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.

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. Her favorite sets include: Alice In Wonderland, Suessical, Clue, Matilda, Aladdin, Puffs, & West Side Story. 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 productions.

Savannah Sprinkle; Director of Fun

Savannah Sprinkle is a Texas native who went on to Elon University where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre. Since then, Savannah has been involved in many projects but her most notable roles include Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins”, Catherine in the 2017 National Tour of “Pippin”, being a lead singer for two shows at Tokyo Disney Sea and (most recently) performing as a lead female vocalist for Norwegian Cruise Line. She’s thrilled to be joining the Not Just Dance team and thanks her friends/family passionately for their love and support.

Dance Teachers

Adriana DiVecchia

Adriana DiVecchia grew up in Northern Virginia where she started dancing at 3 years old. She trained and competed in all styles of dance, but tap was always her favorite. She moved across the country to attend Chapman University in Orange, California, where she majored in Dance and Education. While at Chapman, Adriana performed and choreographed in numerous dance performances. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She now teaches elementary school in Ashburn, VA.

Adriana’s performance credits include DC Tap Festival, Young Choreographer’s Festival, Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and Chapman Celebrates. She is excited to work with the students at Not Just Dance!

Moira Ragen

Moira discovered her love of dance at the age of five, when she saw Riverdance on PBS Television. Soon, she was in the studio learning Irish Dance. By the time Moira was sixteen, her passion for Irish Dancing had led her to compete internationally, teach and perform. She became interested in other dance forms along the way. She enrolled in the Fairfax Academy High School Dance Program and took modern dance, ballet, tap and jazz during the school day, while continuing her training, competing, and teaching outside of school. After graduating, Moira attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Dance and PreK-12 Dance Teacher Licensure for the State of Virginia.

Moira has continued to develop her professional career in both teaching and performing. She has taught dance to elementary through high school students in Fairfax County Public Schools, (FCPS) in Virginia. During her time teaching she has taught a wide variety of dance styles as well as dance technique, etiquette, terminology, history, and analysis. She has choreographed for musicals and dance concerts and worked with other dance teachers in the county to develop curriculum and the FCPS Dance Program of Studies.

Moira has performed modern dance with Dance Art Theatre, Washington, D.C. and has performed with many different Irish Dance productions such as Rockin’ Road to Dublin, Dublin Irish Dance, Irish Dance Theatre, Raglan Road, and Celtic Illusion.

Nicole Fillmann

Nicole Fillmann was born and raised in Northern Virginia and began dancing competitively at the age of three. She began her teaching career at the age of 18 at the studio she grew up training in. She has been the director of recreational programs around the area and the co-director of competitive teams. Nicole is an award winning choreographer and has been recognized at competitions all around the world. Her students have gone on to perform for artists such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber as well as appeared on So You Think You Can Dance and Dance Moms. Nicole is excited to bring her training and knowledge to the Not Just Dance family!

Music Directors

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. Ms. Amanda recently was the Music Director for Screen to Stage and Magic Treehouse Dinosaurs Before Dark.

Amanda is currently the music director for 101 Dalmatians Kids.

Anne Albright

Anne Albright has been singing professionally since the age of sixteen. Performing in rock bands, barbershop quartets, opera workshops, along with leading up jazz bands and other endless collaborations throughout her musical career, Anne has gained knowledge and skills that have made her one of the most sought out music coaches in the DMV! Most recently Anne has helped bring kid’s inner Rock Stars to the stage while coaching local Rock Camps as well as teaching students in her own vocal studio.

While obtaining her Bachelor of Music Education at Radford University, Anne continued to play and record with NOVA/MD/PA/DC based rock, blues, and jazz bands; today she remains a constant in the local and INTERNATIONAL music scene.

Anne has performed on the stages of The Kennedy Center, BluesAlley, The Birchmere, The Georgetown Club, Nick’s Fat City, and countless other amazing venues that there are too many to name. Although she enjoys singing pop and jazz, Anne was trained classically under the direction of lyric soprano Elizabeth Curtis, and received numerous honors and recognition from both her college and the community including Most Outstanding Vocalist in the Nation by Downbeat Magazine.

Anne has enjoyed teaching voice to all ages since 1998 and strives to give her students the tools needed to find enjoyment and success in whatever their musical goals are. Anne wants to see her students find their inner voice and use it for whatever their future holds.

She is currently the music director of Newsies.

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 Footloose, Matilda, Seussical, 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 Les Misérables.

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.

She is currently the music director of Annie JR.

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. Ms. Kanysha recently was the music director for Broadway Now and Then, Shrek Jr, Aladdin Jr, Fiddler on the Roof Jr, Screen to Stage, Guys and Dolls and Oliver.

Ms. Kanysha is currently the Music Director for Newsies JR and West Side Story.

Private Coaching Teachers

Adam LeKang

Adam is currently studying for his Masters degree in Dramatic Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA. He is a 2021 Musical Theater graduate from Christopher Newport University, where he minored in Writing and Film Studies. 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 Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (CNU), Robert in The Drowsey Chaperone (CNU), Curly in Oklahoma! (CNU), 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 the Not Just Dance productions – Singin’ in the Rain, Screen to Stage and Bugsy Malone JR. He also directed numerous Not Just Dance “Aliens in the Castle” productions. He has also appeared in various Not Just Dance shows over the years, recently appearing as Santa Claus in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Adam is also the author of all of the Not Just Dance Twisted Tales and Aliens in the Castle productions.

Amanda Mason

Amanda is currently the music director for 101 Dalmatians Kids.

Kanysha Williams

Ms. Kanysha is currently the Music Director for Newsies JR and West Side Story.

Nancy Huddleston

Nancy Huddleston is an accomplished singer and pianist with several years of experience directing choirs. She holds a Master of Music Education from Catholic University. Nancy led the youth and adult choirs at the Little River United Church of Christ in Annadale for almost a decade, and she is in her 20^th year of leading her own choir at her “day job” at the National Academy of Sciences. Nancy’s show credits include Oliver, Anything Goes, Patience, Ruddigore, Pippin, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Company. Nancy has been a member of the Paul Hill Chorale, Washington Choral Arts Society, the Congressional Chorus, Denver Symphony Chorus, and several smaller groups in the DC area. Nancy loves the energy of the Not Just Dance family and looks forward to bringing out the best in all of her students.

After School, Specialty & Choreography Teachers

Amanda Guzman

Amanda Guzman is so excited to be joining Not Just Dance! A student at George Mason University, she hopes to get her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre with a concentration in Performance. A long time lover of the arts, Amanda began acting at the International School of Bangkok before moving back to the US and graduating from Rock Ridge High School. There, she did dramaturgy, tech, and acted in many of their productions, even being invited to do a talk back for NPR. Amanda loves doing theatre, and she hopes that she can share that love with every student she meets, just as her teachers did for her.

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

Summer Staff

Adam LeKang

Amanda Guzman

Rachel Hutzenbiler

Rachel Hutzenbiler is so excited to be back at NJD for The Best Weeks of Summer, and away from the heat of the desert! They are a current graduate student at Arizona State University studying Theatre for Youth and Communities and spent the last year becoming deeply involved in the theatre scene in Tempe. They were the assistant director for ASU’s production of The Wolves and has been directing and performing new work including chew the fat, Esperanza for the Bats, Baby Shower, and The Neverland, a retelling of Peter Pan by Madeline Sayet. Rachel has continued working as a teaching artist with Childsplay, a children’s theatre in the heart of Tempe. Other projects include an immersive installation requiring thousands of stickers called “Sticker Graffiti,” which has received stickers from all over the country and a grant by ASU’s Theatre for Youth programming. They will be an apprentice for the Theatre for Youth/ USA conference in May.

Before moving to Arizona, Rachel worked with NJD to direct shows such as The Hobbit, Fiddler on the Roof, Jr., and Alice in Wonderland, and was involved with every show from 2018-summer 2022 and worked with area elementary schools as the primary after school theatre program teacher. It is so nice to be back home!

Sarah Pramstaller

Sarah Pramstaller began her career in New York City where she spent 10+ years performing. She originated the role of “Lizzie Borden” in the concert version of Lizzie, The Musical, and has traveled the country with two different Broadway National Tours: Saturday Night Fever (“Annette”) and The Who’s Tommy (“Sally Simpson” u/s). Her regional credits include Grease (“Rizzo”), West Side Story (“Anita”), Oklahoma! (“Ado Annie”), and Little Shop of Horrors (“Audrey”) to name a few. When not working on a show, Sarah dabbled in commercial VoiceOver work and fronted an 80’s cover band during her time in NYC.

Sarah is a proud graduate of James Madison University and holds a degree in Music Education. She transitioned from performing to vocal instruction and music direction when she discovered The Paul Green School of Rock in Manhattan. It was there that she fell in love with teaching; creating and leading the first vocal music program at the original flagship school. She directed multiple concert productions at The School of Rock, one of which gave the final performance at the legendary rock club, CBGB’s, and another that was selected to be the opening act for Jon Anderson of “YES” at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Midtown Manhattan.

Since her return to NoVa, Sarah has continued to teach voice privately and has worked with dozens of teens and young adults that have gone on to reach professional status in the recording industry and on Broadway. She is currently the Director of Musical Productions at Flint Hill School in Oakton where she directs the choirs, musicals, and a cappella group. Her Flint Hill students have won vocal competitions, been accepted to collegiate musical theatre programs, and done many other amazing things, both onstage and off. Watching her students succeed has been the most joyful and gratifying part of Sarah’s professional journey thus far.

Staff

Dance Teachers

Music Directors

Private Coaching Teachers

After School, Specialty & Choreography Teachers

Summer Staff

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