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 Gaines
studio director and dance instructor
Meet Nicole Gaines, our Studio Director! Ms. Nicole grew up dancing since the age of 2.5 in Northern Iowa.
Ever since she can remember she wanted to be a dance teacher. To make these dreams come true, she decided to attend Oklahoma City University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Pedagogy. At OCU, Ms. Nicole not only trained heavily in ballet, tap and jazz, she also learned to manage and run companies and dance studios.
For 10+ years, Ms. Nicole has used her passion to teach her students to love and appreciate the amazing art form of dance! Ms. Nicole specializes in ballet and her heart lies with the littlest of dancers. She understands the importance of a dance family who supports, loves and encourages one another, and that is why she has found her home at BDA.
Terri-Sue Dorn
company 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.
Melissa Henderson
office manager
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.
Born and raised in Denver, Elise has been dancing for over 20 years and is technically trained in contemporary, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, jazz and pom.
She began her competitive dance career at Michelle Latimer Dance Academy, for which she was a member for 10 years. In high school, she earned a spot on the Cherry Creek Varsity Pom team, and was a four year member, ending in a captainship her senior year.
Elise then went on to be recruited by the University of Cincinnati Dance Team, competing and winning a National and World Championship Title in Hip Hop. After college, Elise began her career as a dance instructor and choreographer. Her choreography has won judge's choice awards & high point recognition, as well as 10 national choreography awards.
Dance has a special place in her heart and having the opportunity to inspire others and help them achieve greatness in the sport she loves is so rewarding. She is so excited to be a part of the BDA family!
Elise Martin
dance instructor
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
Leah Craft
company 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!
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 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.
Jaime Franco
office admin
Katrina's dance journey began in the heart of Maryland, and followed her to Utah, Arizona, and finally now in Colorado. Her dance journey began at the age of five at Bettie Jane's Center of Dance Art, where she dedicated two decades to mastering various dance forms, from her beloved tap to classical ballet, jazz, lyrical, and pointe. For several years, Katrina attended dance conventions all over the country, where she learned and danced with world-renowned dancers and choreographers.
In college, Katrina's passion for dance led her to the University of Maryland's UnBound Dance Team, where she danced, choreographed, and performed at festivals and college sports games for three thrilling years. Her teaching journey began early at BJCDA, and it continued after college, until she ventured out west. By day, Katrina is a software engineer, relishing the unique blend of her two cherished worlds.
Now, at BDA, Katrina is so excited to bring her experience, creativity, and enthusiasm to this incredibly talented group of dancers. She is thrilled to be bringing her east coast training to the west coast and continue to do what she loves - teaching dance.
Katrina Delos Reyes
dance instructor
Rose Gilliard
dance instructor
Rose grew up in Aurora, CO and has been dancing since 3 years old. After high school she continued dancing at her college where she was on the dance team and MSU Denver, becoming captain her final season.
Following college, she has continue to train at various studios around Denver and has done small performances with them including an in house show in downtown Denver at Dance2b. With a passion for teaching, she’s been teaching younger dancers since high school. Including at rec centers, and high schools in Poms technique.
She is excited to start working with the dancers at Boutique and watching them grow!
Erin Zagorodney
dance instructor
Erin Zagorodney is a seasoned dance teacher with over seven years of experience in Wyoming. She grew up in Hawaii, where she started her journey in the arts by taking any opportunity to perform on stage. Erin has played various roles in community theater and high school shows, including Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, and many featured dancer roles.
Her love for the arts has taken her on adventures across the country, from Montana to New York, Nevada, and, most recently, Wyoming, where she discovered her true passion for sharing the arts with others through teaching. As a dedicated and enthusiastic dance instructor, Erin obtained her Acrobatic Arts and Alixa Flexibility certifications to provide her students with a well-rounded dance education.
Erin is known for her ability to create a fun and safe environment for all types of students to thrive in. She takes pride in her students' progress and is committed to helping them achieve their dance goals.