Our teachers are among the most talented in the industry.
OUR TEACHERS
Mrs. Melanie has truly been dancing since she took her first step. By age 11 she had put together her first dance group for her brother's Little League Football team. She was Senior Captain of National Champion High School Dance team, the Eastwood Trooperettes. There she was awarded with Miss High Kick, Best Jumps, Miss Showtime, and NDA All-Star. She then went on to BYU to receive her degree. While she was there, she started a performing Hip Hop Dance group called Club Style. She also taught and choreographed the prestigious "Dance Showcase Company" and "Ballet Academy". She was a member of the "Wasatch Fever", the official dance team of a Minor League Football Team- the "Wasatch Wildcats". She choreographed and performed for a professional basketball team in Mexico at that time and then moved to Costa Rica where she had the privilege of dancing with an awesome hip hop group and teaching at a local studio, "Merecumbe".. Since her move to Arizona, she taught and coached dance teams at East Valley High School and Queen Creek High School. directed the dance team at East Valley High School, choreographed for various advanced dance groups around the Valley, and taught advanced Hip Hop at some local studios before beginning her dream of owning her own studio. She has now settled in San Tan Valley with her husband and 4 wonderful kids and is currently the dance teacher at the distinguished Benjamin Franklin High School as well as the head coach of the Varsity Chargerettes. Melanie loves sharing her talents and love of dance with all of her students and always strives to uplift and inspire.
Melanie Ellis
OWNER + DIRECTOR
Miss Emily has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She was a Company dancer for Lynn's School of Dance and AZ Desert Dance for 5 years. She then went on to dance on the Varsity Pom Squad at Queen Creek High. She has competed numerous times and has won many top awards. She is a wonderful teacher who shares her love of tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and pom with all of her students. Her routines are very innovative and she is known for focusing on the details. Dancing has always been her passion and it is a huge excitement when she sees her students improve and grow into beautiful dancers. Her little ones inspire with their amazing routines! She currently is the Assistant Coach of the Benjamin Franklin High School Chargerettes. Her choreography led us to a state championship in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. She is a talented and creative choreographer who emphasizes technique, technique, technique! She is married with an amazing little boy and girl!
Emily Augustin
CHOREOGRAPHER + TINIES + MINI PREP TEACHER
Miss Kayleen grew up in Snowflake, AZ and had the opportunity to dance in studio and as a part of her high school team. She went on to earn a degree from Brigham Young University in Dance Performance. While she attended BYU she participated on the International Folk Dancing team! She has been taught by some of the best in the industry and is a master of teaching and perfecting technique. She has worked for other studios as their main choreographer and director and we are so lucky she has decided to park with Freestyle and bring her expertise to our company. Her dedication to helping her students improve is evident in every practice. She is currently teaching Dance at Benjamin Franklin High School.
KAYLEEN PALMER
DANCE TEACHER
Miss Emily started dancing when she was 4 years old at Just For Kix. At age 10, she was taught flamenco dance while living in Puerto Rico. She continued her dance education after moving back to Arizona in various styles including contemporary, tap and hip hop.
In High School she was part of the varsity pom team at Queen Creek High, and even had the honor of being captain. She was coached by Miss Emily Augustin, Miss Melanie Ellis and Miss Rachel Larson. She has been teaching at Freestyle Dance Co. since 2017. Miss Emily is known for her creativity, patience and has a real gift to motivate young dancers.
Emily BEMBRIDGE
YOUTH COMPANY + SENIOR CLASSES
Karissa Cook
TECHNIQUE TEACHER
Karissa Cook is a dancer, performer, and teacher from Queen Creek, Arizona specializing in Classical Ballet and Jazz. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance, with an emphasis in pedagogy, from Brigham Young University-Idaho. During her time at BYU-Idaho Karissa was a member of their Touring and Performing company "Dance Alliance". During her time with Dance Alliance, she had the opportunity to dance on many different stages across the country.
Additionally, she holds a minor and certificate in Human Resource Management, allowing her to blend her passion for movement with a keen understanding of teaching and mentorship.
Inspired by the legendary works of Marius Petipa, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille, and Bob Fosse, Karissa infuses her technical choreography with both classical elegance seen in ballet and the expressive nuances of jazz.
Throughout her career, Karissa has cultivated her belief that strong technique and a passion for dance can thrive in any setting. Her diverse experiences in various learning environments have shaped her teaching approach, enabling her to create engaging and supportive spaces for dancers of all levels. “Everyone should get their chance to dance!”
Hadyn Snow
TUMBLING DIRECTOR
Hi, I’m Hadyn Snow. I am originally from a small town called Salem, Utah. My husband, 4 kids and I moved here to Arizona in 2020. I began dancing when I was 4 years old. At 8 years old I found my love for gymnastics and began a new journey. I transitioned through the sport quickly and competed in competitive gymnastics for the next 9 years until injuries prevented me from progressing further. This led me to cheerleading my senior year as Co-Captain. I began coaching gymnastics when I was 15 and continued to coach gymnastics on and off for the next 13 years. During that time I also coached city cheerleading and private coached tumbling on the side. When we moved here to Arizona I began coaching ballet for a year and a half then decided I needed to take a break while our family grew.
Miriam Padilla
POINTE TEACHER
Bio coming soon…
PAYTON HOLYOAK
HIP HOP TEACHER
Miss Payton started dancing at a very young age. She trained in all genre’s of dance competitively. When she got to High School, she decided to join the pom team where she was taught by Miss Emily Augustin, Miss Melanie Ellis and Miss Rachel Larson. She also got to meet her life long friend Miss Emily, as well as be Co-Captins with her. Miss Payton loves all styles of dance but really gravitates towards Hip-Hop. She is very excited to be a new addition to this faculty and can’t wait to get to know everyone more!
Miss Sofia Duran grew up dancing at Freestyle Dance Company from around ages 6 to 14. She is originally from San Tan Valley, AZ but has now been living in Gilbert for about 5 years. She attended Higley High School and participated in pom and dance and just recently graduated in 2023. When she is not dancing, she is reading or hanging out with friends. This is Sofia’s first year teaching at Freestyle and she is thrilled to be teaching alongside the teachers who helped her discover her love for dance.
SOFIA DURÁN
JUNIOR ELITE TEACHER
AALIYAH REID
TEEN TEACHER
Miss Aaliyah Reid is entering her first year at Freestyle! She is a passionate and accomplished dancer with over 13 years of training and competitive experience. Born and raised in Queen Creek, Arizona, she is an alumni of Higley High School, where she was a dedicated three-year member of the Varsity Pom team and former Freestyle dancer.
Aaliyah played a key role in helping her team achieve top 5 placements in Arizona’s Division 1 Pom and Gameday categories in 2025, and a top 10 national ranking in Division 1 Gameday in 2024. She also proudly performed on the sidelines during Higley’s back-to-back state championship football seasons, exemplifying her school spirit and leadership as a team performer.
Beyond the sidelines, Aaliyah has showcased her talent at high-profile events such as the Super Bowl NFL Experience and the Fiesta Bowl. She has also represented Sharpen Up! at various community and charity events, reflecting a diverse and well-rounded background in performance.
In addition to her dance career, Aaliyah completed specialized training in criminal justice at the East Valley Institute of Technology. She is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology’s and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Aaliyah is so excited to share her knowledge of dance and help grow their love for this art.
JUNIOR PREP TEACHER
TAYLOR ELLIS
Taylor has been dancing since she was 2 years old, when she began dancing at Freestyle. She danced there until she was 13 before joining school dance and pom in 7th grade, where she spent two years on the Benjamin Franklin Junior High Pom Team. She then danced one year on the JV Pom Team before earning a spot on the Varsity Pom Team as a Sophomore. Taylor is now a group leader and a second-year BFHS Chargerette. She is also in her second year as a member of the Saltatrix Dance Team at Benjamin Franklin High School.
TUMBLING + POM TECHNIQUE
tessa christensen
Tessa Christensen is a Junior at Benjamin Franklin High School and a second-year Chargerette, where she serves as a group leader. She also is entering her second year of Saltaxtrix. She began tumbling at age 5 and dancing at age 8.
Tessa trained in gymnastics at Carter’s Gymnastics before continuing her tumbling training at Flips, where she was a member of the tumbling company. She also cheered on the Jr. Toros Cheer Team and trained in dance at Michelle’s Dancing School and Freestyle Dance Company.
Known for her energetic personality, expressive facials, and powerful motions, Tessa is passionate about helping students build strong tumbling and Pom technique, gain confidence, and achieve their goals in a fun, positive environment.
MINI ELITE TEACHER + POM TECHNIQUE
ARIANNA ANDERSON
Arianna Anderson is 16 years old with many years of dancing experience. She is a former Freestyle dancer and is ready to teach for the first time this year. Arianna is currently a junior and is dancing her second year on the Benjamin Franklin High School Varsity Pom team. She is excited to work with all the amazing girls and can’t wait for a fun and hardworking year.
TECHNIQUES TEACHER
SOPHIA TEW
Sophia Tew is 16 years old and so excited to be teaching Mini Elite and Junior Prep Techniques this year. She has been dancing since 7th grade and is a Senior this year. She is a varsity Chargerette at BFHS and captain of the BFHS Saltatrix dance team. This is her first year teaching, and she can't wait to share the foundation of dance!
Brooklyn chasteen
TINIES + MINI PREP ASSISTANT TEACHER
This is Brooklyn’s first year teaching the babies at Freestyle Dance Co! They are such adorable kids and she is so excited to get to know each of them. Brooklyn has been dancing since she was 3 years old and is a pointe dancer. She is a Senior at Benjamin Franklin High School, as well as part of the Advanced Dance Team and other Fine Arts Programs. She is so very excited to have the best year assisting Ms Emily!
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
Emilie began teaching for Freestyle Dance Company in 2019! She loves choreographing and her favorite style of dance is contemporary or hip hop. While Emilie Teaches at freestyle she is also a Pom Coach at Queen Creek Junior High and enjoys being in the competitive pom environment. When she is not teaching dance Emilie is either at School studying aesthetics or at home spending time with her husband Will and her puppy Reggie.