Dance Instructors

Ashley has danced since she was three years old with Little Dancing Stars. She took some time off and then returned dancing at local dance studios taking classes in both ballet and tap. She was involved with the Community Nutcracker and other local performances. After high school, she continued her love of dancing in teaching with Little Dancing Stars. When Ashley is not teaching our little stars, she enjoys being with her sorority sisters, volunteering, spending time with family along with completing her degree in May 2024 with a Health Science degree at the University of West Florida.

Danae started her dance training at ten years old and hasn’t stopped since! She has studied a variety of dance styles including pointe, hip hop, lyrical, jazz, tap and acrobatics. Danae has taught at the Wehner’s Dance Studio from ages 3 to adults and is currently teaching at a local dance studio at night! When Danae is not dancing, she loves spending time with family, friends and traveling. Danae is so happy to be sharing her passion with our little dancing stars!

Haley has been dancing since 2000 and was a competition dancer for 12 years. She has been working with young children for many years, and started her teaching career by dancing in many daycare locations around Jacksonville. Haley joined the Academy of Dance faculty this year but has been teaching for 5 years and has come to love teaching the art of dance to our newer generations. Haley graduated from Jacksonville University in 2020, majoring in Dance and Psychology. While attending Jacksonville University she trained under Paul Taylor company members and also trained with the Brian Nicholson. Haley hopes that she has been able to teach children of all ages how to love the art of dance and encourage determination and passion that will last a life time. When Haley is not teaching dance, she loves to spend time with her husband, her family and has a new Little Dancing Star that arrived in October 2024!

Haylee has been dancing since 2000. Her favorite type of dance is clogging and tap; teaching clogging at a local dance studio in the evenings. Haylee is also managing for Little Dancing Stars in the Fleming Island and Orange Park areas. She loves children and was employeed with the Duval County Public Schools in the afterschool program for several years. Her passion is teaching children her love of dance. When Haylee is not dancing, she loves spending time with her husband and son, volunteering, teaching at a local studio and restoring furniture as a side business.

Melanie has been dancing for the past 15 years with ballet and musical theatre being her favorite form of dance. She has taken dance from local studios and at those studios, taught dance to ages 3 to 6 years of age for several years. Melanie’s favorite part of teaching dance is getting to have fun with the dancers, building relationships and see their growth through the year. Dance classes are the ‘highlight of my week’ and she can not wait for recital day! When Melanie is not teaching dance, she is taking classes at Aveda Institute or working at a local salon and spending time with family and friends.

Patrice has been taking ballet, tap, and jazz since she was in third grade. She began teaching to preschool and early elementary levels in 2006. Patrice served on the board for the Monroe-Jackson Dance Theatre and performed in their productions of Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. She is a member of Dance Masters and a former member of CNADM. When she is not dancing, she is spending time with her family and volunteering at her church.

Melissa began dancing at age four in south Florida at the Riverdale Dance Academy until her family relocated to north Florida in 1980 where she continued dancing at the Bean School of Dance. She received her training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Gymnastics. Melissa was the lead choreographer for “Your Stars on Stage” for Dancing Little Stars dance company in Virginia. Melissa then went on to begin her own dance company in the greater Jacksonville area in 2001. Melissa has co-written a new curriculum for teaching tap and ballet for the preschool age. Her curriculum’s method is “learning the art of dance through fun, while also teaching both dance techniques and its terminology”. When Melissa is not working with Little Dancing Stars… she is volunteering at her church, being a wife and a mother to twins, Ashley and Kaitlyn!