Instructor

Brandy Graff – Owner

Brandy Graff, owner and instructor, has over 30 years of dance training in jazz, tap, ballet, gymnastics, lyrical, hip-hop, ballroom and Latin dancing. She has competed at the national level for over 10 years, and had attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she studied dance and was fortunate to work with numerous renowned choreographers and instructors. She taught and choreographed for several local studios, including Arthur Murray®. Brandy’s dancing has led her to travel the world as a member of cast shows for both Celebrity Cruise Lines and Holland America! Since retiring from cruise ship entertainment, Brandy’s admiration for dance has driven her into opening her own studio which has now been in business for 11 years! Although her focus is on teaching dance, she also instills integrity, discipline, manners, confidence, attitude, team-work, patience, and perseverance to her students. She wholeheartedly admires training and leading her kids on a journey packed full of art, passion, movement and the love of…Dance!

Instructor

Erica

Erica has been part of the Dance N’At family since 2010, studying and competing in ballet, jazz, lyrical, stomp hip hop, vocal performance, and theatre.

Her artistic background extends beyond dance into vocal performance and songwriting. She was a NashNext Top 50 competitor in both 2015 and 2016 and has worked with Tate Music Publishing and AP Music Group on record and production projects, performing in Nashville, New York, and Philadelphia. Throughout high school, she earned multiple scholarships and Performance Excellence awards through the Fine Arts Festival, achieving national ranking.

Erica studied songwriting and business/artist management at Berklee School of Music and Ohio Christian University and is certified in Creative Movement Studies, Early Elementary Dance, and Ballet/Barre. She began student teaching during her senior year of high school and transitioned to full-time teaching while in college.

Today, Erica serves as a front-line vocalist and acoustic guitarist with Champion Worship and Elle Ministries.

Her teaching philosophy centers on helping students discover the freedom of storytelling through dance and the beauty of expressing emotion through movement. She strives to empower her dancers to find both strength and confidence in their art.

Outside the studio, Erica enjoys spending time with her husband and three children—two of whom dance at the studio—caring for her three horses, reading, tackling home projects, and savoring a good iced coffee. Fall is her favorite season, and she believes that creativity and joy should always go hand in hand.

Instructor

Rachel

Rachel Shento attended West Virginia University where she majored in Journalism with a focus on Public Relations and minored in dance. While at WVU, Rachel was a member of the WVU Dance Ensemble, formerly known as Orchesis. During her time in the company Rachel performed in a number of ballet pieces as well as a contemporary dance choreographed by guest artist and New York choreographer Jenny Rocha. Rachel also choreographed for a number of company productions and studied pedagogy under the direction of former Indianapolis Ballet soloist, Renee Nicholson.

While at WVU, Rachel also taught a variety of classes for the WVU Creative Arts program, including ballet, tap, wedding survival and beginner classes for adults. Rachel also taught ballet for a year at a Clarksburg, West Virginia studio, Momentum.

Currently, Rachel works full time as a Communications Consultant at NOVA Chemicals and enjoys spending her free time with her husband (Mark), two-year old son (Benjamin) and her Aussie Doodle (Schmosby). She also enjoys reading, running and watching movies.

Rachel is incredibly excited to join Dance n’AT and get back into the studio this year!

Instructor

Victoria

Victoria Strnisa graduated from Slippery Rock University with a BFA in Dance: Performance & Choreography with a second major in Theatre: Design & Technology. During her four years at Slippery Rock, Victoria performed in and choreographed for many SRU dance concerts and was seen in the theatre department’s productions of Julius Caesar and Heathers: The Musical. Additionally, she performed the historic Martha Graham work Celebration at The Joyce Theatre in New York City and at Jacob’s Pillow. Prior to this, Victoria graduated from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School where she majored in dance. While there she performed in many dance shows and musicals. Highlights include 5 years of The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Tommy in concert.

Instructor

Lynn

Now in her third season teaching at Dance N’At, Lynn VanNasdale brings over fifteen years of experience as both a teacher and choreographer. She aims to foster an environment of empowerment, artistry, and creative growth, helping students develop confidence and deepen their understanding of movement.

Lynn holds a BA in Theater and Dance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. Her extensive teaching experience includes recreational and competitive dance, collegiate instruction at the University of Utah, and master classes at the University of Panama and La Nacional Escuela de Danza through Movement Exchange. She also served as Dance Director at the Academy of Music & Art and Viking Gymnastics.

Her choreography has been featured at the American College Dance Festival, SIUE’s X-Fest and Dance in Concert, PackDance, Ruby Slipper Fringe Festival, and numerous other showcases and festivals. Her piece Vivaldi in Bloom earned Choreographer of the Year at DreamMaker National Dance Competition in Virginia Beach.

Instructor

Karen

Karen Hodgdon attended Bucknell University where she earned a BA in English and then went on to Chatham College to tack on a  Master’s Equivalency in  education.  She holds teaching certifications for Prek-4th grade and 6-12grade English.  Although she has several years experience as a dance mom and now dance grandmother, she is not trained in dance but approaches her Creative Movement classes more from a child development angle and aspect. 

Her teaching experiences span all ages from 12 month olds in daycare settings to senior adults in a “drop back into high school” program. Currently she teaches 3 year olds at Hickory Christian Preschool and K-2nd graders at a hybrid homeschool called The Third Cord Study Center where she is co-founder with her daughter. Karen is excited about introducing the love of movement and dance while fostering social development with her young students. 

In her free time (if there is any left over) she enjoys singing and playing the flute for her worship team at church, reading, cross stitching, writing- mostly children’s books to someday publish, and the adult dance classes she attends. She also enjoys acting in local plays and christian movies!  But mostly, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her 4 grandkids!

Instructor

Alycia

Alycia Dorsey began her dance journey with the Joyce Ellis Dancers, where she both performed and taught at various levels, discovering her passion for teaching and mentoring at an early age. For the past six years, she has been part of the Adult Jazz and Hip Hop program at Dance N’At—first as a student and, for the last two years, as an instructor.

Alycia holds a degree in Mathematics Education from Bethany College and teaches at South Fayette High School. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and gardening. Alycia is thrilled to continue sharing her love of dance with her students at Dance N’At.  

Instructor

Harley

Dance has been a lifelong passion for Harley. She began her training with the Joyce Ellis Dancers, where her love for movement and performance first took shape. In high school, she danced with the Canon-McMillan dance team and served as captain during her senior year. That leadership carried into college, where she joined both hip hop and jazz dance teams, ultimately becoming captain once again.

After college, Harley combined her love for dance and teaching by creating and coaching a local middle school dance team while living in Texas. Now in her second year at Dance N’At, she continues to grow as a performer and mentor, sharing her enthusiasm and dedication with her students.

Instructor

Lisa

Lisa has been part of the dance and gymnastics world for more than thirty-five years. Her training includes ballet, lyrical, pointe, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap, and acro, as well as all four gymnastics events: floor, vault, balance beam, and bars.

As a young competitor, Lisa earned numerous awards at regional and national events, including first place overall at nationals. She began teaching after college and has spent more than twenty years instructing students in both dance and gymnastics. As a lead choreographer and competition teacher, Lisa’s routines have received top placements, and one of her dancers earned the Heart of Gold award last season.

Beyond the studio, Lisa is an Application Engineer and Subject Matter Expert for a video content management company in higher education. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Computer Engineering Technology and Mathematics with a minor in Physics, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

Lisa brings a positive, encouraging attitude to every class and believes in lifelong learning. She continues to expand her teaching methods through masterclasses and social media training. Passionate about both dance and her students, Lisa is proud to be part of the Dance N’At family.

Instructor

Menzi

Menzi has been a part of the Dance N’At family for nine years, training under the instruction of Brandy Graff. She has studied a wide range of dance styles including jazz, ballet, tap, pointe, gymnastics, hip hop, lyrical, and musical theatre. Over the past seven years, she has also been an active member of the competition team, gaining valuable experience through performances, workshops, and events.

Menzi studied dance at Kent State University, where she continued developing her technique and creativity. This season, she is thrilled to return to Dance N’At as an instructor, teaching Beginner Jazz, Contortion, Combo, and TikTok/Gymnastics. She also assists with Pre-Advanced Lyrical, Leaps and Turns, and beginner through pre-advanced gymnastics classes.

Passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers, Menzi is dedicated to creating a supportive, energetic, and fun environment for every student she teaches.

Instructor

Sarah

Sarah has been dancing since the age of three and began training at Dance N’At around five or six years old. She studied ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, tap, gymnastics, and hip hop through high school, where she also began competing at age twelve and received numerous awards. During this time, she attended a workshop led by Nick Daniels from World of Dance, where she was recognized for her standout performance.

After graduating, Sarah attended Allegheny College, earning a BA in English with double minors in dance and journalism. While there, she performed with Jade, the Jazz Dance Ensemble, which raised money for Special Olympics through annual showcases. She also joined Orchesis, serving as Vice President her junior year and President her senior year. Sarah performed each year in the college’s spring dance concert and studied a wide range of courses including yoga, jazz, modern, ballroom, creative process, neuroscience of dance, and principles of movement.

Sarah began assisting with classes at Dance N’At during high school and later taught ballet and contemporary at a local studio while in college. She started choreographing for both Jade and Orchesis as a sophomore, which deepened her love for the creative process and helped shape her identity as both a dancer and choreographer.

Her teaching philosophy focuses on fostering an environment where students feel seen, heard, and supported so they can grow with confidence. She values freedom of expression and believes dance provides a powerful outlet for creativity and self-discovery.

Outside of dance, Sarah enjoys reading, painting, writing, and exploring new hobbies like baking. She practices yoga and mindfulness, loves animals, and is currently applying to graduate school to pursue an MA in English to continue her creative journey.

Instructor

Scarlett

Scarlett Shola has been dancing at Dance N’At for eleven years and has trained in many styles including jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, lyrical, musical theater, pointe, and contemporary. She has been a competitive dancer for nine years and has participated in the Bold Dance Project clinic and multiple workshops at various competitions.

Scarlett is thrilled to be teaching Creative Movement and Pre-Combo this year and is eager to help younger dancers discover the joy of dance.

Instructor

Lila

Lila Schneider, known to her students as Miss Lila, has been dancing for over eleven years and has spent nine of those seasons training at Dance N’At. She has been a member of the studio’s competition team since 2019 and has participated in numerous workshops, competitions, and camps.

Currently a high school student, Lila is in her second year of independently teaching classes after assisting for several seasons. She teaches gymnastics and lyrical, often blending elements of hip hop and contemporary to create engaging, creative experiences for her students.

Lila strives to make her classes fun and inspiring, encouraging students to look forward to dance each week and to develop a lasting love for movement. Outside the studio, she enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, and writing.

Instructor

Kendyl

Kendyl Challinor has been dancing at Dance N’At for ten years and is trained in a variety of styles including tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, pointe, hip hop, musical theater, and gymnastics. She has been a member of the competition team for four years and has attended the Bold Dance Project in Pittsburgh for the past three years, along with several workshops at regional competitions.

Tap is Kendyl’s favorite style of dance, and she is excited to share her enthusiasm, creativity, and energy with her students.