Marcella began dancing at the age of 3. She moved to Florida at the age of 12 and began training and competing at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa. She has attended various competitions, conventions, and workshops including Tremaine, Showstoppers, Jump, Elite Dance Cup, Inspire and many more where she’s won numerous awards for group pieces and solos. She’s been awarded scholarships for both Dancer Palooza and the Elite Convention Experience. Speaking of Elite, Marcella was also the cover model for Elite Dance Cup in 2019 where she was featured on the competition’s website and programs for the entire year! In 2017, Marcella auditioned and attended the Radio City Rockettes summer intensive in New York City where she trained under the Rockettes, and even learned sections of the Christmas Spectacular to perform!

She began teaching in 2019 and has developed a true love for lyrical and sharing her passion with her students. She has choreographed for Aspire competition team at DASR as well as pieces for the recital. She is also currently a critical care nurse at HCA Florida West Hospital, and hopes to pursue her dreams of becoming a CRNA!

​MALLORIE COLE was born and raised in Pensacola and began dancing at the young age of 3 where she trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, Theatre, and Ballroom. She went on to compete, perform, and train with her studio’s company for 6 years at competitions and conventions such as NYCDA, Hollywood Vibe, Jump, and NUVO. She has won several high score and national awards as a solo dancer throughout her competitive and performance career.
As she continued her studies Mallorie found a greater love for Tap and began to focus more on learning a variety of tap techniques and styles influenced by Tap Dancers and Hoofers such as Fred Astaire, Gregory Hines, Gene Kelly, and Savion Glover. She considers herself a Hoofer with a Broadway foundation. 
In 2012 Mallorie moved to New York to pursue her career in dance. She trained in programs at Broadway Dance Center and Ral’eau Salsa Dance Company where she was able to receive instruction from Germaine Salzburg, Ray Hesselink, April Cook, Michelle Dorrance, Chloe Arnold, Anthony LoCascio, and other talented dancers and instructors. She lived in New York for two years and decided to make the transition back to her hometown to share her passion for Tap Dancing with young dancers.

Alyvia Waite began dancing at the age of 9 at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa. She is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, pointe, and hip hop. She dedicated 8 years to DASR’s award winning competitive team, “Aspire”, where she attended various competitions and conventions such as Tremaine, Jump, The Pulse, Elite, Showstoppers, and many more. In addition to competitions and conventions, Alyvia had the opportunity to participate in various community events and performances as a company member.

Just recently, Alyvia retired from her position as Miss Santa Rosa County and is presently on staff at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa sharing her love of dance to her students. She is also currently a member of a performance team as well.  Outside of dance, Alyvia is the Marketing Coordinator for a local engineering firm and a graduate student at University of West Florida. She enjoys all things beauty and fashion-related, especially dance attire! You should get to know Alyvia not only through DASR but by visiting her fun blog and fashion website at: Instagram Links - (alivablelifestyle.com)

Laurie McCrory- Owner/Director

MARISSA BOHNER has been dancing for 17 years and has trained in styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hiphop. She was a member with the Aspire Dance Company for seven years. Within company, she has participated in various dance competitions and conventions such as Hollywood Vibe, Showstoppers, NYLA, Tremaine, The Pulse, Nuvo, Co. Dance, and Jump, where she received a scholarship in ballet. 
Aspire Dance Company also  allowed Marissa to perform in many shows throughout the community such as in the Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Ghostwalk of downtown Milton, and various shows at the Imogene Theatre in downtown Milton.
In addition to dancing experience, Marissa has also trained in acting. Marissa has had professional acting roles in various events in downtown Pensacola and also as a web series extra. As becoming a dance instructor, Marissa has continued her teacher training and has traveled to both New York City and Orlando to attend Dance teachers conferences and also continued training in those cities as well under world class teachers and choreographers.
She is currently a teacher at L.E.A.D. Academy.  Dance has always been a part of her life.  She's grown up in the studio and was always dancing constantly. "Dance has given me many things such as discipline, passion, and the greatest of friendships. I believe that God has given me the gift of dance and I hope to always keep it a part of my life"  -Miss Marissa

NANCY Haller received her early training at the Elvie DeMarko School in Pensacola. She continued to train at the University of Oklahoma as a dance major and later in New York, Atlanta and Memphis. She continues to study with nationally recognized choreographers locally and in New York.
Ms. Haller has been active in community theater  as an actress and choreographer. Most recently, she choreographed Anything Goes at Pensacola High School. She has been teaching dance in Pensacola for 18 years to children of all ages as well as adults.

RoShaunta began her dance journey at age 7 in N. Minneapolis. Her studies include Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Salsa, African, Modern, Lyrical and some contemporary as well.  She studied as a Dance Major and African American Studies at The University of Minnesota and received her BA degree in Liberal Arts.
Although she has both taught and performed for many professional and local productions, her biggest success so far was having the pleasure of singing with artist such as Stevie Wonder, Jordan Sparks, Paris Bennett, The Steeles, and was a member in the Grammy Award winning group “The Sounds of Blackness” at the Image Awards in Los Angeles.
Due to the Nature of her husband’s service in the USMC, Shaunta has moved around and been both an instructor and choreographer for many dance studios in Minnesota, Florida, Texas and North Carolina. She has been recognized and awarded Best Teacher 2005,2007,2009 at Star Systems and her choreography has, and continues to receive many specialty awards and overall placements including 1st place on both a Regional and National levels.
Roshaunta is Married and has 4 children and has absolutely loved teaching her students both, at past studios and currently at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa and couldn’t see herself doing anything else.  

Marcella Plog 

Hannah Rogers - Bio Coming Soon

GUEST

Roshaunta Williams ​

​Robert D. Biggs (MR. BOBBY) career started out in Milton High School under Nannette  Grimm.  He studied for four years in ballet, modern, and jazz with her and also with the Kaleidoscope and Ballet Pensacola, in the company.  There Bobby continued to study modern with Nannette and continued his ballet with Dorothy Daniels Lister.  In the summer of 1999, Bobby attended The Joffery Ballet School summer intensive in New York City on full scholarship.
After high school Bobby joined the United States Marine Corps.  He served honorably for four years.  During this time he completed two tours of duty to Iraq, as part of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).   Since out of the Marine Corps he has attended The Joffery Ballet School summer intensive, yet again.  This time in the summer of 2005
Mr. Biggs went on to be a part of North West Florida Ballet, based out of Fort Walton under Todd Eric Allen the artistic director. He has performed annually in the Nutcracker with the Mobile Ballet and has been an instrumental Instructor at Dance Academy of Santa Rosa, LaBelle Performing Arts and Eastern Shores Ballet.

Alyvia Waite -

​

Originally from Deerfield Beach, Florida, Miss Laurie began her dance education at Dance Academy of Deerfield Beach under the direction of Janet Mathie. It was there that Laurie found a love for dance and began to dream of one day opening her own dance studio. Upon graduating high school, Laurie auditioned and began her professional career as a Walt Disney World Performer and danced her way through the Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios, Epcot Center and Disney Convention shows.
While continuing her college studies, Laurie also began teaching dance at the young age of 19. Her lifestyle grew very busy when she began to land jobs in TV episodes, commercials, independent films, feature films and convention shows such as: Disney Westside, Pleasure Island, Shoe Carnival, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, Superboy, Redken, Miller Lite, Burdines, Orlando Magic’s Fandemonium, Premier Cruise Line, Typhoon Lagoon and more. Her continued theme park and stage credits include Will Roger’s Follies, The House of Blues Orlando-independent concert choreographer/dancer, Capones Dinner and Show-choreographer/dancer/actress and Universal Studios Orlando- “Phoebe” look-a-like (from television sitcom “Friends.” ) and many more.
Laurie’s heart was still in her teaching and choreography and she began choreographing for competition dance teams in the Orlando area. Her choreography has been seen in not only competitions but dinner theatres, concerts, and a children’s television pilot “Heaven On Earth”. She even choreographed a cheer performed in the major motion picture Waterboy starring Adam Sandler, a movie which she also appeared in.
While in Orlando, Laurie trained regularly on a professional level and currently keeps up with the new styles of dance by attending several dance conventions annually taking classes from top name choreographers.
 Laurie is happily married and has a beautiful daughter in college that is now 19 years old. She currently resides in Milton, Florida and is the owner of Dance Academy of Santa Rosa.  “God has truly Blessed me with a life filled with DANCE. How can I keep that to myself? Dance is not only an Art form, but also a community…and even an outlet. Dance is a way to stay active, absolutely, but also a universal language and a bonding like no other. It teaches teamwork, creates friendships, builds confidence and is such a strong form of expression when you sometimes just don’t even have the words, or you just HAVE to move…no language barriers here. Again, why God chose me to be able to have such a fun career from the early age of 19 and share this gift with these kiddos, I don’t know. But I am truly grateful.”