Lydia Allen is a dance professional originally from Colorado, where she trained at Canyon Concert Ballet (CCB) until she was 17. Her training included ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, contemporary, and character dance. As part of CCB’s Youth Ensemble, she competed at NYCDA, Co.Dance, Encore, and Legacy Dance Championships, and performed in full ballets like The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella. She spent a summer training at Next Generation Ballet in Tampa, Florida, under Peter Stark. After her senior year at Studio West, she went on and earned her B.S. in Kinesiology from California Baptist University in 2020. She later coached USASF All Star Teams at Pivot Performance Arts in Texas before returning to her hometown of Laramie. She now teaches at a local studio, coach the Laramie High School dance team, and work as assistant manager at Grand Ave Family Medicine. She lives with her partner Gabe who is a Pro Strongman and their two huskies Loki and Lymrik. When she’s not dancing, coaching or choreographing she also does social media and graphic design on the side and loves to spend time in her greenhouse!

Jeoffery Harris, Jr. is a native of New Orleans, LA. He is currently the Fine Arts curriculum and instructional specialist for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. He is the Artistic Director/ Owner of F.A.M.E. On Tour Dance Intensive/ Competition. Jeoffery is the 2023 Arts Schools Network, National Teacher of the Year. Jeoffery is the 2024 NDEO National Award recipient for Outstanding Leadership in DEI . Jeoffery is a National Dance Adjudicator and he is currently on tour with platinum dance experience as an instructor. Jeoffery is the creator of “Brown Boys Dance” an organization that promotes diversity in dance by promoting brown male dancers and choreographers. Jeoffery is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Inc. and Chi Tau Epsilon Dance honor society. He has performed in numerous productions such as performing at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Art in Washington, D.C., where his choreography was honored on the National Level. Jeoffery has danced under the direction of Mrs. Debbie Allen. He was a featured dancer in the movies ”Sinners,” "Bolden," and "Who Do You Love?" He has performed with Doug E. Fresh and was a featured dancer in Dawn Richards virtual album “Pigments” . His collaborative artistic work has been featured by Misty Copeland, BET, Essence, and The View.

Jasmine Jaramillo is originally from Denton, TX and grew up training at Denton Dance Conservatory with Lisa Racina-Torre. Ms. Jaramillo has been a dance educator for over 20 years. Ms. Jaramillo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History with a dance minor and a Master of Arts degree in Dance History from Texas Woman’s University. Ms. Jaramillo is the co-artistic director for the CholoRock Dance Collective in Denton. The collective is a division of the CholoRock Dance Theatre which was founded by Jose Zamora-MFA, in 2011 at Texas Woman’s University. The collective celebrates Hispanic and Tejano heritage and queer culture through contemporary movement. In 2021, Ms. Jaramillo founded the Jaramillo Dance Group, focusing on movement art from the female perspective. Ms. Jaramillo’s choreography has been presented at the 254 Dance Festival, the Denton Dance Festival, the Youngtanzomer Tour in Austria, Texas Woman’s University Alumni Dance Concert, South Texas College Department of Dance and Theatre Spring Concert, and others. Ms. Jaramillo is the Dance Department Chair at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts and is excited for her 5th year with the department.

Lucia “Lucy” Martinez is from and currently resides in Miami, FL. She currently is a middle/high school dance teacher and dance team coach. Lucy started her dance career “late” in life at the age of 12 years old; and since then she has dedicated her life to dance and dance education. Lucy began her teaching career as a dance teacher’s assistant at the age of 17 and for the past 10 years she has been teaching dance. She has taught a wide range of levels spanning from creative movement age to seniors in high school. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with her B.A in Dance with a minor in business and a minor in psychology. Starting in 2022 she founded/developed the dance program and competitive dance team for her middle school students at her current school. Her goal is to build a safe space for all dancers through safe dance practices and mental health advocacy for dancers.

Liv Mourning (they/them) is a choreographer and artist with focuses in postmodern movement and disability access. Currently based in central Texas, they received their BA in Theatre & Dance from The College of Wooster and stuck around post graduation to be the intern for the department. There they focused on arts management and undergraduate education. They have an extensive background performing and choreographing in a diverse variety of styles including modern, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, and ballet. As of 2025, they are focused on creating independent choreography for a multitude of mediums, including a recent project titled UV Movement with their long-time artistic collaborator.

Giordana Patumi is a dancer, performing arts administrator, dance writer, and Pilates instructor based in Zürich, Switzerland. Originally from Perugia, Italy, she trained in various dance styles and holds a BA in Contemporary Dance from Trinity Laban in London. Her performance experience includes works by Emanuel Gat, Hofesh Shechter, and others. She later earned a Master’s in Performing Arts Management from Accademia Teatro alla Scala and MIP Politecnico di Milano, with international experience at Alvin Ailey in New York. Giordana has worked across Europe and the U.S. in production, strategy, communications, and cultural programming, including as Project Manager for the National Choreographic Center/Aterballetto (Italy) and ilDance (Sweden). In Switzerland, she works across various festivals and sectors in the independent dance scene, collaborating with Breakthrough Festival, ORME Festival, and Ticino in Danza. Her work bridges artistic vision and strategic development across the global dance landscape.

Elisa Rodriguez is a wife and a mother of two beautiful girls. She is also a full-time high school dance teacher in El Paso, Texas, known as the Sun City. Elisa is an El Paso native and a first-generation American, as her family migrated from Mexico.  Growing up in a Hispanic community and living in a border city culture has defined the person she is today.  She has taught in the public education system for seven years at the middle and high school levels. Elisa currently is the director and founder of a team called Aries which focuses on Folklorico and Ballroom dancing. She studied at the University of Texas at El Paso with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Her background in the sciences has sparked an interest in how dance can positively affect both your mental and physical well-being. Elisa hopes to continue to learn ways to intertwine her passion for dance with her education in science.

Halle Salmond is a Texas native and University of Houston graduate, who has had the heart of a dancer since she was eight years old! Growing up she spent most of her evenings and weekends at her home studio, learning, competing and becoming well versed in a variety of dance genres and eventually apprenticed into dance teaching. She was a member and officer of the award-winning North Crowley Silver Stars Drill Team located in Fort Worth, TX; and continued her dance journey in college by participating in student-led dance teams, dance workshops and the dance student association. Since graduating in 2015, Halle has taught in public and private schools, impacting students from primary all the way to the secondary level. She has had the pleasure of heading and choreographing productions for multiple campuses, directing junior high drill teams, adjudicating, teaching and managing operations for In-Step Dance Studio in Spring, TX.  

Monique Walker is a dance artist, educator, and choreographer. Originally from Chester, Pennsylvania, she has performed with Kariamu & Company: Traditions and the African American Dance Ensemble, and currently teaches at CityDance (MD), The VIVA School of Dance (DC), and the College of Southern Maryland. A certified Master Teacher of the Umfundalai dance technique, she also serves as Executive Director for the National Association of American African Dance Teachers. Monique holds a BA in Arts Administration and is a proud Board Member of the Maryland State Arts Council, advocating for equitable access to the arts statewide. Her choreography has been featured at Dance Place (DC), the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (MD). She uses her project-based performance company, MoDance Works to advance her mission of using dance, as a vehicle for the preservation, promotion, and innovation of African Diasporan dance.

Britney Williams is a performing arts enthusiast whose focus has long been that of the Dance World. She leads the Rhythm & Spirit dance program for Williamson County Parks and Recreation, managing five studio locations and a team of 30+ instructors while serving over 500 dancers annually. Britney specializes in curriculum development, event coordination, and creating inclusive, engaging environments for dancers of all ages. Each year, she produces multiple recitals, an annual winter ballet, and more than 55 summer camps. Her performance background includes roles with SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and the Nickelodeon Suites Resort, as well as training and guest service at Walt Disney World. Britney began teaching at Smyrna School of Dance, where she earned certifications through the Southern Association of Dance Masters in Ballet, Acro, and Tap. She holds a B.S. in Dance from Middle Tennessee State University and an A.S. in Commercial Entertainment from Columbia State College. Britney also serves as Vice President of the Tennessee Association of Dance.