Come experience the Not Just Dance difference! Our teachers are energetic, patient, invested in our students (100% present serving the needs of our students), consistent and role models.
Dawne LeKang; CFO- Chief Fun Officer
Dawne began dancing ballet at the age of 7. She performed in theatrical dance productions with Storybook Theatre. She also appeared on stage in several productions with The Alliance Theatre (TAT) including Oliver!, Music Man, Wizard of Oz and as a featured dancer in Cats. She was the choreographer for TAT’s Beauty & the Beast, Willy Wonka, Mulan and Aladdin Jr; Rocky Run’s production of Willy Wonka Jr; Franklin Middle School’s production of Legally Blonde Jr, Little Mermaid Jr and Shrek; Kilmer Middle School’s Annie Jr and High School Musical; and Not Just Dance’s production of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr, Fame Jr, Peter Pan Jr, Aladdin Jr, Shrek Jr, Annie Jr and Into the Woods Jr. She produced or co-produced TAT’s Aladdin Jr; Annie Jr; Little Shop of Horrors and Grease. She received two WATCH nominations for her work on Little Shop of Horrors for Outstanding Set Decoration and Set Dressing in a Musical and for Outstanding Properties in a Musical.
Dawne has engineering and computer science degrees and previously worked as a Program Manager for Northrop Grumman. She was the President/Owner of Dawne’s Technical Solutions where she provided Box Office Management and Support to Virginia Ballet Company & School. As a long time past member of the TAT Board of Directors, she created and maintained the website and provided box office support, along with serving in numerous artistic positions with just about all of the TAT shows over a 10 year period. She served on the Board of Directors for Virginia Ballet Company & School and The Alliance Theatre. She has served the community as PTA President at Brookfield Elementary School; Staff Appreciation Chair for Chantilly High School; Cultural Arts Chair for Greenbriar Elementary School; Vice-President of the Baltimore/Washington Section of the Society of Women Engineers; and as CCD Teacher at both St. Veronica’s and St. Timothy’s in Chantilly. More
Jennifer Farmer; Artistic Director
Jen began theatre as a Chantilly High School student studying under Elaine Wilson and Ed Monk. She remembers getting the theatre bug after seeing a production in elementary school written by Elaine Wilson for the Just Say No Campaign. Jen has directed over 20+ Not Just Dance shows. She recently directed the productions of Aladdin Jr, Willy Wonka Jr, Seussical Jr., A Chorus Line, Newsies, & A Charlie Brown Christmas. She has served as Stage Manager for several of The Alliance Theatre’s productions including: A Christmas Carol , Willy Wonka, Art of Murder, Aladdin Jr, Mulan Jr, Camelot, Annie Jr. and Hairspray. Her directorial debut was Little Shop of Horrors (The Alliance Theatre) which received 5 WATCH nominations.
She has also been the Stage Manager for Contemporary Music Center’s Rock Camp and City of Fairfax Theatre Company’s production of Pippi Longstocking. Jen is on staff for Not Just Dance and serves as the main Registrar, Head of the Musical Theatre Classes and provides private coaching. She also heads up the After School Theatre programs at several area schools in Chantilly and Centreville.
Rachel Hutzenbiler; Professor of Fun
Rachel Hutzenbiler is a recent graduate from East Carolina University where she received degrees in Theatre Education and Vocal Performance. Rachel was part of ECU’s Storybook Theatre and performed for youth audiences all over Eastern NC. Shows Rachel has been in include The Velveteen Rabbit, The Just So Stories and Stories from Around the World as well as several short plays for young audiences. Rachel has been highly involved in technical theatre including costuming, lighting, stage management and make up for shows such as Rent, Reefer Madness, The Giver, and Jungle Book.
Rachel worked with students as an Asst Director/Asst Choreographer for Aliens in the Castle (original series production), Aladdin Jr, & Miscast. She directed Twisted Tales, Frozen, & Alice in Wonderland. Rachel works with area elementary students as the primary teacher for many of the Not Just Dance After School Programs. Rachel also teaches Technical Theatre students at Not Just Dance along with working on all of the Not Just Dance current productions.
Brittany LeKang; Princess of Marketing
Brittany is our Princess of Marketing in charge of all marketing campaigns and social media. She also oversees the Tech program as well as events for the studio. Brittany graduated from George Mason University with a Business Degree in Marketing with a concentration in internet marketing. She also has a minor in Fine Arts and a knack for party planning. Her unique experiences in marketing, balanced by her theatrical and artistic talents, help market to our very dynamic and growing demographic.
As a gifted artist, Brittany has created props, set decorations, and set design for many shows. Recently, she helped Design and implement the sets for Willy Wonka, Frozen, Suessical, Chorus Line, & A Charlie Brown Christmas. As a tech instructor Brittany encourages the kids to stretch the limits of reality to create a new world for each show. To see a list of this year’s tech projects that students completed, please see the Teach Theatre Page on the website. She has appeared as an actress, featured dancer & set designer in many Alliance Theatre productions.
Carly Johnson; Dance Program Director
Carly Johnson grew up dancing in Vienna, Virginia at Cuppett Performing Arts Center, where she was trained in ballet, pointe, Cecchetti, lyrical, tap, jazz, musical theater, and modern. After deciding that she wanted to pursue dance as a career, she took dance classes at Fairfax Academy for Communications and Arts in addition to classes at her studio. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University she now has her BFA in Dance and Choreography and a minor in General Business. While there she had the pleasure of dancing in pieces choreographed by her peers, faculty members, and guest artists at VCU such as Doug Varone and Stephanie Martinez. She has also worked with dance professionals in the Richmond community and the Lyric Opera of Virginia. She is currently a company member with Jane Franklin Dance and Next Reflex Dance Collective.
Dance Teachers
Christena Evans
Christena Evans has a passion and love of the art of dance as well as teaching children. She has danced professionally as well as been a dance instructor/choreographer for the past 20+ years. She graduated with a BFA in Jazz Dance from The University of the Arts located in Philadelphia, PA in 2003. She has explored and continued her learning since then by gaining experience in the field, educating, and developing her leadership skills. Her career has taken her to different parts of the country as well as to Saipan, MP where she worked as a dancer, dance captain, and dance coordinator for a major production. She has experience educating beginner dancers to advanced of all ages in several genres of dance. She has tweaked her creative muscles also by consistently choreographing and creating dances for her students to work on and perform. She was honored to win An Outstanding Choreography Award from Imagine Dance Alliance in 2019. Christena’s main gift is serving as a role model for the great artists who will be developed under her wing.
Melissa Nicolette
Melissa Nicolette, originally from Lagrangeville, NY, and has been dancing and competing since she was 7 years old. She has been teaching all styles of dance at her home studio in New York since 2010, where she also choreographed for that studio’s competition team. Her solo, duo, and team tap choreography has resulted in numerous overall high score awards.
Melissa has extensive performance experience ranging from dance competitions to youth tap company performances at venues such as the New York City Tap Festival, Tap Kids, and the United Nations. Additionally, she was cast in a professional Tap Cabaret “Rhythm Is Our Business”, choreographed by Derick K. Grant, and performed in this show during its run in New York City in 2013. While attending the State University of New York College at Oneonta, she was a member of and choreographer for both the college’s Terpsichorean Dance Company and the Oneonta State Dance Team, where she was team captain and choreographer for 3 years.
Melissa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education. She also has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Melissa is currently a school teacher at Greenbriar East Elementary in Chantilly, VA. She excited to be joining the staff at Not Just Dance and is looking forward to working with the students!
Rebecca Morneau
Rebecca Morneau has been involved in the dance world her whole life. Rebecca graduated from DeSales University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in English. While in college, she performed in the DeSales University Dance Team, The Nutcracker directed by Trinette Singleton and Jennifer Haltzman Tracy, and performed in dances choreographed by Angela Grossman, Julia Mayo, Kristin Alexander, and Emily Schoen. In May 2019, she choreographed and performed in a tap dance entitled The ConTAPoraryNutcracker which was performed at the DeSales University Spring Informal Dance Concert. This is Rebecca’s second year teaching dance at Not Just Dance and she is so excited for the year to come!
Vesela Kostadinova
Music Directors
Beth Atkins
Beth is a music teacher at Hunters Woods Elementary school. She has provided music direction for 25+ productions including for several children’s productions. For Not Just Dance, Beth has been musical director for Frozen JR, Madagascar JR, Elf The Musical Jr, Jungle Book Kids, Peter Pan Jr and Fame Jr. Other highlights include 101 Dalmations Kids (Franklin Performers Corner), The Three Prince Charmings (Elden Street Players TFYA), Flat Stanley Jr (Hunter Woods Elementary School), Alice in Wonderland Jr (City of Fairfax Theatre Company), Thoroughly Modern Millyie (Franklin Middle School), Annie Jr (The Alliance Theatre), A Christmas Carol (McLean Community Players), Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr (Not Just Dance) and The Nifty Fifties (Centerstage Academy).
She has also provided musical direction for the WATCH nominated show Musical of Musicals (the Musical!) (Elden Street Players) and Hairspray (The Alliance Theatre). Beth has also directed several Jr productions and has been seen on-stage, recently performing in Legally Blonde, The Musical (McLean Community Players). Having worked with many area schools and community theatres, she knows how to prepare for an audition, especially as it relates to children’s productions. Beth received her BM in Choral Music Education and Theatre from Christopher Newport University.
Beth is currently the music director for Seussical Jr.
Beth Gustafson
Ms. Beth is beginning her 18th year as the Director of Music Ministries for King of Kings Lutheran Church in Fairfax after spending many, many years as a freelance musician. She started her musical journey back in elementary school singing with the choir and playing with the band, eventually choosing a career in music as a bassoonist.
Many of her favorite gigs were in the orchestras of operas and musicals, including playing pit for a production of “Camelot” with Robert Goulet! That was the extent of her musical theater participation until her children and husband pulled her into a whole new world starting with the entire family’s participation in “Shrek” with The Alliance Theater.
Since then, she has supported many community theater productions “behind the scenes” including shows with Sterling Playmakers, Prince William Little Theater, The Alliance Theater, Not Just Dance, and many local elementary and middle schools. She also serves as the current President of Chantilly High School’s Music Boosters so that she can encourage and build up future generations of music makers.
Ms. Beth has a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Tennessee and a M.M. in Bassoon performance from Florida State University.
Heather Reklau
Heather began her love of music in elementary school and grew to discover the world of musical theater in High School. Since then, she has directed and performed in numerous shows such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Alice in Wonderland Jr. and Dear Edwina Jr., to name a few. Heather attended Susquehanna University where she received a B.A. in Music Education, K-12. She has taught in Fairfax County Public Schools as an elementary music teacher for 12+years. Heather holds several certificates in early childhood music education and has extensive experience directing vocal groups of various sizes and genres as well as a private music instructor specializing in piano.
Heather currently works as a preschool music teacher and is a mom to an 8yr old son and 5 yr old daughter.
Kanysha Williams
Kanysha Williams is a Washington Metropolitan Area native and a dynamic actress and singer. Kanysha began her formal voice training when she was 14 years old; a vocal performance major at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC. Upon graduation from Ellington, Kanysha studied voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at George Mason University. Kanysha has had the honor of performing in some of the country’s most famous venues such as New York City’s Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Recently, Kanysha has been seen in theatre performances in the Washington Metropolitan Area and beyond. Off stage, Kanysha works as a performer and museum educator for the Smithsonian Institute, as well as a private music instructor specializing in vocal and piano training.
Private Coaching Teachers
Adam LeKang
Adam is a Musical Theater major at Christopher Newport University, minoring in Writing and Film Studies (Class of 2021). He began his acting career at the age of 6 and has appeared in over 28 local performances. He received Cappie Nominations 2016 and 2017 for Lead Actor in a Play and Suporting Actor in a Play, respectively. Adam appeared in Ford’s Theatre’s Production of A Christmas Carol back in 2009. He was a finalist for SPARC’s New Voices of Theater in 2015 and 2017 for his scripts, “A Teen’s Life” and “Playception: By Evan Packer” respectively. He has appeared on radio, on TV (America’s Most Wanted and Fatal Attractions), in commercials and even as an extra in a couple featured films. Some favorite theatre roles include Robert in The Drowsey Chaperone (Christopher Newport University), Curly in Oklahoma! (Christopher Newport University), Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (Westfield Summer Stage), Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatchers (Chantilly High School), Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner (Chantilly High School), Eddie in Lost in Yonkers (Chantilly High School), and as Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Chantilly High School). In addition, Adam has directed numerous Not Just Dance “Aliens in the Castle” productions. He as also appeared in various Not Just Dance shows over the years.
Amanda Mason
Amanda Mason is a 2018 magna cum laude graduate of James Madison University. She received her Bachelors of Music in Music Theatre Performance. While at JMU, she performed in many stage productions including Guys and Dolls, Candide, The Merry Widow, The Barber of Seville, and Cosi fan Tutti. She was a member of the Madison Singers, JMU’s advanced choral chamber ensemble, for 2 years. She also was a member of the award-winning all-female acapella group Note-oriety for all 4 years of her college career. Prior to attending JMU, Amanda performed in community theatre at a very young age and continued throughout her high school years in productions with Chantilly Drama. Some of her favorite roles include Penny Lou Pingleton in Hairspray, Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, and Eva Peron in Evita. Although she is currently developing her professional performance career, Amanda also has a passion for teaching and supporting young actors in hopes of inspiring a new generation of performers.
Kanysha Williams
Kanysha Williams is a Washington Metropolitan Area native and a dynamic actress and singer. Kanysha began her formal voice training when she was 14 years old; a vocal performance major at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC. Upon graduation from Ellington, Kanysha studied voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at George Mason University. Kanysha has had the honor of performing in some of the country’s most famous venues such as New York City’s Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Recently, Kanysha has been seen in theatre performances in the Washington Metropolitan Area and beyond. Off stage, Kanysha works as a performer and museum educator for the Smithsonian Institute, as well as a private music instructor specializing in vocal and piano training.
Specialty & Choreography Teachers
Candace Turitto
Candace’s dance life started – like most do – at a very young age, and has covered a wide range of disciplines, including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, modern, hip-hop and pom. She has been dancing for over 30 years as part of performing troupes, dance teams, and competition teams, and has been choreographing and instructing for over 15 years.
As a teenager, Candace attended the year-long Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, where she studied Musical Theater and served as the group’s dance captain for two years. As a member of the group’s select troupe, she traveled to Japan for a performance tour, and participated in dozens of Broadway revues and shows, including Will Roger’s Follies and Chicago. At the collegiate level, Candace was a member of the James Madison University Dukettes, a very competitive and nationally ranked dance team. Over the years, she has studied with several notable dancers and choreographers, including Dianne Walker (Black and Blue), Baakari Wilder (Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk) and Denise Wall (Denise Wall’s Dance Energy), and her own routines have received several awards at both regional and national competitions, for both choreography and high scores. She continues to perform with the high-level performance group, Sundays on Tap, and serves on the board of the non-profit Knock On Wood Tap Studio in Washington, D.C..
After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree from James Madison University, Candace began her professional career working with political campaigns across the country, serving in capacities ranging from Campaign Manager to Media Consultant. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in American Politics and Political Methodology, specializing in voter psychology and behavior, survey methodology, and experimentation. She has taught a variety of political science courses for New York University, American University, and the California State University in Northridge. Candace is currently a faculty member at the University of Maryland in College Park
Cathy Arnold
Cathy was the choreographer assistant for several Not Just Dance’s productions to include Frozen, Seussical, Willy Wonka, Xanadu, Mulan Jr, Lion King Jr, Anything Goes and Jungle Book Kids. She also was choreographer for Annie Jr, Nunsense, co-choreographer for Capital Cabaret, Little Mermaid Jr, and Grease, all for The Alliance Theatre; Kilmer Elementary School’s Annie, Jr and Franklin Middle School’s Little Mermaid Jr. She appeared as the Baroness in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (The Alliance Theatre) Paulette in Legally Blonde, The Musical (The Alliance Theatre), Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray (The Alliance Theatre), Mrs Cratchitt/Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (The Alliance Theatre), the Wardrobe in Beauty and the Beast (The Alliance Theatre), Grizabella in Cats (The Alliance Theatre), Amelia Earhart in Flight of the Lawnchair Man (Taking Flight Theatre) and Claire in Bare (Taking Flight Theatre), for which she received a WATCH nomination. Cathy has worked for a local music company, The Lace Music, as a jazz vocalist and DJ assistant for 20 years. By day, Cathy teaches Pre-Kindergarten at the Ox Hill Baptist Church Pre-School. In addition, Cathy works on both the Not Just Dance Take After School Theatre program.