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.
Angela Higgins | Office Manager
Angela’s PDA journey began in 2007 as a dance mom. Fifteen years and countless costumes later, her daughter graduated, and Angela wasn’t ready to say goodbye! So, “Miss Ange” immediately joined the PDA staff in the summer of 2022. This year marks her 5th season as a staff member and her 20th season overall with Powell Dance Academy. Angela is happily married to her husband, Ty, and they are excited to be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year! Their daughter, Paige, is an elementary school teacher who will also be teaching at PDA this season. Their son, Calvin, is currently a sophomore at BGSU. When she’s not at the studio, Angela enjoys hanging out with her family and their dog and two cats, as well as reading, making crafts and spending countless hours scrolling through Tik Tok! Angela is incredibly grateful to be part of the Powell Dance Academy family and is looking forward to another exciting season!
Kathy Ramsey | Office Staff
Valerie Anthony | Office Staff
Jennifer Constancio | Office Staff
Jen lives in Powell with her husband of 30 years and has twins in college. Her daughter Delaney danced at PDA from the age of 3 all the way through her high school graduation. It was this chapter of dance mom life that led her to helping out at the studio. It seemed like a natural choice. Prior to kids and family life, Jen had a professional career working for Wal-Mart and still loves shopping there. She loves her cats, reading, crafting and continuing her love of dance mom life vicariously through her interactions with the amazing staff at PDA, the dancers and the families she meets.
Natalie Lopez | Dance Team Coordinator, Instructor
Natalie has been dancing for over 30 years and teaching for more than 20. She began her dance training with River Cities Dance Company and River Cities Performance Academy (formerly TJS) in Greenup, KY, where she trained extensively in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, modern, and ballet. Throughout her competitive career, Natalie competed at both regional and national competitions, earning numerous national titles with her studio nearly every year. She was also a featured performer in the company’s annual production of The Nutcracker, taking on many prominent roles over the years. Natalie also toured the United States as a Caravan Kid and studied at BalletMet's Summer Intensive. After high school, she continued her dance education at The Ohio State University, where she was a member of The Ohio State University Dance Team. During her time on the team, she was named an a NDA Collegiate All-American and served as captain of the OSUDT for two years. Natalie also spent several years as a Head Dance Instructor for the National Dance Alliance, traveling across the country teaching dancers of all ages and levels ranging from elementary school to collegiate athletes. Natalie is thrilled to be entering her 10th season at PDA and her 6th year serving as Dance Team Coordinator. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share her competitive experience, passion for dance, and drive for excellence with the amazing Team kids at PDA!
Jenna Moomaw | Instructor
Jenna has been dancing since the age of three. She began her career at Dance Reach where she trained in Acro, 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. Jenna’s works as an Exhibit Developer for museums full time. This year will mark Jenna's 17th season with PDA, and she feels so lucky to have such a long history with PDA!
Giovanna Scopetti | Instructor
Miss Gia began dancing at the age of three in Columbus, Ohio and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Wright State University. After college, she moved to New York City to continue her training at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and Peridance Center. She performed professionally throughout New York City and beyond in a variety of dance styles, theatrical productions, touring shows, and theme park entertainment. Career favorites include performing with The Tap Factor Company at Carnegie Hall, touring with the Holiday Dazzle Variety Show, and serving as Dance Captain for Aladdin at West Virginia Public Theatre. With over fifteen years of teaching and choreography experience in Ohio and New York, Miss Gia is thrilled to call PDA home! Outside the studio, she works as a graphic designer and enjoys bowling, beach volleyball, spending time with her family, her cats, Sushi and Cinnamon, and her newest addition, baby Nina.
Hannah Cousins | Instructor
Hannah started dancing at 3 years old and grew into the dancer she is today at Powell Dance Academy, where she spent 8 years on the competitive dance team. During high school, she began assisting and teaching at PDA and discovered her passion for helping younger dancers grow. Some of her favorite PDA memories include traveling to nationals with her team and creating team-bonding traditions, including the current PDADT families that still exist today. Hannah attended Ohio University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and spent four years on the OU Dance Team. During her time at OU, she performed at university games and competed with the team in their first collegiate competition at UDA in Orlando, Florida. Hannah currently teaches ballet, tap, jazz, and acro, with jazz being her favorite! As a teacher, Hannah strives to create a fun, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, work hard, and enjoy the process. She loves watching her students’ hard work pay off as they master new skills and reach their goals. Outside of the studio, Hannah is an Audit Manager at JPMorgan Chase and enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her two dogs, Harley and Koda.
Madison Ramsey | Instructor
Madison has been dancing for 20 years, starting with Powell Dance Academy’s inaugural season in 2006. She also danced competitively with the Powell Dance Academy Dance Team for 11 years in styles including tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, hip hop, and musical theater. She began assisting dance classes at the age of 12 and was a student instructor at PDA her senior year of high school. After graduating, Madison went to the Ohio State University and received her diploma and licensure in Middle Childhood Education with a Minor in dance. While at OSU she participated in a performance based student organization, Studio Dance, in which she did recitals each semester. With this organization, Madison was given the opportunity to teach and choreograph their intermediate and advanced tap class for three semesters. Throughout her college experience, Madison continued to come back to Powell Dance Academy to teach camps, summer classes, and substitute teach throughout the season. Since graduating she has returned to her second home as an official full time member of the PDA staff.
Abby Jones | Instructor
From Greenwood, Indiana, Abby Jones began her training at The Dance Company of Indianapolis at the age of 3. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2023 with a B.F.A in Contemporary Dance as well as a B.A. in Psychology. During her time at Indiana University, Abby was cast in many mainstage production performances and was able to work with choreographers such as Beatrice Capote, Elizabeth Shea, Evelyn Wang, Cameron McKinney, Lalah Hazelwood, Braeden Barnes, and Erik Abbott Main. Additionally, Abby has had training experience opportunities in Chicago, Indianapolis, New York City, Salt Lake City, and Lucca, Italy working with Andrea Ward, Andy Noble, Azuki Umeda, Brandon Welch, Julian Barnett, Lindsey Matheis, Maya Orchin, Omari Wiles, and Stefanie Nelson. Abby has also choreographed a range of pieces for various studios in the midwest, Indiana University, and for Whirlwind Dance Company. Currently, Abby is about to begin her fourth season with Whirlwind Dance Company. Abby has had the opportunity to teach and choreograph on the company, as well as work closely with artists such as Adele Nickel, Cody Szarko, Hannah Bricston, John Litzler, and Terril Mitchell. Her first piece since moving to Ohio What If? premiered in 2024 with Whirlwind Dance Company; Her work Alright, Surfacing, The Show Must Go On, 2226, and Are You premiered in 2025. In 2026 her work Are You and 2226 premiered at Whirlwind's Soliloquy (Solo Showcase). Abby had the opportunity to travel and work in Texas last summer after being the recipient of the Emerging Choreographer Fellow of 2025. She set her newest work Continuum which premiered on AIMED Dance Company for their Summer Dance Fest. Most recently, she has performed in Indy Dance Festival (Indianapolis, IN), Mind the Gap Dance Festival (Houston, TX), Small Plates Dance Festival (Austin, TX), Small Plates Dance Festival (Falls Church, VA), New Albany Dance Festival (New Albany, OH), and Ohio Dance Festival (Columbus, OH).
Sarah Chavez | Instructor
Sarah Chavez is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, where she began her dance training at a young age. She first fell in love with ballet and went on to train and become certified in the Cecchetti Method. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where she earned a degree in Dance Performance and Choreography, studying under Gary Abbott, Ronn Tice, Tobin James, and Deanna Hiett, along with a minor in Business Administration. Sarah has been dancing professionally since the age of 18 and is proud of the diverse experiences she has gained throughout her career in dance and entertainment. Some of her performance credits include productions with Worlds of Fun Theme Park Entertainment, Quixotic Cirque Nouveau, and Aqualillies Entertainment. She has also trained and performed with Houston Contemporary Dance, Armitage Gone!, Impermanent Gallery, and Whirlwind Dance. Sarah is currently performing in her first season with InPulse Dance Company under the direction of Trezon Dancy. Alongside her performing career, Sarah has a deep passion for teaching and enjoys teaching dancers of ALL ages and styles. She is AFAA and Acrobatic Arts certified and strives to create classes that safely build dancers’ confidence, technique, and artistry.
Jada Rhodes | Instructor
Jada began dancing at the age of 8 in Columbus, Ohio, where she trained in tap, ballet, jazz, and lyrical. She started student instructing at age 16 and quickly discovered her love for teaching. While studying Early Childhood Education at Miami University, she launched an after-school ballet program at the primary school where she was student teaching in Belize. After graduating, she taught elementary school for four years and started another after-school dance program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she taught third grade. Now back in Ohio, Jada is thrilled to be teaching at Powell Dance Academy and sharing her passion for dance and education. When she’s not in the studio, she’s busy teaching in children’s ministry, gardening, and most of all just enjoying life with her husband and three little boys.
Sheena Kapila | Instructor
Sheena Kapila is originally from Saskatchewan, Canada and has been dancing since four years old. She began training in many dance styles, but emphasized strongly in ballet, tap and Jazz. She completed her Advanced 2 through the Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Examinations and Advanced Jazz and Tap exams through the Adapt Syllabus. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art Degree in Dance with a minor in Kinesiology from Sam Houston State University. Following that she continued her education and obtained her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance from Sam Houston State University. Sheena has had opportunities to train nationwide with prestigious companies and choreographers including Joshua Manculich, Nicole von Arx, Dual Rivet, Take Ueyama, Andy Noble, Evelyn Toh, Francisco (Cisco) Graciano, Colette Kerwick, and Gregory Dolbashian. Her choreography has been showcased in several festivals around Texas (Barnstorm, ACDA), Westfest Dance Festival in New York City and most recently at Small Plates Dance Festival in Falls Church, Virgina. Sheena has danced professionally with Noblemotion Dance Company based in Houston, Texas and has continued her professional career in Columbus, Ohio with Whirlwind Dance Company as a main company member. Alongside her work as a performing artist, she is an active educator, sharing her passion for movement, creativity, and embodied expression with dancers of all ages.
Torianna Thomas | Instructor
Torianna is a talented choreographer and dance educator from Columbus, Ohio. With a diverse background in dance and competitive performance, she has honed her skills through years of dedicated training. Having choreographed three successful musicals - "Pippin," "Cats," and "Suessical" - Torianna's creative talent and artistic vision have been showcased on stage. Currently serving as a competitive dance and competition teacher at Powell Dance Academy & dance elite performance academy. She has crafted award-winning routines that have garnered top honors and recognition in various competitions. Beyond her work at the studio, Torianna also shares her expertise by teaching guest classes and creating choreography for studios and companies both in and out of Ohio. Her commitment to fostering a supportive and inspiring learning environment is evident in her dedication to her students' growth and development. Torianna's background as a professional choreographer and dance educator has equipped her with a unique perspective that informs her judging criteria. Drawing on her years of training and experience, she evaluates performances with a discerning eye, recognizing technical precision, artistic expression, and overall performance quality.
Morgan Kiner | Instructor
Morgan started dancing at Powell Dance Academy when she was in kindergarten. In first grade, she joined the PDA Dance Team and quickly fell in love with being a part of the team. She was a member for 12 years. When she was 12, she started assisting dance classes, which is where she found her love for teaching! Throughout her junior and senior years of high school, she was a student teacher and began teaching her own classes. Now, Morgan is in her fifth year as a dance teacher at Powell Dance Academy, teaching classes in a variety of styles, and she absolutely loves it! She is also a member of Whirlwind Dance Company's MOVE Program, a professional training and development program for dancers. Through the MOVE Program, Morgan continues to deepen her training, gain performance experience, explore choreography, and grow as an artist. She has also had the opportunity to judge for Encore Talent Productions. Morgan is a student at The Ohio State University, majoring in Finance and pursuing a minor in Dance. She is set to graduate from Ohio State in the spring of 2027.
Paige Higgins | Instructor
Paige began dancing at Powell Dance Academy in 2007 at the age of 3. She was also a member of the PDA Dance Team for 9 years, from 2013-2022. Throughout her time at PDA, she trained and competed in a variety of styles including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, pointe, and musical theater. She began assisting classes in 2019, which sparked her love for teaching and working with dancers of all ages. After graduating in 2022, Paige attended Miami University, where she earned her bachelor's degree and licensure in Primary Education. While at Miami, she was a member and secretary of the university's Hip Hop Dance Crew and continued to return to PDA to teach classes, substitute, and work with summer camps. Paige is passionate about helping dancers build confidence, grow as performers, have fun, and develop a love for dance. She is so excited to be back at PDA as a teacher and give back to the studio that has been such a big part of her life!
Sarina S. | Student Instructor
Sarina has been dancing at Powell Dance Academy for 15 years, and this is her 9th year on the dance team! She has trained in various styles including jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and more. Sarina began assisting classes at 11 years old and has been a student instructor for the past two years! She loves getting to inspire the next generation of students and share her love and knowledge of dance. Next year, Sarina plans to attend college and major in Early Childhood Education while hopefully continuing to dance in college!
Abby O. | Student Instructor
Abby began dancing at the age of 4 and joined Powell Dance Academy in 4th grade. She joined the PDA dance team in 8th grade and has continued to grow as a dancer at PDA. At 13, she began assisting dance classes, where she discovered her passion for teaching and working with younger dancers. Throughout high school, Abby continued gaining experience through assisting and student teaching. She is now a senior at Dublin Jerome High School and is excited to begin teaching her own classes at Powell Dance Academy!
Colette M. | Student Instructor
Colette has been dancing at Powell Dance Academy for 15 years and has been a member of the Powell Dance Academy Dance Team for nearly 10 years. She began assisting dance classes when she was 14, and that experience helped grow her interest in teaching and working with younger dancers. She is now in her second year of teaching at Powell Dance Academy and loves being able to work with students and help them grow as dancers. She is also a student teacher at her high school, which has given her even more experience working with students and developing her skills as a teacher. Along with teaching, choreography has become one of Colette’s biggest passions, and she has choreographed award-winning routines. Colette is currently a senior in high school and is excited to continue growing as both a teacher and choreographer
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