Meet The Judges

The Dance Worlds judges are often those nominated by member Event Producers who send bid-winning teams to Worlds and/or are judges in good standing who have previously judged the Worlds event. Applicants must confirm their ability to sit on the judging panel based upon established criteria and must undergo an approved background check, complete athlete abuse prevention education, and sign a statement of confidentiality and ethical behavior as a person serving in any Worlds judging capacity. A Judge Selection Committee comprised of Worlds officials, Event Producers and industry experts, looks for well-rounded judging panels that include diversity, geographic locations, judging backgrounds and expertise and other criteria/qualifications. Upon review of each prospective judge’s application, committee members rate and review each applicant with their qualifications to adjudicate the Worlds event. Upon selection, judges undergo virtual and onsite training and once at the event will take an oath to remain impartial, evaluating all teams fairly without prejudice or bias based on their performance at Worlds.

Directors

Patty Adams

With a career spanning the course of four decades, Patty Adams’ experience in the dance industry is extensive. Her passion lies in preparing teams for the competitive experience of dance and enabling them to maximize their potential. She has consistently led teams to top-five placements, as well as numerous championships and innovative choreography awards. Having coached at the high school, Division IA College, and All Star levels, Adams is well versed in competitive dance. As a member of the USASF Exceptional Athlete Committee, Patty is passionate about spreading awareness concerning this population. At home, she enjoys her role as executive director of Spirit Ride, a non-profit Therapeutic Riding center that assists children with a wide array of diagnoses reach their goals through equine-related activities. Patty is a Hip Hop Panel Director at The Dance Worlds.

Michelle Allison

Michelle Allison, Artistic Director of Curtain Call Dance Center, Indianapolis, IN, has her B.S. in Dance Performance-Ball State University. Michelle is director of the performing companies, The Nutcracker and Dance Against Cancer at Curtain Call where she teaches dance, choreographs, develops curriculum and continuing education. Currently she is involved in the local musical, show choir, marching band and winter guard choreography. Michelle judged The Dance Worlds since the inaugural year in 2007 and is currently the Panel Director for the Jazz and Kick Categories for the USASF. From 2010-2021, Michelle choreographed the NFL Colts Cheerleader auditions and halftime shows, has been a frequent guest judge/master instructor with JCDA Tokyo since 1994 and is a veteran judge of NDA and numerous Varsity School, All-Star and College competitions. She spent 13 years teaching for NDA, choreographed and field produced bowl games/parades and has judged NDA Regionals, All Star and College Nationals since 1992.

Erin Alvarado

Erin Alvarado is in her 13th year as the Pom Squad Coach at Texas Tech University. Her team has won six collegiate National Championships-three in jazz and three in pom. In 2022, her team was the U.S. National Jazz team for the ICU World Championships, where they earned the Gold Medal. Erin is a graduate of West Virginia University with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. She coached the West Virginia University Dance Team where the team won two consecutive Collegiate National Championships in 2010/2011. She has adjudicated both in the United States and internationally for 15 years. Erin currently serves as an Adjunct Dance Faculty member at Texas Tech teaching Jazz, Anatomy for Dance, and Tap and is Panel Director for the Contemporary/Lyrical division at The Dance Worlds. She has provided curriculum for the CLI Studios online training portal. In 2019, Erin was voted the National Collegiate Dance Coach of the Year by the National Dance Coaches Association.

Brian Cao

Brian Cao has been involved in the spirit industry for over 25 years on the school, All Star, collegiate and professional levels. His participation in the industry has afforded him many opportunities, both nationally and internationally, and has led to the honor of being recognized as a leading choreographer and professional in the industry. Brian’s dance resume includes performing with several companies in the Pacific Northwest, including three seasons with the NBA Portland Trailblazers Jam Squad. He currently works as a choreographer and consultant to cheer and dance teams of all levels and was the choreographer for Team England Freestyle Pom in 2018. In his limited free time away from training, he travels the world speaking at conferences, judging for major cheer and dance events, is a seven-time judge for The Dance Worlds and is sincerely excited to serve as the Pom Panel Director for USASF.

Lindsay Headrick

Lindsay Headrick is from St. Louis, MO, where she grew up focusing on ballet, by studying with the Missouri State Ballet and the Canadian Ballet of Montreal. Lindsay earned her B.A. in Dance, at Lindenwood University, where she was a four-year member of the National Champion Lion Line Dance Team. During her time on the team, she began working for Universal Dance Association, where she has been named Veteran Staff Member of the Year and received the Raving Fan Award. For the past decade, she has been part of adjudication panels on the regional, national, and international levels. Lindsay consults and choreographs for numerous High School and College Dance Teams across the US, helping them achieve top national rankings. She is the co-director of the Quality Team at The Dance Worlds.

Sarah Miller Bate

Sarah Miller Bate has studied dance for over 35 years, receiving a dual BA in Dance and Education from Old Dominion University. She was a 4-time NDA High School All-American, a three-time NDA Collegiate All-American, and a Top Gun Leaps & Turns winner. An NDA Head Instructor for 10 years and Leadership Award winner, post-college Sarah danced with Norfolk, Virginia-based modern dance companies and performed with various International Dance Festivals. While recovering from an injury, Sarah discovered Classical Pilates and certified as a third-generation instructor with direct lineage to Joseph Pilates; she has taught the traditional method for over 15 years, working with Olympic athletes and dancers from The Washington Ballet, and co-created a barre fitness program. In her free time Sarah teaches barre and Pilates as well as Contemporary Dance at Randolph College. Sarah currently serves as the Director of Dance Rules for the USASF and judges internationally.

Anastasia Miller Burns

Anastasia Miller Burns is a former graduate and dance team captain from The Ohio State University. After graduation, she became a talent agent booking choreographers, dancers, actors, athletes, and models in feature films, television, commercials, music videos, Broadway productions, and world artist tours. She was a senior agent and department director at BLOC Talent Agency LA, BLOC NYC and Clear Talent Group NYC for nearly 16 years. For the past 11 years, she has joined the team at Inside Publications as the Executive Vice President (titles include Inside Gymnastics and Inside Cheerleading) and Co-Publisher of the all-access dance magazine, INSIDE DANCE. Anastasia has also enjoyed traveling the world for nearly 25 years head judging championship dance events in the studio, dance team and All Star markets. She is currently a Hip Hop Panel Director for the USASF/IASF Dance World Championships.

Carlos Munoz

Cheryl Paquette

Cheryl Paquette is the Adjudication Director for The Dance Worlds and the USASF Communications Coordinator. Cheryl has been involved in the dance industry for over 30 years and is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe, spending six years as a company member with the Gateway Ballet. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a B.S.Ed. K-12, she earned the team’s first National Championship title with the Mizzou Golden Girls in 1991. She is a former NFL St. Louis Rams Cheerleader and NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancer. She was awarded the Herkie Legacy Award in 2017 for her commitment to the industry and inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame in 2023 for her contribution as a Mizzou Golden Girl. Cheryl resides in St. Louis, MO, and enjoys judging for many national and international Event Producers.

Paige St. John

Paige St. John holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from The Ohio State University and a M.A. in Dance Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Based in Wilmington, DE, Paige travels as a choreographer and dance educator, moving with young and adult athletes and creators domestically and internationally. Her work as an educator has taken her across the globe, leading her to have either choreographed, taught, judged, or presented dance education and coaching seminars on five out of the seven continents. In the States, Paige is the Assistant Coach of the University of Delaware Dance Team. She serves as the IASF Panel Advisor for the Jazz/Kick Divisions at The Dance Worlds, and frequently travels as a Master Instructor, specializing in technique and choreography in the styles of Contemporary, Jazz, and Pom, and hosting lectures and seminars on training techniques, student-coach rapport, and curriculum consistency.

Dawn Walters

Dawn Walters, a former dancer and cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, is currently the Head Coach of the UK Dance Team, ranked 3rd in the nation in D1A Game Day at UDA. In 2017, her team became silver medalists in Pom and Hip Hop as they represented the U.S. National Team at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships. Dawn was inducted into the Lexington African-American Sports Hall of Fame for her notable achievements in her coaching career, and the Mayor of Lexington presented her with a proclamation declaring May 11 Dawn Duncan Walters Day to recognize her for mentoring countless young people in Lex. During her career as a coach, Dawn has had her teams invited to perform in many countries including Japan, China, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. Her international experience includes judging numerous competitions and speaking at coaches conferences.  She is currently the IASF Pom Director for The Dance Worlds.

Shelly Warren

Shelly Warren is the current Golden Girl Spirit Squad Director at The Villages High School in Middleton, FL, and a Quality Control Director for judging panels at The Dance Worlds. In addition, Shelly is a veteran national and international judge and works as a choreographer and competition consultant for high school, college, studio, and All Star programs across the country. She is the rehearsal coordinator for the pregame and halftime performance for the Citrus Bowl held annually in Orlando, FL, and has served as rehearsal director for pregame at the ACC Championship Game in 2015 and 2016. Shelly has obtained national titles as a dancer, coach, and choreographer in High Kick, Hip Hop, Pom, and Jazz, and continues to pursue her dream of educating and inspiring dancers through her travels to studios and schools nationwide.

Contemporary/Lyrical Panel

Jesus Acosta

Jesus Acosta is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. He discovered dance at Sam Houston State University and decided to pursue a career in dance. He is a founding member of the Houston Contemporary Dance Company where he danced for three seasons and NobleMotion Dance where he danced for nine seasons while also rehearsal director. He previously danced with The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, The Kista Tucker Dance Company, and Hope Stone Dance Company. He has worked with MA Dance and Auxiliaries for 20 years teaching, choreographing, and judging. Jesus has choreographed for The Houston Texans Cheerleaders and has been a judge on the Contemporary/Lyrical Panel for four years at The Dance Worlds. He currently teaches all levels of Jazz at Dance Du Coeur in Sugar Land, TX, where he has also been a Company Director for the past 10 years. When not at the studio Jesus is dad to two dogs and three cats.

Bea Ortiz-Arnold

Based in San Diego, CA, Bea Arnold boasts over 20 years of experience as a professional dancer, esteemed choreographer, and seasoned judge. With a versatile skill set encompassing ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, and hip-hop, Bea’s journey began with a prestigious scholarship at the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Center in Chicago, IL, leading to engagements with a San Diego-based Modern Dance Company and the NFL’s San Diego Charger Girls. As the former Jazz Dance Program Director for the United Spirit Association (USA), she directed collegiate and high school dance teams and served as a respected judge on the national and international circuit. Bea holds a master’s in education and is credentialed in multiple subjects, with a specialized K-12 Authorization in Dance Education, reflecting her commitment to dance and education.

Elyse Born

Elyse Born is a dance educator at Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, FL where she coaches the dance team, HEAT and is the chair of the dance department. She’s judged and taught most recently in Colombia, South America and was previously a judge and head instructor for National Dance Alliance for many years. During her time with NDA, she also traveled to Japan to teach and judge for the JCDA, an experience she will never forget. She’s thrilled to be able to witness the artistry and athleticism of the All Star dance teams from all across the world in person this year at The Dance Worlds.

Melissa Kidd

Melissa Kidd is the owner of Dance Technician in Cincinnati Ohio, a private strength training facility for dancers rooted in Pilates. Melissa also teaches dance at a private high school. She has trained under members of Cincinnati Ballet, Boston Ballet and New York City Ballet. She has also performed and trained with the Manhattan Dance Project the years of its inception. Melissa holds several certifications in early childhood dance education and currently teaches a certification program for studio and program owners. Ms. Kidd also holds certifications in Pilates, aerial yoga and mobility work. She enjoys splitting her time judging, teaching master classes, doing team consulting and teaching private strength training across the U.S..

Emma Munnikhuis

Emma Munnikhuis is from Australia and has over 30 years of experience in the dance industry. She started her dance career as a young dancer in ballet, jazz and contemporary and was a child performer/dancer on a weekly entertainment television show. She danced and became co-choreographer of Australia’s National Basketball League for 10 years. Emma has made various dance appearances on state, national and international television. She has extensive experience in commercials, promotions, theatre and corporate. Emma has also taught and choreographed many students to state and Australian titles. Currently, she is the Head Dance Judge for Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation at state and national level, adjudicates Australia’s dance categories for World Bids and World Judge for USASF/IASF, ICU World Cheerleading Championships and European Cheer Union.

Sarah Pohlman

Sarah Pohlman has dedicated more than 25 years to dance. From the Cleveland area, Sarah grew up dancing at a studio on a competitive team, where she trained and competed across the country. She went on to dance professionally for the AFL, where she represented Cleveland at the Arena Bowl, and for the NBA on the Cleveland Cavalier Girl Dance Team. Sarah has taught, coached, and consulted with various competitive teams across the nation, ranging from all ages and genres. Her main objectives in class are to establish strong fundamentals in each dancer and encourage a positive movement environment. An internationally certified adjudicator with various brands since 2015, Sarah has had the honor of judging The Dance Summit, JAMfest Japan, The Dance Worlds, and every Dance MAJORS since its inception. She hopes to continue judging and inspiring dancers for years to come.

Valerie Stead Potsos

Head Coach of the nationally ranked University of Michigan Dance Team from 2000-2022, Valerie Stead Potsos is the Director/Owner of Dancer’s Edge in Dexter, MI. She has taught and judged in Vienna, Austria and Tokyo, Japan. Her articles on coaching and dance have appeared in Dance Spirit, American Cheerleader and in Motion Magazines. She is a Seminar presenter, and curriculum consultant for Varsity University on topics such as Motivation, Leadership, Team Building and many more. She also conducts and offers UDA Digital Critiques for teams on their routines helping coaches and teams prepare for their competitions. Her students have auditioned for America’s Got Talent and was featured on the show in 2015. Along with judging local, state and national competitions, she has judged studio, high school and college Nationals as well for various organizations.

Tami Whatcott

Tami Whatcott graduated from Utah Valley University with a BFA in Modern Dance and a BS in Dance Education. While at UVU she was a member of Synergy Dance Company, Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Ballroom Tour Team, and danced as well as coached for the Utah Flash. Other notable professional companies include Diavolo, Joel Hall Dancers, Noumenon Dance Ensemble, and Myriad Dance Company. Her judging accolades include NDTC, UDA College Nationals, NDA High School Nationals, ICU World Championship, Worlds, Pan Americans, and over 15 other countries regional and national championships. She has been trained in ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, ballroom and latin. Tami has done choreography for professional NBA teams, dance companies, and numerous award-winning schools and studio’s from around the globe.

Jazz/Kick Panel

Antonio Bartone

Antonio Barone is an Italian freelance dance educator whose work spans internationally. He began his training in Italy at the age of 6 in both Dance Theatre and Dance Sport, where he started performing and competing at national level. His passion for dance in all its forms took him to London where he was awarded with several scholarships to train as dance teacher, achieving the highest teaching qualifications in ballet, modern jazz, contemporary, tap dance and folk dance. Antonio lectures internationally. He enjoys teaching multiple genres at various level and being a guide to students in their journey in becoming qualified dance teachers. Antonio holds a BA in Arts and Humanities at the Bologna University; he is currently an active internationally recognized and licensed adjudicator for Performing Arts, Gymnastics, Cheerleading and Pole Sport. His 20 years of judging career also include World and Continental Championships, International Artistic Competitions, dance festivals and sporting events. He feels privileged to be part of the judging panel of the 2024 USASF/IASF Dance World Championships, eager to share his passion for dance in all its forms and thrilled to enjoy the
performances of all artists.

Kristin Best Kinscherff

Kristin Best Kinscherff is an Associate Professor and Head of Dance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Artistic Director of the SIUE University Dance Company. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from the University of Iowa. Kristin is a former company member of The Big Muddy Dance Company (St. Louis, MO) and was the Artistic Director of Turn of Change Dance Collective (Metro-East, IL). Her choreography has been presented at the American College Dance Association’s Gala Concert, SIUE Summer Theater, SIUE Musical Theater, the Midwest Dance Festival, St. Louis’s Grand Dance Fest, The Gala/Extravaganza for Body Worlds 3 at St. Louis Science Center, the Victoria Ballet Theater, University of Iowa, SIUE, and Lindenwood. Kristin has served as a head instructor, choreographer, and on the Universal Dance Association (UDA) curriculum committee. She is a veteran adjudicator for Varsity Spirit and The Dance Worlds.

Rachel Domangue

Rachel Domangue, originally from New Orleans, LA, is the former Director of the National Dance Alliance. With an extensive background in high school and college dance team, Rachel’s BFA in Performing Arts-Dance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has allowed her to network with all facets of the dance industry. For over 20 years, she has worked as a dance team coach, choreographer, teacher, judge training consultant and speaker. Rachel has been honored to judge for JCDA at the All Japan Cheer and Dance Championship in Tokyo, NDA, UDA, USA, Varsity All Star, The Dance Summit and The Dance Worlds as both a Legality Official and Panel Judge. She also serves on the USASF Dance Rules Committee. Rachel’s daily gig is as the Director of Business Operations and Development at Glass Staircase, a creative marketing and branding agency that focuses on empowering women and small businesses.

Grizzy Galvan

Grizzy Galvan has trained in multiple dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, pom, hip hop, and dance/drill styles. She won four consecutive USA Dance National titles then went on to become the opening dancer for Disney’s Block Party Bash as a Pixar Pal in the Toy Story Unit. She performed in multiple shows, parades, and special events at the Disneyland Resort for over five years. She was USA Instructional Dance Staff for 13 years and is proud to have served as the Dance Program Competition Director. She has over a decade of experience both judging and directing events in the high school, studio, All Star, and collegiate competitive circuits. Grizzy has coached and choreographed for nationally ranked dance teams and actively judges at regional, national, and international dance competitions. She holds a degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science and is in pursuit of continuing her studies in the medical field.

Shannon Gregg

Shannon J. Gregg, PhD, has over three decades of cheer and dance experience as a coach, judge, and program owner, from All Star to school to studio dance. Shannon has nine judging appearances at The Dance Worlds. She was a feature dancer in Kelly-award winning musicals “Lil Abner” and “Peter Pan” (Tiger Lily/Dance Captain), had an internship with the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and went on to study with the Lake Erie Ballet. A finalist herself at the first ever Dance Worlds in 2007, competing multiple years in jazz and hip hop, Shannon loves the power and talent of this event! Shannon holds a BA in English Literature with minors in Dance and History from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MBA and a PhD from Point Park University.

Kelsey Lack

Kelsey Lack has been traveling North America educating dancers on how to be a complete artist from the inside out since 2016. She has dug into what developing artists need, along with understanding how professional artists’ minds/bodies must be maintained. Kelsey created her own cross-training and teaching method over the past six years and has implemented it with both dancers and educators. Before Kelsey started her journey as an educator, she worked professionally on various major motion pictures including Rock of Ages, Anchorman II: The Legend Continues, and Disney’s Million Dollar Arm. Her performance credits also include corporate work for companies such as Olive Garden, NFL Pro Bowl, USAA, Outback Bowl, Traveler’s Insurance, and many more. She is impacting the dance training industry and is sought after for her innovative, knowledgeable, and detailed methods, training, and coaching.

Heather Langham

Heather Langham is a 13-year veteran of The Radio City Rockettes and resides in New York City. After retiring from the Rockettes in 2022, she focused her energy on working with dance teams on improving their kick technique as well as developing strength programs the teams can use throughout their season. Heather graduated from Arizona State University and was co-captain of the first nationally competitive ASU Dance Team. She has worked for the National Dance Alliance for over 25 years as a Head Instructor, choreographer and adjudicator at both the college and high school level. She has over 20 years of experience as an adjudicator at multiple events including The Dance Worlds, NDA Nationals, NDA All-Star Nationals, NDA College Nationals, COP Brands, USA All Star Nationals and many other state and regional competitions.

Gretchen Noack

Gretchen Noack is a graduate from California State University Fullerton where she majored in Dance and Public Relations. She began her dance career as the Dance Program Director for the United Spirit Association. Gretchen has judged for many state and national competitions, internationally in Japan and Mexico, as well as The Dance Worlds since 2007. She has extensive training in jazz, ballet, hip/hop, pom and traditional dance/drill and her newest endeavor is her comprehensive training in Pilates—providing her a new understanding of the body, movement principles, and how to train the body to move more efficiently. Currently Gretchen’s full-time career is coordinating educational trips for Dance Teams and Studios all over the U.S.. Additionally, she has served as the Partnership/Vendor Chair for the National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) for the past five years. Her passionate involvement in the world of dance team continues to present her with exciting opportunities.

Andy Vaca

Andy Vaca is an experienced judge of national and international competitions having judged for Stage 8, USA, UDA, and USA Japan. Andy has 38 years of experience choreographing for professional sports dance teams across the U.S. and continues to do so as a choreographer/instructor for Pro Action Dance. He has choreographed televised halftime shows for the Detroit Lions and the NFL Pro Bowl and choreographed for the Pro Bowl Cheerleaders. Andy is a Professor of Dance and former Department Chair at Cal State Long Beach where he has taught for over 25 years and was recently awarded the President’s Award for Outstanding Faculty. He creates concert dance work with his company Jazzworks-Long Beach which has presented work throughout California. Andy is the former President of the American College Dance Association and is celebrating 25 years of teaching for the Los Angeles Music Center’s Dance Downtown summer series.

Hip Hop Panel

Daniel Gibson

Toya Ambrose

Toya Renee Ambrose is the Head Coach of the Chicago Luvabulls and Chicago 312 Crew (Chicago Bulls). She is a former NBA dancer (Chicago and Memphis) and an alumnus of the University of Memphis Pom Squad. Toya is formerly the Spirit Coordinator at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) and former Head Coach of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Dancing Flames. Through her company T.R.A. Creative, Toya is a creative consultant and choreographer having worked internationally in Finland, Slovenia, Japan and Mexico. Toya resides in Chicago, IL, and is married to attorney Garvin G. Ambrose.

Jenny Durbin Smith

Jenny Durbin Smith is a nationally recognized and award-winning choreographer. She is a former member of the UNC-Chapel Hill cheer and dance teams and a former captain for the NBA Dallas Mavericks Dancers. Jenny has been a principal dancer for many national projects and her choreography has been featured on major network TV shows, national television commercials, industrials, films, reality television shows, NFL fields and NBA courts. In addition to being the proud Director of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue, the only co-ed drumline and dance team in the NFL, she is the Director of the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad & The Officials, a choreographer with Varsity Pro, faculty member with Adrenaline and Revive, and travels the country choreographing and master instructing for numerous dance organizations, professional teams and studios. Jenny also proudly serves on the hip hop score sheet advisory boards for NDA and USASF.

Stacy Garrastazu

With over 30 years of dance experience, Stacy Garrastazu brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the dance industry. Garrastazu has coached and choreographed for numerous studios, schools, colleges, professional sports teams and All Star dance teams throughout her career. Traveling all over the country to competitions, conventions, and workshops, she stays at the forefront of what is new and cutting-edge in this industry. Garrastazu currently teaches master classes and choreography to select organizations while sitting on numerous judging panels including the USASF Dance World’s from 2014 through 2023. Her extended background has made her an asset to many studio, school, collegiate and All Star organizations.

Satoko Goko

Satoko Goko is an internationally renowned coach, choreographer, and judge with over 30 years of experience. She is the coach and choreographer of the Japan National Team receiving two gold and ten silver medals at the ICU World Championships, as well as receiving many titles in IASF Club World Championships. Satoko has been a judge for many national and international competitions and active in various fields such as workshops, coaches conferences, and choreographing globally. She is also one of the top leaders in the Japan Federation for Sport Cheer and Dance.

Daniel Gibson

A Georgia native, Daniel Gibson has danced professionally since graduating from the University of Georgia. He opened his career with a national tour with 13th Floor Performing Arts, where he was a featured performer and choreographer. Formal training includes African, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, modern, tap, ballet, and breakdance. After relocating to Chicago, Daniel performed with Culture Shock Chicago, Chicago Dance Crash, the Seldoms, 5 Star Boogie, Elephant Filmworks, the Oprah Winfrey Show, a national campaign for UPS, Johnny Dangerous, and Kid Sister with Kanye West. He was a featured dancer in the short film, “Wonderland or Humans who talk and dance.” He teaches at both the university and primary school levels. He was adjunct dance faculty for NIU and the resident Dance/Mindfulness instructor for Kipp Ascend Primary. He has worked with the University of Kentucky dance team, the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, and countless other teams around the country. Daniel has been a judge for The Dance Worlds for over 10 years.

Tony Gonzalez

Tony G is a Creative Director, Producer, Choreographer and Casting Director with a diverse and influential career in the world of dance, film, commercials, music videos, television, and judging. He became a force in the entertainment industry by creating a hub for innovation, movement and casting. Tony continues to be invested and involved with multiple event producers and productions for his knowledge and expertise in judging all styles of dance. Credits include The Bring It On franchise, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Tracy Anderson, The Mask Singer franchise, and NBA/NFL pro dance teams across the states.

Thomas (TJ) Jacobs

TJ Jacobs hails from New York City. Originally from Northern Virginia, Jacobs grew his love for dance culture training at Culture Shock DC and Freestyle. This passion has led him to many amazing endeavors such as TEDx Talk, Bessie Awards Nominee, Founder of Pace Setters Dance Company and the pleasure of performing with Crystal Waters, Betty Who, Wyclef, World of Dance and The Wizards, and most recently a residency with Ladies of Hip Hop and Dance Lab NYC. He extensively trained in many styles such as House, Hip Hop, Waacking, Popping and Locking from some of the industry’s greats. He is grateful to be a featured dancer/collaborator in TRPNYC Movement Ensemble. The work he created was featured in the New York Times, commissioned by Stephen Petronio Dance Company, was nominated for a Bessie Award for outstanding production, alongside Bill T. Jones and other artists. These experiences have helped shape Mr. Jacobs’ ideology of dance and the arts. This ignites his desire to transfer knowledge through judging, teaching and mentorships.

Caroline Koch

Hailing from Chicago, Caroline Koch was crowned Miss Dance Drill Team before teaching UDA summer camps around the country. While on the Hip Hop Coalition at Arizona State University, Caroline was cast in High School Musical for Walt Disney World. She has been a featured performer in everything from The Lion King to the famous Walt Disney Christmas Day Parade, taking the stage with the likes of Beyonce, Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber. After completing her apprenticeship from The Jabbawockeez at the Monsters of Hip Hop tour she danced across the globe on the Seabourn Cruise Line. Caroline’s career in entertainment continues today as both talent and producer, working with some of today’s biggest acts from music festivals to red carpet movie premieres. She has been judging dance events for over a decade, including UDA College Nationals, NDTC, and The Dance Worlds.

Lindsey Lococo

Lindsey Lococo is in her first season as Entertainment Manager for the Chicago Bulls. For twelve years, Lindsey was the Spirit Coordinator & Head Dance Coach at her alma mater, the University of Illinois-Chicago. She graduated with a B.S. in Movement Sciences and danced on the Nationally ranked UIC Dance Team. She went on to dance with Hip Hop Connxion and later became a director of the company before moving on to dance with Design Dance, Work in Progress and several professional arena sports teams. Performance credits include Oprah, Beyoncé, Fantabuloso featuring Carly Rae Jepson, WNBA Chicago Sky and Discover. Lindsey is a former UDA instructor and has choreographed at the High School, Collegiate and NBA level. She adjudicates for the IHSA, IHSDTA, WACPC, UDA/NDTC, Varsity All-Star Brands and The Dance Worlds. She resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband, Joseph, son Greyson and dog, Buehrle.

Jessica Lucas

Jessica Lucas is the director of a high school dance program in Erie, PA. With over 20 years of dance experience in many genres of dance, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her students each day. She received her bachelor’s degree in dance from Slippery Rock University where she was involved in performance, choreography, dance team, and the dance honorary. Jessica has danced professionally in the United States and Internationally as well. She has coached and choreographed for numerous schools, studios, and organizations throughout her career. She is an active member in the community, more specifically in dance education, through NDEO, PaDEO, and the CAN Teacher Leadership Program. Jessica continues to share her passion through curriculum and program development as a dance judge and dance educator.

Christopher Moss

Chris Moss can be found in the Academy Award film La La Land as well as Blonde, Gangster Squad, The Muppets, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, Bring It On: In It To Win It, Bring It On: All Or Nothing, Meet the Spartans, Music and Lyrics, The Hot Chick, Valley Girl. He’s trained actors for their dance roles including Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder) and Rob Schneider (The Hot Chick). His choreography can be seen in Tropic Thunder, 2 Broke Girls, NFL PROMOS, and several industrials. You may have seen Chris on award shows and television productions such as the Emmys and Academy Awards, The Masked Singer, Welcome To Chippendales, The Boys, Euphoria, Fuller House, and Dollface. He’s danced and worked some of the world’s most recognizable names: Britney Spears, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Whitney Houston, Brian McKnight, Lionel Richie, Hugh Grant, Donald Glover and Ken Jeong to name a few.

Jarrin Rolle Warren

Jarrin Rolle Warren has been in the dance industry for more than 30 years. She is a recognized dance coach/director, instructor, and choreographer with works ranging from pee-wee to collegiate and professional. She has judged for numerous dance companies and competitions nationally and internationally and has received choreography awards in hip hop, pom, team performance and jazz. Some of Jarrin’s accomplishments include dance performance assistant of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, halftime performance coordinator/choreographer for the New Jersey Nets, dance camp instructor/choreographer Japan, dance assistant for the Aloha Bowl Hawaii, production assistant of Thanksgiving in Paris, France and she helped create and lead NDA’s verbal judging program. Jarrin has judged The Dance Worlds for eleven years, The Dance Summit for five years, COPBrands Mexico in 2018 and 2019 and COP Virtual Games Mexico 2020.

Laura Rowden

Laura Rowden has extensive experience in both Cheerleading and Dance. She has been involved in the sport for over 20 years as an athlete, coach, course presenter and judge. Performing from a young age and with almost 15 years of experience as a coach and choreographer, she teaches a range of styles and specializes in Hip-Hop. Laura regularly judges regional and national competitions throughout the UK and Europe where she has also taken the role as Head Judge. She has been judging internationally for 11 years where her highlights include judging at the ICU World Cheerleading Championships, the USASF/IASF Worlds, and the European Cheer Union Championships. Laura also works as Head of Performance at a secondary school in London.

Morgan Schulte

Morgan Schulte has over 20 years of experience in the dance industry. She danced professionally for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies for six seasons. She was a seven-year head instructor for UDA camps at the high school and collegiate levels and has traveled internationally with UDA for special events. Morgan judges many competitions for various brands, including The Dance Worlds. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she earned degrees in Exercise Science and Dietetics, and has a master’s degree in nutrition from Saint Louis University. She fuses dance with her other passions of health, wellness, and nutrition as a speaker on these topics throughout the country. She is an Orangetheory Fitness coach, and a dietitian and fitness coach through her own business, Motivate.

Mikey Trasoras

Choreographer, dancer, and event director, Mikey Trasoras serves as owner and creator of The Art of Movement Dance Convention that brings back the heART to dance, AO Summer Intensive, and theACADEMY, an assistant program. Some of Mikey’s choreography credits include the sizzle reel for Hawaiian Style, Sarah Jaffe’s music video “Glorified High,” Ivivva Athletica YouTube video promotions, Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing season 5 kickoff in Hollywood, and for the collegiate dance team The Apache Belles in Texas. Mikey’s students have appeared on So You Think You Can Dance, Abby Lee’s Ultimate Dance Competition, and X-Factor. Like his freestyle dancing, Mikey’s choreography is intricate and stylistically innovative. His keen musical ear and captivating artistic expression of lyrics elevate Mikey as a true artist. Mikey has been directing dance events for the past 20 years for numerous companies, building their reputation and level of professionalism.

Pom/Junior Panel

Wanda Brown Weir

Wanda Brown Weir is the former three-year Director/Choreographer of the NBA Washington Wizards Dance Team. Prior to joining the Wizards Dance Team as a dancer Wanda was a cheerleader for the NFL Washington Commanders for two seasons. Wanda is the former captain/choreographer of the multi-championed Towson University Dance Team and former coach of the George Washington University “First Ladies” Dance Team. Since 1999, Wanda has adjudicated numerous state, national and international dance competitions. Currently, Wanda is the Owner/Creative Director for Premier Dance DC and Head Coach for Catholic University. Wanda is a sought-after dance fitness consultant, speaker, motivational coach and commercial actress/model with two young daughters, who are also actresses, whose credits including Broadway, HBO. BET, Nick Jr and feature films.

Kelly Clement Gaddis

Kelly Clement Gaddis brings over 40 years of dance technical training, professional performance experience, and both dance education and adjudication at the highest levels. She is known for her dynamic choreography and ability to pull an emotive performance out of dancers. Her repertoire includes extensive studio training, collegiate dance department training, dancer/captain for University of Minnesota, UDA camp instructor, Minnesota Vikings NFL Cheerleader, NFL choreographer, professional dancer in movies, and dance choreographer, teacher, and judge at the state, national and international levels. She is trained at an elite level in jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, modern, pom, cheer, hip hop, kick, tap, and various other styles of dance. Her choreography has contributed to six National Championships and a Gold Medal at Worlds. Kelly lives in Minnesota and works in the costume and studio dance industry.

Kira Collins

Kira Collins has experience dancing at the studio, high school and professional level. She has over 35 years of experience in the industry combined as a dancer, coach and judge. Kira’s judging experience includes the state of Wisconsin, Varsity, UDA and NDA in the United States and internationally in Japan. Kira is NDCA, Varsity, UDA and NDA Certified. In addition to dance, Kira enjoys spending time with her husband and son, being outside, traveling and hanging out with her Great Dane

Julie Jacobson

Julie Jacobson has enjoyed performance judging for over 30 years. She has judged for numerous local, state, national, and international competitions during that time, including events in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as season culminating events such as DTU Nationals, The One, U.S. Finals, Varsity Dance Summit, and The Dance Worlds. She is a retired middle school teacher and high school dance coach, both teaching and coaching for over 35 years. Julie also co-coached the Wisconsin Down Under Teams which competed in Australia and New Zealand for 15 years. Other passions in her life include her husband, her two dogs, relaxing on her deck with a good book, and enjoying making memories with friends.

Jessika Leonard

Jessika Leonard has over 30 years of dance experience, including education/training, coaching, judging, and instructing. Her training includes ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, baton, gymnastics, high kick and has extensive training in her area of expertise, pom. As a dancer, she studied alongside world-renowned dancers in NYC and the Minnesota Conservatory of Arts. Jessika has performed and choreographed for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Walt Disney World, College Bowl Games, and several NFL half-time shows. As an accomplished dancer, she later chose to share her passion for dance by coaching high school and All Star teams, whom consistently made appearances in the state finals and captured national top honors. Jessika now focuses her efforts speaking at conventions and conducts private choreography and workshops with teams and coaches. Jessika’s has extensive experience judging state, national, and international competitions, including over 10 years with The Dance Worlds.

Sarah McAllister

Sarah McAllister is an award-winning dance team coach and choreographer from San Diego, CA. As the former coach at Ramona High School, she led her team to multiple national titles and has been recognized for her innovative choreography in Pom. As a professional dance adjudicator since 2010, she has judged for brands including NDA, UDA, USA, JAMZ, The Dance Worlds and JDCA in Tokyo. Other achievements include choreography for Legoland Entertainment and the SIUE Cougars, teaching in Japan, and coaching at San Diego State University. Sarah is a former contributing writer for both Jo+Jax and Inside Dance Magazine. She continues to choreograph and consult for high school and collegiate teams across the U.S.

John Peters

John Peters is recognized as one of the nation’s most innovative and award-winning choreographers. Recent choreography projects include live performances with Warren G., Montell Jordan, French Montana, Bebe Rexha, James Corden, Craig David, Tone Loc, and Snoop Dogg. In 2019 he choreographed the NBC Sunday Night Football opener with Carrie Underwood. John is the choreographer for the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders. Other pro sports clients include the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, Boston Celtics, and the L.A. Laker Girls. Worldwide televised features include the 2017 and 2024 Hong Kong Chinese New Year parade, NFL America Bowls in London, Tokyo, Barcelona, Pro Bowl Hawaii, Super Bowl XIX, LIII, and LVI. He has choreographed countless winning routines for college, high school, studio, and All Star cheerleading and dance champions. John is a former United Spirit Association Spirit and Dance staff member, Program Director, and Creative Director.

Ricardo Platas

Ricardo Platas has been a dancer, educator, choreographer and judge for more than 20 years. As a former dancer he represented Mexico at The Dance Worlds (2011-2013), taking home two gold medals in the Coed Jazz and Coed Pom divisions in 2013. His judging experience ranges from high school, collegiate and All Star competitions in numerous countries such as the US, Colombia, UK, France, China, Costa Rica, Chile, Italy and Mexico. He has been part of the judging panel at the ICU World Championships in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023 and has also judged the USASF/IASF Dance Worlds in 2016-2019 and 2023. Ricardo has coached Anahuac Queretaro University Dance Team for the past nine seasons. Under his direction the team won its first College National Championship in 2018. In 2022, his team represented Mexico as the National Team in the Pom division, placing fourth at the 2022 ICU World Championships. Recently the team claimed the 2023 ONP National Championship in both, Open Pom and Jazz. He is thrilled and honored to return to the prestigious panel of judges at The Dance Worlds.

Legality

Christian Aleman

Originally from Miami, FL, Christian Aleman has been heavily involved in the dance and cheer industry for over 20 years. Alongside her All Star and high school dance companies she achieved countless national team and solo titles. Christian continued on to become a coach and choreographer for many area schools, as well as around the country. She also served as an American Dance Alliance staff member and later entered the judging circuit. In 2007 Christian relocated to Atlanta,GA, and became a company director for Powerhouse Dance Productions. Christian now resides in Chattanooga, TN where she is the former owner/ creative director of First Step Dance Studio for four years. She dedicates her weekends to judging countless National and World Bid events around the world including The Dance Worlds. Christian has helped develop and taught multilingual courses for the ICU worldwide. Currently, Christian serves as the head of ICU Performance Cheer Rules and is a rules advisor for the IASF.

Legality

Kathryn Brasfield

Kathryn Brasfield is a Knoxville, TN, native and is thrilled to be at the Dance Worlds 2024! A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, she was a member of the University’s dance team and earned a degree in Health and Human Performance. She began working for UDA in 2007, instructing dancers and leading camps all across the U.S. Kathryn is currently coaching two school teams, and has helped lead the teams to several state championships, national finalist placements, and multiple UDA National Championship titles. In addition to coaching, she choreographs and consults for various school and All Star programs. Her work has earned multiple choreography awards and has helped teams achieve top three finishes at the regional, state, and national level as well as UDA and NDA National Championships. Kathryn serves as a USASF Legality official for multiple Varsity Brands events.

Gemma Butterly

Gemma Butterly has a 20-year background within the All Star dance and cheer industry. While competing in both dance and cheer, she gained national and international titles and represented her country at the ICU and the IASF World Championships on seven occasions. After competing, Gemma went on to coach full-time for an All Star gym as well as touring with UCA Europe to instruct camps and danced for five seasons on Scotland’s leading Pro Dance Team for sporting events. She is now on her 13th season judging prestigious events throughout the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. As the Development Director for Sportcheer Scotland, she is passionate to help grow and provide the learning tools to create more education and opportunities for the All Star cheerleaders and dancers in Scotland.

Gregory Collins

Greg Collins has participated in cheer and dance as either an athlete, coach or administrator for over 30 years. He is currently certified as a Cheer and Dance Legality Official by USASF. He judges both nationally and internationally. He is excited to participating in his 4th Dance Worlds and wishes all the teams the best of luck.

Kaya Doyle

Kaya Doyle received her B.A. in Performing Arts from Northern Illinois University and her master’s in architecture from University of Illinois-Chicago and has been blending the skills of both degrees ever since. Most seasons Kaya adjudicates over thirty events all over the United States and internationally, either as a panel judge or a Dance Legality Official. International judging events include locations such as South Korea, Japan, Scotland, England, and multiple provinces of Canada, each bringing their own unique cultural experience. As an Adjudicator, Kaya recognizes that every year brings new trends in movement patterns and skill integration and provides continual development of spatial utilization. It is always exciting to see what new skills and choreography will be incorporated into the performances. Kaya has enjoyed the honor of being a part of The Dance Worlds adjudication team from 2011 through 2023 and served as an ambassador at the 2014 Dance Worlds. During the week you will find Kaya working as the sole proprietor of her own Architectural firm or serving the community as a volunteer Emergency Medical Responder.

Bettina Fields

Bettina Fields has over 19 years of experience in the dance team industry, serving on many professional judging panels and completing advanced judging courses within the industry. She has experience as a head judge and safety judge for high school and All Star events. Under her direction, her college dance team earned a NDA National Champion Runner-up for consecutive years in the Pom category and placed in the top three in the nation in the Team Performance division. Before coaching at the college level, she coached a middle school team and was a dance director for an All Star program, both receiving championship titles at UDA and The Dance Summit. She is a former marketing director for an All Star event producer. Bettina is a long-standing member of the NDCA where she was nominated as National College Dance Coach of the year in 2020. Most recently, she serves as a certified USASF Legality Official and panel judge for numerous event producers around the nation.

Laura Harris

Laura Harris represents the IASF as Dance Rules Director, also serving on the IASF Education, Dance Rules and Safeguarding committees. She completed classical dance and freestyle training through the NATD and IDTA examination boards, leading to professional teaching. She has instructed dance for almost 25-years. Laura’s work in Australia and the UK All Star industry has earned multiple international bids. She has also been featured in several TV productions around dance and cheerleading. She performed at The Dance Worlds as an athlete, later returning to the competition as a coach, choreographer and since 2022, as a judge. Since beginning her judging career in 2009, Laura has judged across Australia, the UK and throughout Europe, including many IASF sanctioned Worlds Bid events. She also directs a workshop company ‘230 Intensives’ operating in Europe. As a professional educator she holds a Bsc (Hons) + PGCE in Human Sciences and Secondary Biology from Durham University.

Nichole Hudson

Nichole Hudson is a former competitive studio dancer and school cheerleader; starting her dance training at three years old. She has been a certified USASF Cheer and Dance Legality Official and Deductions Judge for twelve years. This has allowed her the opportunity to work for numerous event producers both nationally and internationally, such as NDA and NCA, UCA, JAMfest, American Championships, Power Dance, Spirit Cheer, GSSA, CHEERSPORT, Coastal Cheer and Dance, Future Cheer, and ICC. She has had the privilege of serving on the judging panel for several prestigious post season events like The Summit, The D2 Summit, and has served as a Legality Official at The Dance Worlds for the last nine years.

Rachael McLeish

Rachael McLeish has over thirty years of experience in the cheer and dance industry. Junior High cheering led to a long career as a cheerleader herself throughout her college days. Coaching quickly became her passion after college, and Rachael spent 20 years coaching all ages and ability, from youth through college before moving on to owning/coaching an All Star cheerleading and dance club. After closing the club and ending her coaching career, Rachael continues to remain in the industry by continuing with USASF Legality Certification for both cheer and dance as well as a panel judge on many events with various cheer and dance event producers throughout the United States and Internationally.

César Montealegre

Colombian judge living in Mexico, Cèsar Montealegre has collaborated with multiple Latin American Federations such as Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Colombia helping them with their judges training and coaches education. He has also judged multiple events in countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. He’s a member of the Colombian Judges Committee, and a member of the IASF Dance Rules Committee, where he helps the IASF with the translation of its documents into Spanish and French. He has participated as a Legality Official for the most important dance events in Latin America, contributing to the development of the sport.

Robin Page

Robin Page has been judging cheer and dance for over 30 years. She is a certified USASF Cheer and Dance Legality Official. She also holds her Rules Interpreter certification with USA Cheer/NFHS. Robin has judged for various cheer companies including Cheer & Dance Extreme, The National Cheerleaders Association, CHEERSPORT, Elite Cheerleading, The World Cheerleading Coalition (ICC LTD), GMCE, and British Cheerleading Association. In 2017, Robin was inducted into the Oakland Mills High School Hall of Fame for her 25 years of coaching and dedication to the sport. In addition to judging cheer and dance, she also spends her time judging talent competitions and pageants nationally and is currently a choreographer for the Miss American Coed pageant system. Robin is a professional Sign Language Interpreter with the Howard County Public School System in Maryland.

Kierstin Payne

Kierstin Payne has instructed dance for over 30 years, including 17+ years within the All Star community. Kierstin has provided support and served on various USASF boards, including the NAB, WAB, and Dance Rules Committee. Her service on the rules committee began in 2011, and she has been a certified legality official for as long as they have offered the certification. She has served as a legality official for multiple high school and All Star events, including Nationals, Worlds bid-giving events, and The Dance Worlds.

Sonia Ramírez

Sonia Ramirez is a professional announcer, panel judge, legality official, and event director. As a former Head Instructor and member of the program development team for the United Spirit Association, Sonia has been involved with competitive cheerleading and dance for more than 15 years. Sonia has judged and directed competitions at all levels, both nationally and internationally, including the Japan Open, ONP Nationals in Mexico City, and the Dance Worlds from 2012-2024. She has also represented the International Cheer Union (ICU) as rules educator and has led international trainings for coaches, panel judges and legality officials in Japan, Mexico, and Panama.

Maggie Allain White

Maggie Allain White graduated from Louisiana State University receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Administration and Business. She has been judging dance competitions since 2012, notably including The Dance Worlds, Dance Summit, JAMfest Japan, JAMfest Dance Super Nationals, UDA National Dance Team Championship, UDA Louisiana State, NDA College Nationals and NDA High School Nationals in person and virtual events. Maggie’s dance accolades include being a member of the NFL New Orleans Saints Professional Cheerleading Team, dance team consultant for teams across the U.S., USASF Certified Legality Official and Varsity All-Star Certified Judge. Outside of judging dance competitions, Maggie enjoys spending time with her husband and being a mom.

Quality

Nichole Josey

Nichole Josey has an extensive background in performance and dance. Starting at a young age of 2 she began taking studio dance and continued through high school. During this time she was a part of several competition teams, performance groups, and her high school dance team. In 2013 Nichole began her first season as an NBA Dancer with the Detroit Pistons Dancers and completed 4 seasons with them but continuing to work in game operations with the Detroit Pistons until 2020. After a few years away, Nichole joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the Powerhouse Dance Team for the ‘22-‘23 season and now is back with the Pistons Dancers completing her 6th season in the NBA. She has performed with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Silento, Run DMC, Kid Rock, CeeLo Green, Flo Rida, Gloria Gaynor, B.o.B, and several others. Nichole has been working with NDA for 10+ years and as a judge for eight. Beyond dance, Nichole works as a Digital Marketing Manager and is currently pursuing her Doctoral in Organizational Leadership.

Jaimee Montgomery

For over 20 years, Jaimee Montgomery has been utilizing her knowledge and experience as a dancer, teacher, adjudicator, and event producer to contribute to the cheer and dance industry around the globe. As a former dance and curriculum director, she has created, planned, and executed events from the local to international level. Combining her love for the industry and her passion for travel, she has judged and coached both in the U.S. and abroad. A graduate of Arizona State University, Jaimee resides in Florida where she is an Operations Director and an active member of her community. She holds a U.S. Youth Soccer C Coaching License and has spent her career as a coach developing programs that empower young athletes.

Amy Eichler Passmore

Amy Eichler Passmore has worked as an instructor, head instructor, choreographer, or judge for Universal Dance Association since 2001 and has taught and performed in nine countries including China, India, Colombia, Chile, France, Italy, and England. She is a former member of the Arkansas Razorback Pom Squad and spent 12 years as Dance Director of iNFiNiTi Athletics in Bentonville, AR coaching both All Star and studio dance programs. Amy’s current choreography focuses on multiple school dance teams preparing for state and national competitions. She is starting her 22nd year as the pom, jazz, and kick competition choreographer for the UDA nationally ranked and 10-time Arkansas State Champion high school dance team, the Bentonville Golden Tamers.

Brittany Rash

Brittany Smith Rash originally from Swansea, IL, has been dancing since the age of three, studying ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and musical theater at studios in and around the St. Louis area. In high school she won a state jazz dance title in 2008. Brittany went on to attend the University of Kentucky, where she was a four-year member of the University of Kentucky Dance Team. After undergrad, Brittany continued dancing as part of the Universal Dance Association Instructional Staff. In 2016, Brittany graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. She resides in Lexington, KY, with her husband, Brandon, and daughter, Sloane, where she works as a clinical pharmacist at UK Healthcare and remains engaged in the dance community as a consultant with local dance teams and judging local, regional, and national events.

Kerry Sullivan

Kerry Sullivan is a native of Boston, MA, and has over 25 years of experience in multiple genres of dance. Kerry has over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience. She is currently a coach of the University of New Hampshire dance team that competes in Division I and is the former head coach of the Harvard University Crimson Dance Team. Kerry is a former head instructor for Universal Dance Association and has traveled both nationally and internationally teaching high school and college dance teams. Kerry’s international credits include teaching in Cesenatico, Italy. Kerry has served as a Head judge for multiple regional and national events including UDA High School Nationals.