Ms. Lisa's Dance Studio

Teachers

Lisa Schmiedeke

Lisa fell in love with dancing as a child and through the years has developed an appreciation for the art of dance and a joy for sharing her passion with others. Her training began in Chicago and continued throughout other areas of the country, until she settled here in Tampa. Lisa has a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Dance from Iowa State University. In college she danced professionally with the Orchesis dance team and choreographed a number of dance pieces. Her training included ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical and hip-hop. After earning her Master of Education, Lisa began to teach dance in the local public schools. She has presented at National Teaching Conventions on the benefits of dance with young children and has won awards for a dance program she developed. Lisa taught elementary education for 15 years prior to starting her own dance business. She was nominated for teacher of the year by the Council for Exceptional Children and had a model classroom in Hillsborough County.

In 2000 Lisa left the public school system to begin her own business, Ms. Lisa's Dance, teaching dance at private preschools in South Tampa. In 2005 she opened her own studio called Ms. Lisa's Dance & Co. She was the director of the studio and taught a variety of classes including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and hip-hop. Lisa is also the director of the LaDanza Dance Company. In 2009 they performed at Gasparilla, Hyde Park, a Plant High School Fundraiser event, The Family Fun Fest in Ybor City and Christ The King Carnival.

Lisa continues to attend nationwide workshops sharing and learning the latest techniques. Her most recent workshops include Showstoppers 2006, 2009, 2010, Monster Hip-Hop 2007, Dance Olympus 2007, 2008, The Pulse 2007, 2009, 2010 and The Dance Teacher Summit 2011 in New York City. Lisa has had the opportunity to train under well known dancers and choreographers at these conventions, such as Shane Sparks, Mia Michaels, and Brian Friedman.

Lisa has choreographed, managed, and taught all ages from 2 years to adult over the past 20 years. She is currently using her knowledge of child development and dance to train other educators. Lisa maintains and believes in the expression and understanding of each individual dancer. Her love is for children and her passion is to offer every young person a program that will allow them to flourish and excel at dancing.

Amy Joe Akert

Amy Jo has grown up in the Tampa Bay Area dancing, modeling, acting, and cheerleading. She graduated from USF in 2000 with an Interdisciplinary Social Sciences degree on a Dance minor. She studies dance in Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, and at the University. Amy Jo began dancing at age four; and began teaching 18 years ago. She was a competitive dancer and has won numerous awards ranging from Best All Around Dancer to Prettiest Smile and Most Flexible. She danced with Gregory Hines at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Theatre, taken class with BaryshnikovÊ¼s White Oak Modern Company, performed with Sarasota Ballet, performed at the Nexxus Hair Show, was an assistant to Zigmont the Amazing Magician touring all over Florida, and Co-Captain of the USF Sun Dolls. SInce Amy Jo has begun teaching, she was won many Best Choreography awards. Her students have had the opportunity to travel and perform in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Pittsburg, Orlando, Sarasota, North Carolina, and on Cruise Ships. She has held titles such as Little Miss Safety Harbor, Miss Florida Sunshine, Teen Miss Fort Meyers, Teen Miss Sebring, Miss Teen Florida, and numerous others. She has also played in the Miss America Affiliated pageants such as Miss Tampa, Miss Manatee, and Miss USF. She has also been cast in commercials, music videos, and movies, of which include; Heinz Ketchup, Burdines, White Snake, Edward Scissor Hands, and Countryside Mall.

Ashley Greenfield

Ashley has been dancing for 17 years and teaching for 10 years. She began her training in Lexington, Kentucky with Mindy Taylor Jackson, she went on to dance with the Kentucky Ballet Theatre, The Lexington School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and attended workshops and intensives with the Lexington Ballet. She has performed the Sugar Plum Fair variation in Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" as well as many other variations from other ballets including Fokine's "Les Sylphides". She moved to Tampa in 2006 to attend the University of South Florida where she is pursuing a degree in Dance with a minor in Theater Tech. In addition to her ballet background, she has choreographed for and performed in many theater productions including "The Wizard of Oz", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe","Oklahoma", and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". She hopes to pursue a Masters Degree in Fine Arts that will enable her to teach at a university as well as serve as a Resident Technical Advisor for a dance company.

Angela Campisi

Angela was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She began her dancing career at the age of 4. Angela has performed and won awards from dance competitions including Dance Masters of America and Showstoppers. After becoming a member of the Bravo Dance Company, with Elsa Pardo Dance Center, she competed annually and participated in the Sarasota BalletÊ¼s Nutcracker. Angela has a strong background in conceptual art after studying studio art at the University of South Florida. She continued to study ballet under USF professor Merry Lynn Morris. Both the performing a visual arts have always been a big art of her life and it will continue to be as she is always seeking out the new trends in the performing arts. Angela thrives on teaching her students and bringing out the performer in everyone.

Aubrey Gainey

My love for dance truly began at the age of 5 when my parents enrolled me in the typical dance classes: ballet, jazz and tap. When we moved the next year, I decided to take gymnastics for a couple of years while we lived in Georgia. At the age of ten, we made our final move to Deltona, Florida and thatâ€™s when I first discovered my passion for cheerleading. I cheered for Pop Warner through middle school and decided to continue cheerleading through high school. During my last two years of high school, I also joined the Lake Mary All Stars competitive hip hop and jazz dance teams. At the University of Central Florida, I studied Elementary Education and danced for the hip hop dance team Rukus my freshman year.

I had the privilege of cheering for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2006 and 2009 season. Through the Buccaneers, I traveled with the "Talent Troupe" to support our military stationed overseas by performing a variety show for their families. I had the opportunity to visit our troops and express my gratitude to those stationed in South Korea, Japan, Guam, and Hawaii. I was also an ambassador of the NFL and had the chance to travel to Scotland and England. In 2009 in London, we got to perform and participate in the NFLâ€™s Europe football game against the Patriots.

Margaret (Meg) Ann Mitchell

Margaret Ann Mitchell has been a student, performer and teacher of dance since the age of 5. After Childhood study in Connecticut, she attended the University of Colorado, Naropa Institute and Southern Connecticut State University where she earned both her BA and MS degrees. She performed with Southern Connecticut State's Dance Theater Company and assisted with choreography. Mitchell also acted and danced in numerous plays in the Connecticut/New York metropolitan area and was nominated for an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. After receiving her graduate degree, Meg continued her studies of dance and acting at HB Studio and Steps on Broadway. In Charlotte, NC, Mitchell was the lead adult teacher and choreographer at the James J. Harris School of Dance where she taught Adult Tap, Adult Jazz, and Adult Ballet. She also held master classes and choreographed for the Junior and Senior dance companies. Mitchell moved to Tampa in 2007 with her family. Meg has been on staff at the Patel Conservatory for the past three years. Meg is excited to join the staff at Ms. Lisa's.

Joan

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Elizabeth Robins- Edelson, M.S., D.T.R.

As a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., she began her studies of dance at Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre, Joffrey Ballet School, Laban Institute of Movement Studies and Broadway Dance Center. In 1987 she earned her Masters Degree from Hunter College, N.Y. in Dance/Movement Therapy. For more than 15 years, Elizabeth provided dance therapy for people with mental and physical disabilities in hospital settings. In 1991 she founded the "E-Motion" dance program for children with physical and developmental handicaps. In addition to dance therapy, she has performed and choreographed for numerous dance companies and musical theatre productions in New York, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. Elizabeth has taught dance to children and adults at numerous dance studios and universities including State University of New York at Stony Brook, Kennesaw State College (Atlanta) and Hillsborough Community College. In 2000, Elizabeth was commissioned by Hillsborough Community College to create their Associate of Arts Dance Degree program.

After moving to Tampa in 1999, Elizabeth founded Music, Acting, Dance Theatre of Tampa in an effort to provide quality musical productions for the Tampa community. Under her direction, this company won Creative Loafing's "Best of the Bay" and she won the WMOR "Salty Cares" award in recognition of her mixed-ability dance company, "Asher Dance Eclectic". She has provided numerous after-school musical theatre programs at Coleman Middle School, Dale Mabry Elementary, Grady Elementary, Appolo Beach Elementary, JCC, as well as at Ms. Lisaâ€™s Dance Studio.

Taylor

Taylor has eight years of experience working with kids of all ages. She began coaching cheerleading at fourteen, leading children's birthday parties at fifteen and teaching dance a few years later. The oldest of more than forty cousins, she recognizes the importance of using a child's imagination to develop a world of creativity. Taylor's fundamental understanding that the arts allow us to confidently step out of the box and express ourselves freely, continues to make her not only a spectacular teacher but an influential role model.

A full time University of Tampa Performing Arts and Dance student, Taylor also tours as a dancer with professional theatre companies. Trained in ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, ballroom, tap, partnering and hip-hop at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, she performs at the Patel Conservatory's seasonal showcases three times a year. Taylor traveled as an all-star competitive cheerleader during six years of middle and high school, perfecting her jumps, stunts, tumbling, dance and flexibility disciplines. She has performed in Dance Happenings and Spring Dance Concerts at The University of Tampa, along with Arts Nexus and Experimental dance performances. Others will tell you she is known for her forceful movements and charismatic stage presence.

Christie Bonk

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Katie Shields

Katie began dancing a little over six years ago in Naperville, Illinois. From the beginning, Katie fully immersed herself into the dance world. Her achievements reflect her commitment and dedication to her talents. She eagerly accepted every challenge in every class. Through her dance career with competitive dance company "Dance Dynamics" she has become proficiently trained in the following disciplines: Ballet - including Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater. As a member of of Dance Dynamics she competed at competitions and conventions that pushed her to excel in every number she's performed. She's also had the opportunity to take classes with famous choreographers such as Sonya Tayeh, Liz Imperio, Ade Ombayomi, Stacey Tookey, and many more! Katie instructed at Dance Dynamics where she was able to work with kids ages 3-12 in all styles of dance. Her knowledge and love for dance enables her to be a firm and kind leader with those students. She is regarded highly by all the students she instructs as well as the company members and their families.

Katie is currently a student at the University of Tampa, majoring in Marine Science and minoring in Applied Dance. She is so thrilled to be on staff at Ms. Lisa's and can't wait to share her love, knowledge and passion for dance with the students!

Brooklyn Naes

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Doreen Grant King

Doreen Grant King is our newest Acrobatics instructor. She began her acrobatic career here in the beautiful city of Tampa as a high school student – where her team the "Gymnairs" won 1st place during Acrofest while participating in acrobatic sports in 2001. Mrs. King has dedicated most of her life to the pursuit of her love, sports. She has obtained The USA Gymnastics Instructor Member Coaching Certification as well as the USA Gymnastics Safety/Risk Management Certification. In addition to this Certifications Mrs. King has completed T200 Development Coaches course, and T201 Hands on Training Coaches Course hosted by USA Gymnastics Certified Trainers. Mrs. King is also CPR certified by the American Health Care Academy. She has completed the requirements for adult, child and infant CPR/AED.

Kathryn Huxtable

Kathryn Huxtable's love for dance and musical theatre began at the early age of three. She graduated from Booker High School in Sarasota, FL with a Visual and Performing Arts diploma in Theatre. Kathryn is currently studying Musical Theatre as her Major at the University of Tampa with a Minor in Applied Dance. At the University of Tampa she has performed in main stage musicals, dance concerts, cabarets, and dance happenings. She has performed at Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World, Florida Theatre Conference, and Southeastern Theatre Conference. Kathryn attended Broadway Artists Alliance in New York City with a focus on dance and voice. There she worked with broadway performers including: Heather Parcells, A.C. Ciulla, Will Swenson, Bridget Berger, and many others. Kathryn has studied at the Rockette's Experience at Radio City Music Hall as well as Broadway Dance Center with Jim Cooney and Jason Marquette. She was trained through the Children's Dance Project Teacher Training Program at Stage Door Studios in Sarasota, FL. Kathryn is excited to share her love of dance and theatre with as many students possible. She strongly believes in instilling a love for dance in each and every child.