Faculty – XPLOSIVE DANCE ACADEMY

Resident Faculty

Jessica Perez

Artistic Director / Owner

Jessica Perez started her dance training at the age of five years old. She grew up training in multiple styles of dance with a strong focus on ballet and jazz. In 2001, Jessica received a full scholarship to attend Santa Fe College as a Dance Major where she studied under Alberto Alonzo, founder of the National Ballet of Cuba, and Alora Haynes.

Ariel Clarke

Assistant Company Director / Contemporary / Technique

Since she could walk, Ariel has danced, modeled, and acted. Upon graduating, she became a full-time traveling instructor and choreographer, during which she has received multiple choreography and visionary awards. Ariel has choreographed for and participated in Orlando based artistic events.

Chiaki Yasukawa

Ballet Company Coaching / Ballet / Pointe

Chiaki began her training at the Wakui Ballet School in Osaka, Japan and attended the Princess Grace dance Academy of Monaco at the age of fifteen. She was accepted to train at the San Francisco Ballet for the summer.

Daniel Benavides

Ballet / Partnering

Daniel Benavides grew up dancing Ballet Flockricko, Mexican folk dance, up to his senior year in high school. At the time 17, Benavides joined the high schools highest dance team, Dance Production. He then began his ballet training through the S.T.E.P. UP program at Anaheim Ballet...

Hitomi Nakamura

Ballet / Pointe

Hitomi began her training at Kaneta Kono Ballet Academy in Japan. In 2009, she won 1st place in the Ensemble Category at Youth America Grand Prix NY final. In 2011, won first place in the senior category at The Ballet Competition in Tokyo.

Heather Fryxell

PBT / Ballet / Ballet Variations

Heather Fryxell received her early dance training with Thomas Armour in Miami, Florida. Ms. Fryxell attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, majoring in English literature and educational psychology while on a full tuition talent scholarship.

Ashley Baszto

Ballet Variations / Pointe

Ashley took her first ballet class at age three and began her training at the Sarasota Ballet Academy. She continued her training at The Rock School for Dance Education and the Miami City Ballet School. She spent summers...

Jessica Torgas

Musical Theatre / Tap / Jazz

Jessi Torgas, originally from Miami, FL, graduated in 2010 from Florida International University where she received her BA in English Literature with a Minor in Dance. She began dancing at the age of 3 and has been trained in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop,...

Ben Phan

Director of "The Squad" / Hip Hop

Benjamin Phan (aka Ben10) is originally from Queens, New York. Through his middle school and high school years, he had been inspired by the dancing in music videos, which allowed him to demonstrate...

Rylee Sanchez

Tap / Ballet / Jazz / Hip Hop

Rylee Sanchez was born in Missouri and has been dancing since the age of 10. Her foundational dance was learned from Larkin dance studio, Code dance studio, and Priscilla and Dana’s school of dance...

Brianna Crescenti

Acrobatics / Technique

Brianna began dancing at the age of 4 and has been training at Xplosive Dance Academy for 9 years. She has trained in many styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, musical theater, acrobatics, and hip-hop...

Annual Guest Faculty

Russell Tanenbaum

Contemporary

Russell Tanenbaum is native to Palm Coast, Florida where he began dancing at 7 years old. He trained under the nation’s top instructors which led him to land his first job with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a dancer in the production shows.

James Boyd

Contemporary Fusion

James L. Boyd III is an artist born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He has toured and entertained the world with the knowledge of ten (10) professional styles of dance under his belt. James is a Douglas Anderson School of the Arts graduate...

Daniel Longo

Jazz / Jazz Funk

Daniel Longo is a choreographer, teacher and dancer from Long Island. He is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and Dance, and Master's Degree in...

Luis Gonzalez

Ballet

Luis Eduardo Gonzalez is originally from Bogota, Colombia, where he grew up before moving to Atlanta, Georgia. His training came primarily from the continued direction of Ms. Maniya Barredo, former prima ballerina of Atlanta Ballet...

Holly Ryder

Contemporary

Holly Ryder is an NYC based instructor and choreographer focusing mainly on contemporary movement and improvisation. Her formal training began where she grew up in Atlanta, GA, and continued at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Xplosivedanceacademy@hotmail.com

407-440-4616

6985 McCoy rd suite 200 Orlando, Fl 32822