at the age of 9 begged his mom to let him take guitar lessons. Hearing the sound of the guitar was a life changing experience.
Mr. Hamilton
Music Instructor
Mr. Hamilton Ortiz is an active music teacher, currently working for Dr.Kiran Patel Elementary. He holds a Masters Degree in Arts in Music Education from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. He has been a music teacher for more than 10 years in which he had taught music from K-12 for diverse populations in group and individual settings. Read more…
Mr. Duc
Duc Anh Tran is a professional musician and passionate educator. Growing up in Vietnam, he spent most of his schooling years receiving professional training in piano performance at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. In 2018, he moved to the United States to pursue his American dream. Mr. Tran graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Music Education….
Ms. Lidia
Lidia Biedlingmaier was born in Ukaraine and has been playing the piano since the age of 8. Graduated with honor from Lutsk college of music and then received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Volyn National University. She has been teaching piano classes in Ukraine for over 25 years and has significant experience working with students of all ages…
Ms. Madi
Music Instructor
Ms. Madi has been playing music since the age of six, beginning with piano before starting violin at the age of ten. She has now played violin for seven years and has continued to develop her skills through lessons, performances, and involvement in school music programs.
She currently serves as concertmaster of her school orchestra and enjoys sharing her love of music with others. Ms. Madi hopes to encourage students to enjoy learning violin, build their confidence, and develop a lasting appreciation for music.
Ms. Katherine
Music Instructor
Ms.Katherine graduated from Valdosta State University with a B.A in piano performance. While in college she was a part of the Georgia Music Teachers Association as well as being the secretary for the collegiate chapter in 2022. She presented multiple times at the GMTA conference with other members on topics such as, “A Pedagogical Approach to Four and Six-Hand Playing” and “Exploring the Repertoire By Lesser- Known Latin-American Composer.”In 2025, she took part in the research symposium hosted at Valdosta State University where she presented “The Sleeping Beauty Waltz for Four Hands” and “Mini Tango for Piano 6 Hands by Manfred Schmitz”. She also performed in multiple community and fundrasing events for the studio. Katherine was also a part of the string ensemble, playing viola.
She is inspired by her own teacher to teach is excited to pass on the knowledge to others. It’s never too late to learn!
Mr. Abrien
Music Instructor
Abrien W. Nelson is a vocal and acting coach, piano and guitar instructor at Julestarz Academy of the Performing Arts. He is also a certified K-12 music educator and a second-year K-5 music teacher at Valrico Academy. Mr. Abrien holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater with a concentration in vocal performance from Jacksonville University. Mr. Abrien is a strong advocate for encouraging students to become lifelong learners and creatives. He employs a diverse range of teaching methods and resources to engage and inspire all types of learners. He believes that each student possesses unique talents and will contribute something distinctive to the community county, and the world. Mr. Abrien fosters confidence and encourages his students to develop their skills. He derives great satisfaction from witnessing his students blossom with innovation and creativity. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Abrien is an accomplished actor, singer, songwriter, and producer. His aspiration is to share his insights and knowledge with the next generation of artists.
Ms. Yetta
Music Instructor
Mr. Sandro
Music Instructor
Sandro Rogenski is a passionate and accomplished violinist and educator with over 15 years of orchestral and ensemble experience across the United States and Europe. With a strong foundation in performance, leadership, and music theory, he is dedicated to sharing a lifelong commitment to music, inspiring the next generation of musicians.
Mr. Sandro extensive musical education includes a Diploma in Violin, Music Theory, and Composition from the Conservatory of Music “Arrigo Pedrollo” in Vicenza, Italy, as well as study at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL.
He has participated in numerous master-level classes with acclaimed violinists including Leon Spierer, Enrico Balboni, Glauco Bertagnin, Michele Bettinelli, and Markus Placci, showcasing a continuous dedication to refining his artistry.
Mr. Sandro has performed with orchestras across Italy, Germany, and the United States, collaborating with renowned directors as Robert Moody, Mark Thielen, Dr. Jason Aylward, and has served in leadership roles such as Concertmaster. His performance experience includes Florida Philharmonia Orchestra (Concertmaster), Lakeland Symphony Orchestra , Wiesbaden Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Sachsenhausen Orchestra , Orchestra Fraglia dei Musici , Imperial Symphony Orchestra , Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico , Orchestra “Arrigo Pedrollo” and Orchestra Ducale “Ferrante Gonzaga” .
His experience in these diverse environments underscores his adaptability and mastery of the instrument, ranging from Italian ensembles to German and American symphonies.
Academy Staff
Ms. Kristen
Director Of Operations
Ms. Kelly
Office Staff • Step Up Scholarship Coordinator