Meet The Team

MS. LYSS

Alyssa began her training in the midwest, then eagerly moved to New York and studied at Long Island High School for the Arts. (LIHSA)  Striving for an intense background in movement, Alyssa pursued a dance major at Eugene Lang College of The New School University in New York City.  While studying in the city training under many of the greats, she began working as a professional dancer, and became a frequent Guest Teacher at NYC’s Broadway Dance Center. Classically trained, Alyssa is skilled in multiple genres of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tumbling, Hip-Hop, Tap, Musical Theatre, Ballroom and Pointe.  She continues to work professionally as a performer, teacher and choreographer at studios, universities and for performance companies all across the country as well as internationally.  Such credits include MTV, Wendy Williams and the BET Hip Hop Awards, with artists Nadia Ali, J. Balvin, Donnie Klang, Ciara, Mario and Ne-yo.  Her eye-pleasing styles and unique feel good expressions make her a pleasure to work with, and an inspiration to all!  Alyssa prides herself on creating a positive environment that motivates movers of all ages to let go of their insecurities and find comfort outside of their comfort zone!  Powered by passion and creativity, Ms. Lyss welcomes you to YOUR creative space, where anything is possible when you BeLieVe!  

MS. EMILY 

Emily started dancing at an early age in her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. She was awarded top soloist in many competitions, and was crowned Miss Dance of America Dance Masters Chapter #34. She began her career assisting instructors at the age of fourteen and never looked back. While attending Dowling High School she became the Dance Team Captain and her choreography ranked in State, Regional and National Competitions. Emily would spend her summers teaching Camps for NDA (National Dance Alliance) Her passions of dance lead her to a Bachelors of Arts Degree with a Dance Concentration from Hofstra University on Long Island New York. She was a Fire Dancer for the New York Dragons Arena Football Team and often studied with Frank Hatchett at The Broadway Dance Center and many of the great artists in NYC. While in New York Emily was an Instructor for JAM Dance and Fitness, performed for Company JAM, and toured with the boy band INT. Emily’s experience and Degree landed her a Dance Director Position at North Crest Kids Activity Center in Sauk Rapid, Minnesota. While in Minnesota Emily also Coached the Cathedral High School Dance Team and was Manager/Choreographer of the Granite City Renegades professional Dance Team. Emily currently instructs dancers in the East Valley and is our Business Manager & Administrative Lead.

MS. DREA 

Andrea began dancing competitively at age 5 studying intensely in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Tumbling. Throughout her youth she moved multiple times, basking in the opportunity of dance training from coast to coast. She has absorbed the experience of a multitude of choreographers from all over the country. Andrea was Dance Captain at Saguaro High School where she was recognized by the National Honor Society of the Arts and received the Artistic
Merit, Leadership, and Academic Merit Awards from the Arizona Dance Education Organization. She continued studying Modern, Ballet, Jazz, African, and Improvisation and performed on the Black N’ Blue Hip-Hop Crew at the University of Arizona. Andrea then took her education and love for the arts to Scottsdale Community College. She was part of Instinct Dance Corps and graduated with an Associate in Fine Arts Degree. Andrea has experience teaching in Tennessee and New York, as well as many studios and High Schools across the valley. She
has experience as a director for both performance-level companies and competitive companies alike. She is an established choreographer and has found her passion in helping other young artists find their unique connection to their movement. Currently, she is studying at Grand
Canyon University to become a Secondary Education Dance Director. She educates her students through love and positivity. It’s a beautiful gift to be able to express yourself through movement.

“I love helping to plant and nurture a passion for the art of dance with my students. I aim to cultivate, motivate, and inspire”.

 MS. BETSY

Betsy is a former collegiate gymnast from the University of Missouri.  She started gymnastic programs for the Walnut Creek, and South Suburban YMCA’s in Des Moines, Iowa.  While living in New York, she was the owner - operator of Oyster Bay Tumble Club on the North shore of Long Island.  Ms. Betsy is our physical fitness extraordinaire, specializing in Physical Education, Gymnastics, Tumbling as well as being a private swimming instructor.  She has developed Tumbling programs at dance studios all across the country and is known for her calm nature, and loving teaching heart.  Ms. Betsy’s expertise starts with our preschool program where she builds trust and confidence from day one in a fun and exciting environment, and continues all the way up to training the most skilled tumblers to achieve advanced tumbling progressions.  We are so thankful to have Ms. Betsy and her “Just Do it Now, Mentality!” 

MS. FELICIA

Ms. Felicia started her training at the age of ten in Traverse City, Michigan, where she was mentored by Betsy Carr, Patrick Hensen, and Malinda Baker. Her training included extensive instruction in ballet, pointe, lyrical dance, jazz, and technique. After graduating, she continued to develop her skills while also starting to teach, assist and choreograph. Subsequently, Ms. Felicia auditioned for and received a full-time dance scholarship at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California. There, she trained under notable choreographers such as Mandy Moore, Tabatha & Napoleon, Doug Caldwell, Denise Leitner, Terry Beeman, and Leslie Scott, focusing on commercial dance, film, voice, and acting. This training opened doors in film, video, theater, and modeling. Teaching became Ms. Felicia's passion, and she has taught nationwide, with her choreography receiving national titles and numerous accolades. Recently, she earned her certification in Progressive Ballet Training (PBT) and is excited to share her knowledge, passion, and love of dance with her students.

COACH RAY

Coach Ray has been teaching Hip Hop across the country since 2010.  He was a valued member of the Arizona State University's Hip-Hop Coalition.  He also was the president of the Arizona based performing and battling crew; Leggo Monsters.  Coach Ray has danced and choreographed for numerous performances including the Phoenix Suns halftime shows, Monsters of Hip-Hop, Carnival Choreographer’s ball, Celebration of Dance, and Boogiedabeat.  As founder of a local Hip-Hop Crew, Ray has connected with many young artists and is excited to continue building with all the students at MMCS.  Ray loves freestyle and choreography and is adept in all styles of hip-hop.  He is excited to share the culture with the next generation. 

MS. MADZ

Madelyn Kay Lee is a dancer, teacher and performer known to span multiple styles of dance with an emphasis in American tap dance. She grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated from St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists’ dance track in 2014. Madelyn was a member of Kaleena Miller Dance, a local Twin Cities tap company, for eight consecutive years, where she also got opportunities to perform with Minnesota artists Dessa, Jeremy Mesersmith, and John C. Reily in The New Standards Holiday Shows and shared the stage with several current renowned tap dancers at the Twin Cities Tap Festival such as Dormeisha Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuels Smith, Brenda Buffalino and Dianne Walker at the Cowles Center and The Southern Theater in Minneapolis. She has a love for teaching and dancing and has won numerous awards from dance competitions for her outstanding choreography. Madelyn has taught dancers from many different backgrounds and life stages and takes pride in the effort to adjust her classes for each student’s unique personality and pace, making time for historical lessons on important figures in dance education and innovation. She knows dance is not a one-size-fits-all but truly believes movement and creativity is for every body!

MS. ELLIE 

Ellie grew up in Aurora, IL training in all styles of dance, but mostly classical ballet from ages 2-14. After moving to Arizona in 2013, she attended Arcadia High School where she became the Captain of Varsity Spiritline, the Rehearsal Director of Arcadia Dance Company, and was a member of National Dance Honors Society. She also attended Paula Carr Dance Academy where she was part of the Elite Performance Company and still continued training in contemporary, jazz, ballet, hip hop, and lyrical. She danced competitively and also on various types of stages in and out of the valley - Phoenix Suns halftime shows, Diamondbacks pregame shows, AZ State Fair, Disneyland, charity shows, and even a televised flash mob for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Ellie then went on earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from the University of Arizona, where she was also a four-year member of the Arizona Pomline, and served as Captain for her junior and senior years. She was part of the competition team and had the opportunity to perform at UDA Nationals in 2017, 2018, and 2019. One of her favorite memories was placing 8th in the nation for D1A Jazz at the 2017 competition. She choreographed several routines and sidelines that are still used on the team today. After graduating college, she became a dance teacher and choreographer, which has been her favorite part of her dance journey so far.

She loves helping students grow in their passion for dance, and in their abilities. When Ellie isn’t in the studio teaching or coming up with new routines, you can catch her on the sidelines as an Arizona Cardinals Cheerleader! Ellie was recognized as the 2023 Rookie of the Year, and just began her THIRD season on the team!

 MS. MADDY 

Madison began her dance training at the age of 8 and quickly fell in love with the art form. She trained at Tempe Dance Academy, studying ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, ballroom, and acrobatics. During her time there, she competed at prestigious conventions such as New York City Dance Alliance and Nuvo, earning numerous awards and scholarships. Madison also had the opportunity to tour Europe, performing in Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany.

She attended Arizona School for the Arts, where she furthered her training under the faculty of Ballet Arizona in ballet, pointe, modern, flamenco, and jazz. Throughout her dance journey, Madison has worked with renowned choreographers and educators, including Joey Dowling, Dana Wilson, Martha Nichols, Tony Testa, and many others.

Madison began teaching dance right after high school while attending the University of Arizona, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Care, Health, and Society. She later pursued a teaching certification in special education. Madison has extensive experience teaching lyrical, ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatics/tumbling to students of all ages and abilities. Her true passion lies in sharing the joy of dance and empowering her students to become the most confident versions of themselves, both inside and outside the studio.

Currently, Madison is pursuing her Master’s degree in School Psychology at the University of Arizona’s Chandler campus. In both education and dance, she strives to create a positive, inclusive environment where all students feel seen, supported, and inspired to be their most authentic selves.

MS. PAULA 

Ms. Paula Carr started dancing in the valley at the age of 2.5 at a local dance studio. She fell in love with all things dance, performance and the family it creates! Miss Paula has had the fun opportunity of performing in many parades in the valley and in the state as well as halftime shows for Fiesta Bowl and Super Bowl and collegiate football and basketball games. Miss Paula has danced her way through high school as well as participated on her high school pomline and studio competition team. Ms. Paula attended the University of Arizona with a dance minor and a child psychology, major with a concentration of child development as well as performing for three years on the U of A Pom line and having the time of her life, continuing her study of dance. Following college Ms Paula work around the valley at local studios choreographing and teaching, as well at Arcadia high school for pom and spirit line as their coach for about 12 years.

In 2004 she was blessed to open her own studio Paula Carr Dance Academy in Old Town Scottsdale where she created a dance family of amazing talented teachers and well rounded dancers alike.

In 2024 the decision was made to take a new direction and close that chapter of the studio, but Ms Paula knew she still wanted to have dance in her life and be a “worker bee” once again and still teach the love of dance, the discipline of the art, and the joy of the moments dance brings young and old.

I am so happy and grateful to be continuing this journey once again as a dance instructor and performance leader and look forward to my next chapter.

MS. BREE

Bree Watson was born in Savannah, Georgia and began dancing ballet and tap at the ages of two.  She strengthened her background at the North Carolina School of the Performing Arts and was introduced into the Ballroom Dancing world with the Theater Arts division.  She quickly decided she preferred ballroom and went in search of a partner in the American Rhythm style.  In 2003, she moved to Phoenix, where she met Decho Kraev. In under three years she went on to win multiple championships as one of the few American female competitors in the Rhythm category.  She is the 3X United States Rhythm Champion (2011-2013), and the Theater Arts Champion in 2007. The ability to embrace the nuances in a short time fuels her passion to teach students how to quickly embrace the necessary technique and styling students need to become successful!

MS.BRIANNA

Ms. Brianna grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and started dancing and competing at a very young age. She trained in all styles of dance, but her specialization focuses on jazz, lyrical, technique, and strength/conditioning. Many incredible educators have guided her in the industry including, but not limited to, Mandy Moore, Sonya Tayeh, Dee Caspary, Adrian Lee, Missy Ridgway, Elijah Gibson, Brian Rabenda, Lizzie Mackenzie, and Bart Doerfler. 

After growing up in a convention and competition setting, she continued pursuing her passion on a collegiate-level dance team (University of Illinois). Her professional career then moved westward to California, where she spent her time performing daily shows at Universal Studios Hollywood, dancing for artists like Julia Michaels, and working for Hall 

of Fame Dance Challenge as a judge and backstage manager. MSA and Go 2 Talent Agency represented her during these endeavors. These experiences in California have afforded her opportunities to grow and foster relationships within the LA dance community, and to this day, she continues to maintain these valuable connections. 

For the past two years, she has been back in her home state of Illinois teaching and choreographing for competitive dance companies and high school/collegiate dance teams. Seeing an opportunity to connect local dancers with one another, she and her sister founded the bi-annual workshop, Dexl Dance Mania (DDM). Over the past seven years, DDM has brought hundreds of dancers together in an intimate, convention-like setting, to inspire personal growth and artistry. 

As her career continues to develop, she is eager to share her talent and knowledge of dance to a larger, more national audience. Due to her recent move from Chicago to Scottsdale, she is currently traveling weekly as a judge for In10sity. She is excited to launch her teaching/choreography career out here and to help train and motivate the incredible talent here in Arizona. As a dedicated, compassionate, and confident educator, she hopes to gain the opportunity to further inspire and educate your company’s dancers.

MS. ERIN

Erin Grandelli began dancing at the age of 4 in Scottsdale, Arizona! She trained in Jazz, Lyrical/

Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, and Hip Hop, and competed at Regional and National levels with DanceMotion Performing Company. After high school she continued onto Loyola Marymount University whereshe earned her degrees in Dance and Natural Science with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy. During her time at LMU she trained closely under the jazz instruction of

Jason Myhre (Ricky Martin, Paula Abdul)and guest choreographers Tina Landon, Tyce Diorio,

JT Hortenstein, Kat Burns, and Marguerite Derricks. Her professional highlights include working for Disney Cruise Line, Six Flags Magic Mountain, “Sister Actthe Musical” with choreographer Michelle Elkin, Fitness instructional videos, and special events for the Walt Disney Company.

In 2017 she appeared on Nickelodeon's “The Thundermans” as a featured dancer with choreographer Lilian Manansala. She revisited her love for teaching while performing in Los Angeles and has choreographed for numerous studios across the LA area. Erin’s background in fitness incorporates proper strength training and injury prevention into her instruction. Erin is certified in injuryprevention for dancers from Sugar Foot Therapy. Erin has worked with dancers across the country and isexcited to share her passion with your dancers!

MS. MACY

Macy is originally from Chandler, Arizona and is a proud Mo Moves Alumni! She is beyond excited to be back at the space! Since graduating, she has spent the last three years majoring in Dance at ASU and is on track to complete her degree in Liberal Studies this May. She’s had the privilege of assisting the Queen Creek Junior High Pom Team, and most recently transitioned into the role of Head Varsity Pom Coach at Mesquite High School. Macy’s favorite styles of dance are Lyrical and Modern.

"What I love most about dancing is getting to express myself and continuously learn from my peers. Teaching gives me the chance to inspire confidence in dancers and help them grow both on and off the floor—which is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching!"

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Fun fact: When I have weekends off in the winter, I love heading up north to snowboard with family and friends!