Meet Our Staff

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Alyssa started her dance career at Northland School of Dance in Champlin, MN where she studied and competed in many styles of dance and had the opportunity to perform at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China. She has attended numerous summer intensives such as American Ballet Theater, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Complexions on partial to full merit scholarships and has appeared in music videos, dancewear catalogues, and dance magazines. Alyssa was also awarded New York City Dance Alliance’s National Senior Outstanding Dancer in 2013, which gave her the opportunity to travel with their topnotch faculty and assist classes on their national tour. Throughout the years, Alyssa has had the opportunity to perform in Capezio’s 125th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Nigel Lythgoe, NYCDA’s Bright Lights Gala honoring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Liza Minnelli, and Catherine Zeta Jones, as well as assist the top choreographers of the nation. Alyssa just recently graduated magna cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College, receiving a BFA in dance and a minor in business management. During her time in the dance program at Marymount, she has had the honor to perform in works choreographed by Al Blackstone, Tito Del Saz, Jae Man Joo, Alexandra Damiani, Breton Tyner-Bryan, and many more. She is currently touring with New York City Dance Alliance on the weekends, working as a dance assistant and loves teaching whenever possible. We are thrilled to have Alyssa join DanceXcel over the summer during our camps and to work with dancers on solos.

Deane’s first love was musical theatre, and he has appeared on the main stage at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Anything Goes; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; as Bernardo in West Side Story; Singin’ in the Rain; 42nd Street; and Swing. He also had the great pleasure of joining the Metropolitan Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo at the Historic State Theatre. He continues in musical theatre as a choreographer/director for Ashland Productions and has choreographed for Maple Grove Senior high, where his work has been recognized at the annual Spotlight Awards.

Rachel Svihel 

Rachel has a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis in performance and teaching.  She has performed with numerous small companies in the twin cities over the years.  For the last 10 years she has enjoyed teaching ballet and modern dance for studios and organizations including River Valley Dance Academy and Prairie Dance Alliance.  Rachel is thrilled to be joining the staff at DanceXcel this year.

Alisha Auen

Amantha Star

Kallie Miller

Elise Trudeau

Brooke Kiehl

Mikayla began dancing at age 4. She studied at Northland School of Dance for 12 years receiving training in ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, musical theater and hip-hop. As a competitive dancer, she received numerous high scores and regional titles including Miss Starquest, Miss Bravo, Miss Legacy, Nuvo Breakout Artist, and NYCDA Outstanding Dancer. Mikayla attended High School at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Here she was able to expand her training in ballet, tap, and jazz while gaining additional training in Modern and West African. Mikayla received a NYCDA scholarship and a full scholarship to Steps on Broadway Conservatory in NYC. These scholarships allowed her to continue her training while in college participating in TU Dance’s Pre-professional Program and Steps On Broadway Contemporary Masters Summer Study. Mikayla supplements her dance training by attending summer intensives including: American Ballet Theater, Minnesota Dance Theater, The Collective, TU Dance, Black Label Movement and this summer she will attend Elisa Monte Dance on full scholarship. She has been privileged to train with the best in Minnesota including: Toni-Pierce Sands, Uri Sands, Carl Flink, Abdo Saygeh, and Maggie Bergeron. Nationally Mikayla has trained with Dwight Rhoden, Andrea Miller, Elisa Monte, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, Suzi Taylor, Joe Lanteri, Mia Michaels, Travis Wall, and Dee Caspery. Mikayla currently resides in Minnesota where she trains with TU Dance and attends the University of St. Thomas where she studies Exercise Science. She plans to attend graduate school for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy with a focus in Dance Medicine. Mikayla enjoys teaching at DanceXcel when her schedule allows.

Taylor Gonzalez 

Taylor started her dance career in middle school on the Starliner Dance team. She then became a member of the Lakeville North Lakeliners and danced on the varsity team for 4 years (where she had DanceXcel Owner Gena as one of her coaches). Taylor attended MSU Mankato where she was a member of the Maverick Dance Team and won a national title. Taylor has been a member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders for 5 seasons and is a Captain this year. Taylor is a student at Concordia University St. Paul and will graduate with a Bachelors in Marketing in the Spring! She currently work in marketing for a local boutique "Blush By Kay". In her spare time she loves to run! She ran her first marathon in October, and plans to run many more. Taylor loves to spend time with her family and Dalmatian puppy Frankie. Taylor lives by the quote; go confidently in the direction of you dreams, and live the life you have imagined.

Wynne started dancing at a small studio at the age of four. She decided to study dance seriously in the Fall of 2012, where she began training with many instructors around the Twin Cities, including Tatiana Berenova. She was accepted into many programs and intensives, and spent a summer in Washington DC, where she studied under Elaine Kudo, and many of the faculty at the Washington Ballet. She excelled there, and was presented with the opportunity of having one of her own choreographed pieces included in the student showcase. She spent another summer at the Milwaukee Ballet, where she was instructed on technique and artistry, and was a featured dancer in the intensive show, Emergence.

After becoming a company apprentice with two Twin Cities dance companies, Wynne performed in several classical ballets, including the Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and many more as well as contemporary works. Wynne is excited to bring her knowledge of dance and artistry to DanceXcel's students.