Elite Dance Center Full Time Faculty
Emily Rhoades - Owner and Director
Elite Dance Center
Competition Teacher and Coach
Emily is originally from Brodhead, Wisconsin. Her dance career began at the young age of 2, when she started dancing at her Grandmother’s competition studio. Soon thereafter, she started training at the School of Madison ballet, expanding her dance repertoire. She moved to Fort Wayne at the age of 13 and continued her competitive dance career at Dancer’s Edge in Marion, IN. At Dancer’s Edge, she trained under Brooke Napier and attended countless competitions and conventions where she trained under some of the top choreographers in the United States and earned numerous awards/scholarships. Looking to take her training to the next level, Emily joined Fort Wayne Ballet’s Auer Academy during her junior year of high school. After graduating high school, she became a trainee, and later a member of the Fort Wayne Corps De Ballet, where she danced as a professional dancer for five years. While dancing as a professional with Fort Wayne Ballet, Emily starred as Lead Arabian and Walt of the Flowers in The Nutcracker. A few of her other favorite memories include performing in Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain and Morgan Grady’s Jealous. During her time as a professional dancer, Emily also earned a degree in business administration from Ivy Tech, which aided the seamless transition to her new position of Owner and Director of Elite Dance Center. The amount of excitement Emily has for the future of Elite and season 12 is immeasurable. Let’s go Blue, season 13 here we come!
Emily is still furthering her dance education by continuing to take class and teacher workshops with her faculty. Emily believes you can learn something from everyone so as a dancer and choreographer she will never be stagnant. Emily always wants the best education so she can give the absolute best to students.
Taylor Coil - Competitive
Elite Dance Center
Competition Teacher and Coach
Taylor is a Fort Wayne native. At a very young age, Taylor discovered her love for dance and spent over 10 seasons with the Fort Wayne Ballet, under the direction of Karen Gibbons Brown. Some of her key roles while with the Fort Wayne Ballet include, Cupid in Don Quixote, Clara and Lead Arabian in The Nutcracker, and soloist in a piece choreographed by Jane Lanier. Taylor’s dancing knowledge comes from studying under master teachers David Ingram, Jeremy Blanton, Kim Sagami, and Igor Antonov. She has also attended the LINES Summer Intensive and spent time as a Trainee for the Richmond Ballet. Outside of the studio, you will probably see her with her two dogs and husband Brennan. Taylor is beyond excited to take her love and knowledge of teaching and passion for dance to Elite Dance Center.
Kerry Coughlin - Competitive
Elite Dance Center
Competition Teacher and Coach
Kerry began her dance education with Fort Wayne Ballet in 1996, studying under Karen Gibbons-Brown as well as other Master Teachers such as Eleonora Pokhitonova Hartung, Jeremy Blanton, Kim Sagami, and Adam Sklute. After growing up in the academy, Kerry became a professional company member and danced for nine seasons with Fort Wayne Ballet. Some of her favorite roles to date have been the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, the Bride in Carmina Burana, Pas de Trois in Swan Lake and several in The Nutcracker including Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy. She has in several Gerald Arpino ballets, including Birthday Variations and Light Rain. In 2017, Kerry performed the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker with Virginia Regional Ballet as a guest artist. She was also the first graduate to receive a BFA in Dance from the University of Saint Francis. Her teaching credentials include more than 5 years with Fort Wayne Ballet training ages 5 to 17 in tap and classical ballet; as well as professional certification from the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum in Pre-Primary through Level 3. Kerry is so excited to start this new adventure and begin sharing her training and experience with the EDC team!
Holly Johnson - Acrobatics and Tumbling
Elite Dance Center
Competitive and Recreational teacher and coach.
Holly Johnson brings over 15 years of coaching expertise in acrobatics, power tumbling, gymnastics, and dance. Her love for performance-based sports/arts began as a young athlete, immersed in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, with a specialized focus in power tumbling - an early foundation that shaped her passion for hard work and excellence.
Today, Holly is a fully certified adjudicator and acrobatics instructor through Acrobatics Arts. Her extensive Knowledge in this Genre enables her to provide superior acrobatics and tumbling instructionto dancers and tumblers from preschool through preprofessional levels, She is also a credentialed education in mUvmethod and Alixa Flexibility and is currently advancing her stuios in contortion under renowed coach Catie Brier, with a specialized focus on helping dancers safely acheive elite levels of flexibility to meet the rigorous demans of today’s competitive dance envirment. She is also one of our fellow award-winning choreographers at Elite Dance Center, with acrodance and lyrical being her facorite genres.
Dedication to a holistic approach, Holly has prused extensive mental performance training through Complete Performance Coaching and hold a certification as a Double-Goal Couch from the Positive Coachign Alliance. Her commitment to ongoing professional development has led her to study under top-tier acro and tumbling professionals including, Drew Burgess, Vicki Fletcher, Levi Nickson (Tumblesmart Athletics), and Lain Lee, III (Coach Lain).
Academically, Holly holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Saint Francis and is a licensed educator in elementary education and milk intervention - bringing an educator’s insight and empath to every class she teaches.
Whether unlocking their artistry or helping young dancers achieve new skills, Holly’s greatest joy lies in witnessing the spark of confidence and growth in each student. Outside the studio, she is a devoted mother to Kamzy, Easton, Koda and Jett, and partner in her husband, Brady’s, entrepreneurial ventures. She is deeply grateful for God’s hand in leading her and her daughter to Elite Dance Center Fort Wayne, where her passion continues to flourish.
Ava Alston - Competitive
Elite Dance Center
Competition Teacher and Coach
Ava Alston is a passionate performer and dance educator from Southeast Louisiana. She bagan her training at Lemoine Academy of Dance in Hammond, LA, where she built a strong technical foundation before earning her bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with Modern concentrations from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, this past April.
Throughout her time at Point Park, Ava had the opportunity to work with and perform pieces by esteemed choreographers such as Camille A Brown, Christopher Huggins, Jason McDole, Roni Koresh, Omar Roman de Jesus, Crystal Frazier, Beverly Bautista, Keisha Lalama, and Marc Spaulding. She also expanded her professional experience through the Parsons Dance Summer Intensive, where she performed repertory from the company.
Now based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Ava is in her final year at Indiana Tech, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a concentration Finance. She is thrilled to be a new faculty member at Elite Dance Center, where she shared her knowledge, training, and passion for dance with the next generation. Her previous teaching experience includes Lemoine Academy of Dance and the Starlettes Dance Team at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School.
Ava brings both artistry and purpose to her teaching, aiming to ispire young dancers through discipline, creativity, and joy. She is deeply grateful for the unwavering support of her family and looks forward to continuing her journey as both an educator and artist.
Follow her journey on Instagram: @avaalstonn
Anna Bradley - Recreational and Competitive
My name is Anna Golden I am 23 years old, a graduate from Indiana University with a psychology degree and a first time mom to my baby boy Beau! I started dance when I was 3 and started dancing competitively when I was 12 up unitl college. In middle school I attended Project Ballet (formally known as New American Youth Ballet) for academics as well as Ballet Training meanwhile attending and competing at a local dance studio. Through my high school years I’ve received awards such as second runner up in the state as a first time freshman soloist, conventional scholarships such as Non-Stop Dancer finalist at 24Seven Dance, a ballet scholarship at Velocity Dance, many top scoring improv awards and several top scoring improv awards and several top overall scoring dances throughout my 8 years of competitive dance. Within those years I have also had the opportunity to take class and exclusively gain knowledge, experience and growth from notable choreographers and professional dancers. My favorite style has always been jazz but I also enjoy contemporary! I am looking forward to carrying on my passion for dance through teaching young amazing dancers at Elite!
Jodie Hulburt - Office Manager
EDC GUEST FACULTY
Zach Hudson - Choreographer
Zach Hudson is 31 years old originally from Beloit Wisconsin. Currently based in Los Angeles via New York City. Zach started dancing at the age of 12 years old. Then at the age of 19 he moved to NYC. He started training in Broadway Dance Center's first ever Professional Semester program and immersing himself in the NYC culture. After a few years Zach also began to teach at the leading studios in NYC; Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Capezio Center. Getting to assist Brian Friedman, Laurianne Gibson, Gil Duldilao and Ian Eastwood. Zach has also mentored under some of the biggest names while in New York/LA. Through mentors Rhapsody James and Tricia Miranda. He got the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry which gave him the skills necessary to navigate the industry. Most recently Zach has had the chance to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show LVI with Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar. Other credits include Zendaya, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, Meg Thee Stallion, Gwen Stefani, Becky G, Sam Smith, Zedd and Maren Morris. He has also worked with major brands on commercials such as Nike, Tide, Spotify, Target, Walmart, Marshalls, Sketchers, Credit Karma. Zach has been able to build a career from his gift of dance. His goal is to inspire people and dancers around the world to use their own talents to express their own personal voice to their fullest, and use it everyday. Inspiring students to be confident and to push themselves to their limit for positive growth is his goals and focus for his classes!
Jazmin Lakin - Choreographer
Jazmin started dancing when she was 2 years old. She dance in a competitive contemporary company called Dancers Edge for 10 years. She also attended ballet school at Project Ballet and Indiana Ballet Conservatory. Jazmin Join Expressenz Dance during her senior year. Jazmin is going into her sophomore year at Marymount Manhattan College for a BFA in dance with a minor in Theater.