Faculty

Pennsylvania Academy of Dance Arts

Akiko (Ako) Kyong-McClain 

Akiko (Ako) Kyong-McClain began her dance training taking classes in Chengdu, China at the age of 4. She then continued her dance training at the Champaign Ballet Academy in Illinois, and then under the instruction of Arleen Sugano in Little Rock, Arkansas. With ballet as her focus, she was able to perform in many full-length ballets such as Coppelia, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and more Nutcrackers than she can count. Ako trained further at Alonzo King LINES, Joffrey New York, the Harid Conservatory, Texas Ballet Theater, and the Beijing Dance Academy and was able to perform pieces by a great many choreographers. Ako received a BA in Criminal Justice from Temple University and an MS in Intelligence and Crime Analysis from Saint Joseph's University. Additionally, Ako was a member of her college dance team and served as its captain during her senior year.



Ako is thrilled to announce her new role as the Owner and Director of PADA. She looks forward to working closely with the children, nurturing their talent and passion for dance, and taking the studio to the next level. Additionally, Ako is excited about the opportunity to bring back former teachers and collaborate with both returning and new staff members. She eagerly anticipates the coming seasons and is committed to fostering a supportive and inspiring environment where every dancer can thrive. Ako also teaches adult dance classes in the Philadelphia area and remains dedicated to her own growth as a dancer, attending as many classes as her schedule allows and always working to expand upon her teaching capabilities.

Taylor Brown

Taylor Brown is a dancer, educator and choreographer. She began her training at the age of 5 in Collegeville, PA, studying numerous styles including ballet, jazz and modern. While training at her home studio, she had the opportunity to travel to many competitions, classes, and summer intensives from New York City to Los Angeles. She furthered her dance and high school education by attending The Center for Performing and Fine Arts (CPFA) in West Chester, PA. Graduating from the University of the Arts in 2021, Taylor received a BFA in Dance under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. While in college, she had the pleasure of training and performing works by Sidra Bell, Wayne David, and Gary Jeter. Taylor was a member of the Klassic Contemporary Ballet Company (KCBC) from 2020 to 2023, dancing in Philadelphia’s annual Fringe Festival, and currently is a substitute teacher at her high school alma mater in her spare time.

Taylor started her teaching journey at the age of 13 as an assistant teacher and is now sharing her passion and love for dance throughout studios in Delaware and Montgomery County. She is a firm believer in the value of dance outside the studio and what it can do for a child in their day-to-day life. Taylor’s approach to teaching is to instill confidence and grow the artist inside each of her students. She strives to be the role model that she once had through her dance teachers.

Jessica Afflerbach

Jessica Afflerbach is a dance educator, performer, and choreographer based in the greater Philadelphia Area. She graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance, with a concentration in Education and Performance. While in school she trained with artists such as Megan Flynn, Heidi Cruz- Austin, Karen Dearborn, Tiffany Mills, Kevin Jenkins, Trinette Singleton and more. Jessica’s primary passion for dance lies in teaching. Throughout her four years of college, she was an instructor with the Muhlenberg Community Dance Center teaching Ballet, Modern, and Creative Movement. She is currently a teaching artist with Koresh Kids Dance where she works with third through fifth graders throughout the Philadelphia Public School district teaching through a creative dance curriculum. She is also an instructor at Delaware Valley Dance Academy and Macrina Academy of Dance.

Jessica refined her teaching philosophy and approach to dance education alongside her professor, mentor, and friend Teresa VanDenend Sorge. Under her direction, Jessica was able to develop a somatic approach to teaching technique, of many styles, through the lens of creative movement. Her teaching style is rooted in Brain Compatible Dance Education (BCDE), as developed by Anne Green-Gilbert. Her approach is to teach to the whole child, encouraging creativity and imagination while also developing strong technical dancers. She believes deeply in nurturing the artist, just as much as the technician, that is inside every dancer.

Teagan Bittner

Teagan Bittner is currently studying at West Chester University as an Early Childhood Education major. She is working and performing with the West Chester University Dance Company in various styles, continuing her love for performing. Teagan began her dance training in Collegeville PA at the age of 2. She values what dance can do for you in your every day life and hopes to instill in her students the importance of trying new things, different styles, and discovering new ways to move your body daily. Teagan has been a member of KCBC II under the direction of Kimberly D. Landle since the very beginning of the program in 2017, and has most recently been promoted to Company Member with Klassic Contemporary Ballet Company and performed with KCBC in the 23-24 season as a soloist.

Teagan is a natural born leader with an innate ability to help others succeed. She has been teaching at PADA for several seasons now and her love for dancing combined with that of helping others has lead her to wanting to continue education in her future. She is very excited for this year at PADA and whatever the future holds.

Amanda Boyer

Amanda Boyer is a Philadelphia/NYC based movement artist, educator, and choreographer. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in May of 2023, with a minor in business. Growing up in Southeastern PA, Amanda was informed by many dance techniques, but she developed a special interest in contemporary, modern, and improvisational forms. She has traveled to study in dance spaces from New York to Berlin. In addition to performing, Amanda shares her passion by teaching in studios around PA, and mentoring young artists at the University of the Arts. She is interested in dance as an exchange of energy, an outpour of feeling. She has performed in works by Martha Graham, Doug Varone, Sidra Bell, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Jesse Zaritt, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, and Mark Caserta. 

Madi Butler

Madi grew up dancing competitively and was a decorated competitor. She trained at Broadway Bound Dance Academy in Media PA. She won numerous solo titles as well as the title of “Best in the World” in 2018. Her love of teaching began when she started assisting in the tri-state area for classes and choreography. While assisting, she traveled to New York, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey and helped train and choreograph for notable organizations like Beyond The Stars Dance Convention, Rowan University, Rustin High School, and various studios throughout the area. Madi has worked with prominent choreographers such as Gianna Martello and Marinda Davis, while also assisting choreographer Lindsey Russo for many years. Her focus in jazz and contemporary has inspired her to continue her journey and ignite her students’ passion to work hard and believe in themselves, while still bettering herself as a dancer in the process.

Canyon Carroll

New York-based queer artist, Canyon Carroll was born in Roanoke, Virginia. Canyon was awarded his BFA in performance arts in the spring of 2022 at The University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. During their time as a student, they had the opportunity to work with and perform in works by Andrea Miller, Annie Rigney, Sidra Bell, Doug Verone and other world renowned artists and faculty. Following graduation, Canyon was invited to the Centre of National Danse in Paris, France to perform and collaborate a work under the direction of Niall Jones, he also performed with Gallim Dance Company In Brooklyn, New York under the direction of Andrea Miller and Sheer Spectacle under the direction of Lily Mello and Kali Petrizzo.

Bella D'Orazio

Bella D'Orazio has been a part of competitive gymnastics for her whole life and continued to compete as an NCAA Division II gymnast at West Chester University. She has been teaching acro for 4 years and competitive gymnastics for 10 years. Miss Bella graduated with a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and currently works for Penn Medicine.

Bella hopes to cultivate an environment that is inclusive, empowering, and light-hearted. She consistently tells her students to strive for progress, not perfection each week. The daily work in the studio is about experimenting, taking risks, and self-discovery. She is eager to be a part of each student's journey and development as a dancer here at PADA. 

Azari Ford

Azari earned her B.F.A in Dance and minor in Business from the University Of The Arts. All

while being a member of The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders. Azari is a 6th year veteran and captain of the team. She has represented the Eagles organization on international media outlets as a global brand ambassador and performed at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. As well as being voted the Philadelphia Eagles 2024 Pro Bowl Cheerleader. Representing the Eagles Cheerleaders and organization at the NFL’s 2024 Pro Bowl Games. Excelling both on and off the field, Azari was awarded two of the most prestigious and highly selective scholarships for exceptional talent during her time at UArts. She has performed works of many artistic directors and choreographers, including Thom White, Queen Dinita and JustSole Clark and Robert Battle of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Concert Goers could even spot her performing with iconic musicians such as Queen, New Kids On The Block and Darius Rucker. Azari enjoys sharing her gifts not only as a performer but also as a dance educator in the tri-state area. Helping others to see dance as a language and not just movement, is just one of her many

artistic objectives.

Whitney Johnson

Whitney Johnson grew up in a Performance Based Studio in South Central Pennsylvania where she was trained in various styles including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Breakdancing, Belly dancing, Salsa, Lyrical, Contemporary and Theatre. She continued to dance through college and continues to take classes for personal growth as an adult. Whitney found a passion while dancing in college for other forms of fitness and discovered how this role greatly improved her dance ability and continued to learn in the fitness world. This encouraged her to learn more about nutrition and physical fitness to inspire and teach young students to get them to peak performance levels. Whitney is currently working towards her National Academy of Sports Medicine Training Certificate and is looking to enroll in a Master's Program for Nutrition next fall. 

Haylie Jost

With over 16 years of dance experience, Ms. Haylie has been immersed in the world of dance since a young age, training in a variety of styles at LA Dance Galaxy and Pennsylvania Academy of Dance Arts since the age of 3. She has been teaching at PADA for over a year, sharing their passion for movement, creativity, and technical precision with students of all ages and skill levels.
In addition to their experience in dance, Ms. Haylie brings a unique skill set from their work as a swim instructor and 1:1 aid. For three years, she taught at Kids First Swim School, working with children ranging from 2 months to adults. This experience honed their ability to teach in a patient and individualized manner, fostering a supportive and encouraging environment for students to thrive.
Along with PADA, She currently works as a 1:1 aid in the vocational transition program at Valley Forge Educational Services, supporting students with special needs. This role has deepened her understanding of how to meet diverse learning needs, reinforcing her commitment to inclusivity in the dance studio. Haylie believes in tailoring instruction to each student’s unique abilities, ensuring everyone feels confident and empowered to express themselves through movement.

Hailey McCormack

Hailey McCormack began her training at age 3 at Step-by-Step Studio of Dance in Medway, MA. At age 6 she began dancing competitively, where she won several accolades, scholarships, and solo titles. She continued to dance throughout her adolescence, training at her home studio and with other programs, including with the New York City Rockettes. She has trained in all styles but fell in love with Jazz and Musical Theater. Hailey attended Temple University as an Early Childhood Education major, where she continued dancing and choreographing for her college’s dance team. Her love for teaching dance began at her home studio at 13 and continued at PADA (Pennsylvania Academy of Dance Arts) starting in 2020. Hailey now attends Teachers College, Columbia University as a graduate student in the Education Policy program, specializing in Data Analysis. 

Hailey is an incredibly motivated and creative choreographer, supporting her students as they continue to grow as dancers. 

Aleesha Polite

Aleesha Polite is a Philadelphia-based artist, inspired by the intersection of movement and writing. Between 2017-2021, Aleesha trained as a company artist for the Klassic Contemporary Ballet Company in Philadelphia, PA. She is a recent graduate from University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Stella Moore Prize for 4 Year Achievement. Aleesha has performed in works by Katie Swords-Thurman, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Jesse Zaritt, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Paul Matteson, Courtney Henry, Netta Yerushalmy, Bill T. Jones, and Jamar Roberts. At UArts she was selected to attend CAMPING in Paris, France. She performed a work by Niall Jones presented at the Marathon of Schools.  Aleesha also cultivated and taught a class that was centered around voice in movement and the manifestation of grandiose gestures in the body for the students attending CAMPING at the Centre national de la dans.

Additionally, Aleesha attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina in 2023 and had the opportunity to work alongside Brian Brooks as performer and rehearsal assistant for his work titled Wave Theory that premiered in July. Currently, she is a collaborator and performer with OmenThrice Dance Company led by Sydney Donovan. Aleesha remains deeply moved by working alongside others in her community as well as diving into new experiences in dance making and performing. 

Samantha Sam

Samantha Sam began her dance training at The Rock School for Dance Education under the leadership of Bojan & Stephanie Spassoff, where she was awarded a merit scholarship to train in their professional division. Throughout her years at the Rock School, she was given opportunities to perform, student teach, and compete in the Youth American Grand Prix. She was closely trained and mentored by Natalya Lushina Zeiger, soloist of The Bolshoi Ballet and Eva Greiner Szabo, co-founder of the Gyori Ballet & dancer with the Hungarian National Ballet. During her 7 years at the Rock School, she was trained professionally in classical ballet, pointe, variations, and pas de deux.  After receiving offers to study at the Kirov Ballet Academy, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and Ballet Austin, Samantha went on to study at the Ellison Ballet in NYC. There she received training in a Vaganova-based curriculum from Jolanta Valeikaite, Edward Ellison, Olga Pavlova, and Evgenia Singur. In addition to the ballet training she received, she studied repertoire under Maina Gielgud, character dance under Vladimir Dvorovenko, and contemporary dance under Cody Berkeley. She currently teaches ballet at the Koresh School of Dance in Philadelphia PA.