MEET YOUR TEACHERS
JENECA TODD FREDERIKSEN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
At five years old, Jeneca was enrolled in her first Ballet class, and a lifetime love of dance began. First through 13 years of technical Ballet and pointe training at Clytie Adams School of Ballet, and enhanced by Modern and Jazz instruction through the Davis High Dance Company. Not able to let go of her childhood passion, Jeneca graduated in 2012 with a degree in Dance Education at Brigham Young University. At BYU, in addition to getting certification and training for both elementary and secondary education, Jeneca ran the university's Beverley Taylor Sorenson ArtsBridge program, which focused on integrating arts into elementary school curriculum. During this time, Jeneca also performed on Kinnect, dancEnsemble, and Contemporary Dance Theater, leading her to perform and teach in New York City, Germany, Jamaica, India, and all over the western United States.
After graduation, Jeneca spent almost ten years living in Minnesota and Indiana, teaching and helping to develop studios in both locations. In Minnesota, Jeneca was an Instructor and School Principal of CREO Arts and Dance Conservatory. It was here she began the development and implementation of her school curriculum in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, and young children’s movement classes. While in Minnesota, Jeneca also enjoyed performing with Refractions Dance Project and choreographing local and school musical theater productions. In Indiana, Jeneca became the School Director of Windfall Dancers, helping to grow the studio in addition to running a dance in schools program, integrating dance into educational subjects.
Feeling the pull to move closer to home, Jeneca and her family moved back to Utah in 2021 where Jeneca spent two years getting back into the local dance community. Jeneca taught and performed with Illume Dance Company, helped to put on Davis Performing Arts Collective’s annual Christmas show, Scrooge, choreographed on Viewmont High School’s Dance Company, and taught creative movement classes at local elementary schools. After years of dreaming and waiting for the right location, Jeneca is excited to be opening the doors to Elevé Arts Academy!
When not at the studio, Jeneca is enjoying her time with her husband Kyle, and their two children, Rosalie and Kaden. Jeneca also enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, and learning all about food from gardening to cooking and baking.
RACHEL BLACKFORD
EVENTS MANAGER & DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Rachel is a Utah native who completed her modern dance training with an emphasis in education at Utah Valley University, where she excelled as a performer, choreographer, educator, and dance scholar. In her time at UVU she notable acted as a director’s assistant for Synergy Dance Company, worked as a dancer with RDT on their 2019 restageing of Doris Humphrey’s work Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, and received the department’s Dance Education Award of Merit and the Outstanding Student Award upon graduating. She set several works on UVU’s performing companies, had multiple works selected for adjudication at the ACDA’s Western Regional Conference, and has since created several award winning works on various professional & pre-professional companies throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Rachel spent two years in the Saint George, Utah area as an assistant director for dance companies at both Crimson Cliffs and Desert Hills high schools, and worked with Saint George Dance Company for three seasons as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and artistic director. Until her recent return to the Utah area, Rachel lived in Jackson WY, working with the local dance community as an administrator, teacher, and artist. She continues to work as a teacher, choreographer, and arts administrator throughout Utah & Wyoming, and is passionate about bringing access to the arts for the many populations she serves.
KAYLEY HASHIMOTO
OFFICE MANAGER & DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Kayley was born and raised in Southern California where she trained at Pacific Dance in Irvine from the age of 6. She danced competitively for 12 years with Pacific Dance at various regional and national competitions including KAR, Countdown, Showstoppers and more while she won various overall awards for solos, duets, and group competition dances. She has had the opportunity to dance at Disneyland several times and also performed in the Nutcracker for 8 years with various roles which have also included many lead roles. She is trained in Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Modern, Jazz, Latin Jazz, Contemporary & Hip Hop.
In 2015, Kayley started her teaching career and found a passion for teaching dance to her students. In 2018, Kayley was a dance nominee for the Orange County Register “Artist of the Year”. Also, in 2018, She co-directed Artegy Dance Academy’s production of the Nutcracker. Kayley was one of the founding company members of “The Asylum Project” with dance engagements bringing awareness to mental health through artistry. Kayley continued to further her education at Orange Coast College and Golden West College through their dance department while being able to choreograph for their shows and also attended ACDA’s Western Regional Conference. Kayley took some time and earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Management from Grand Canyon University. After Graduation she moved to West Haven, UT to settle down with her husband. She is extremely excited and ready to get back into teaching. Kayley’s goal is to challenge and inspire her students as her teachers did for her.
ANGELEA HANSEN
Angelea Hansen has been studying classical ballet since she was 11 years old. She's trained with many companies/schools including Excel Dance Studios, Imagine Ballet Theatre, Clytie Adam's School of Ballet, Snow College, The Bountiful School of Ballet, and Weber State University. She's also attended summer intensives/master classes/etc. at Ballet West, Ballet Austin, and the University of Utah, to name a few. She recently graduated with her Associate of Arts and is currently working on her Bachelors in Dance/Dance Education at Weber State.
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
JOVAN MENDOZA
Jovan found that she had a love for dance at a very young age, but wasn't able to take an official dance class until she was in High School. She worked hard and quickly learned from her teacher and fellow sudents. She became the President of her High School dance team her senior year. In California, where she is originally from she took jazz, performance jazz, lyrical and modern dance classes in college. She has a great love for people and has had the chance to teach all ages from 18 months to adults in Hip Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical. She was also the coach of a performance team, that would perform around the community.
Jovan has 9 children and loves spending time with her family doing anything from dancing, hiking, paddle boarding, playing family games, and watching movies. She loves date nights with her husband doing almost anything as long as they are together. She loves holidays and decorating and creating fun things to do as a family. She has two daughters on the Davis High School dance company, one of them is also in Musical Theater, two children in soccer, one on Davis High Swim team, and one in Junior High Orchestra. She also has a special needs son who is 22 years old who loves to dance anytime anywhere. Needless to say she feels blessed to be able to have so many people to love and be loved by.
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Lauri Storey has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Utah. She taught Theatre, Musical Theatre and Dance at Davis High School for eight years, and has directed, choreographed, and/or designed for nearly 100 productions.
Some favorite tap choreography includes: Singin’ in the Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Crazy for You, Shrek, 42nd Street, Guys and Dolls and Beauty and the Beast, for Davis High, Kaysville City Musical, and Centerstage Theatre for Youth.
She is currently designing costumes and dialect coaching at Centerpoint Theatre in Centerville.
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Lauri Storey
Kennedy is a highly dedicated and experienced ballet instructor with over 12 years of classical ballet training. She studied at Doxa Dance Studio and Company in Gainesville, Florida, where she received a comprehensive foundation in ballet technique and performance. Throughout her years of training, she was fortunate to perform a variety of lead roles, including the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty and the Saving Prince and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. These experiences not only enhanced her technical abilities but also deepened her love for storytelling through dance. Her expertise includes pre-pointe and pointe work, as well as beginner ballet for young children. Kennedy understands the importance of building a solid technical foundation from a young age, and she is passionate about creating a positive and supportive environment where students can develop both their skills and their confidence.
By day, Kennedy is a hematology nurse. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, skiing, and cooking.
Kennedy is beyond excited to share her knowledge of classical ballet with the dancers at Elevé Arts Academy and looks forward to helping them achieve their personal goals while fostering a deep appreciation for the art of dance.
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
KENNEDY OLIVER
SHAWNEE RUIZ
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Shawnee is a Syracuse, Utah native with dance and performing at the core of her best childhood memories. In early years, she danced in local studios before joining Productions Theatre Company, Drill Team, and Dance Company at Clearfield High School. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre and Dance from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville where she earned the Ann E. Carlson Scholarship for choreography.
In 2013–2014, she was awarded an internship with the Budapest National Dance Theater in Hungary. Her time abroad deepened her artistic perspective and honed her skills. She later performed with Sonder Immersive, a professional company based in Salt Lake City known for its innovative, experiential performances.
She has been a dance educator for nearly 10 years in an array of styles. Shawnee is known for using silly imagery and sound effects to describe movement because we remember the things that make us giggle.
Outside of the dance studio, Shawnee manages a wedding venue with her husband. They have two amazing kiddos, two dogs, two bunnies, a bird, and one noisy house.
LONDAN ROCHE
Londan began her dance training at age three through Infinity Dance in Ogden, Utah and quickly fell in love with expressing herself through movement. She was trained extensively in jazz, lyrizal, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, acro, and tumbling. Throughout her high school years, she performed in many aspects including: dance company, cheer, colorguard, choir, and musical theatre. She has been featured in various performance roles throughout the state of Utah, including Stadium of Fire, Odyssey Dance Theatre's "Thriller" and Disney's "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."
All her life she grew up wanting to be a teacher, and when given an opportunity to teach dance she found a new passion that had not yet been discovered! At the age of 14 Londan began teaching and choreographing at Altitude Dance in Farr West, Utah. She taught a variety of classes including cheer, ballet, acro, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, tumbling, and musical theatre. Her competition teams were given awards from competitions across the state of Utah. Most importantly, she saw her dancers grow in both skill and confidence!
Londan received her Associates of Science in General Studies with honors from Weber State University upon her high school graduation in 2022. After that, she moved to Chicago, Illinois for 18 months to teach and do volunteer work. Since then, Londan has studied dance, education, and family science at Brigham Young University, expecting to graduate with a degree in Family Studies in the spring of 2026. Though no longer pursuing, she was accepted into the Dance Education program at BYU her first semester, which rekindled her love for choreography and dance!
DANCE INSTRUCTOR
KAREN SNARR
When Karen is asked why she chose to pursue music, her reply is, “I love bringing people together to feel uplifted and share laughter. I can do this every single time I sing, and it is exhilarating!” The joy and connection others feel through her music motivated Karen to find her voice and share it throughout her life. She has been studying and performing music since she was a young girl. Her father taught K-12 music, including high school band, so she was surrounded by music during childhood. His influence aided her training in music and theory in various methods, including Kodály.
Karen graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2021. However, her post-secondary educational journey did not begin there. Karen attended several universities including Brigham Young University-Hawaii and Utah Valley University, which afforded her unique experiences. She has been privileged to study with various mentors and participate in a vast array of ensembles, both vocal and instrumental.
Karen has taught private voice lessons since 2019. She desires all under her tutelage, and those who work with her, to find and strengthen their unique voices. She is delighted to join the Elevé team to share the abundance of musical knowledge she has accumulated with the children in her community.