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.
Beth Ann Powers; Professor of Fun
Beth Ann Powers is an award-winning playwright, comedian, director, and teaching artist. She holds an MFA in dramatic writing from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BA in theater arts, performance creation from the University of Minnesota. As a dramatist, her work has been produced regionally throughout the US from Minneapolis to New York City. In 2022, she received the Mary Marlin Fisher Award for stage/ audio play, The Real Girls, and her screenplay, Saving Little Hope, was named a winner of the 2022 Alfred P. Sloan Script Competition. In 2015, Beth Ann helped co-found her production company, Slap Happy Studios, for which she now serves as Artistic Director. Beth Ann is currently a company member of Rails Comedy in Washington DC.
Dance Teachers
Deidra Squire
Deidra Squire is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She began dancing at the age of seven and discovered the power and beauty of the performing arts at a young age. Throughout her life, Deidra has remained very involved in the performing arts both professionally and through volunteerism. She began producing shows at the age of 16 and began competing nationally in Humanities and Performing Arts as a sophomore in high school. Deidra has also been involved in nationwide oratorical competitions since she was in middle school. Deidra has taught students from the ages of 2 to 85. She has also taught homeless and at risk students.
Deidra Squire has been tap dancing for more than 30 years. She was trained at Ballet Met Dance Academy in Columbus, Ohio and Judy Conti Dance Academy in Youngstown Ohio. She founded Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble at Hampton University. Above Deck Tap Dance Ensemble remains an official campus organization. Since relocating to the DMV, Deidra has taught tap dance at several studios throughout the DMV area at competitive and recreational levels, and she has trained many dancers to compete regionally and nationally in tap dance. She earned her teaching certificate in tap dance from the American Tap Dance Foundation in New York, New York.
Deidra also has experience in production, pageant coaching, poms, step, spoken word, oratory, and African dance and drumming. Deidra earned a B.A. in Communications from Hampton University, where she was an honors student and a recipient of a presidential scholarship, a merit based academic scholarship. Deidra then earned a Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University School of Law. She is now licensed to practice law in Maryland. As an involved community member, and as an actively practicing Maryland attorney, Deidra believes in teaching “Poise, Professionalism, and Perfection,” and she firmly believes that performing arts are a powerful means of developing self-esteem and awareness in students of all ages.
Emily Stephens
Ms. Emily is so excited for the upcoming year at Not Just Dance! She comes with a strong classical Ballet background, instilled by years of training at some of the most prestigious ballet schools and companies, in the US and abroad. Her training began at the Raleigh School of Ballet, where she danced in their youth company through middle school. When Emily was in high school, she joined the Washington School of Ballet’s Pre-professional division on full-scholarship and performed with the Young Dancers of the Washington Ballet for three years; Dancing in many classical ballets including Giselle, Swan Lake, Paquita, and the Nutcracker. She was often chosen to perform with the Washington Ballet company in performances at the Kennedy Center, including the role of Melancholy from the Four Temperaments, partnering with Kevin MacKenzie. In addition, Emily auditioned for and was accepted to many summer intensive programs including Atlanta Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, School of American Ballet and Chautauqua Institute.
At the age of 16, Emily was accepted by Oleg Vinogradov at the prestigious Kirov Ballet Academy and was placed in the pre-professional (boarding) school on full scholarship, sponsored by reverend Sun Myung Moon, of the Unification Church. Here she was delighted to perform throughout the United States and abroad, and before graduation, she was featured in New York at reverend Moon’s birthday gala, in the “Russian Dance” role from Swan Lake. Not long after, Emily joined the apprentice program for the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg Russia. After touring for two seasons, Emily was offered a soloist position at Indianapolis ballet before ultimately deciding to go to college, due to a reoccurring hip and knee injury.
Post ballet career, Emily has been teaching ballet to all ages from toddlers to adults. She also works with gymnasts to fine tune their dance skills and has her Power Pilates and VBarre Certifications, with nearly 10 years experience in group exercise. She has taught stretch classes for both dancers and non-dancers and although she works full-time in finance, her passion is teaching and sharing the value of keeping the body healthy, strong and flexible.
Emily is married, with two daughters, Paige and Liliana. (and dog mom to Izzy, the border collie mix). In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to see live music, camping, hiking and baking.
Krystina Robinson
Krystina began dancing at the age of 10 in Hampton, VA. She obtained her BFA and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Dance from Hollins University. She was a 5 time scholarship recipient to the American Dance Festival, where she had the opprotunity study and perform with world-renound modern and contemporary artist. Throughout her 20+ years of dancing, Krystina has had the opportunity to perform and share her gift throughout the U.S. and abroad. Krystina has studied a multitude of dance styles and regularly incorporates her yoga practice into her dance classes.
Krystina encourages her students to listen to their bodies and use them as tools of expression, and regularly challenges them to think outside of the box when it comes to their movement practices.
In addition to her background in dance, Krystina has MS in Nonprofit Administration, is a 200 hr registered Yoga teacher, and has a certificate in Assisted Stretch Theory and Practices. Krystina is a proud mom of 2 boys and in her spare time she plays for NOVA Roller Derby Leauge!
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 101 Dalmatians Kids.
Amanda is currently the music director for Seussical Kids & Finding Nemo.
Anne Albright
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.
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 Sweeney Todd & Spongebob.
Private Coaching Teachers
Adam LeKang
Adam recently graduated (2023) with his Masters degree in Dramatic Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA. He worked as an “in game arena host” and PA for the Savannah Ghost Pirates, was a member of the SCAD performance ensemble and worked as a technician for theatre department at SCAD. He is a 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 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 101 Dalmatians Kids.
Amanda is currently the music director for Seussical Kids & Finding Nemo.
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 Sweeney Todd & Spongebob.
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.
After School, Theatre, Specialty & Choreography Teachers
Abby Rozmajzl
Abby Rozmajzl is a 2020 graduate of Christopher Newport University having received a BA in Musical Theatre and Dance. She is looking forward to returning to the Not Just Dance family and working with some amazing kids. Her past roles include Belle in Upper Room Theatre Ministry’s Beauty and the Beast, Harriet Belagamba in CNU Theater’s Single Girl’s Guide and more to come. She is also trained in four SAFD actor combatant disciplines to include unarmed combat and rapier/dagger and is considered a SAFD certified actor combatant.
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
Moira Ragen
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