DANCE...It's What We Do!
Meet Our Faculty
at Ballet Arts Centre we are extremely proud of our faculty. All of our instructors have extensive training and performance experience and a deep love for the art of dance. Dance is a major part of all of the instructors lives and we are honored to share our love of dance with the dancer in your family.
Sydney is a magna cum laude graduate of Florida State University, with a BFA in Dance. While at FSU Sydney was a member of FSU’s Dance Repertory Theatre for three years. As a company member of DRT she was able to work with guest artists; Stephen Koester, Alan Danielson, Michael Foley and more. Her choreography Life After This was showcased at FSU in their Days of Dance Concert Series in 2011. Raised in Jacksonville, Sydney attended LaVilla Middle School of the Arts and went on to graduate from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in 2007. At Douglas Anderson she was a member of Dance Theatre for three years. Since graduating from FSU, Sydney was the director of dance at Lake Forest Elementary and has been dance faculty at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, LaVilla School of the Arts, Jacksonville Country Day School and Assumption ECLC. Sydney has held the title of Miss Jacksonville 2013 and Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 2006 in the Miss America Organization. Sydney has enjoyed choreographing and dancing with both Jacksonville Dance Theatre and Braided Light Dance Project. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her children and traveling the world with her husband who is a pilot.
Sydney Keister Phelps - owner/director
Katie fell in love with dance at the young age of three and hasn’t stopped since! She is a graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and while there was a member of the Tap Ensemble. Katie continued to study dance while majoring in Exercise Science at Florida State University. While at FSU she was able to train under FSU’s dance faculty and performed in many of their shows.. Some of the dancing greats that she’s studied under include Joe Lanteri, Rhonda Stampalia, Mia Michaels, Ellie Potts Barrett, Finis Jhung, Phyllis Penney and Joe Tremaine.
After graduating in 2003, she moved back to Jacksonville and started teaching dance at local studios. Since teaching at Ballet Arts Centre, she has fallen in love with the students and staff here and hopes to share her passion for tap for many years to come!
Katie Blandford - tap
Brooke Bogachunas - acro assistant
Brooke grew up in Stony Brook, New York, and graduated from Ward Melville High School in 2020. She spent 14 years dancing and 6 years competing at Long Island Academy of Dance. She spent one year at St. John's University in Queens, New York and was on their dance team before transferring to Jacksonville University. At Jacksonville University, Brooke is a Psychology major, working towards becoming a Child Life Specialist. She continues to pursue her love of dance in college through being a member of the Sirens Dance team.
Brooke has had positions teaching young dancers and gymnasts basic ballet and technique skills both home on Long Island and at school in Jacksonville. She is so excited to continue spreading her love for dance and acrobatics to another generation of dancers!
Elizabeth Concilla - ballet
Elizabeth grew up in Columbus Ohio, where she studied classical dance at BalletMet Academy. During her time at BalletMet Elizabeth had the opportunity to train in the pre-prefessional program which allowed her to perform alongside the professional company in multiple ballets and performances. She was also a member of their YouMet company, which had the privilege of training with Alvin Ailey principal dancer April Berry, and traveled the states presenting classical modern works. In 2007, Elizabeth attended Jacksonville University on a talent scholarship where she received her BFA in dance performance in 2011. After college, Elizabeth joined a local dance company and started teaching in the Jacksonville area. She has set several full-length ballets, as well has had her choreography performed all over the state of Florida.
Sarah George - ballet & jazz
Sarah was born and raised in Jacksonville, where she began her dance training at the age of 4, right here at Ballet Arts Centre. She learned all styles of dance but loves ballet and jazz the most. She continued her training at BAC throughout high school and performed all over the city with "Art in Motion" performance group. She spent her summers training with the Orlando Ballet and Florida Ballet schools. After graduation she attended Tulane University where she performed with the Newcomb-Tulane Dance Company in New Orleans. She is so excited to be back in her hometown and home studio teaching her passion and love of dance to all!
Stacey Henderson - ballet, tap, jazz & acro
Stacey has made a career out of dance and education. She began dancing at age 3 for Laurie Lanouette’s Dance Connection in Windham, NH. She performed jazz, ballet, contemporary and modern as well as started her career and love of teaching. She is a graduate of Jacksonville University with an Education Major and Dance Minor. While at JU, she was a varsity Cheerleader for the Football and Basketball teams. After graduation she returned home and taught for Laurie Lanouette for 5 more years before returning to sunny Florida. She taught preschool at JU's Wilma's Little Peoples School for 15 years. She is currently a teach for Duval County. Stacey has a true passion for children, dance and education and it shows in her home life as well. She keeps life interesting raising her three girls who also love to dance.
James Ranch - hip hop
James started dancing at the age of 7 in street / urban dance styles and by age 10 he had incorporated training in ballet and jazz. Before dancing, he trained in taekwondo, gymnastics, and capoeira. Along with dance, James has been playing music and doing visual arts from an early age. His formal education includes Lavilla School of the Arts and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. He received his Associate in Arts in multi-media production from FSCJ.
James has taught at numerous schools, studios, and institutions in North East Florida. He has been a guest artist, instructor, and Artist in Residence at Lavilla School of the Arts, teaching ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, and world dance. As a choreographer he has received several awards from Hall of Fame and Fire and Ice dance competitions. In his free time James is a “renaissance” artist, musician, visual artist and dancer.
