Mrs. Megan began her dance training at the age of five and has studied with Royal Academy of Dancing certified Allison Erwin Norton, Debra Web, Alyson Swenson Lindsey, Cari Coble, Jonathan Guise, Prima Ballerina Dulce Anaya, and the world renowned David Howard as well as many others.

    She graduated from Douglas Anderson High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Jacksonville University.

Mrs. Megan has performed with First Coast Nutcracker Ballet, Jacksonville University Dance Theatre, Jacksonville Ballet Theatre and H.T. Chen and Company. Mrs. Megan has taught for Cari Coble, Ashley Cunningham, and most recently with the Divine Arts Dance Center.

    Mrs. Megan is a talented instructor and choreographer, creating fun, innovative works of art for the stage. Her students have been accepted into Ballet West, School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Joffery Ballet, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Austin Ballet, Jillana School, Texas Ballet Theatre and American Ballet Theatre summer programs.

    Mrs. Megan is married to her loving husband Mike, and the couple have devoted their lives to ministry, to serve the Lord and spread the word! She is excited to be a part of Innovative Dance Inc. family and we love to have her with us!

Angela Gustafson

     Angela Gustafson received her BFA in Dance with an emphasis in Performance and Choreography at Texas State University. Originally from Beaumont, TX, Angela has devoted herself to the art of dance for twenty-one years, receiving training with Marsha Woody Academy of Dance, Beaumont Civic Ballet, and her high school’s drill team. Throughout her time dancing with Beaumont Civic Ballet, she performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Snow White, and Peter and the Wolf. At Texas State, she danced with Merge Dance Company, a pre-professional dance company, for two years where she trained with and performed works of notable choreographers from around the world such as Heike Salzar, Tamara Ashley, Matt Farmer, Rocio Luna, and Andy and Dione Noble. Angela performed in many shows at Texas State University, including the TEDx Conference and the Texas State Opera's performance of Cendrillon. Angela has also had the privilege of attending and performing at the Footprint Dance Festival (London, England), COCO Dance Festival (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago), American College Dance Association, Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensives (New York and Texas), Rockettes Summer Intensive, NobleMotion Dance Intensive, and DanceItalia (Lucca, Italy). She currently performs with IMPULSE Dance Project under the direction of Anastasia Waters. Angela looks forward to continuing her dance journey as an instructor with Innovative Dance Inc. again this year!

     My name is Savannah Mitchell and I attend the University of Texas at Arlington, studying Interior Design to fulfill my creative drive. I grew up in Kaufman, TX, and have danced there at a small studio called The Dance Factory for 17 years. Ten of those years, I competed for the Elite competition team in various styles of dance, receiving numerous individual and team awards such as the Pinnacle award and several National achievements. At The Dance Factory, I trained in a plethora of disciplines such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. Despite my competitive background, the fundamentals of teaching dance to the next generation remains a major part of my life, as dance is my first and deepest passion. I quickly favored the atmosphere at Innovative Dance as it reminds me of my home studio. The energy from the students is immaculate and I find a place of comfort in the mentors and instructors. I look forward to working with the amazing talent at Innovative Dance, creating a space that grows the student’s skills and fosters a deeper love of dance! 

    Julia Johnson began her dance training in Wichita, KS under Jill Landrith. She has also attended summer programs with Ballet Arizona, Kansas City Ballet, and the Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, among others. Julia has extensive performance experience with Ballet Wichita, where she is the Institute Coordinator and has taught all levels of ballet and tap. Julia is a senior at Texas Christian University on an academic scholarship, earning a B.F.A. in Ballet with a minor in Movement Science on a Pre-Physical Therapy track. She plans to pursue a professional dance career, and later return to Wichita to teach and improve dance training in her hometown. Julia is excited to be a part of IDI and share her passion with young dancers!

        Cherokee Bennett is from Island, Kentucky and began dancing at the age of 3, receiving training from Joy Johnson’s Dance Studio. Throughout high school, Cherokee was a company member with Owensboro Dance Theatre. She also is a recent graduate from Western Kentucky University, receiving her BA in Dance and a minor in Art Administration. As a WKU student, she was a member of the Western Kentucky University Dance Company. She has choreographed in several student productions, and attended several summer programs including: Giordano Dance Chicago, John Lehrer Dance, David Dorfman Dance, Joffrey Ballet, Moon Water Dance Chicago, Numinous Flux Dance Nashville, Indiana University, and Inside Dance Chicago. Most recently, Cherokee is dancing as company member with Mixtamotus Dance and IMPULSE Dance Project.

    Bethany Bailey started her training at The Dance Movement in Plano, Texas. She trained with Impact Dance Company until she graduated high school. She has trained with The Dash Academy, Bombshell Dance Project, The Southwest Cecchetti Council, Syncopate, Rhythmic Souls Tap Company, and others. Bethany is a student at TCU where she is working to complete a double major in ballet and modern, a minor in entrepreneurship, and a certification to teach Pilates.

     Miss Lauren Ocnaschek began teaching dance in 2016. She has since taught, assisted, and subbed classes at numerous studios including Amy’s Elite Dance Force and Denton Ballet Academy. Ms. Ocnaschek has taught styles including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, and many others. She has studied dance for over 19 years with many teachers, including Marsha Woody, Lucy Arrington, Buddy and Susan Trevino, Monique Steinhagen, and Megan Anderson. In her dance career, Ms. Ocnaschek has performed in a variety of shows such as the Nutcracker, Peterand the Wolf, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella. She graduated from Lamar University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She currently works as an Exercise Physiologist at Texas Health HEB.

     Jenni Payne began her love for dancing at the age of 4. She has grown up at Innovative Dance Inc., training in different styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, and tap. Jenni was also a former student of American Classical Ballet Academy, the conjoined daytime ballet program, from ages 10 to 14. There, she intensely trained specifically in ballet and contemporary. Her prominent teacher is Megan Young. She has competed in various competitions, the biggest being the Youth America Grand Prix. She has had the opportunity to compete in the YAGP Finals many times. She has received an invitation to the International Summer School Italia and has attended the summer intensive programs: Ballet Austin and University of Oklahoma School of Dance. At these programs, she has been taught by many astounding faculty including Jennifer Hart, Katlyn Addison, Roxanne Lyst, and Glenn Edgerton. Jenni continues her dance journey at Innovative Dance Inc. and plans to pursue dance in college!