INDUSTRY LEADERS DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS
The faculty at the DanceLife Teacher Conference are experienced business professionals, master teachers, inspirational speakers and people who share your passion for the art of dance. Each year, DLTC brings together amazing educators with expertise for the business and classroom.
Meet Our Faculty
The faculty at the DanceLife Teacher Conference are industry-leading professionals, master educators, and inspiring speakers who share your passion for dance. Each year, DLTC gathers an exceptional lineup of experts, bringing invaluable knowledge in both business and classroom instruction. Join us and learn from the best in the industry!
Ashe, Kali
Kali Ashe has dedicated her life to dance and performance, earning recognition as an award-winning choreographer and educator. Renowned for her innovative, intricate choreography, Kali’s unique style has made a significant impact in the dance community. Her extensive experience as a company director, studio manager, and recital coordinator has established her as a leading expert…
Beltran, Brandon
Brandon Beltran is a professional dancer and educator born and raised in Orange County and based in Los Angeles, CA. He has worked with artists such as Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, Jason Derulo, and most recently the Grammys with Dua Lipa. He has danced on TV shows Good Trouble, The Voice, The Masked Singer, and…
Brettingham-Filice, Rebecca
Rebecca Brettingham-Filice is a visionary entrepreneur and dedicated dance professional, making significant contributions to the dance community. Since the inception of Dance Extreme in 1997. she has played a pivotal role in shaping the dance experiences of over 26,000 individuals who have passed through the studio’s doors. Rebecca’s influence extends beyond her own ventures, as…
Canino, Jessica
Jessica Canino is the owner and artistic director of Creative Dance Studio in Plantation, FL. After receiving her MBA in Entrepreneurship in 2014 she opened the doors to her studio where she currently manages the business, teaches students of all ages in a variety of dance styles, produces two productions a year, and runs the…
Canterna-Hardy, Ashley
Ashley Canterna Hardy received her ballet training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC on full scholarship. At 14, she was the winner of the junior division at the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition. That same year, she represented the United States at the 2000 International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria winning…
Conlan, Bryce
Bryce Conlan is a co-founder at Dance Motion Marketing and serial entrepreneur with a passion for helping leaders grow. His favorite thing is getting fired because a dance studio client is full and can’t take any more students… which happens more often than you’d think. In his spare time, Bryce enjoys a good whiskey, ice…
Duncan, Sandi
Sandi Duncan is a dance educator, choreographer, mentor and personal development coach with a career spanning over 40 years in the New England area. She owned, directed and taught at Dance Productions in Woburn, Massachusetts for 9 years, before becoming a senior faculty member at the Melissa Hoffman Dance Center in Hudson, New Hampshire. Throughout…
Gold Alliance Evolution
The Gold Alliance is an intimate group of like-minded studio owners who uplift and support one another. Together, we tackle challenges, share ideas, and develop strategies to help every Leader thrive.
Gold, Rhee
Rhee Gold is a dance field pioneer who has led a movement that continues to change and improve the face of dance education. Teachers and studio owners from the United States, Australia, Canada, Grand Cayman, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom and more flock to his retreats, seminars, keynote speeches, and conferences to gain fresh…
Gray, Kaelyn
Kaelyn Gray has been a teacher for over 20 years, both at her home school near Cincinnati, OH, and traveling all across the United States and Canada as a a guest artist and instructor. Focusing on all styles of dance, she is a sought-after teacher and adjudicator who loves to bring her unique teaching style…
Griffin, Billy
Billy Griffin is a New York City based choreographer and educator. Select choreography credits include the National Tour of Friends! The Musical Parody, as well as work for the Hudson Valley Dance Festival featuring So You Think You Can Dance winner Ricky Ubeda, The Red Bucket Follies for BC/EFA, The Drama League Gala (honoring Steve Martin), Hershey Park,…
Groven, Katie
Katie Groven is an ACSM certified personal trainer, INN certified holistic health coach and two time world champion dancer. She is the creator of dancer-fitness.com an online exercise database designed to transform competitive dancers into athletic powerhouses. Katie has combined her 25 years of dance training and her fitness expertise to crack the code on…
Gudat, Diane
Diane Gudat is a freelance writer, teacher, coach and choreographer from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She now teaches at the studio she owned, for more than 28 years and has been a dance educator for more than 50 years. She is the author of seven dance books specifically designed for the dance teacher: The Time Step…
Haithcox, Ginger
Ginger Haithcox is a dual-certified Life Coach and Financial Coach, dedicated to helping dance studio owners build peaceful lives and lead profitable businesses. She is the host of Life Coaching for Dance Studio Owners, where she shares insights on mindset, money, and self-care to empower studio owners in achieving sustainable success. With over 20 years of experience…
Holliday, Leah
Leah Holliday has been teaching acro and dance for over 25 years. She was born and raised in Regina, SK and studied dance and baton twirling at the Martin School of Dance and Baton Twirling. Leah trained in all disciplines of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and acro. Leah completed her Advanced Tap and…
Hubela, Geo
With over 20 years experience in the Entertainment Industry, GEO Hubela is a Choreographer, Artistic Director, Dancer & Teacher. He also is Co-owner and Director of one of New Jerseys leading Dance Education facilities, ICON DANCE COMPLEX, home of the ICONic Dance Company. GEO has choreographed internationally for stage and screen in France, Germany, the…
Leeper, Ray
Ray Leeper’s work spans the spectrum from television, movies, and commercials to Off-Broadway and music videos. He has choreographed for multiple seasons of So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Big Bang Theory, and X-Factor UK. His long career has included working with such artists as Cher,…
Morgan, Stacey
As the owner of 7 successful businesses and mum of 3 energetic children, Stacey Morgan is one of Australia’s most engaging speakers. Stacey is the CEO of Roar Success and specializes in working with Small Business Owners on building strong company vision & culture, leading effective teams, retention strategies for improving revenue and productive time…
Powell, Meredith
Meredith Powell is a coach, entrepreneur, and seasoned leader in the performing arts community. With over 20 years of experience as a studio owner, she has guided her business through growth, relocation, and the creation of a state-of-the-art performing arts center that now serves over a thousand families each week. Leading a team of 25+ employees,…
Reinstein, Stephen
Stephen Reinstein is the CEO & Founder of Market Muscles, a pioneering company dedicated to helping dance and martial arts studios thrive. With over eight years of industry experience, Stephen has established himself as a leading authority in creating innovative technology solutions that drive student enrollment and retention. Under Stephen’s leadership, Market Muscles has successfully…
Retter, Becca
Becca Retter is a multi-talented dancer, teacher and choreographer. She is an expert at the Al Gilbert Tap Technique and the nation’s leader in pre-school material for your dance studio. She is known for creating the most usable, age-appropriate music and choreography for dance studios with her product Dance Advantage through MusicWorks Unlimited. Her products…
Retter, Thommie
Thommie Retter loves the entertainment business and you will see it shine through in each of his classes. While living a 3 ½ year run on Broadway playing the role of Mr. Braithwaite in Billy Elliot The Musical, Thommie had the thrill of performing for more than 1.5 million enthusiastic theatergoers. After the curtain closed,…
Simler, Kiana
Kiana Simler is an accomplished dancer, teacher, choreographer, and adjudicator with over 15 years of experience hailing from London, Ontario. Her journey began at Dance Extreme Inc. and Western University, where she trained extensively in various dance styles under the guidance of industry-leading instructors and choreographers. Kiana holds an H.B.A. from Western University, double majoring in…
Simpson, Pam
Pam Simpson has been the founder, president, and driving force behind Forte Arts Center, for the past 31 years. In addition to building her business from a small, one-room studio to a large, multi-location organization that offers dance, tumbling, and leadership programs as well as private music lessons, Pam is a leading force in the…
Soutier, Michelle – DLTC
Michelle Soutier, a native of North Carolina and a graduate of UNC Charlotte, boasts an extensive background in the performing arts, education, and entrepreneurial success. Her journey in the dance industry began when she founded Miller Street Dance Academy in 1994, and nearly three decades later, she continues to lead a dedicated team of 53…
Stewart, Abby
Abby Stewart grew up in her Mom’s dance studio and continued with her love of dance into the professional dance world as a dancer for the Glen Campbell show and multiple musical theater performances. With extensive experience as both a director and Artistic Director, Abby has led numerous performance companies to success. Her lifelong passion…
Trench, Andrea
Andrea Trench is dedicated to helping dance teachers create and deliver content that is research-based and developmentally appropriate. Her primary focus is classroom management, conceptual teaching, and foundational movement skill development in early childhood dance education. In addition, Andrea uses her 12 years of experience as a partner in a dance studio to inspire, equip,…
Wallace, Vicki
Vicki is a seasoned dance studio owner with over 22 years of experience and a 30-year background in the dance and tumbling industry. Throughout her career, she has built a thriving, multi-faceted studio that offers both dance and tumbling programs, and more recently, has expanded to include a full Ninja program. Her passion for the…
Wanner, Heather
Heather Wanner is an educator at heart. Having spent many years teaching in the Elementary and Middle School classrooms, working with children and nurturing their spirits and well-being has always been a passion of Heather’s. As a former Actor’s Equity Member spending many years auditioning and performing in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, her…