Faculty Bios

Studio Owner/Director

Rochelle began dancing at age 7 and continues her education still today. After training in Northern Virginia, Rochelle graduated from Shenandoah University with a BS in Dance Performance and double minors in Musical Theatre and Psychology. After graduation, she danced professionally with Fairfax Ballet while teaching in Northern Virginia dance studios. Rochelle later relocated to Central Florida where she danced at Walt Disney World and Church Street Station while teaching throughout the area. After several years, Rochelle opened Turning Pointe-A Dance Studio and enjoyed great success for over 10 years, growing to 500+ students while earning numerous Regional and National Awards. During this time she enjoyed judging for Showbiz and other Regional Conventions, was a founding member of Wekiva River Players and DanceAbilites. In 2004, she sold her studio, married her soulmate and moved to Hilton Head Island! She shared her vast knowledge and experience with a local studio to help it grow to almost 400 dancers. Currently, Rochelle is excited to be working together with parents, dancers, teachers and the community to create a strong foundation for all dancers. Alliance Dance Academy is based on Rochelle's love of dance, and giving back to the community by helping dancers experience the important life lessons that go hand-in-hand with the dedication, discipline and desire dance requires.

Teacher

Jennie began dancing at age 3 in Westfield, MA. Her love of dance quickly grew and Jennie began competing at the age of 7. Through the years she received numerous awards for her strength, technique and performance: Petite Miss Dance Masters of Connecticut, Top Overall Duo/Trio at American Dance Awards, Teen Miss Acro at Headliners Competition, National Miss Dance Ovations, and was a recipient of scholarships at DMA conventions. Miss Jennie attended Westfield State University where she earned a BS in Business Management while she danced on the WSU Competitive Hip Hop Dance Team. They won UDA New England Championships four years in a row. After graduation, Jennie taught at Dance Works in Westfield, MA for several years and also coached gymnastics for a local high school team. She teaches all types of dance but especially loves Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Acrobatics. Prior to moving to South Carolina, Jennie enjoyed teaching Master Classes at Summer Camps and recently began teaching Pre School and Tiny Tots classes. Jennie and her soon to be husband Brett live on Hilton Head Island and share a wonderful son named Kal. When she is not sharing her love of dance, Miss Jennie enjoys music, the beach and cooking!

Teacher

Ashlyn began dancing at the age of 3 in Northeast Ohio. After taking dance classes in the styles of Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Contemporary and African, she realized her love for Ballet was the greatest. In high school, she began traveling to competitions not only as a competitor, but also as the head mentor for the other competitors from the studio. Ashlyn started assistant teaching for Nick Carlisle at the age of 13. A year later she began as the assistant choreographer for her musicals in high school and show choir performances. She has lead her own ballet classes since the age of 14 and is excited to continue spreading her joy of dancing with the Alliance Dance Academy family. Ashlyn moved to South Carolina with her husband to join the family steel company in 2016. She is currently taking courses at the College of Charleston to finish her bachelor's degree in communications. When she is not dancing, she enjoys reading, baking, and The Beatles.

Teacher

Sarah began dancing at age four and studied at Lawrenceville School of Ballet in Georgia, becoming part of their pre-professional company, Southern Ballet Theatre. Her studies include ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical and contemporary dance. Sarah attended summer intensives at Atlanta Ballet and American Ballet Theater and was a Regional Dance America/Southeast scholarship recipient. Sarah attended Radford University on a performing arts scholarship and holds a BFA in Dance with concentration in Classical Ballet. While at Radford University, she choreographed several original works including a senior capstone project for the Honors College. She has performed solo roles in The Nutcracker, Giselle, Paquita, Les Sylphides, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty ballets. Following college she danced professionally with D A N A H B E L L A DANCEWORKS, a modern dance company based in the metro Washington D.C. area. She has also performed in community theater productions of Anything Goes, 42nd Street, Mary Poppins and Oklahoma, among others. Sarah has taught dance since high school but ballet is, and always will be, her passion. Sarah and her husband moved to Bluffton in 2020 and love living in the low country. She and her husband have two cats, Mia and Rory, who are spoiled rotten.