Allana Scourfield-Thomas has trained in numerous dance styles and has 25 years of teaching experience for dancers of all ages and levels. Her patience and commitment to her dancers have grown them into amazing people that have gone on to fulfill their own dreams! Allana founded Allana’s Academy of Dance in 2009 and since then has become a staple name in the community with her studio being awarded Best Dance Studio on the Denver A*List 6 times, ADCC (Association of Dance Competition & Convention) Studio of Excellence 2019-20, Parent Magazine and much more. Her desire to inspire her students shows in the quality of her teaching. She is committed to providing a nurturing, family first, accepting and loving dance home for all who step through her doors!

Amanda Sainz has been active in the dance world for over 20 years, with a continuing background in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, poms, hip-hop, cheerleading, and tumbling. She has danced professionally all around the United States and internationally as a member of the Royal Caribbean Cruise dance ensemble. She has attended national dance competitions in Las Vegas, Miami, Chicago, California, and New York. Amanda has attended six-week intensives at the Joffrey School of Ballet in New York City for multiple summers and studied there profesionally after graduating from the Denver School of the Performing Arts. Amanda has been a participant in the National Dance Alliance at the University of Arts in Philadelphia. During her professional career she was an alternate dancer for Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas Nevada. As a Denver Native Amanda is excited to be back teaching in her home state.

Krysta Pozsgai has been dancing for over 30 years and teaching & choreographing for over 20 years. She has taken Master classes with Stacey Tookey, Sonya Tayeh, Travis Wall, Mia Michaels and Brian Friedman. Her experience includes teaching lyrical, jazz, ballet and modern as well as coaching the pom squad at Wheat Ridge High School, the Competition Director at Allegro Dance Company in Littleton, CO and choreographing for the Senior Master Projects at Metro State and CU Denver. She has received several awards in regional and national competitions for her choreography. Currently she works very closely with Allana’s Academy of Dance Competition Company the AAD Gems with choreography and rehearsals as well as normal recreational classes.

Kayla DeGaray grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado and began her dance training at age 11. Following her graduation in 2017, she chose to continue her dance education at Butler University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Pedagogy along with a minor in Business Administration. While dancing with Butler Ballet she performed numerous demi soloist and soloist roles in ballets such as Le Corsaire and the Nutcracker. In addition to performing full length ballets, Kayla has toured and performed contemporary works with Butler Ballet throughout Eastern Europe. After graduation Kayla joined Kansas City Ballet’s second company where she performed in productions such as Devon Carney’s the Nutcracker, Michael Pink’s Dracula, and Septime Webre’s the Wizard of Oz. In 2022 Kayla joined Ballet Tucson under the direction of Margaret Mullin. In her four seasons with Ballet Tucson, she has had the opportunity to perform roles in ballets choreographed by Chieko Imada, Margaret Mullin, Kiyon Ross, and George Balanchine. Some of her favorites include George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Serenade, Kiyon Ross’s e{Schwa}, and Chocolate Principle in The Nutcracker. Kayla shares that she is so excited to teach at Allana’s Academy of Dance and cannot wait to share her love of ballet with each and every student!

Jessica began dancing at age 10, training and competing at Dance Progressions and the Faucher School of Dance in Worcester, Massachusetts. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and acro, where she developed a lifelong love of dance.

She is certified in Early Childhood Dance Instruction through DiscoverDance and has continued her education through the Dance for Joy curriculum with Allegra Lillard at the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, as well as the 2024 Teaching Excellence for Children Workshop.

While living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jessica taught Parent & Tot and preschool dance classes at Belisama Irish Dance, as well as community dance programs through the Santa Fe Public Library and the Santa Fe Children’s Museum.

Jessica’s connection to Allana’s Academy of Dance began as a dance mom. Her daughter fell in love with dance through the Twinkle Babies program, and after returning to Colorado following two years in Santa Fe, there was no question that their family would come back to the studio they already considered home. Jessica is thrilled to now be part of the teaching staff and looks forward to sharing that same welcoming experience with other young dancers and their families.

Outside the studio, Jessica works at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and enjoys spending time with her husband, twins, and their two dogs. She is excited to combine her love of dance, movement, and working with children as part of Allana’s Academy of Dance family.

Stacey Dion is a seasoned choreographer, instructor, and dance adjudicator. She grew up in Aurora and spent most of her life dancing at Miller’s Dance Studio where she has spent the last 17 years teaching, choreographing and directing. She has received awards both regionally and nationally for her choreography. Ms. Dion loves judging and teaching master classes for Spotlight Dance Cup. She enjoys traveling all over the U.S to judge and choreograph for several studios and companies across the country.

Stacey received her training from the University of Northern Colorado, where she majored in Musical Theater and Dance. Since 1998, Stacey has performed with TIBS Production Company, Little Theater of the Rockies, Colorado Dance Theater, Greeley Conservatory of Dance, and UNC Theater and Dance Company. She was resident director and choreographer for 8 seasons at St. Michael’s Players Theater Company. She choreographs for many musicals in Denver area schools, and has taught master classes at the Denver School of the Arts.
Stacey has trained dancers that have gone on to lead very successful careers. Her students have been seen in dance and theater companies across the United States, on cruise ships, and in Europe and Asia. They have been seen on stage and television in Tap Dogs, True Blood, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, The Oscars, Bunheads, and Glee. Her students have also been seen in hit films such as High School Musical, Burlesque, and Michael Jackson’s This is It, to name a few.
Stacey loves to teach and share her enthusiasm and love for the art of dance to all her students!

Ms. Ashlee Echols, a native of Colorado, developed a lifelong love for dance at the age of five, building a strong base in ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, and musical theater. Her performance experience encompasses the regional competition circuit and roles like Clara in the Nutcracker, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Sandy in Grease. Her enthusiasm for the arts soon extended to teaching, which she started during her junior year of high school. This early experience has flourished into a notable career working with children in both academic and dance settings. In the spring of 2000, she reached a notable career achievement by auditioning and successfully obtaining a position as a character performer and dancer for The Walt Disney Company in The Magic Kingdom Park’s Remember the Magic, Main Street Electrical, and Easter parades in Orlando. Ashlee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. This, coupled with over 25 years of professional experience as an early childhood educator, underscores her expertise in guiding young dancers aged 18 months through elementary school. While acknowledging her professional achievements, she cherishes her role as a mother to her son, Leo. This is Ashlee’s first year with Allana’s Academy of Dance. She is enthusiastic about utilizing her performance background, educational credentials, and comprehension of early child development to cultivate a lasting appreciation and passion for the arts in her students.