Phone: 702.778.8688
Email: info@merakidanceacademy.com
STAFF
Ms Keri
Studio Owner
Aside from being a long time dance teacher, Keri brings her experience from the business side of the dance world as well a degree in Special Education. She was a dance instructor in Minnesota teaching tap, jazz and hip hop to dancers ages 18 months-18 years old, as well as performing studio manager responsibilities for a local St Paul dance studio. She continues her dance education by attending numerous dance teacher conventions across the country including Fluid Dance Conventions, Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Teacher Conference, the Dance Teacher Summit and other regional and national workshops. Keri is so excited for her vision to become a reality with Meraki Dance Academy, bringing in extremely talented instructors and being able to offer a variety of classes at her studio.
Ms Karly-Rose
Studio Manager/Team Director
Karly comes to Meraki Dance Academy with nearly 20 years of experience that is both diverse and noteworthy. An award winning competition choreographer and judge, Karly has been running dance studios, designing programs, coaching and teaching dance and gymnastics to children and adults in Florida, Georgia and the Upper Midwest. Classically trained in RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) with experience in Cecchetti and Vaganova, Karly is a well rounded instructor and has taught classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip-hop, Acro, Lyrical, Modern, Cheerleading and Tap including classes that focus on strengthening, conditioning, flexibility and injury prevention.
Karly continued her dance training in Colorado dancing with the Denver Ballet and becoming a company member for Youth Ballet Colorado before eventually moving to Iowa. While still a high school student herself she worked setting up after-school dance programs for elementary students. She has choreographed award winning routine for High Schools cheerleading and competitive dance teams. Karly has worked closely with Any Given Child, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., to provide an equitable arts education by teaching Hip-hop in P.E. classes in Iowa.
Ms Kasey
Instructor
Kasey began her dance training at age three, and is skilled in various styles of dance including
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Hip-Hop, Improvisation, and
several styles of Ethnic dance. Along with seventeen years of performance based training, Kasey
competed nationally from age eight to age eighteen. She has received numerous scholarships and
prestigious awards from dance competitions, conventions, and master classes including New
York City Dance Alliance, Tremaine Dance, Dance America, Dance Olympus, Adrenaline
Dance, JUMP Dance, World Class Dance, and SHARP International. Kasey’s dance training has
provided her with opportunities to appear on television (the Paul Pepper Morning Show and
FOX5 Vegas) and model for dancewear stores (The Dance Shoppe), as well as participate in
“UNLV Dance Day” at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for two years in a row.
Ms Aly
Instructor/Poms Team Coach
As a former member of the Meraki Dance Company, Aly Nevarez is so excited to be teaching classes at Meraki as well as helping new and returning dancers and families at the front desk. This season Aly will be teaching Acro and the Poms/Cheer classes. Aly is a former competitive gymnast and is so excited to be able to share her talent with Meraki dancers.
Ms L Jay
Instructor
Lucinda (L.Jay) Luevanos has been dancing since she was four, and started her training with the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano Company. She is trained in the techniques of hip hop, contemporary, ballet, jazz, lyrical, improv, ballet folklorico, and modern. She has a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography from the University of Nevada Las Vegas as well as graduated with UNLV Department of Dance's "Outstanding Performer Award". She has experience training, teaching, choreographing, and performing all throughout Las Vegas, as well as experience performing in Indianapolis, New York, and South Korea. Her choreographic works have not only been premiered in four UNLV Dance Concerts, but also in concerts for dance studios and companies throughout Las Vegas. Her choreography draws inspiration from mixing the genres of contemporary, modern, and hip-hop.
Ms Grace
Instructor
Grace has been dancing since as early as she can remember and knew from a young age that it was something that she wanted to pursue long term. She fell in love with the competition world and traveled to many dance competitions and conventions and got scholarships from Revel Dance, Encore Dance, and many more. She then went on to Arizona to study commercial dance and had her choreography chosen for an Arizona dance festival. Back in Vegas, she is passionate about the new generation of dancers and making sure they have a positive support system for pursuing their passions. She is always looking for opportunities to continue her training as well whether that be classes, professional gigs, or choreography. She cannot wait to be a part of the Meraki family!
Ms Julia
Instructor
Originally from Michigan, Julia began her dance training at the age of 5. Later she studied in New York City at the Joffrey Ballet School as well as with Finis Jhung. Julia has danced professionally and continues her dance training in studios across Las Vegas. Julia’s dance teaching experience includes pre-school age to teens in the styles of ballet, pointe, jazz and tap. In addition, she has earned both her Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in the field of Early Childhood Education. Julia is excited to begin the next chapter of her dance teaching career this fall with Meraki Dance Academy.
Ms Raven
Instructor
Raven Miranda is an alumni of the Theater Arts Preparatory School located in Las Vegas, Nevada. After graduation, Raven worked on Norwegian Cruise Line as a dancer, aerialist, and magician’s assistant on different ships from 2019-2022. Raven since, has moved back to Vegas, creating with many different agencies and corporations. She is excited to share her passion and love for all styles of dance with the young dance community.
Ms Laurie
Instructor
Laurie, has been teaching dance for over twenty years and is excited to share her talents with all of the littles at Meraki. After a career as a Romantic Classical ballet dancer, and raising her children, Laurie began teaching in dance studios. Laurie enjoys teaching all ages and has helped many studios develop a successful children's program based on combining imagination and dance skills. She looks forward to bringing her love of children and dance for another year to Meraki Dance Academy!
Ms Rian
Instructor
Ms Rian is an aerialist who has over twelve years of experience on aerial silks. When she was 15 she was featured on a TEDX Talk with her youth troupe in Dallas. Rian graduated from the teacher training program at Ecole Nationale de Cirque in 2024 and has a degree to teach both aerial silks and aerial hoop. In addition to her degree, she studied kinesiology at Louisiana State University and was a teacher's aide in the aerial silk program. Currently Ms Rian works at the Omnia in Caesars Palace where they do aerial 40 feet up in the air without any safety lines. Rian love circus, it has always been a passion of hers. She loves to teach kids because seeing their perspective on how everything is new and fun is so refreshing when most of my day to day is more competition orientated.
Mr Amadeus
Instructor
Amadeus Luevanos is an emerging dance performer who has performed with Kravenko Youth Ballet for seven years since 2013, performed as a guest artist with Nevada Ballet Theatre in the Smith center since 2018 in four productions alongside the company members, and has been trained in ballroom under Tristen Sosa since 2017 and is competing in the Junior Ballroom Olympics. He is a Neo-classical and classical ballet dancer who has many years of experience in all forms of dance ranging from: hip hop, to modern, to ballroom. He has also received the Gateway Performing Arts Scholarship in 2019 for performing a New Works ballet piece. Amadeus has trained the past three summers at ballet intensives in: Austin Texas with American Ballet Theatre 2017’, New York with Ellison Ballet 2018’, and Seattle with Pacific Northwest Ballet 2019’. Amadeus has recently attended and made the top nine spots at the Juilliard audition in San Francisco and is awaiting results from admissions. He has also been accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy as a musical theatre major and plans to continue his performing career in New York. Amadeus has accomplished all of these achievements while simultaneously attending a dual credit High School and College, and is currently on track to graduate with a Regents High School diploma and an Associate of Science Degree. Amadeus is a forward thinking innovative performer and is ready to flourish from every single day coming in his performing career.
Ms Julia
Instructor
Julia is a dancer, choreographer, and photographer from Pennsylvania. She began dancing at the age of three, and she recently moved to Las Vegas to attend Theater Arts Preparatory School (TAPS). Julia graduated high school in 2022 from Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem, PA as a Production Arts Major, but she has been working in the amusement park industry since age 15. Since her first year, Julia has had multiple roles in Entertainment and Public Relations including: Show Choreographer, Main Stage Dancer, Parade Dancer, and Character Performer. She has choreographed a total of four shows so far with “Kiss Me, Kate!” at The Pennsylvania Playhouse this past summer being her most recent one. Julia has been training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, hip hop, theatre jazz, jazz funk, and acro/tumbling, but she is always being exposed to new styles. She can’t wait to share her burning passion for dance with students at Meraki!
Ms Annica
Instructor
Annica Cano has been dancing since the age of 3, training in multiple technique styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, and hip hop. Annica has trained with Colorado Ballet, Colorado Youth Dance Theatre and Louder Than Words Theatre. She graduated high school from Denver School of the Arts as a dance major in 2015. At Denver School of the Arts her training was centered around ballet, modern, jazz and improvisation technique. Annica then received her bachelor’s degree in Biology Human Health from Hawaii Pacific University in December 2019. While receiving her degree she continued to dance and teach on Oahu. Annica moved to Las Vegas in 2020 and has continued her training and teaching in the Las Vegas dance community and is a Co-Director for MYL (Made You Look), a Kpop and hip hop dance team in Las Vegas. Annica cannot wait to continue her dance career in Las Vegas and share her passion with the students at Meraki Dance Academy!
Ms Chloe
Instructor
Originally from Atlanta, Chloe grew up dancing competitively until she graduated high school and immediately began her dance career! She has worked for Royal Caribbean dancing on cruise ships, spent 2 years performing at Le Moulin Rouge in Paris, France and multiple shows and events on the Las Vegas strip! She currently is in “Awakening” at the Wynn and looks forward to working with you all!
Ms Abbie
Instructor
Abbigail Campbell is a versatile artist from St. Louis Missouri. Starting her training as a competitive dancer and added education as an assistant for Tremaine Dance Convention where she learned from industry professionals. Passionate to pursue the industry, she continued her education at Theater Arts Preparatory School (TAPS) in Las Vegas Nevada under the direction of Don Mirault. During the 6 months training, dancing, singing and acting she was able to perform as a featured dancer in an Arethra Franklin and “A Time To Dance'' with Tony Coppola. Since Abbigail’s graduation of TAPS, she has danced her way aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas and continues to perform a plethora of events, shows and productions. Pitbull’s New Year's Eve, Janet Jackson’s New Year’s Eve, Nissan Reunion, NFR Rodeo, and Salvage City at EDC to name a few. On top of her performing, she has become an emcee/host and started production management. She shows up as an official emcee at the Wynn Las Vegas for slot tournaments and giveaways, has hosted for Enchant Las Vegas and the Rock n’ Roll Marathon with SP Entertainment. She was the production manager for the release of Nun 2 at Cinemacon with Jaimee Gallego of JKay Choreography and various events on the strip.
