top of page
Staff Biographies
Terri-Sue Dorn
Director and Dance Instructor
TSue has been dancing since she was two and has been instructing and choreographing since the age of 17. As a grade school dancer, Terri-Sue held multiple titles, top awards, and scholarships.
She is trained extensively in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, tap, acro, and musical theater. She has trained both in studio and with some of the nation's top choreographers such as Mike Minery, Corey Finn, Marguerite Derricks, Kim McSwain, John Crutchman, Jessica Hendricks, and Alan Sherfield.
She has achieved numerous awards nationwide for her choreography and for her hard work with her dancers, including awards at numerous national dance
finals.
TSue has also started to branch out with her choreography, working with producers and camera crews of all sorts, in to create a series of concept videos. Terri-Sue continues to train and educate herself, as she feels the dance community is ever changing and loves to instill not only technique into her dancers but a passionate heart for dance, as well
Leah Craft
Director and Dance Instructor
Leah grew up in Long Beach, California where she got her start in Musical Theater at a young age and trained in a variety of styles at notable studios including The Dance Factory, Onstage Dance Center, and Edge Performing Arts Center. She then continued her training under the direction of Rikki Jones with the Los Alamitos Dance Program, where she began to hone her love of performing and trained intensively in Jazz and Lyrical styles.
From there, she went on to attend UCLA where she studied Economics and Visual and Performing Arts Education, giving her the opportunity to combine her knowledge of dance with a pedagogical influence that ignited her love of teaching. While in college, Leah also had the honor of performing with ICARUS Contemporary Dance Company, where she later went on to serve as Executive Director. From there, she travelled throughout Southern California and the Bay Area where she continued to teach, choreograph, train, and perform under the direction of Twinkle Star-Creator, Tiffany Henderson and ConDanza Company Director, Cesar Degollado.
Since moving to Colorado, Leah has continued to share her love of dance with students of all ages as the Company Director of competitive studios throughout the state and as an award-winning choreographer. She is so excited to bring her style and passion to the BDA family!
Jamie Franco
Office Manager
Jamie grew up overseas but has called Castle Rock home for the last 10 years. Jamie entered the dance world when her daughter Hailey began taking classes at a young age. The more her daughter danced, the more involved she became.
Jamie brings a wealth of experience managing offices and has an eye for detail and organization. Jamie is our office administrator and can be found around the office and reception area helping to organize and manage various projects at Boutique.
Debbie Ricks
Events Coordinator
Bio coming soon!
Cheryl Merlock
Dance Instructor
Cheryl’s extensive dance training began at age three with the University of Utah’s Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program and continued through the Ballet West (Christensen) Academy’s pre-professional track. At the Ballet West Academy, she had the privilege of studying under Willam F. Christensen, Tenley Taylor, Suzanne Erlon-Key, Barbie Hamlin, and Bene Arnold, each of whom has left an indelible imprint on the face of American Ballet. She performed in various Academy performances and with Ballet West’s annual production of The Nutcracker & participated in local, regional, and state pageants earning scholarships and winning awards for choreography and talent. Her love for choreography began in high school, and she has continued to avidly pursue dance education in ballet pedagogy, choreography, modern dance, lyrical, jazz, and tap.
Alexa Bonomo
Dance Instructor
Alexa started dancing at the age of three in small town Iowa. She has been trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and lyrical styles of dance. Throughout her high school and college years, Alexa taught dance and gymnastics at local dance studios and YWCAs, as well as choreographed for musicals and cheer and pom squads. When Alexa moved to Colorado in 2003 with her wonderful and supportive husband Brett, she continued to enjoy the love of dance and a love for the Lord by joining the Cherry Hills Community Church dance ministry.
Since 2005, Alexa has been leading and choreographing for the Cherry Hills dance ministry. Alexa is also a Certified Pilates Instructor with an emphasis on dance, equestrian, and sports/fitness. Alexa and her family live in Castle Rock, Colorado and daughter Bella is a company dancer at Boutique.
Alexa loves being a mom and feels very privileged to be a part of a dance company where family values and a love for the Lord are evident. Through Boutique Dance Academy, Alexa hopes to share her passions and be an inspiration to others.
Ryan Danz
Dance Instructor
Born and raised in Colorado, Ryan grew up playing team sports. Inspired by his younger sister Christina, Ryan had traded his football pads for a chance to perform on stage. He began his dance career at the age of 16 with A Rocky Mountain School of Dance and Performing Arts. Ryan trained hard in hip-hop, contemporary, musical theater, lyrical, jazz, ballet, tap, acro, and advanced partnering competing in all styles by the end of his first year.
In 2011, Ryan joined "The Silhouettes" and auditioned for "NBC's America's Got Talent" Season Six. Spending his summer on the show, "The Silhouettes" fought their way to the very end claiming second place for season six. From there came many wonderful opportunities that took Ryan around the nation. Ryan has worked with many choreographers and performed on stages worldwide. Ryan continued to dance professionally until the age of 20 when he found a new passion for teaching, sharing all that he had learned on his journey to this point. "I want to help my students grow, not only as dancers, but as beautiful creative souls that will take over the world."
Ryan is so excited to be part of the Boutique Dance Academy staff and can't wait to see what adventures are still to come.
Kaylee Woest-Ortega
Dance Instructor
Kaylee is currently a student, performer, and choreographer originally from Houston where she has trained in dance since the age of five. She was a member of Kingwood Jazz and Company for 9 years where she trained in a variety of dance forms, such as Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Improv, Tap, Modern, Musical Theatre, and Lyrical. In addition to her extensive training, she was also given the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Peter Chu, Jessica Hendricks, Travis Wall, Justin Giles, Matt Luck, Natalia Reza, Kim Olsen, and many others.
Kaylee started her college career at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she was a member of their dance team and pom squad, Ragin Jazz. She graduated Texas State University, where she obtained her BFA degree in Dance with an emphasis in Dance Education as well as a minor in Business Administration. Upon graduation, Kaylee taught Dance Classes and coached the Dance Teams at two Texas middle schools. She currently teaches at multiple studios in Colorado and also is the Assistant Coach for the Castle View High School Poms team.
Grant McIntosh
Dance Instructor
Grant McIntosh is a senior at Mount Vista High School. He has been dancing for 13 years and is planning on going to school for dance after graduating. This is his first year teaching at a dance studio and is thrilled to join the BDA team. He is proud to have performed in multiple Nutcrackers over his dance career, including a few as the Nutcracker, with the Colorado Ballet, Classic Dance Academy, Denver Ballet Academy, and as a Guest Artist with Summit Dance Academy. Grant loves to perform, which has also led him into the acting world, including performances as George in The Drowsy Chaperone with his high school as well as a Professional Show of Newsies this year.
Ashliana McIntosh
Dance Instructor
Ashliana was born and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She started dancing at the age of two, immediately falling in love with it, and began competitive dance at the age of 5. She went on to join the Poms Team at Mountain Vista High
School’s Poms Team, where she won state and national championships.
Ashliana graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2023 and studied Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work with a minor in Biblical Studies. While there, she had the privilege to dance on GCU’s Dance Team. Now, She coaches Mountain Vista High School’s JV Pom team and is an assistant
teacher at Kid City USA. Driven by a love of working with children, Ashliana strives to help kids learn important life skills and develop their character through the art of dance.
Olivia Schneider
Dance Instructor
Bio coming soon!
Sydney Baker
Dance Instructor
Sydney trained in a multitude of styles, but fell in love with tap dance at an early age while studying with Beverly Pinkerton. Sydney attended many masterclasses with tap dancers Professor Robert Reed and Barbara Duffy growing up. Continuing her tap education, she travels annually to New York City to attend tap festivals such as Tap City, the New York City Tap Festival and The Big Apple Tap Festival.
Attending festivals has provided her with opportunities to study with master teachers such as Brenda Bufalino, Katherine Kramer, Ted Louis Levy, Ali Bradley, and Sam Weber, among others. Sydney performed with Tap 24.7 for 3 years across the country, and is honored to learn from such tap dance legends, which affords her the opportunity to pass down this rich, American art form in a meaningful and methodical way. She hopes to instill a love of dance in her students, while teaching them the technique and discipline of the art of tap dance.
Dani Atkins
Dance Instructor
Bio coming soon!
Bella Bonomo
Student Instructor
Bella is a Castle Rock Native and is currently a student at BDA. Bella appreciates all styles of dance but her favorite is contemporary. When she isn’t dancing, Bella loves to travel with her family, ski, hang out with friends, and shop.
Havin having danced recreationally since the age of two and competitively with BDA since nine, Bella has loved being apart of the boutique family for the past several years. She continues to improve herself by taking classes with many teachers at boutique and traveling with her dance family at Soul de Soul.
Bella enjoys being with the kids and helping them to strive to achieve their goals. She is excited to teach and watch kids grow in their own dance journey. Bella hopes to encourage the young students to believe in themselves and to have confidence in their dancing.
Annie Triplett
Student Instructor
Annie Triplett moved all over the country, but was born in St.Louis, Missouri. She moved to Oklahoma where she found her love for dance and began dancing competitively at age 8, later moving to Colorado and joining as a student at boutique dance academy. She has been a student with BDA for 3 years and plans to finish her senior year here. Annie always had a love for kids and teaching, so for the past year she has been assisting and helping with the younger dancers. Over summer she also has taught peewee intensives and learned new ways to become a better teacher and student.
Katy Morrison
Dance Instructor
Katy started dancing when she was 3 years old, and began to dance competitively at age 7 and through high school. She had the honor of competing in dances created by choreographers like Miguel Zarate and Tony Testa. She has extensive experience in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and contemporary. While she enjoys performing in all styles, her favorites are jazz and hip hop.
She was also a member of her high school's color guard all 4 years, winning state competition her senior year. She has a performer's spirit, and enjoys the opportunity to express herself creatively. She has recently performed recreationally in the productions of Alice in Wonderland: An Anarchist Ballet as the Queen of Hearts and in Slightly Mad: A Modernized Inferno in a leading role.
Katy values a constructive and empowering dance environment, and aims to bring that to the classroom for every student. Although she is a nurse by trade, she has always retained her passion for dance, and is excited to bring her experience with and love of dance to the BDA family.
Jourdyn Russell
Dance Instructor
Jourdyn loves to dance! She started like most people do - at 3 years old! She has experience with many styles including ballet, lyrical, tap, jazz, East Coast swing, musical theater and character, heels and pole, and recently began exploring modern and contemporary. Jourdyn loves to create and tell stories through music and movement.
She creates collaborative dance performances with her and her sister’s dance troupe, Dionysus Dancers. Jourdyn believes that dance should be accessible to anyone that wants to dance - the joy it creates should be shared! When she isn’t teaching dance or choreographing, she spends her time teaching yoga, reading, watching cartoons, making art, or snuggle-bugging with her sweet pup, McTavish.
Believe it. Dream it. Achieve it. We are BDA
bottom of page