Dance Instructors
Christina DeLessio-Sapone
Artistic Director
Christina Sapone is a native Nevadan and began dancing when she was three years old. She specializes in contemporary, lyrical, turns and progressions, ballet, pointe, pas de deux, and jazz. She grew up in the competitive dance world and always dreamed of owning her own studio. Christina is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in social work and a minor in dance. She was a member of the UNLV Rebel Girls in 2006.
In 2010, Christina and her mom, Christine, set out on the journey of a lifetime… Step Up Dance Academy. As the owner and artistic director of Step Up Dance Academy, Christina’s choreography and the technical ability of her students has distinguished itself as a nationally recognized program. Recently, Step Up Academy was recognized as the Top Las Vegas Studio and awarded the Top Studio title at every regional event attended. Christina’s choreography has placed in the top ten at every regional and national competition.
Many of Christina’s current and former students are working professionally in the industry and have won many prestigious titles such as Top International Icon (winning trips to Paris, Orlando, New York), Outstanding Dancer, full-ride scholarships to the Rockettes training program, Point Park, AMDA, and the Joffrey Company. Her former students can be seen on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, Fantasy, Awakening, Mayfair Supper Club, Disneyland, and so much more.
As a business owner, Christine and Christina have been recognized in several top business awards. Christina was a finalist for the 2017 My Vegas Top 100 Women. Christine and Christina have been nominated for three Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards.
Passionate about philanthropy, Christina is also the founder of the Twinkle Toez Foundation which has provided over 100 low income students access to dance education. Christina believes that the youth of Nevada are the future of Nevada. In addition to providing a safe, nurturing place for students to participate in arts programs after school, can you think of a better place to hang out?
Jessica Reely Cantu
Dance instructor
Gregory Filler
Dance Instructor
Sean Cronin
Dance Instructor
Amy Thompson
Dance instructor
Jake Phillips
Dance Instructor
Eric Lobenberg
Dance Instructor
Eric Lobenberg began his dance journey at the age of 14. After graduating from The Las Vegas Academy, he attended Point Park University where he attained his BFA in Modern Dance under the direction of Ruben Graciani. While at Point Park Eric had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Sonya Teyeh, Alexandra Damiani, Jessica Hendricks, Adam Houghland, Garfield Lemonius, and many more.
While in school, he began working professionally with Pittsburgh based companies such as The Blanket as well as Shana Simmons Dance. Eric has also worked with Joshua Beamish’s MOVETHECOMPANY in NYC and Dark Circles Contemporary Dance in Dallas, TX where he worked with choreographers Sidra Bell, Mark Caserta, Mikey Morado and more.
He now resides in Las Vegas as a teacher, choreographer, and fitness instructor where he shares his love for physical movement and creativity.
Desiree Lee
Dance Instructor
Desiree Lee was born and raised in Orange County, CA. She began dancing at age 7. She trained in Huntington Beach with Anthony and Terri Sellars and Keith and Linda Clifton. She also trained with Pennsylvania Ballet summer intensives.
In high school, she earned a full dance scholarship to Chapman University. Desiree received her BA in Movement and Exercise Science with an emphasis in Dance and graduated with two teaching credentials. In 1999, she earned her Master’s in Education also from Chapman.
Desiree was a principal dancer with Ballet Repertory Theatre in Huntington Beach for over 10 years. She also traveled as a guest artist with Rio Grande Valley Ballet for 10 years. Lead roles included Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Nikya in La Bayadere, Kitri in Don Quixote, Swan Leader in Swan Lake, Peasant Pas De Deux in Giselle, and Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty.
Desiree taught ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, and competition teams for 10 years in Orange County. In 2000, she and her family relocated to Las Vegas, NV. Currently, Desiree is a teacher at Faith Lutheran High School. She was a founding teacher of their Fine Arts Conservatory and heads the ballet and dance classes for all dance majors. She has taught at Faith Lutheran for the past 8 years.
Many of Desiree’s students have gone on to dance professionally at such prestigious companies as Cirque du Soleil, Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Julliard School for the Arts, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.
McKena Silva
Dance Instructor
McKena Silva is a proud native of Casper, Wyoming where she began her dance training at a young age. McKena continued to train and compete in dance and theatre going on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Dance from Millikin University in 2019.
Recently, McKena taught in Chicago, Illinois and was on faculty for Dovetail Dance Studios and Tutu School Chicago. McKena has taught dance in a variety of styles at schools across the nation including Wyoming, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, Georgia, and Indiana.
Some of McKena’s professional credits include Gloria Thorpe in Damn Yankees, Urleen in Footloose, Smarty Marty in Beach Blanket Beagle, Sister Mary Lazarus in Sister Act, and Morgan Pierce in Chelsea Sunrise, a new musical from the minds of Canadian rock stars Murray Foster and Mike Ford for which McKena was also the original choreographer.
McKena is a nationally award-winning choreographer for her work in competitive dance and has served as associate choreographer for productions of Heathers and Nice Work If You Can Get It. In the summer of 2020, McKena was awarded Chicago’s FAME award for her success as a performer and choreographer. McKena is the founder of Red Velvet Reels, a choreography service for the non-dancer in the musical theatre world.
Kersten Barajas
Dance Instructor
Kersten Barajas has been dancing from the age of 3. She is originally from Dubuque, IA and has 18 years teaching and choreographing experience. At age 6, she began her classical ballet training at the Academy of Ballet, Tatiana Bechenova (Ballet Russe, Col. De Basil) Artistic Director. While at the Academy, Kersten performed in numerous full length ballets, stage productions, operas, gala events, and school tour productions. Kersten joined the local Irish dance school at age 12, Claddagh -McNulty School of Irish Dancers, Barb McNulty owner/director, under whom she competed to championship level and qualified for Oireachtas. During summers she traveled to expand her training to include these notable companies and instructors; Milwaukee Ballet, Illinois Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ethan Stiefel, Cameron Basden, Erich Yetter, Mary Price-Boday and Marina O’Rourke. Tap studies with Tony Coppola, jazz with Jay Franke, modern with John Pennington, as well as several world culture dance forms. Kersten has performed in and choreographed many high school and community musicals throughout her career, including at the Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Kersten attended Point Park University seeking her BFA in Ballet. After college, she performed at both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando for 3 years. While in Orlando, Kersten became the Florida Rose of Tralee and traveled to Ireland to compete in the top 32 of the Rose of Tralee International Pageant. After getting married in January 2010, Kersten followed her husband to Germany. While there, she taught ballet/pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical on Ramstein AFB and was an instructor for Tir Na Nog Irish Dance School, Mary Sweeney- Shane McAvinchey owner/directors as well as taught ballet/pointe, pas de deux, and jazz at Grace Studio, Jenny Riley-Doyle owner/director, where she was also an artist in residence. After returning to the United States she became an artist in residence and instructor for the Southern Dance Company, Carissa Taylor owner/director, teaching ballet, jazz, musical theater, liturgical, and Irish step. Kersten was also a model for destination wedding venues and boutiques in the Destin, Florida area. Her career then placed her in Texas with Set Apart Productions, Kevin Money owner, where she held many titles including artist in residence, instructor, choreographer, special events coordinator and academy director of dance and theater arts. Kersten was also a magician’s assistant to Scott Pepper, Magician’s Agency Theater San Antonio TX, running regular shows, headlining conventions and casinos, and performing at corporate events.
Kersten’s students have gone on to place in the top 10 at the Irish Dance World Championships, attend the Akademie Des Tanzes, Mannheim Germany, the Northwest Florida Ballet Academy, Ft. Walton Beach Florida, perform for the Spurs and Rampage, San Antonio Texas, and perform for the opening ceremonies of the Formula One Aramco United States Grand Prix, Austin Texas.
Alejandro Dominguez
Dance Instructor
Alejandro Dominguez is an AEA actor, dancer, and choreographer born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In his early professional career, he was part of the European Tour of the Latin Musical Baracatun and a dancer with the Neoclassical Ballet of Buenos Aires. He has also performed at the renowned “Fetes de Nuit 2006” in the Chateau du Versailles (France), and sailed the high seas working for Royal Caribbean, where he met his beautiful wife, Sarah Le Clear.
Since moving to Las Vegas in 2012, Alejandro has been seen in shows like Donn Arden’s Jubilee, Cirque du Soleil’s One Night for One Drop, Zombie Burlesque, Vegas! The show (Dance captain) and Donny & Marie. Most recently he was a featured ballroom dancer and Dance Captain in Baz! Star Crossed Love at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, and featured ballroom dancer for Conga, at the Fallsview Resort in Canada.
Alejandro was the choreographer of the US Premiere of the musical Satango, and also works as choreographer for companies like Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Lines.