KDC STAFF 2026-2027

Miss Kelley discovered her love for dance at the age of four. She has studied Tap, Jazz, and Ballet, and competed in many regional and national dance competitions, including Dance Masters of Michigan and Showstopper. Years later, Miss Kelley immersed herself in her first love, Tap. She enjoyed her Advanced Adult Tap classes so much, she pursued a career as a Tap instructor. From 2006-2013, Miss Kelley was the Competition Team Director, Competitive Tap Team Choreographer, and Office Manager for Neu Wixom Dance Academy in Wixom, MI. After moving in 2013, Miss Kelley taught at The Dance Academy in Westland, MI as a Competition Team Choreographer for the next 5 years. She has led her Solos/Duets/Trios and Groups to numerous awards and accolades over the past 20 years including “Innovative Concept”, “Tip Top Tappers’, “Excellent Execution”, "Sassy Taps", "Clean As a Whistle", “Future Rockettes”, and "Crystal Clear", as well as multiple Top Overall achievements, Title Winners, and 2 Video of the Year nominations. Her dancers consistently place in the top 10 at competition. 

In 2016, Miss Kelley’s Mini Tap Team "Going To The Chapel" won 1st Place Overall National Champions at Hall Of Fame Dance Nationals in Virginia Beach. In 2018, she had a huge highlight in her career winning a Best Tap Choreographer award at Platinum Dance Competition.  In 2019 (Miss Kelley's first year as a Studio Owner/Director), KDC was a two time winner of the ADCC Studio of Excellence Award. KDC won the award again in 2021 and 2023. KDC also won the "Studio Spirit" award in 2024 at ID Dance Competition. She was also named as the Head Coach for the 2019-2020 Walled Lake Western Pom Team. 

In 2022, Miss Kelley's Tap Soloist, Gianna DeGolyer "Little Secret", went on to become a 1st Place Overall, National Champion at ID Nationals in Sandusky. In 2023, her Shining Stars Tap Team "Shake The Room" won 1st Place Overall National Champions at Groove Nationals in Atlantic City, NJ. In 2024, her Solo "Great Balls of Fire"created for KDC dancer Makayala Lucas, won for Best Choreography. In 2025, her Sparkling Stars Tap Team "Born To Be Wild" won 1st Place Overall National Champions at StarQuest World Finals, as well as the studio winning "Classic Studio of Excellence".

Miss Kelley is a proud resident of Wixom, residing with her husband- John (a Wixom Firefighter and Inspector for MDOT). She is also the proud Mom of daughter-Gabi (who also teaches at KDC), and son-Logan, as well as becoming a Grandma/Nini in 2023 to her sweet grandson- Maverick.

Through dance, Miss Kelley also gets to live out her other passion- working with children. She is a former preschool teacher with a great love for teaching dancers of all ages. She hopes to instill in your child a love for dance, and the determination to never give up on your dreams. 

Miss Kelley would like to welcome all of the KDC families to our 9th season with open arms! 

Miss Gabi began dancing at the age of 3. She has trained in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Modern, Lyrical, and Pointe, dancing for 15 years and competing for 9. During her years as a dancer, she assisted multiple dances for many ages, which fostered her love for working with children in this art form. 

In her time at Kelley’s Dance Craze, Miss Gabi's Musical Theatre and Jazz routines have won multiple top 10 placements, including two national champions, and special awards including "Personality and Musicality", "Broadway Bound", and “Ultimate Entertainment.” 

She has co-choreographed multiple finale productions with Miss Bri for KDC’s annual recitals and has choreographed multiple Jazz lines and large groups with Miss Bri as well. 

She is a proud mom to a little boy, and is so grateful to teach in a place she calls her second home. 

She is excited to help her students grow in poise, grace, and confidence as dancers and looks forward to continuing to grow the KDC Musical Theatre program for many years to come! 

Miss Bri began dancing at the age of 3, and dance has remained a constant and meaningful part of her life ever since. Beginning her competitive dance journey at age 7, she quickly developed a passion for performing, training, and pushing herself to grow as a dancer. She competed regionally from a young age before advancing to the national level at 14, earning numerous awards throughout her 10-year competitive dance career.

Following her competitive dance career, Miss Bri continued her education at Wayne State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Dance with a minor in Business Administration. During her time at Wayne State, she had the opportunity to train and work with accomplished artists including Meg Paul, Lisa LaMarre, and Della Hamby.

Miss Bri also completed an internship with Amber Gilbert, owner of The Dance Academy in Westland, Michigan, where she gained valuable experience and expanded her knowledge of dance studio ownership and operations.

For the past eight years, Miss Bri has shared her passion for dance through competition choreography. Her groups and soloists have consistently earned top overall placements at competitions, with students receiving special awards such as “Technique Standout,” “Ultimate Entertainment,” and “Artistic Vision.” Miss Bri has also been honored with multiple choreography awards for her work.

Miss Bri is certified in Acrobatic Arts’ AcroDance program. Through this training, she provides students with safe, structured, and progressive acro instruction while helping them develop strength, flexibility, control, and confidence.

In addition to teaching and choreographing, Miss Bri is now a Co-Director at Kelley’s Dance Craze alongside Miss Gabi. She also serves as the studio seamstress and Co-Director of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) program alongside Miss Chrissy.

At Kelley’s Dance Craze, Miss Bri is passionate about helping her students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for dance while continuing to advance their technical and physical abilities. She places a strong emphasis on technique, strength, fluidity, and, most importantly, fostering a lifelong passion for dance.

Miss Bri is thrilled to begin her 9th season with KDC! She is excited to continue growing alongside the studio, inspiring and supporting her students, and helping the next generation of dancers discover their confidence, strength, and love for dance.

 Miss Chrissy’s passion for dance began in her first ballet class at age three, a commitment she further refined by competing at both regional and national levels starting at age thirteen. Throughout her tenure as a student, she mastered a diverse range of disciplines, including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, musical theatre, and hip hop, later expanding her repertoire to include Tap and Hawaiian. Her leadership journey began at age twelve when she accepted her first assistant teaching position, a role she maintained across multiple styles and age groups until her graduation.

During her senior year of high school, she served as Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer for her school’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Professionally, she has spent eight seasons at Kelley’s Dance Craze, instructing recreational and competitive dancers of all ages. To ensure well-rounded instruction, she has pursued advanced studies through Progressing Ballet Technique, the Godfrey Method, and the National Dance Education Organization.

Under her guidance, her dancers have achieved numerous top-ten placements and secured three national championships. Her choreography and presentation have also been recognized with various special accolades, including "Visual Poetry," "Undeniably Adorable," and multiple "Best Costume" awards.

In addition to her studio work, she previously served as Assistant Coach and Co-Choreographer for the Walled Lake Western Poms team alongside Kelley Paronish and Gabrielle Young. Miss Chrissy currently serves as Co-Director of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts (NHSDA) program in collaboration with Miss Bri.

As a proud mother to two daughters, Zaia and Phoebe, Miss Chrissy is honored to share her "second home" at the studio with them. She is eager to continue sharing her knowledge and passion with her students as she enters her ninth season with Kelley's Dance Craze. 

Miss Kylie began dancing at the age of 3 and grew such a passion for performing and creating throughout her childhood dancing competitively. Miss Kylie has trained in a variety of styles including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Contemporary, Pointe. She furthered her dance career at Western Michigan University and graduated with her BFA in Dance in 2019. Miss Kylie received her MA as a Dance Teaching Artist in 2025 at Wayne State University with her thesis “Effects of the Creative Process for Pre-Professional Learners in Dance: Enhancing Well-Being Through Creative Expression.” 

She is a professional dancer and the Company Manager of ConteXture Dance Detroit, a non-profit dance company, where she performs locally around the Metro-Detroit area. She is also the Artistic Director of the ConteXture Pre-Professional Summer Program she created in 2023 where she connects aspiring artists to the world of concert dance. She is proud to have had many KDC dancers participate in the program each summer. 

Miss Kylie has performed professionally in Chicago, New York, and Europe. Along with performing, Miss Kylie has a passion for creating and has choreographed for Wayne State University, Michigan State University's Orchesis Dance Society, Grand Valley State University's Elite Dance Club, and Churchill High School where her choreography was chosen to perform in the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Oakland Dance Festival College Showcase. 

Miss Kylie’s students at KDC have achieved numerous top ten placements and special awards such as “Artistic Execution,” “Breath of Fresh Air,” and “Dynamic Connection.” She also has received recognition for her students' technique, and choreography. 

Besides teaching dance, Miss Kylie teaches barre classes weekly at Pure Barre in Novi. Combining her love of fitness and dance, she focuses on safe ways to train the body physically while encouraging personal expression through movement. Miss Kylie’s goal is to inspire her students as much as they continue to inspire her through authenticity and artistry. Miss Kylie has developed such a passion for teaching throughout her five years at KDC and is looking forward to another incredible season! 

Miss Zayda began dancing at the age of 3 and went on to dance competitively at Kelley’s Dance Craze for many years. Throughout her career, she has trained in many different styles and has had the opportunity to work with dancers of many ages and levels. Miss Zayda began assistant teaching at the age of 13 and continued through her senior year of high school. During her senior year, she began student teaching and has continued teaching ever since, working with a range of styles and age groups. Miss Zayda currently dances with ConteXture Dance Detroit under the direction of Tracy Halloran and recently performed in their season 13 concert, EXponential. She is also in her fourth and final year at Oakland University, where she is pursuing a BFA in Dance. During her time at Oakland, she has presented several pieces as a student choreographer for performances. Miss Zayda has furthered her training through programs including Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s UprootEDD and NewDANCEFest intensives, Oakland Dance Festival, and ConteXture Dance Detroit’s Workshops and Summer Intensive. Throughout her training, she has had the opportunity to work with many talented choreographers, including Teresa Muller, Denise Caston, Meagan Cubides, and Cameron McKinney. Miss Zayda is so excited to continue teaching at Kelley’s Dance Craze and enjoys sharing her love for dance with all of her students! 

Miss Ava began dancing at the age of 3, and starting dancing competitively at age 11, while also assisting numerous Tap, Ballet, and Jazz classes. She has trained in the styles of Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Pointe, and Tap. Throughout her years competing, she won many awards regionally and nationally. Miss Ava was a student teacher her senior year of high school for a Preschool Tap class, choreographing and teaching their recital dance under the direction of Miss Kelley. Along with that, she has taught several different dance styles and ages over the last couple of years. She is currently in her third year at Oakland University as a BFA Dance Major. Miss Ava also enjoys attending dance events outside of school, such as Dance City Festival master classes, Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s NewDanceFest, and ConteXture Dance Detroit’s Winter, Spring, and Summer Workshops. This Summer she had the opportunity to be an associate company member with ConteXture Dance Detroit as well as assist the artistic director of their Pre-Professional Program. She is so excited for the opportunity to teach in KDC’s 9th Season!  

Miss Kim graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine from Central Michigan University in 2005 and continued on to complete her Doctorate of 

Physical Therapy at Oakland University in 2009. 

She furthers her clinical knowledge by participating in continuing education: she has completed training in Kinesio Taping® and Mulligan Concept as well as certification in Graston Technique. 

 Miss Kim has in-depth experience working with high school athletes, patients in acute trauma, post-op orthopedic patients and is a staff therapist for ATI Physical therapy.  

She is also part-time faculty at Washtenaw Community College, teaching soft tissue mobilization techniques in the PTA program. 

Miss Marisa is the proud dance Mom of competition team dancer, Gianna.   A competitive Tahitian team dancer herself growing up, Marisa was thrilled when Gianna decided she wanted to compete!
Marisa has been associated with KDC since Miss Kelley opened her doors and Gianna started taking lessons.  This is Miss Marisa’s fifth year working on the front desk.  She loves hanging out with our wonderful dancers and meeting all the dance families.
Miss Marisa is a married mom with three, two-legged kids and a beloved dog-mom of 5 fur babies.  These are a few of her favorite things:  Talking about dogs, reading, concerts, crafting, talking about dogs, and cheering on the fabulous dancers at Kelley’s Dance Craze for season 9!

Miss Thea is a proud dance mom of Libby and Kaycie, both of whom enjoy the world of competitive dance at Kelley’s Dance Craze. She has been an elementary/middle school teacher for the past 29 years, and loves working with children.  She has been working at the front desk of the dance studio for the last 3 years and loves helping KDC’s amazing dancers and getting to know their parents.

Miss Thea also found her love of dance at the young age of three taking Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. She quickly realized Tap was her most favorite style, and competed many tap solos 

over several years. 

Miss Thea and her family reside in Wixom. They love the welcoming community and beauty that it has to offer.  

Miss Thea’s favorite hobbies are spending time with family, watching movies/tv series, loving on her pets, and watching all the talented dancers from KDC take the stage for season 9! 

Miss Torie is married to her high school sweetheart and has 3 wonderful kids, 2 dogs and a conure. 
Miss Torie and her husband owned a restaurant, sold it, and made Wixom home 15 years ago.

Her daughter Gabriella has been part of KDC since she could walk and joined the competition team 4 years ago.

Miss Torie’s favorite things are being with family, walking with her dogs, summer, swimming, playing tennis, and last but not least, her 2nd family at KDC. 

Miss Rachel is the proud dance mom of Lucy, Emma, and Mila. Lucy and Emma are on the competitive dance team, and little Mila is counting down the minutes to when she can tryout. Miss Rachel has been a part of the KDC family since the studio’s second year open, when she did a ‘Mommy and Me’ class with Lucy. The studio quickly became their second home. She grew up in Wixom and loves that the studio supports its community! 

Miss Rachel is a youth leader at a local church, and loves working with middle school and high school students. She never really danced as a child but has become a professional dance cheer mom, not just for her 3 girls, but for all the KDC dancers. 

She also took an adult ballet class with Miss Kylie for 2 years and fell in love with the technique. 

Miss Rachel’s favorite hobbies are enjoying nature while walking her dog, hanging out with her family and friends, playing sports, singing, and doing any kind of art.  

This year, Miss Paige is a Senior at Northville High School, and she is so excited to start her 9th year dancing at Kelley's Dance Craze!

Dancing since age 2, she trains in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Pointe. In addition to dancing, Miss Paige is a 5 year member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts where she has served as Secretary and Treasurer, and is also a member of Northville's ASL Club.

This past summer, Miss Paige grew her technique and artistry by participating in the ConteXture Pre-Professional program. 

This will be Miss Paige's fourth year assisting and first year student teaching at KDC.

She loves competing, attending conventions, and earning overall awards, and can't wait for her last season with her KDC dance family! 

Miss Marissa has been dancing since she was 2 years old and has been competing for 10 years, starting at the age of 7. She has trained in many styles including Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Pointe. She has also been a member of the National Honors Society of Dance Arts (NHSDA) for 6 years! Miss Marissa loves attending conventions and competitions and has won many overall awards throughout her years as a competition dancer. Outside of the studio, she is involved in DECA and Student Council at her high school. Miss Marissa began student assisting at Kelley’s Dance Craze in Season 6 and has continued assisting ever since. She is so excited to continue assisting for her 4th year and Season 9! She loves being able to share her passion for dance with the younger dancers and looks forward to another amazing season at KDC! 

Miss Whitney began her dance training at the age of five and is experienced in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, and Hip Hop.

A competitive dancer for nine years, Miss Whitney has earned numerous overall placements, title awards, and special recognitions, including "Broadway Bound", "Artistic Execution", "Endless Expression", and "ID Icon".  In addition to her studio work, she is a member of the Walled Lake Western High School Varsity Dance Team.
Miss Whitney has been a proud member of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts for several years, serving as chapter President for the past two years. 

She is excited for the year ahead and looks forward to continuing her student assisting journey for Season 9!

Miss Libby has been competing for 10 seasons, nine of them at Kelley’s Dance Craze. She has trained in various styles including: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and Pointe. 

This will be Miss Libby’s fourth year assisting Miss Kelley in Tap class! She has also been included in the National Honor Society of Dance Arts for the past 5 years. 

Miss Libby is always happy to lend a hand when 

anyone needs help. 

Her biggest accomplishment is winning the KDC "MVP" at  our competition team banquet last season. 

Miss Libby is very excited to attend all of the competitions this year! 

She is also very eager to start season 9!

This year, Miss Mackenzie will be a junior at Novi High School! She has been dancing since the age of 3 and competing since the age of 7. 

Miss Mackenzie has been a part of Kelley’s Dance Craze since the studio’s very first season and throughout her dance journey, she has trained in a variety of styles, including Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Ballet, and Pointe. Over the years, she has earned numerous top awards, including Regional First Overalls and National First Place Overalls.

 In addition to dancing with Kelley’s 
Dance Craze, she has spent the last two summers dancing with the Pre Professional program at ConteXture Dance Detroit, and is currently in her second season with her school dance team, Novi Dance Company! She has also been a proud member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts for the past six years! 

This will be Miss Mackenzie’s third year assisting, and she is so excited to continue growing as a dancer, mentor, and role model. Dance has always been her passion, and she cannot wait to share her love of dance during Season 9! 

This upcoming year, Miss Gianna will be a Sophomore in High School. She has been dancing since the age of 4, and she has competed for eight years. 

She has trained in many styles including: Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Ballet, Pointe, Hawaiian, and Tahitian. 

Miss Gianna has also taken taken part in KDC;s National Honor Society for Dance Arts for 5 years. She also participates in the Contexture CPSP Program over the summer. 

Miss Gianna loves to attend dance competitions and conventions. Her biggest accomplishment last season was winning 1st Place Overall with her Tap Solo "Latch". She has also won many other overall awards through her years as a competitive dancer.

Miss Gianna loves to assist students and cannot wait to share her passion going into season 9! 

Miss Bianca has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She has past experience doing cheer/pom for the Walled Lake Braves. She joined the KDC competition team when she was 10 years old and has been in competitive dance for 6 years. Miss Bianca is well trained in a variety of dance styles including: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Pointe and has additional tumbling skills. She is also part of the Walled Lake Western Varsity Dance team. She works hard to perfect her technique in every style.

Miss Bianca is going into her 6th year being a part of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts.

Some of her biggest achievements are placing in top overalls for her solos and winning several national championships for her group routines. Miss Bianca is very excited to be assisting, and can’t wait for our 9th dance season at KDC.

Miss Brennan has enjoyed dance since the first grade. She is currently a 10th grader at Walled Lake Central High School, and is in her 4th year dancing at Kelley's Dance Craze. She has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Pointe, and Hawaiian. Her favorite styles of dance are Musical Theatre and Contemporary. For the last two summers, Miss Brennan was fortunate to participate in the Contexture Dance Detroit Pre-Professional Summer Program. She has made so many great memories dancing over the years and has loved being a student assistant for the past 6 years. Outside of the studio, Brennan is a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, participates in her school's Giving Tree Club,  Buddy Up Club and Unified Basketball Team, and is active in her youth group. She loves meeting all the young students at the studio and watching them grow and learn through season 9! 

Miss Chloe has been passionate about dancing since the age of 5, and began competing at age 10. With 9 years of experience at KDC, she has been training in various styles, including Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap, and more! 

Additionally, she has been a proud member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) for the past 4 years.

Miss Chloe has achieved numerous regional & national awards throughout her dancing career. Her most cherished memories revolve around the bonds she has formed with her dance family.

Miss Chloe is thrilled to begin her 3rd year as an assistant in season 9!

This year, Miss Alexis is a freshman at Walled Lake Central High School. She began dancing at the age of three and has been a competitive dancer for eight years. She trains in Ballet, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, Lyrical, and Pointe. 

Throughout her years of competition, she has won many top overalls and this past year she won “Teen Elite Dancer" at StarQuest Regionals. 

Miss Alexis is also a member of National Honor Society of Dance Arts, and this will be her fourth year being a part of it. For the past two summers, Miss Alexis was a part of the Pre Professional Program at ConteXture Dance Detroit. 

This will be her first year assisting, and she is so excited to be able to have this experience to grow and serve as a role model. She is looking forward to season 9 at KDC and can’t wait to share her love for dance!  

Miss Hailey has been a part of the KDC competition team since she was 7 years old. During this time she has trained in the styles of Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Pointe. Additionally she has been a part of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts for 4 years. She has won multiple top awards, including first overall, at various regional competitions and first overall at a national competition. Miss Hailey loves being a part of the KDC dance family and is exited to share her love of dance in season 9!  

Miss Lana has danced for 7 years, and this is her 3rd year on the KDC Comp team.  She is in 7th grade at Sarah Banks Middle School.  She trains in Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballet, Musical Theatre, and Pointe. Her favorite style of dance is Lyrical.  Outside of dance, she plays percussion, and particularly enjoys the snare drum and timpani.  Miss Lana looks forward to sharing her love of dance, encouraging others, and helping younger dancers build confidence and develop their skills for season 9.