Our people are our best asset

Our primary goal at Planet Dance is to give our students access to top talent through classes, workshops as well as industry connections. All of our resident and guest teachers have worked, and continue to work, professionally in the industry with some of the top names in the business. And this doesn't mean teaching at your corner studio for 10 years.

RESIDENT STAFF

Featured

Resident Staff

Missy Lay-Zimmer & Andrew Hubbard, Owners & Artistic Directors

Resident Staff

Broadway Productions of CATS, Footloose & Jesus Christ Superstar, Peter Frampton, Cincinnati Ballet, NY Knicks , Radio City Music Hall, Broadway Dance Center, Guiding Light, Exhale Dance Tribe

Resident Staff

Guest Teacher, Resident Staff

Lea Lachey

Guest Teacher, Resident Staff

- Radio City Music Hall Rockettes

- Choreography and performance credits including 98 Degrees, Missy Elliot, MTV, VHI NFL, NBA, Carol the movie and more

- Co-Director of School for Creative and Performing Arts Musical Theater Program

- Co-Owner Lachey Arts

Guest Teacher, Resident Staff

Resident Staff

Alex Hernandez

Resident Staff

One Love Dance Company, Lexington Dance Factory, United Talent

Resident Staff

Lindsay Lancaster

Resident Staff

America's Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, Melody Thornton (Pussycat Dolls), Beyonce, Lil' Wayne, Edge PAC, Exhale Dance Tribe

Resident Staff

Jessica Harris

Resident Staff

The Apprentice, Good Morning America, NFL Ben-Gals Choreographer, ESPN, CBS Sports, Exhale Dance Tribe (Dancer/Choreographer), Dance Captain Rutger’s Nationally acclaimed Dance Team

Resident Staff

Derrek Burbridge

Resident Staff

NFL Halftime sho with Madonna, MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, BET’s 106 & Park

Resident Staff

Katie Farry-Gaskamp

Resident Staff

Resident Choreographer Exhale Dance Tribe, Competition Judge Nexstar & Showcase America, Over the Rhine

Resident Staff

Bonnie Williams

Resident Staff

Owned Bonnie Williams Dance Studio for 48 years, Cincinnati Summer Opera Ballet, Encore Talent Productions

Resident Staff

GUEST TEACHERS

Featured

Guest Teacher

Travis Wall

Guest Teacher

Emmy Award winning choreographer, SYTYCD,
SHAPING SOUND DANCE CO.

Guest Teacher

Mark Myars

Guest Teacher

Assistant Choreogapher Broadway's 'WICKED', Original Broadway cast of 'FOOTLOOSE', 'WICKED' & '9 TO 5'

Guest Teacher

Andy Blankenbuehler

Guest Teacher

Broadway Choreographer of Hamilton & CATS, 2X Tony Award Winner for Best Choreography

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Carlos Neto

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Warner Brothers, Sony BMG, Atlantic Records, Matchbox Twenty, Broadway Dance Center, Alvin Ailey

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Guest Teacher

Ebony Williams

Guest Teacher

Beyonce's "Single Ladies", Justin Timberlake, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Guest Teacher

Aja George

Guest Teacher

Step Up 3D, Justin Bieber World Tour, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Omarion and Keke Palmer

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Tre Holloway

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Worked with several artists including Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Meghan Trainer, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and more. Currently on tour with FERGIE

TV Credits including Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, American Idol, SYTYCD, Dancing with the Stars

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018

Makahla Ross

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018

Pharrell, Soulja Boy, Akon, Pitbull, Kreayshawn, GRAMMY's, Radio City Music Hall

Guest Teacher

Hip Hop Alliance Nov 2018

Guest Teacher

AC Ciulla

Guest Teacher

Whyley Yoshimura

Guest Teacher

Dancer for Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado

Guest Teacher

Meg Paul

Guest Teacher

Recipient of The Princess Grace Award. Detroit’s Renaissance Hero 2008.

Principal dancer /Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Ron De Jesus Dance. Creative team/Twyla Tharp’s Tony-award winning show Movin’ Out. Staged national touring cast of Movin' Out.

Ballet Master/Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Faculty at Wayne State University, Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, Program Director/Complexions Detroit Summer Intensive.

Guest Teacher

Dee Tomasetta

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Kristin Denehy

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Dancer/Choreographer for artists including Taylor Swift, Usher, Jennifer Lopez, NYSYNC, Britney Spears, Will Smith and more.

Choreographer for TV/Film including 2018 MTV Movie Awards, Teen Choice Awards (Flo Rida), MTV EMA Awards (Taylor Swift, Ylvis), Comedy Central, Shameless, How I Met Your Mother, Masters of Sex, Critics Choice Awards

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018, Guest Artist 2019

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Laurel Thomson

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

- Currently on tour with Janet Jackson!

- 3X Janet Jackson World Tours

- Worked with artists including Trey Songz, Neyo, Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris, NKOTB and more

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

Mai Velazquez

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

- Cincinnati Ballet, Senior Soloist

- Trained at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico

- Virginia School of the Arts

Guest Teacher

Guest Artist 2018

ALUMNI

Featured

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Kelsi Benage

Guest Teacher, Alumni

BA Fine Arts & Dance Captain UMKC, Kennedy Center Washington D.C., Showcase of America, Exhale Dance Tribe

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Matthew Branham

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Joffrey Ballet, Armitage Gone Dance, Metropolitan Opera, Gallim Dance, The Dash Ensemble, The Peridance Ensemble

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Ali Marconi

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Marymount Manhattan graduate, Asst to Andy Blankenbuehler, Dirty Dancing the movie (May 2017), Exhale Dance Tribe (Senior soloist), Assistant for NYCDA

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Jacob Thoman

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Juilliard, Exhale Dance Tribe, Dance Captain 100 Days (choreographer Sonya Tayeh)

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Maggie Westerfield

Guest Teacher, Alumni

Exhale Dance Tribe (Senior soloist), Cirque Du Soleil Bug Squad, Asia Duo Dance Company, Capezio 125 Year Gala at New York City Center, BFA NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Amirov Dance Theatre, Dancer, Over The Rhine (Emery Theater).

Guest Teacher, Alumni