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Mindy Blank
co-owner and director
Mindy grew up in Southern California training with some of the industry's most respected educators. She has extensive training in all types of dance including, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, turns and leaps, musical theater, acro and specializing in technique and flexibility.
She started dance at age 3 and competing at age 4. By the time she was 17, she found her passion for teaching and guiding kids to help reach their goals! In 2008, Mindy and her mother decided to move to Castle Rock where she met Boutique's founder Laura Hinton, and had the pleasure of teaching many of the current Boutique students back then!
Though she did return to California briefly, she knew when Laura decided it was time to make a change that it was the opportunity she had been hoping for. It was the perfect chance to grow and spread her passion and love for dance. She is looking forward to taking the studio to new heights!
Dena Blank
co-owner and director
Dena lived most her life in California. In 2008, Dena decided to move to Castle Rock, CO and made it her home for 7 years. Even though she moved back to California briefly, she really missed Colorado and life she made here.
Returning to Colorado is like coming home.
The students and families at Boutique are wonderful. She is truly excited to be able to give them her experience and love. Dena has been in the industry for over 30 years and still loves it as much as she did in the beginning.
Her experience lies with: Being a Teacher, Director of Dance, Studio Consultant, Liaison between Studio and City, and Office Manager. She can't wait to take on this new journey in the dance world and share her knowledge with all of you!
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.
Nicole Gains
dance instructor
Nicole grew up in lowa, dancing since the age of 3. Ever since she could remember she wanted to be a dance teacher. She attended Oklahoma City University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Pedagoge.
While at school, Nicole was involved as a dancer and crew member in the American Spirit Dance Company as well as Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant to the Director - Jo Rowan.
She has extensive training in Ballet, Tap, Creative Movement and Jazz. She moved from Kansas City, where she actively taught and trained a nationally awarded competitive studio, to Castle Rock in September.
Nicole is currently the Lead Teacher at Pure Barre Greenwood Village and Parker. She is so excited to use her passion for the art of dance at BDA!
Terri-Sue Dorn
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.
Melissa Henderson
dance instructor
Melissa Henderson began her journey with Boutique Dance Academy in 2018 as a dance mom, with three daughters currently on company. Melissa is our office manager and is happy to answer any questions you may have.
She grew up dancing in San Diego, beginning at age 3, and took a break from dancing after high school to pursue her degree in liberal studies and theatre. Her daughter’s dance journey has brought her full circle and back into the studio. She is also a natural light photographer (Melissa Henderson Photography) specializing in family photography and headshots.
Alexa Bonomo
dance instructor
Alexa started dancing at the age of three in small town lowa. 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.
Courtney Dagayev
dance instructor
Courtney Dagayev is a native of Atlanta who has been dancing since the age of 3. She grew up dancing competitively and went on to receive her Bachelors in Business Management and a Dance Minor from the University of Central Florida in 2013.
Courtney enjoyed performing, teaching and choreographing throughout college and found her true passion of educating the next generation of dancers. In 2012, Courtney founded The Knights and Damsels Dance Company – the first technique-based dance organization at the University of Central Florida and In 2017, she helped to launch and develop Skyra Studios in Orlando, FL. At Skyra, she led the commercial competition team while choreographing contemporary works for the ballet conservatory before relocating to Denver in 2020.
Courtney has choreographed for some of the country’s top talent. Her students have won multiple awards and top scores at ballet and commercial competitions. Additionally, she travels as an adjudicator for KAR Dance Competition. With over a decade of experience plus Pilates and Acrobatic Arts certifications, Courtney equips her students to be physically and emotionally prepared to be world-class performers.
Lizzie was born and raised in Colorado and began dancing at the age of 4. She has had extensive training in ballet, pointe, jazz, leaps and turns technique, contemporary, musical theater, and tap. She danced competitively and traveled frequently to Los Angeles and New York City to train with the industry’s best teachers and most renowned choreographers.
Some of her favorite performances include “Clara” in the Nutcracker and featured dancer in the Tanzsommer dance festival in Austria. Lizzie was accepted as a Performing Arts Scholarship recipient to Colorado State University. She obtained her degree in Human Development and Family Studies as an honors graduate in 2009.
In addition to her competitive, performance, and teaching experience, Lizzie has dance pedagogy training with an emphasis on terminology, choreography composition, flexibility and stretching, dance history, and is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique. She has been the recipient of excellence in choreography awards at numerous competitive events and after spending 9 years as a competition team director, she is thrilled to continue sharing her love of dance and teaching with the students of BDA.
Lizzie Yacovetta
dance instructor
Anna Thorson
dance instructor
Anna was born in Boston Massachusetts, but grew up moving around, she has lived in Hawaii, Ohio, and Virginia but has called Castle Rock Colorado home for nine years.
Anna has been dancing since she was three years old but started competing and training competitively in multiple styles at the age of nine. Anna has been a part of the BDA company team for nine years, and started teaching this past year. She finds so much joy in dance and has such a big passion for it and is so exited to share that with her students. She loves kids and loves watching them grow into the dancers and people they are.
Anna hopes to continue her dance training as well as continue to be a teacher. She hopes to inspire her students and help them find their love for dance.
Hailey Franco
dance instructor
Hailey was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has mostly lived in colorado her whole life. She started competing at the age of seven but first started dancing at the age of five.
Over these years she has founded a love and passion for dance, as-well as sharing her knowledge of dance to her students. Hailey has been part of the boutique family for almost three years and has found her forever family.
Hailey has absolutely loved teaching at boutique and watching her students improve. When Hailey is not dancing she loves to spend time with family and friends She hopes to grow her knowledge of dance even more and share her love for it to everyone.
Jamie Franco
office admin
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.
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