OUR COACHES
Behind every dancer who believes in themselves, is a teacher who believed in them first.
Ms. Lauren
Lauren has been teaching dance to students of all ages for the over a decade. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree of the Arts in Dance from the University of Akron. As the owner, Lauren Directs and coaches the On Pointe Dance Company and the Tiny On Pointe Stars as well as teaches Ballet and Lyrical in the Technical Program. Lauren’s Choreography has won numerous awards such as “Best Choreography”, “Best Studio Sportsmanship”, “Judge’s Choice” and many special and high score awards. Lauren also continues her education in the field of dance by attending nationally recognized workshops and online courses lead by top choreographers and dance instructors. Her love for dance and passion for teaching is what makes On Pointe Arts a place where everyone no matter what age or ability has a chance to dance. Lauren is a proud member of DanceStudioOwner.com and the National Dance Education Organization.
Ms. Abi
Abi joined the On Pointe family in the Summer of 2017. She received her Bachelor of the Arts in Theater from Baldwin Wallace with a focus in directing. Abi spent many years involved theater productions including shows such as “Saturday Night Fever” and "Love Story" at Cleveland's Playhouse Square and "Chorus Line" and "Follies" at Baldwin Wallace. Abi continues to educate herself by attending dance workshops conferences. She is an instructor for our Elementary and Technical Programs, as well as the head of our Acro & Musical Theater departments. Abi is the head coach for the Tiny On Pointe Stars and coaches our On Pointe Dance Company. Abi brings her theater expertise to the dance studio as the Artistic Director. To help our students become more well-rounded performers and theater-goers, Abi offers opportunities for students to help with costumes, props and scenery through Production classes and workshops.
Ms. Callie
Callie has been dancing for over a decade, and has studied styles including ballet, jazz and lyrical. She is excited to be entering her second year as an instructor at On Pointe Arts. Callie is currently a student at Kent State University, studying to become a teacher for English as a second language. She enjoys traveling and learning about other languages and cultures. Callie is the primary instructor for our Preschool Program and is excited to participate in leading our Teacher Training Program this year for aspiring students who will be helping and assisting in our preschool and elementary classes.
Ms. Claire
Claire started dancing at age six with The Lafayette Ballet School in Lafayette, Indiana. She joined the ballet company in 2011. She has been in many productions of the Nutcracker, as well as Les Sylphides and La Bayadere. She continued to dance through high school and was added on as a ballet teacher in 2018 at Lafayette Ballet. Since pursing her nursing degree at Walsh University in North Canton, she has become part of the staff at On Pointe Arts, as a ballet teacher. Claire loves implementing both the artistic side of ballet as well as its athletic demand in each class. She enjoys watching each dancer grow and progress in their abilities!
Ms. Ashley
Ashley has been teaching dance for over a decade, and joined the On Pointe family in the fall of 2017. She has a degree in Dance Education from Kent State University. During the day, Ashley works as a the Dance Teacher for grades 4-8 at Miller South in Akron Public Schools. She is the Tap and Hip Hop instructor in our Technical Program, as well as a coach for our On Pointe Dance Company. Ashley has received many platinum and top score awards for her choreography and has won numerous special judges awards for her competition dances, including “Best Choreography”.
Teacher Casey
Miss Andreya
Miss Julia
Miss Rylie
Julia is currently a senior at the University of Akron and plans to graduate in the Spring with a BA in Public Relations and Sociology, as well as a certificate in Research Methods for Social Sciences. She grew up in Niles, Ohio where she trained in competitive dance at Krystie’s Dance Academy for 16 years. Julia is now a 4th year member of the University of Akron Dance Team and recently had the opportunity to compete at NDA nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. She has also been a part of multiple dance showcases with the University of Akron Dance program. In addition to competition dance, Julia participated in her high schools Pom team, majorette line, and cheerleading squads. After graduation, Julia continued to work with her home studio as a pom and baton teacher. Julia’s favorite styles of dance include jazz, hip hop, and lyrical, and is so excited to share her knowledge of dance and creativity with On Pointe Arts!
Casey has been dancing, choreographing & teaching dance for over a decade. Casey has spent many years working in musical theater professionally, & continues to do so, having performed in theatrical productions on the renowned stages of The York Theater, The Duplex & 54th Street Theater in New York City. Additionally, Casey hosts & produces a podcast centered around unique & unusual conversations, and they will graduate with a degree in Global Communication & Nonprofit Studies from Kent State University in December 2022. Casey is incredibly passionate about implementing diversity & accessibility in the arts and hopes to do so through a career in casting and direction, as well as through their ongoing theater performance & dance education work.
Andreya Leavell is a Petite Ballet and Lyrical teacher at On Pointe Arts. Before coming to the studio, she experienced the art of teaching dance to children for four years. She started her dance career at Candy Apples Dance Center and continued to grow her passion through Plain Local Schools’ Dance Program. The first half of her life was focused on Lyrical, Ballet, and Pointe techniques; and in later years, learning more performative styles - like Tap, Color-guard, and Dance Team. Andreya continues to append her dance - self through Modern, African, and Contemporary dance classes under the Performing Arts department at Kent State University. Along with performing, she is working towards an Early Childhood Education degree with Dance and Entrepreneurship concentrations. After college, she plans to pursue a career in teaching, both in a classroom and a studio.
The art of movement is a gift, both to self and others- and she hopes to channel this perspective within every class.