Alyson Veit | Owner/ Director
Alyson graduated from Wittenberg University with a B.A. in Psychology and a Dance minor. During her years as a Wittenberg Dance Company member, Alyson choreographed numerous works including Number 4, El Jardin de Aquarila, Bane, and Weather, which was adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival in 2001. After graduating, Alyson attended The Ohio State University as a graduate student in Clinical Counseling. In 2006, Alyson opened Powell Dance Academy with the support of many, many friends, family, and dancers. Her goal is to provide an ever-improving, healthy, environment for children and adults to learn the many joys of dance. Her passion is Modern dance and she has trained in various forms including Graham, Cunningham, Taylor, and Horton. Over the years, she studied with professionals such as Shih-Ming Li Chang, Ligia Pinhiero, Karen Eliot, Susan Van Pelt Petry, and most notably, Carmen De Lavallade, former principal dancer with Lester Horton Dance Theatre and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. As a teacher, Alyson presents her students with the basics of Modern using contraction, fall and release, momentum, and internal connection. As the students gain confidence in class, improvisation is incorporated and eventually becomes a staple in class and advanced student choreography. Through improvisation, students develop their own unique way of moving through space; students develop a sense of their own body's true, genuine dance. Her choreography has been recognized and awarded at regional and national level competitions. As a small business owner, Alyson prides herself in running a successful program that helps produce well-rounded and strong-minded young people, fosters a sense of familial well-being, and, quite frankly, sustained a steady growth throughout the economic pitfalls of the past two decades, all while raising four children. Alyson and her husband Corey live in Powell and enjoy spending time with their 3 sons, Beau, Cullen & Tanner and daughter, Baya.
Megan Forlenzo | Billing Dept., Virtual Staff
Angela Higgins | Office Staff
Kathy Ramsey | Office Staff
Valerie Anthony | Office Staff
Natalie Lopez | Dance Team Coordinator, Instructor
Natalie has been dancing for over 30 years and has been teaching for over 20. She received her training with the River Cities Dance Company and River Cities Performance Academy (Formerly TJS) in Greenup, KY. There she trained in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, modern, and ballet. She competed at regional and national competitions winning nationals titles with her studio nearly every year. She was also involved with the company's production of "The Nutcracker" each year holding many prominent roles. Natalie also toured the US as a "Caravan Kid" and studied at Ballet Met's summer intensive. After high school, Natalie went on to study dance at The Ohio State University. She was also a member of The Ohio State University Dance Team, was an NDA Collegiate All American, and served as captain of the OSU Dance Team for two years. Natalie also worked as a Head Dance Instructor for the National Dance Alliance, traveling the country teaching students from elementary age through the collegiate level. This is Natalie's 7th season with PDA and 3rd year serving as the Dance Team Coordinator. She has loved being able to share her competitive experience and drive for excellence with the incredible Team kids here at PDA!
Rachel Cahayla-Wynne | Public Relations, Instructor
Rachel Cahayla-Wynne is originally from New Jersey where she studied ballet with Irine Fokine while also attending programs at Kaatsbaan and Ballet Academy East. She continued her training and education at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music where she earned a BFA and graduated Magna Cum Laude. While finishing her degree Rachel joined the Louisville Ballet and danced with the company for 7 years performing principal, soloist and corps de ballet roles in numerous ballets. Rachel has also performed with California Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Fokine Ballet, the Sedona Chamber Ballet and most recently she was Associate Producer for a short dance film that premiered as part of the Reflections Festival in Sedona, AZ. As a dedicated dance educator, Rachel has completed the ballet curriculum training at CPYB and has taught and coached dancers across the US for over 20 years. Along with her position at PDA, Rachel currently is also the Rehearsal Director for Dayton Ballet, guest Ballet Mistress for the Sedona Chamber Ballet and teaches at Lifetime Fitness.
Jenna Moomaw | Instructor
Jenna has been dancing since the age of three. She began her career at Dance Reach where she trained in Modern, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, and Lyrical. She competed in Regional and National Dance competitions through High School. Jenna attended The Ohio State University where she recieved her BSD in Industrial Design and a Minor in Dance. In 2018 she recieved her MFA in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College in New York City. While in NYC Jenna had the opportunity to study Post Modern and Modern dance with John Jasperse, Trisha Brown Dance Company, The Merce Cunningham Company, and many others. This year will mark Jenna's 10th season with PDA, and she is so excited to see dancers that she taught in PreDance now dancing on Jr and Sr team!
Amber Geiser | Instructor
Amber has been dancing for 28 years. Amber studied dance at Bowling Green State University and Kent State University. She also trained at the Broadway Dance Centre in New York and from various master teachers, including Savion Glover. Amber has recently studied under Ayodele Casel, Jimmy Tate, Sarah Savelli, Jason Janas, and Jumanee Taylor. One of Amber's proudest moments is when she danced side by side Gregory Hines at a literacy banquet in Columbus, Ohio. Amber has been a member of Columbus Taps and Hoofin' Rhythms, performing Tap Companies in Columbus, Ohio. Amber was also a featured dancer for John Kunkle's Miss America Road-Show and LeVeck productions, dancing state-wide for national causes. Amber has also been a choreographer for various Miss America preliminaries as well as being the Assistant Choreographer for several Miss USA State pageants. As a student, Amber holds many National Dance Competition titles, including Top Soloist at Starstoppers in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Kathy Miller | Instructor
Began taking gymnastic lessons at age 4 and began tap and ballet at the age of 9. She began student demonstrating for her teacher at the age of 12 and student teaching at age fifteen. She taught for her instructor for many years before opening her own dance and gymnastic studio in her hometown of Sandusky, Ohio. She was trained in the Cecchetti method of ballet and was tested in both the student and teacher syllabus. She was also tested and certified in Dance Masters of America and Dance Masters of Ohio. Through the years she has continued to teach, choreograph, direct many recitals, and attend many Regional and National dance and gymnastic conventions and seminars to stay current. Since moving to the Columbus area 20 years ago, her specialty has been teaching the young dancer and gymnast. After more than 40 years’ experience she still loves to work with the very young child and hopes to continue to teach them the joy of movement and dance. She lives with her husband of 43 years, and has raised 3 children and has 3 grandchildren.
Giovanna Scopetti | Instructor
Miss Gia started dancing at the age of three right here in Columbus, Ohio. She trained and danced competitively through high school before receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Wright State University. After college, she moved to New York City where she continued her studies at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Peridance Center. She performed professionally in NYC in a range of styles, venues and on tours. Her favorite dance performance there was with The Tap Factor Company at Carnegie Hall and her favorite musical theatre role was as the Dance Captain in Aladdin at West Virginia Public Theatre! She has taught and choreographed for many studios throughout Ohio and New York for over ten years but she has finally found her home right here at PDA! While dance was her first true love, she also enjoys bowling, beach volleyball, her job as a Graphic Web Designer and her two kittens Sushi and Cinnamon.
Madelyn Kraynik | Instructor
Madelyn Kraynik is a dancer, educator, and choreographer, originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana. In spring of 2023, she graduated from Sam Houston State University, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Marketing. Madelyn has been a guest artist with NobleMotion Dance, a professional company based out of Houston, Texas. Recently, she had the privilege of traveling to Lucca, Italy to train and perform works by Milan Kampfer, Maya Orchin, Evan Supple, Stefano De Luca, Julian Barnett, and others at Dance Italia. Throughout her collegiate career, she had the great honor of working and collaborating with various choreographers including, Francisco (Cisco) Graciano, Travis Lake, Adele Nickel, Joshua Manculich, Evelyn Toh, and Andy and Dionne Noble. Madelyn is excited to begin her journey this year in Columbus, Ohio to dance with Whirlwind Dance Company, under the direction of Joshua Manculich, and to continue her love for teaching at Powell Dance Academy.
Allison Wallace | Instructor
Allison Wallace is a dancer, educator, and choreographer originally from Greenwood, Indiana. She recently obtained her B.F.A in dance with a minor in Mass Communications from Sam Houston State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and worked with artists: Cisco Graciano, Adele Nickel, Andy & Dionne Noble, Travis Lake, Takehiro Ueyama, Gregory Dolbashian, Dana Nicolay. Wallace has had the opportunity to be an apprentice with professional company, NobleMotion Dance, where she was also an assistant to the directors of pre-professional company NMD2. Before her collegiate career, Wallace has been a guest artist with professional dance companies- Dance Kaleidoscope and Kenyetta Dance Company. She is excited to start her new adventure in Columbus as a Mover|Maker with Whirlwind Dance Company, as well as looking forward to teaching at Powell Dance Academy this season!
Kerry Cobb | Instructor
Kerry is a gymnastics instructor with over 11 years of teaching experience. She has been involved in gymnastics and cheerleading since the age of 8 and continued to cheer in high school (Cambridge High School) as well as at the University of Findlay where she was on the co-ed squad. Since the age of 3 Kerry has also been trained in ballet, tap and jazz at Danceworks, Cambridge, OH as well as Dublin Dance Center and Gymnastics, Dublin, OH. Kerry holds a BS degree in Biology, a MS in Regulatory and Quality, a MS in Forensic Toxicology and will complete her Doctorate in Regulatory Science in 2024.
Jessica West Regan | Instructor
Jessica West Regan (RAD, RTS) began her dance education at age 3 in Toronto. She earned her Honors B.F.A in Musical Theater from The New School University in NYC, diploma in Dance and Musical Theater from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, and Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies from the Royal Academy of Dance in London, with additional training at the National Ballet School of Canada. She has been trained in multidisciplinary ballet teaching curriculum including RAD, CPYB and ABT, and continues her professional development annually. Jessica has proudly been the Director of Ballet at Studio L Hoboken for almost 10 years in New Jersey. Before relocating to Columbus, she trained the company dancers full time in all of their ballet and pointe work, along with choreographing multiple dances for local and national competitions. Her original ballet program “The Ballet Element” is currently in its third successful year for Studio L at three of their locations in New Jersey. With almost 200 students, the curated assessment program specializes in technical training for the competitive dancer. Jessica is a proud adjudicator for the Stardance Alliance, and loves traveling during competition season to judge and inspire dancers across the US. In addition to her 15 years of competitive dance and ballet examinations, her NYC performance career included 10 years of starring in and dance captaining the off Broadway show, The Awesome 80s Prom, being featured in DANCE SPIRIT magazine, and numerous dance, choreography, acting and singing jobs in theater, TV and film in NYC and across North America.
Hannah Cousins | Instructor
Hannah Cousins grew up dancing competitively at Powell Dance Academy. While in high school, she began her teaching career at PDA. Hannah went on to get her bachelor's degree in accounting from Ohio University, where she spent 4 years on the OU Dance Team. As a part of the OU Dance Team, she had the opportunity to perform at school events, fundraisers, and national competitions. Hannah took a break from teaching to focus on her career at JP Morgan Chase and marry her high school sweetheart, Tyler. She is excited for the opportunity to come back and connect again with the dancers and families at PDA!!
Danielle Lapp | Student Instructor
Clare Mountcastle | Student Instructor
Natalie Vittorini | Student Instructor
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