meet the yas staff
OWNER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/LEAD CHOREOGRAPHER
Alli began dancing at age two and she quickly evolved into a competitive dancer by age eight. With extensive training in all genres, she has a particular passion for jazz & contemporary styles. She earned her bachelors degree in dance from the University of Alabama, where she was honored to be accepted into the prestigious Alabama Repertory Dance Theater.
Choreography has always been Alli’s passion. Her choreography has earned her numerous awards at the nation’s most prestigious competitions and conventions, including an esteemed national top Choreography award. She earned this distinction by outperforming hundreds of other talented choreographers. Her innovative routines have consistently propelled dancers to earning Top Honors and Grand Champion titles. Her expert level training has resulted in dancers winning National Dancers of the Year as well as multiple National Dancer of the Year Nominees.
After seven years as an artistic director at a local dance studio, Alli ventured out to pursue her life-long dream of owning and operating her own studio. Her vision extends beyond technical skill, focusing on the holistic development of dancers and nurturing their growth both on and off the stage. Alli brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to helping the next generation of dancers discover the artist within themselves!
Outside of her duties at Young Artist Space, Alli is also a judge and convention teacher for DTI Dance Competition, as well as a highly sought after outside choreographer for other dance studios in the area. Alli is currently pursuing her PBT & CBT certification to be able to offer an even more comprehensive & elite level training experience for the students she teachers.
OWNER/COMPANY DIRECTOR
Shena is a Co-Owner and the Company Director at Young Artist Space. She holds a Master’s degree in Secondary Language Arts from UAB and has four years of experience teaching middle school students, where she also coached the cheerleading and dance team.
Shena’s background includes owning and operating Gameday Girl Stuff and Shena B Clothing, which has given her valuable insight into costume design, creative processes, and business operations. Her lifelong passion for dance led her from being a dedicated Dance Mom to partnering with Alli and Liz to create & establish their own, distinctive dance studio.
Shena is committed to making the dance world a better & happier place & very much enjoys creating meaningful and lasting relationships with our dancers and their families. She also makes sure that our students feel welcome, loved, and appreciated. She enjoys creating time for the girls to hang out together and strengthen the relationships they have amongst themselves, as well.
ballet program director
Allana has a lifelong love of dance that began when she was three years old. She has studied multiple styles of dance, however, her primary focus and passion is ballet. Allana attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where she trained under Sonia Arova, Therese Laeger, and Thor Sutowski. This afforded her the opportunity to perform and tour with the Alabama Ballet. Later, she had the privilege of studying under Mrs. Barbara Baker, a founder of the Briarwood Ballet.
Allana continued her dance education at The University of Southern Mississippi and Florida International University in Miami while on scholarship. There she studied ballet, modern, and jazz. While at Southern Miss, she was a Co-Captain of the Dixie Darlings and also a member of the Southern Misses dance team. Through the years, Allana has coached four high school dance teams and was a member of the Universal Cheerleading Association Staff. She also studied the Revolutionary Principles of Movement in order to expand her teaching knowledge of ballet. Allana has extensive teaching experience and enjoyed teaching at Briarwood Ballet for over a decade, as well as several other studios throughout her career.
instructor - ballroom/jazz funk
Lauren has been a competitive and commercial dancer since the age of six. She grew up training at Dancetown Miami under the guidance of Manny and Lory Castro, where she received extensive instruction in Latin ballroom, jazz, contemporary, ballet, musical theatre, hip-hop, and more.
During her high school years, Lauren showcased her talents on major platforms, including World of Dance Season 3, America's Got Talent Season 16, and the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, where she performed alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. While training at Dancetown, Lauren had the privilege of working with renowned choreographers such as Al Blackstone, Teddy Forance, Talia Favia, Chaz Buzan, and more.
In addition to competing at regional and national events with her studio, she excelled in Latin ballroom competitions, competing in the Pro-Am category with her professional instructor, Ivan Mulyavka. Together, they earned numerous first-place awards, scholarships, and monetary prizes.
Currently, Lauren is a junior at the University of Alabama, where she continues to share her passion for dance through teaching, choreography, and performance with Dance Alabama! She
has choreographed and performed in several works selected by a panel of adjudicators for Dance Alabama!’s student-produced concerts, held at the end of each fall and spring semester. Lauren is
especially passionate about sharing her knowledge of ballroom dance with her students and peers.
Lauren teaches Ballroom and Jazz-Funk here at Young Artist Space. She is always fun, energetic, and we love that she brings ballroom into the classroom! The kids are always excited when Ms. Lauren is here teaching! Lauren will also be leading our adults ballroom dance events in the coming months! Stay tuned!
instructor
Lola teaches Hip-Hop, Leaps & Turns and our Convention Readiness Classes. She always brings energy, fun and kindness to the classroom. We are very excited to have her as part of the team!
Bio coming Soon!
REGISTER FOR AUDITION WEEK NOW!
Young Artist Space will hold our audition intensive week: The Workshop, June 2nd through June 5th. Company auditions will follow on June 6th. We have incredible teachers, lots of surprises, and special incentives for coming! Don't miss out!