2020 instructors

    Rhodes Elliott is the Assistant Director of Ballet at TADA.  He comes to us from Florence, South Carolina. Rhodes retired in 2018 as a Demi-Soloist with the Houston Ballet, after having been with the company for 11 years. He received his early dance training and pre-pro experience with UNCSA, as well as The School of Dance Arts and South Carolina Dance Theater under the tutelage of the esteemed Susan Rowe. He attended several summer programs throughout his training, including North Carolina Dance Theater, Houston Ballet, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While dancing with the Houston Ballet, Rhodes enjoyed performing many works, including those by Stanton Welch, Jiri Kylian, Christopher Bruce, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Sir Frederick Ashton, Ben Stevenson, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon. Rhodes has been on staff at TADA since they opened their doors in 2014. He is married to TADA's Ballet Director, Elise Elliott, and they have a daughter, Annie as well as a son, Henry.

  Amanda is the Assistant Director and a choreographer for Team TADA.  She was born in The Woodlands, Texas and grew up dancing in competitions before becoming a member of METdance's pre-professional  company, Met Too. She then attended University of Arizona and graduated May of 2016 from UAdance with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. After graduation, Amanda joined Odyssey Dance Theater for their 2016 and 2017 Thriller seasons on tour. In the winter of 2017, she had the opportunity to dance in the east coast tour of Christmas Wonderland with Spirit Productions. She is currently represented by Movement Talent Agency and has done several commercial projects and shows in Los Angeles, California, including The B Side with 42 Seven Productions. She  was a Houston Texans Cheerleader for the 2018-2019 season and loves teaching and choreographing at TADA!   

Evelyn Toh is currently a featured company member and the Assistant Director of Programming at NobleMotion Dance.  She holds not only a B.F.A in Dance from The Boston Conservatory, but also an MFA in Dance from SHSU and an Advanced 2 RAD Certification with Distinction.  In addition to teaching master classes locally and abroad, Evelyn has also taught ballet and modern at Singapore's School of the Arts and at Sam Houston State University.  She was recently recognized by SHSU for Outstanding Teaching.  Evelyn has performed with the John Mead Dance Company, Ballet Rox, Nimbus Dance Works, Transitory Sound and Movement Collective, Joshua Manculich’s Whirlwind, MOMIX, and more, and has performed all across the world in Europe and Asia.  Evelyn’s choreographic work has been presented at Barnstorm Dance Festival (TX), T.H.E Dance Company’s New Vision (Singapore), ACDA South-Central Gala, and Dance Gallery Festival (TX

 Marrisha Babineaux  has performed as a principle dancer for Lamar University and Beaumont City Performing Arts, and has trained at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance in NYC.  She was a contestant on the national hit show Showtime at the Apollo as representative from Houston, and was featured.  As a result of this notoriety,  she landed a position for McDonalds as a company representative at conventions across the nation.  Additionally, Marrisha won the DDO Artist Agency Award which resulted in a contract with the company as a professional dancer.  After graduating from Lamar she began a career at Masters, the Upper Level, where her students won numerous first place regional and national championships.   While Miss Marrisha teaches a variety of ages and levels, she is also contracted with the Universal Dance Association for Collegiate, Secondary and Primary Students, teaching and choreographing for local high schools. 

 ​Ana Acevedo comes to us from El Salvador, where she received her training at the National School of Dance, Morena Celarie.  She was a member of the prestigious Teatro de Danza Contemporanea  (contemporary ballet company based in El Salvador) for many years, dancing to sold-out performances throughout El Salvador and the United States.  She was honored to appear as a soloist in several performances including Paquita, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake among others.  In 2005 she received her certification at the Royal Ballet Academy in London to teach the most advanced levels of ballet and pointe, and to submit students for testers for the RAD Global Examination.  She has directed and choreographed numerous ballets, including The Nutcracker, Cats, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and was the Director of Ballet at HFAC in Houston.   

 Jason Anderson has been teaching and performing for over 30 years in Texas and abroad.  He specializes in various dance genres such as  hip hop, breakdancing, house, waacking, and street jazz, and is known for his unique style.  His work is also influenced by a focus on  yoga, breath work, nutrition, and cultivating connection - all of which are often incorporated in his classes.   With over 500 performances as an entertainer, Jason has trained and performed with some of the best in the industry in NYC, LA, DC, and Tokyo. Jason has performed at Cirque De Soleil,  the White House, and all across the world with Planet Funk Academy.  He was also the director of Hip Hop for Planet Funk, and has been a back up dancer for numerous major artists.  Jason’s other interests include: photography, graphic design, participating in outdoor activities and helping others find true meaning in life. 

Robyn Hinojosa has been a dance instructor in the local area for over twenty years.   Originally from Conroe, Robyn has been teaching and choreographing award-winning dances for TADA's competitive dance team for over five years, and she recently accepted a position in the administration as the Academics Director as well.  In addition to her love of teaching, she is also CPR Certified and OSHA trained, and was a Pediatric Dental Assistant for 25 years.  Robyn is the proud mom of a recent graduate of Conroe High School, and a current 2020-2021 Senior.  Her senior Abi is currently dancing on the Elite team at TADA.  Robyn is excited to see what 2021 brings, and is excited to continue sharing her love of dance with all her students!

Originally from Alabama, Lexi Lee holds a BFA in Performance and Choreography from Texas State University.  In her earlier years, she trained as a competitive dancer at Prodigy Dance and Performing Art Centre studying Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary and Hip Hop, and she traveled all over the nation winning numerous overall and standout awards from various competitions and conventions including NUVO, Star Power, Jump, NYCDA, Hall of Fame, and Dance Awards Studio of the Year to name a few. During her college years, she performed with the Pre-Professional Dance Company, Merge Dance Co., and she was also financial director of Orchesis Dance Company.  She also trained at multiple studios such as Broadway Dance center, Peridance Capezio Center and Gibney Dance.  As a college Senior Lexi was awarded the Karen Earl Scholarship for Choreography and Performance - one of the highest honors a dance major can receive at Texas State. Lexi's passion for performing is only matched by her passion for teaching. Her versatility and energy in the classroom is unparalleled!

  Ms. Moy brings a depth of knowledge, insight, joy and inspiration to her teaching that is matched only by her unwavering quest to find the best for her students. An acclaimed dancer of extraordinary versatility, Ms. Moy’s career has taken her around the world. With the Boston Ballet Company, under the Direction of Founder E. Virginia Williams she has danced the works of: Petipa, Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and others. She has also danced for Ohio Ballet, Spokane Ballet, Rhode Island Festival Ballet, Ballet Theater of Boston, and the Boston Dance Company. The New York Times wrote of her featured performance as Amour, in Rudolf Nureyev’s “Don Quixote”, “.. Stephanie Moy’s great success as the Cupid figure, A more darting, mischievous and totally alive in the classical spirit, was well deserved!”. These are qualities her students might well recognize in her classes. She has taught at the Boston School of Ballet, Boston Conservatory, Ballet Theater of Boston, Ohio Ballet & Festival Ballet of RI. In addition, she was the director of the American Academy of Dance in Mansfield MA from 2001 to 2014. Ms. Moy’s charisma is matched by her professionalism, making her classes inspiring for all who study with her. 

Davis Stumberg graduated from the University of North Texas with his BA in Dance in 2014.   Davis' areas of specialty include modern, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, aerial arts, and acrobatics.  His teaching style is one of a kind, energetic and uplifting, and he often incorporates elements of balance, strength, and flexibility into his teaching method.  He is often requested at TADA, as his love of teaching and care for his students is truly magnetic.  Aside from his dance training he was a collegiate and competitive cheerleader, and has taught gymnastics and cheerleading for many years.   He has been a guest artist for Noble Motion, and performed in the Houston Grand Opera’s productions Rusalka and Faust. He has performed professionally with Open Dance Project and FRAME dance, and performs frequently at various venues locally and nationally.  

Genie Lanfear was born in San Antonio Texas where she began her ballet training. At fourteen she moved to Dallas to study under Natasha Krasovska before moving to New York to attend the School of American Ballet (SAB) on scholarship. In 1975 she joined Lyric Opera Ballet with artistic director Maria Tallchief and had the opportunity to work with George Balanchine. In 1980 she attended Houston Ballet Academy and a year later joined the company under the direction of Ben Stevenson. Ms Lanfear was a company member for twelve years. She returned to Houston Ballet in 2006-2013 as the shoe coordinator, and she has taught ballet for over twenty years including teaching for Houston Ballet and the University of Houston. She owns her own Pilates studio in historic downtown Houston.

 Nicole Odom is a licensed Zumba® Instructor and an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor. For the last 14 years, Nicole has taught a variety of fitness formats including Zumba® Fitness, step aerobics, kickboxing, body sculpting, core strength, and specialty classes for senior citizens. Nicole had the privilege of getting her initial Zumba® License from the founder, Beto Perez, in Los Angeles, California in 2012. She is also a part of the Zumba® Instructor Network with licenses to teach many of the specialty formats in Zumba® Fitness. Her goal is the same no matter the format--to teach a safe and effective class that inspires people to improve their quality of life through exercise.​​​​  

Amy Franklin Leonards has been teaching and performing in the arts for many years and comes to TADA with a wide range of experience ranging from stage to screen as well as behind the scenes. Originally from Louisiana, Amy is classically trained in ballet, tap, and jazz, with a specialization in teaching Vaganova, Cecchetti, and RAD ballet methods.   After graduating from Centenary College of Louisiana with a BA in Performing Arts, she moved to LA where she developed and implemented ballet curriculum for a successful ballet studio while pursuing her career in the arts.   Years later she moved to San Francisco with her husband where she spent five years building and growing a successful ballet program at Performing Academy in the Bay Area.   She also continued to perform professionally on stage, and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. Some of her favorite roles include Hope in Anything Goes, Rose in Enchanted April (World Premiere), Marian in The Music Man, Maggie in A Chorus Line, and Jellylorum in Cats, to name a few. Amy also has international, national, and regional commercial and print credits, including Ford, Legal Zoom, LeapFrog, and Salesforce and is currently represented by Neil Hamil Agency.   Miss Amy also holds an MA in Education and is a certified teacher for CISD. Amy loves to inspire her students in the arts and in the traditional classroom that you can truly do whatever you set your mind to; follow ALL of your dreams!! 

 Nicole (Nikki) Sublet graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance in 2013 from the Wright State University after years of dancing competitively in the states of Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois.  During her college training, Nikki was also a 3-year member of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Second Company. In 2014, she moved to Houston to join the Ad Deum Dance Second Company, and in 2016 she was promoted to Ad Deum's main company. In the fall of 2018, Nikki transitioned to teaching dance full time for the arts program at Episcopal High School in Houston.  Miss Nikki is one of our original teachers at TADA, and has been here since we first opened! She currently lives in Huntsville with her husband Gaven and sweet son Mekhi.