Alexis Kozar, owner of N-Step Dance Academy, is a director, choreographer, educator, adjudicator, and dancer. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, she was trained in all genres of dance from an early age and started performing for the Pro-Bowl Half Time shows at the young age of 13.

After continuing her training, Alexis went on to perform professionally for companies such as Disney and Norwegian Cruise Line. For over 15 years, she has trained dancers of all ages and levels in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Lyrical. Alexis is very dedicated to and shares her love and passion for the arts and technique with her students and students all over the country as an adjudicator for KAR Dance Competition. Her students have received several national and grand national titles, as well as being honored with numerous awards such as Choreography awards, Entertainment Awards, and High Point Awards at various dance competitions.

Alexis is dedicated to the growth and development of young artists to which she spends countless hours with her pre-professional company to help them achieve and accomplish all of their goals and dreams.

Miss Amanda trained at the Gus Giordano Dance Center, Steps On Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and Dance Arts Centre. She studied with Dennis Caspary, Jason Beitel, Joel Hall, and John Crutchman, just to name a few. Her performance credits include the Jerry Lewis Telethon, Sesame Street with Bob McGrath, the Miss Ohio Pageant, and Star Search. She has won awards such as Miss KAR Dance (Kids Artistic Revue), numerous convention scholarships, and many other national awards. Amanda has won awards for her choreography, including the FDC award and many high point and overall awards.

While attending high school in Chicago, she was president of the Orchesis Dance Troupe, Captain of the Varsity Cheer Squad, and a member of the Student Council. After moving to the greater Atlanta area, she earned her bachelor’s degree at Georgia Gwinnett College, majoring in Business Administration. Amanda is married to her husband Felix has a son named Michael, and three daughters Madeleine, Hannah, and MacKenzie. She is thrilled to be on staff at N-Step and looking forward to a great year!

Mary Schaefer grew up in the North Georgia area and trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, and jazz with En Pointe and Gainesville Ballet’s performing companies. She participated in summer intensives, including International Ballet Intensive and Hosanna Arts Intensive to broaden her horizons. While training throughout middle and high school, Mary began assistant teaching with her dance mentors and found a love for working with young dancers. Mary pursued a degree in finance from the University of North Georgia, while channeling her passion for dance into her students. Since graduating, Mary has continued to teach, with a specific focus on ballet and pointe. Mary is so excited to be a member of the NSDA team!

Bio coming soon.

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Maegan is a versatile dance artist with a focus on contemporary ballet and choreography. She trained for over a decade in the Professional Division at Alberta Ballet School and continued her post-secondary training with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Maegan has further enriched her training through summer intensives with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, ART of Madrid, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Prague Ballet.

She was offered an artistic merit scholarship to train at Point Park University, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a concentration in Ballet, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2025. Her professional choreographic work includes two original neoclassical pieces—Equinox and Palms are Sweaty—both of which reflect her interest in blending classical technique with contemporary innovation.

Maegan began her professional journey as a Trainee with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland and is thrilled to join Southern Contemporary Ballet as an Apprentice this season. She continues to pursue a multifaceted career in performance, choreography, and dance education, and enjoys sharing her passion for dance with audiences and students across the country.

Cheyenne Wardell is an Atlanta based professional dancer who grew up in Bethlehem, Georgia. She began dancing at age 10, taking only one hip hop class at Inspire School for the Arts. After that season she found a true love for dance and began training in all styles and soon started competing with them on their competition team. 

After graduating high school, she moved to Atlanta, GA where she now attends Georgia State university as an exercise science major. She currently trains professionally in the city at various studios and is a member of Xcel Studios Adult program. Shes trained closely with various well known choreographers including Aaron James, Gary Beauford, and many others. Along with the training, she’s been lucky to be a featured dancer in two music videos for Christian rap artists. 

She’s so excited for her first season with N-Step, and can’t wait to teach and share her love of hip hop and other styles with young dancers in the community!

Originally from Beaver Dam, WI, Lily Edgar started dancing at the age of 4. In 2010 she transferred to the School of Madison Ballet to continue her ballet training. At the age of 18 she joined Madison Ballet, one of two professional companies in Wisconsin, where she danced professionally until April 2023, and performed in Madison Ballet productions on Overture Stage for over a decade. Some of her favorite roles include ‘Clara’ in a brand-new Nutcracker production choreographed by Sara Stewert Schuman in 2021 and 2022. She had the pleasure of performing various other roles and productions, notably so ‘Orange Girl’ soloist in ‘Birthday Variations’, by Gerald Arpino, Lucy in Eddy Brays ‘Dracula’ with Mainstage Academy, and many other featured roles in ballets, including ‘A Midsummer’s Night's Dream’ and ‘Cinderella’ with Madison Ballet. Ms. Edgar is excited to be joining Gwinnett Ballet for her first season this year! 

Ms. Edgar also began teaching ballet at the age of 18. She has experience teaching ballet to all ages and loves the opportunity to share dance through a lens of joy and optimism. Ms. Edgar is particularly passionate about continuing the beauty and training of classical ballet. She is eager to change the culture in the studio to a more inviting, inclusive and accepting space for all, where we can learn, grow, and push ourselves to become better artists and people.

Bio coming soon.

Abby Schulze is an Atlanta-based dancer and choreographer passionate about expanding access to dance through arts administration and education. She is a proud alumna of N-Step Dance Academy, where she began her formal journey toward becoming a dance educator as an assistant instructor. Over the past decade, Abby has taught tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and children’s dance at studios across the Atlanta and Athens areas. Her written work, including articles and interviews published in the Journal of Dance Education, explores critical thinking and creative exploration in K–12 dance scholarship.

Abby earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Georgia, where she is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. During her time in the UGA Department of Dance, she performed works set by the Martha Graham Company, Amelia Reiser, and Jillian Mitchell, and specialized in aerial silks, lyra, and static trapeze performance. In 2024, she received the Emerging Choreographer Scholarship for her contributions to the department’s choreographic repertoire, which supported her travel and performance with staibdance in Sorrento and Sant’Agata, Italy that summer.

While in school, Abby collaborated with several Atlanta-based contemporary dance companies. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Marketing Coordinator and company member with the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company under the direction of Lauren Overstreet. In July 2025, she worked as Assistant Program Director and performer with staibdance, returning to perform in Sorrento and Sant’Agata, Italy. She is currently in her second season with Kitmodus, directed by Jillian Mitchell. As a performer and choreographer, Abby values vibrant expressivity, physical contact work, and dynamic textures in sound and form.

Ann Merrill began dancing at the age of eight in Springfield, Illinois, where she discovered a passion for dance that would shape her life and career. During high school, Ann moved to Indiana, where she continued her training and joined Fort Wayne Ballet’s pre-professional ballet company. There, she gained advanced ballet training and valuable performance experience.

After high school, Ann attended Brigham Young University–Idaho, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education and graduating with honors. Throughout college, she performed and choreographed in numerous productions and directed a college dance team. She also created a dance injury prevention program, combining her love of dance with her interest in helping dancers develop healthy, sustainable training habits.

Ann has been teaching dance for the past seven years at a variety of studios and programs. She specializes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance. Her teaching is centered on strong technique, artistry, confidence, and creating a positive environment where dancers feel encouraged to grow and challenge themselves.

After graduating from college, Ann moved to Georgia in 2024 with her husband to raise their daughter. Since moving to Georgia she has received her yoga certification and has taught dance to young dancers at local daycares. She is excited to continue sharing her love of dance with the next generation of dancers and to help each student discover the joy, discipline, and creativity that dance can bring to their lives.

Chris Sherfey has been involved in competitive athletics since he was a young child; from Football and Baseball at the high school  Varsity level, to Cheerleading at the Collegiate (University of Detroit Mercy & Eastern Michigan University) and Professional level (Detroit Pistons).  Sports have always been a huge part of Chris’ life.  Chris has worked at cheerleading and gymnastics gyms as a competitive team and tumbling coach from 2000-2012 where he loved working with athletes to improve their skills, confidence, and continue to grow their love of the sport. Chris is excited to be a part of the Acro program and help these athletes reach their goals!

Cassandra Pappy is an Atlanta-based choreographer, dance educator, adjudicator, and founder of Elite DanceWerks LLC. Originally from Charlotte, NC, she holds a B.A. in Dance with K–12 teaching licensure from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

With over a decade of experience in dance education, Cassandra has taught, choreographed, adjudicated, and mentored dancers nationwide. Her professional credits include work with the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, Charlotte Hornets Honey Bees, Philadelphia 76ers Dance Team, Carolina Panthers TopCats, recording artists IYAZ and Ginuwine, and the feature film Bolden!.

A former public school dance educator, Cassandra has directed nationally recognized dance programs, led professional development for educators, and earned multiple choreography awards throughout her career. Her work spans studio, school, competitive, and professional dance, with an emphasis on technical development, versatility, performance quality, and individual artistry.

Cassandra currently serves as convention faculty and an adjudicator for multiple national dance organizations and is PBT Certified. Through Elite DanceWerks, she is passionate about developing technically strong, versatile artists while creating training environments that challenge, inspire, and empower the next generation of dancers.

Bio coming soon.

Rising Stars Jazz

Little Stars Kinder Hip Hop

Little Stars Combo I

Little Stars Kinder Jazz

Little Stars Creative Tap & Twirl

Company Lyrical A

Little Stars Combo I/II