Allison grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana where she began dancing with Tammy Palmer’s Center Stage Dance Company. There she studied styles including jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and tap. She attended multiple regional and national competitions each year. She was also a member of the Barbe High School dance team, where she was captain her senior year. In May of 2021 Allison graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Dance. While at LSU she was a member of the LSU Tiger Girls dance team for 4 years and was captain her senior year. As part of the team, she competed in Hip Hop and Jazz at UDA College Nationals. She also performed at a variety of sporting and community events for LSU. After graduation, she spent a year in Indianapolis teaching both competitive and recreational classes at Indy Dance Academy. Now living in Los Angeles, she is excited to teach at Rise!

Tessa Bella deFries has over 10 years’ experience working in the television, commercial and live performance industry.  She grew up training in all styles of dance and most recently worked as an NBA Dancer in Los Angeles, CA. Tessa’s extensive dance training includes west coast competitive programs, Pulse on Tour, and LA based Hip Hop Crews.    

Her professional credits include Justin Bieber, Lil Mama, Pharell Williams, ABC Mouse. Nickelodeon, Disney, Mattel, Sea World, ABC, KCA, KCSA, Broadway and BET! 

Tessa is respected throughout the entertainment industry and known for her work ethic, professionalism, and positive mindset. Tessa has choreographed for high-school and college programs under US Spiritleaders and looks forward to continuing to coach in the competitive scene. Tessa looks forward to sharing her passion for dance and life with you here at Rise Academy of Dance!

Born in Los Angeles, CA, Cameron was always an entertainer at heart. Inspired by Michael Jackson, Usher and Omarion, and the movie "You Got Served" he decided to take hip hop dance seriously. When he moved to Missouri, he joined a dance crew that formed at his high school and won talent shows, dance contests, and performed for a local hip hop artist. At the age of 21 he moved to Oklahoma City, OK, began teaching dance classes, and soon formed the dance crew/company known as Band Of Misfits. Since then, Cameron has traveled the states as well as overseas to China learning, dancing, and teaching. Cameron has been able to showcase some of his talents in events such as World Of Dance, Chris Brown's F.A.M.E tour as a pre-show act, as a co-choreographer on the "Bad Girl" music video for artist Cameron McBeth, and he has taught for dance conventions such as The Streetz and Soul de Soul.  He is now working on more projects with Band Of Misfits and other personal dance projects and is a member of the MOB Dance Company. He is currently a hip hop instructor and competition choreographer and teaches master classes in different cities around the US. Today, Cameron is still pursuing his passion as a dancer and choreographer as well as an actor and home cook.

Ashley is a passionate dance instructor with over a decade of experience in various dance styles, including jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, ballroom, and contemporary. Prior to becoming an instructor, Ashley has spent a majority of her life dedicated to her own love of dance, and spent time training directly under Shannon Mather, Blake McGrath, Stephen “Twitch” Boss and Talia Favia. Her professional training includes being a dedicated member of the UCLA Spirit Squad and proceeded to join the Los Angeles Clippers after college. She is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment, and specializes in tailoring lessons to individual skill levels.

Suri is the most sought after ACRO/tumbling coach in the South Bay. Her decades of experience in competitive gymnastics gives her immense technique knowledge and an understanding of the hard work required to achievesuccess. Suri has 12 years of experience as a competitive gymnast and 24 years as a professional dancer in the TV and film industry. She has danced with Katy Perry, Will.I.Am, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and many more. She has also performed on the American Music Awards,  American Idol, the TV show, GLEE, and is the co-host of Showstopper & Tremaine Nationals.

Estelle began her dance career at the age of 16, after many years of training in the Vaganova, and Cecchetti methods at Ballet Florida, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet and in NYC. She traveled Nationally and internationally performing with Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montreal and Ballet Florida; working with renowned choreographers such as Peter Martins, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Danny Ezralow, Val Caniparoli, and Mauricio Wainrot, as well as works by Alvin Ailey, and George Balanchine. Some classical favorites are Coppelia, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Firebird and The Nutcracker.

After 15 years in pointe shoes she honed her singing skills and transitioned to Broadway as Dance Captain and swing in the show Fosse. Upon landing in NY Estelle had the privilege of performing with the Radio City Christmas Show for three seasons. Regional credits include: On Your Toes-Vera and Chicago–Hunyak, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film to stage) - Hollywood Bowl.

Estelle has also led a career in Pilates, Fitness and Dance Instruction. After having two beautiful children, Estelle decided to start a theater company called Broadway Arts Theater at Our Lady of Guadalupe. In order to keep moving during Covid, Estelle and Joie Shettler created Rocknfit, an online fitness studio geared to the over 35 year olds who still want to feel sexy and move their body to music.

She is thrilled to be teaching at Rise Academy of Dance, and enjoys implementing Therapeutic Barre (warms up every muscle), Floor Barre (finds and engages the muscles needed for dance), Pilates, and Strength training, into her regular teaching curriculum.

Mel St. Cyr is a native from New Hampshire and has been dancing for 19 years. Her training and experience has included Alvin Ailey Summer intensive, Joffrey Ballet School, and consistent training at The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston, MA. She has also been a part of professional groups such as Boston Community Dance Project, The Concept Artists, Static Noyze Dance Company, IMMABEAST, Rhythm City Ent. and Project Nailz attending major events like World of Dance, NYC Carnival Choreographer's Ball, and Prelude Urban Dance Competition. Her training has also brought her performance opportunities to be involved in Rolling Loud NYC, Rhythm City’s: Cosmological Warriors China Tour, Broadway in Boston: Dirty Dancing, NYC Dance Parade, and National Dance Day broadcasted on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance! Mel has also enjoyed assisting at major dance conventions and teaching at various dance studios around the New York area. working with artists like Chinese Kitty, Lil Mama, Sarah-Katarina "SKooJ", Alonzo Williams, DOMO, Ari B, 4ward Productions, and McCarthy Visuals has brought Mel to where she currently teaches and trains in Los Angeles.

A native of Huntington Beach, CA, Brooke Strachan received her early dance training at Orange County Dance Center (now Dance Academy of Southern California) under the directorship of Terri and Anthony Sellars. While there, Brooke danced with the resident company- Ballet Repertory Theater, where she performed roles such as the Snow Queen in the Nutcracker, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, the Fall Fairy in Cinderella, and Dawn in Coppelia amongst many original works. She has also spent summers training with the Joffrey Academy in Chicago, Nashville Ballet Academy, Complexions Contemporary Ballet Academy, and the Alvin Ailey School Professional Division. Brooke received a BFA in Modern Dance Performance from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance where she performed works by internationally renowned choreographers such as Ulysses Dove, Sidra Bell, Kate Weare, Rena Butler, Gus Solomons Jr., and George Balanchine. Brooke was also given opportunities to hone her choreographic voice in dance by being one of ten choreographers chosen to present work for the Young Choreographers Showcase two consecutive years, as well as producing her own show "Into the Deep." She looks forward to using her vast experience and knowledge to cultivate the next generation of dancers at Rise Academy. 

Kelli is a dynamic movement-based performance artist and choreographer originally from Huntington Beach, California. She began her formal dance training at the Huntington Beach Academy of the Performing Arts under the direction of Marie Hoffman, performing as a member of the program’s Repertory Ensemble. 

Kelli continued her education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning her BFA in Dance in the spring of 2022 under the mentorship of Donna Faye Burchfield. During her time at UArts, she had the opportunity to perform in original works by renowned choreographers such as Curt Haworth, Jesse Zarrit, Doug Varone, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Mark Caserta, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, and Katie Swords Thurman. 

Since the age of 18, Kelli has spent her summers immersed in international training at B12 in Berlin, where she studied and performed with artists including Guy Nader and Maria Campos, Fabian Wixe, Christina Mertzani, and Lenka Vagnerová. Alongside her performance work, she has developed her voice as a choreographer and educator, teaching at studios throughout the Philadelphia region. Now based in Orange County, Kelli continues to expand her creative practice through teaching, training, and collaborative performance.

Kacey was born and raised in San Jose, California. She started dancing at the age of two and began dancing competitively from the age of six. She is trained in ballet, jazz/jazz funk, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and modern. She started her dance journey at Capitol Dance Company in Northern California and expanded her passion through teaching and choreographing. At the age of 13, Kacey started assisting her studio director in choreography for both annual performances and the competition team (soloists and teams). Kacey was accepted into Art of Movement’s pre-professional training program, the Academy, in 2021 and continued assisting the tour choreographers through 2023. She was also one of four members of The Company’s inaugural season, a pre-professional training program offered at Capitol Dance Company. She is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Dance Science at California State University, Long Beach. Kacey loves to help guide dancers to express themselves through their own unique, authentic movement. Her ultimate goal is to encourage her dancers to dance for the right reasons in order to continually grow their passion for dance. She is absolutely thrilled to join the Rise Fam!