Jamie Rodriguez — Owner and Creative/Artistic Director
As the owner and creative/artistic director of Dancer’s Edge Dance Studios for 20 years, I am grateful to be living out my dream as a studio owner. I began my career in Flint, Michigan, performing as a soloist with the Flint Ballet Theater. After earning a BFA in dance from Western Michigan University, I received a scholarship to the Harkness House School of ballet in NYC. Although my vocation is classical ballet, I teach all dance forms we offer at the studio. I am currently studying to become an examiner of the Cecchetti method of teaching classical ballet. I currently hold the teacher’s grade Vl Professional Intermediate Certificate, qualifying me as a licentiate member of the Cecchetti Council of America.
Having been involved with the Cecchetti way of life as a dancer since the age of 5, as a teacher I have always incorporated this method into my ballet classes. It is my belief that the structure, technique and precise nature of this curriculum will take any young dancer in the direction that he/she wants to go. To this end, my current Dancer’s Edge ballet curriculum reflects the grade levels and class structure outlined by Cecchetti himself, which expands upon the principles set fourth by Carlo Blasis.
Here in our ballet classes at Dancer’s Edge, 3 year olds through adults learn the important basics of the 19th century Cecchetti classical ballet method. I teach my preschool students through creative movement, while I teach my school age students through the standardized Cecchetti curriculum. I look forward to training my future charges in this exciting path to classical ballet training.
Lanie Hoxie — Modern/Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, & Lyrical Instructor
Lanie grew up in the Midwest and earned her BA in dance from Western Michigan University. Some key moments from her college days are dancing at the American Dance Festival at Duke University and performing in a “Modern Innovators’ concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation, she danced with a collaborative group of musicians and dancers, known as Separations. She headed south to Orlando, where she worked with several dance and production companies. She danced and choreographed for DRIP, danced and acted as rehearsal director for VisualEFX Productions, danced for CineDance (Orlando’s first concert jazz dance company), assisted and performed as guest artist for Nao Dance, danced for visual artist Perego and his Art Army, danced for the Orlando Opera, and performed as Lollie in local favorite, BlueStar Productions’ VarieTEAŞE.
Lanie then moved to LA to grow as an artist and to live out her dream rather than just dreaming about it. Lanie has performed the works of Paul Taylor, Gus Giordano, Frank Chavez, Cris Judd, Shane Sparks, and Oth’than; danced in music videos for Wisin, Daddy Yankee, Robin Thicke, Limp Bizkit, Colette Carr, Dawn Richards, 21 Pilots, KT Turnstall, Erika Jayne, to name a few; and has had the opportunity to stand in and double the one and only, Pink. She has worked with several LA-based companies such as The Lucent Dossier-Experience, The Toledo Show, WilderBe, Zen Arts, The Burlesque-All Stars, The Vintage Belles, LA Dollhouse, Little Miss Nasty, Ladies in Lace & FLIRT.
Lanie is back in Orlando, where she has created and is producing her own show, Foxy’s Den. She teaches “Feeling Foxy” workshops geared towards empowering women, hosts vision board workshops, dances with VarieTEASE and The Ladies of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge, performs with Phantasmagoria, and acts as a creative director for downtown nightclub, Room 22. She continues to grow her company, Live in Love, which uses movement as a tool for women to love themselves from the inside out. She’s very excited to be at Dancer’s Edge and is looking forward watching all the students grow and shine!
Megan Kuczajda — Ballet & Pre-Ballet Instructor
Miss Megan is our Ballet and Pre-Ballet dance instructor. She began dancing at Dancer’s Edge when she was three years old, and has grown up dancing at the studio. She is trained and certified in levels I-V of the Cecchetti Method of classical ballet. Miss Megan, a UCF graduate, having studied Biomedical Sciences and Dance, is working to obtain a doctorate in physical therapy. Throughout her time at UCF, she had been involved in the dance program, performing as a soloist in UCF Celebrates the Arts’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” at the Dr. Phillips Center and choreographing in a number of UCF productions. Miss Megan looks forward to sharing her passion for dance and performance with her students at Dancer’s Edge.
Jesse Harris — Hip Hop Dance Instructor
Specializing in choreography, performing at special events and carrying out instructions to teach the highest quality of both dance and fitness to all ages. He is well-rounded in several styles of dancing but is not limited to hip-hop, Latin and social dance. Jesse’s classes will be instructional as well as motivational. Students will be taught the art of performing choreographed routines accompanied to music. The participants in Jesse’s class will be encouraged to get in shape and his dance sessions also provide a fresh and innovative way to present their talents to promote his or her skills as a dancer.
Rachel Brown — Flamenco Dance Instructor
Miss Rachel is our Flamenco teacher and teaches ballet as well. She studied ballet as a student at the School of Performing Arts in Fern Park, Florida. She went on to Albaquerque, New Mexico to earn her degree in Flamenco Dancing. After dancing and touring in Spain, she returned to Florida to teach for Dancer’s Edge, along with her accompanist, El Papi, Flamenco guitarist.