Instructors – Cary Dance Productions

TONDALAYA PEARSON (owner | director)

Tondalaya’s study began at the age of three. Her professional training began at the age of thirteen in the ballet program at the NC School of the Arts (NCSA). She studied from dance legends, Melissa Hayden, Mel Tomlinson, Frank Smith, and others. Tondalaya also enjoys Musical Theater. Her credits include “Oklahoma,” “Anything Goes,” “West Side Story,” “Hello Dolly,” and Raleigh’s “A Christmas Carol.” Tondalaya studied at East Carolina University on a scholarship in the dance program. From there she began to teach in local schools until she opened Cary Dance Productions in 1995. Tondalaya continues to study through national workshops affiliated with NYCDA, Tremaine, WCDE, and JUMP, to name a few. Next to her children, Peyton and Monroe, she considers CDP to be one of her greatest blessings.

Jessica McMillan (studio manager)

Jessica began dancing at age six in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Upon moving to North Carolina she enrolled in all genres of dance under CDP owner, Tondalaya Pearson. Jessica was part of the CDP Competitive Company for 8 years and continued her training in New York City under the Broadway Dance Center internship program. After choreographing her first award-winning piece during her senior year of high school, she was hooked, and has been choreographing for CDP ever since. After 10 years in Los Angeles, Jessica is back in NC and serves as one of our competitive team directors, manages our accounts, helps with schedules, and oversees lots of CDP communication. You’ll likely be hearing from her soon 🙂

Ashley Wade (instructor)

Ashley has been dancing since she was 3 years old! After moving several times and attending different studios throughout Virginia, she moved to North Carolina and began dancing at Cary Dance Productions. She continued dancing there from age 10 on and went on to major in Dance Performance (with a concentration in Jazz) at East Carolina University. This is her 15th year teaching at CDP and she continues to share her passion of movement and music with her students while growing and learning right alongside them! She loves being able to share this 2nd home with family; her husband (who enjoys helping as a prop dad) and their two daughters, Evie and Mollie, who love dancing competitively on CDP’s companies!

Jessica Judd (instructor)

Jessica Judd began dancing at the age of 5, and luckily her training as a competitive dancer started at Cary Dance Productions! She has loved every minute of her evolving dance career from student-teaching, being a member of the competitive company, and choreographing through high school and college! During her years at East Carolina University she interned for the New York City at Broadway Dance Center professional summer semester! She has trained in jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical, and jazz funk. During her 14 years of competing regionally, nationally, and in many conventions Jessica always knew she was passionate about choreographing and instructing the beautiful art of dance. She graduated from East Carolina University in 2016 and never left CDP. Her training as a teacher continued while she assisted under many well-known, remarkable choreographers. Jessica’s favorite part of her job is the inspiration she gets from watching her students and co-workers (who she considers family) grow, learn, and achieve their goals!

Andrea Crews (instructor)

Originally from Charlotte NC, Andrea Crews is a dancer and choreographer that has been educating students in the art of dance for 18yrs. She trains in all forms of dance but especially enjoys tap, hip hop, and contemporary. Her greatest passion is seeing a student achieve their goals while having the confidence to try something new. She truly believes that anything is possible if you believe! Her motto is that teamwork makes the dream work!

Laura Creech (instructor + program manager)

Laura Creech recently returned to North Carolina to continue teaching, performing and choreographing. By way of a scholarship, she holds a BFA degree in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. As a Performing Dance Company member, she was chosen to perform modern repertoire pieces and co-choreograph. Upon graduation, Laura has been fortunate enough to teach her studio students in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland for the past 8 years. She earned her Acrobatic Arts certification and has seen her dancers’ confidence, strength, overall technique, and flexibility soar with the addition of this style. In addition to a life-long dance education from the age of 4, Laura has completed her 230-hr Yoga Teacher Training certification, further informing a nurturing teaching style she brings to both growing and pre-professional learners alike. Miss Laura is so excited to create connections and train the next generation of informed, technically proficient, and passionate dancers!

Ashlynn Davis (social media manager)

Ashlynn Davis recently graduated from Meredith College studying Communications, specifically Public Relations and Dance, specifically Private Studio Teaching. She is so excited to have been welcomed back at Cary Dance Productions to teach. Ashlynn has been dancing her whole life, with 7 years being at Cary Dance Productions. Upon graduation, Ashlynn went on to choreograph, teach, and perform with the Meredith Dance Theater and Meredith Jazz & Tap Ensemble. Ashlynn helps with many projects around the studio and manages our social media accounts (shout her out!). Her fun loving spirit and passion for dance is contagious – she can’t wait to dance with you!

Anne-Catherine Rossi (instructor)

Anne-Catherine grew up dancing and competing with CDP and couldn’t wait to come back after graduating! While she loves all dance styles, her favorite genre to teach and perform is tap. She recently received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at Appalachian State University in Elementary Education and now teaches fourth grade at Kingswood Elementary School, in Cary. Anne-Catherine has loved teaching dance since she was given the opportunity to do so as a student. “I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else!”

Kaity Ellis (RCC manager + instructor)

Kaity is an alum of CDP and a recent graduate from Hollins University where she received her B.F.A. in dance. During her time at Hollins, she had the opportunity to choreograph and perform contemporary solo performances and develop her thesis around a study of dance on screen. Kaity is a certified yoga instructor and loves to infuse her understanding of the body with her passion for creative expression. As an avid learner, she is excited to soak up inspiration from her peers, students, and teachers this season at CDP!

Mackenzi Bolyard-Pizaña (instructor)

Mackenzi began her technical dance and acrobatics training with Bourn Academy of Dance in Green, Ohio under the direction of Judy Bourn and her legacy family. Her training has extended learning Luigi and Fossi styles of jazz, Graham modern techniques, and tap and vocal performance in music theatre. Alongside dancing with the renowned competition team, she was a national soloist winner with Rising Star Talent, Showstopper Dance, Nexstar Dance, and countless other competitions.

Professionally, Mackenzi danced and trained in Cleveland with Trutek Dance Company and Lakeshore Ballet Company working both commercially and in contemporary concert repertoire. Later moving to Los Angeles, she trained under Chehon Wespi-TSchopp’s I Am Force Jazz Project, MaryAnnChavez & Monika Smith’s IMMABreathe (currently Lume Dance), Jessica Starr’s MusEfect, and the former Academy of Villains. Mackenzi performed as a main cast dancer with Shade Productions, various shows at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and an acrobat with Lucent Dossier.

After moving to Chicago in 2020 to further pursue her career, Mackenzi danced as a main company member with the Chicago Honey Bear Dancers, performed with concert company Identity Performing Arts, trained with RASA Dance Chicago under Van Collins and worked as an independent acrobat. For the past 14 years she has also worked as a choreographer, dance educator, and ambassador for various studios across the country teaching jazz, contemporary, acrobatics, technique and strength. Mackenzi is currently faculty member with Activate Your Artistry Convention, and an associate show director, choreographer, and faculty for the renowned Showstopper Dance

Ava Sturzebecher (front desk + instructor)

Ava Sturzebecher is a CDP Alum where she danced competitively growing up and a recent Meredith College graduate where she received her B.A. in dance. She was also a committed member of the NC State Dance Team for four years and took part in their 1st place ACC Gameday championship. Ava is a welcoming and supportive teacher who cannot wait to see her students grow. Her favorite style of dance is Jazz and her favorite thing to teach is Technique!

Jasmyn Judd (instructor)

I am Jasmyn Judd, former CDP dancer from age 3 to 13. I am so excited to join the CDP teaching team! At the age of 13 I had a knee injury resulting in years of Physical Therapy, including dry needling, massage, scare scraping and a lot of pain. This sparked an interest for me in the human body that has intrigued me for many years. Due to the experiences I gained from my personal injuries and recovery, I chose to dive deeper and gain more knowledge of the human body’s performance, stature, and musculature. I was a student athletic trainer all four years of high school, where I gained a lot of experience in the training of all different sports: cheerleading, football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, tennis, and more! This time helped me to navigate to my college career. I went to Meredith College and studied Exercise and Sport Sciences with a concentration in Health and Wellness. I completed my degree in three years and was able to practice this study while being a student. This included teaching fellow Meredith students fitness classes, training individuals with metabolic syndromes, and working in clinical settings! I am excited to join the CDP staff in offering ScienceFit Stretch and Sculpt here at the studio! In these classes, dancers will learn more about their bodies, improve their physical strength and gain an understanding of the mechanics of movement. The lesson plans will be backed by the science of kinesiology to benefit the dancers’ bodies and foster good technique, proper form and a stronger performance!

Sidney Griffin (front desk + instructor)

Sidney has been dancing for 15 years in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she has grown up her whole life. She is very passionate about all dance styles, but jazz is her favorite! She is attending Wake Tech Community College to work on her Associate in Arts! She is beyond excited to spread joy in the studio as she teaches and works around the studio! Dreams come true, as working in a studio has been one of her dreams since she was little!

Beth Rossi (head receptionist)

Jade Enns

GUEST ARTISTS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS: