info@thedancehouseco.com

51 Ellis St #109, St. Augustine, FL 32095

Dance Classes in Saint Augustine

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+(904) 201-8919

Meet the Team

Our faculty is devoted to training excellent dancers while instilling the discipline, humility, and moral strength every parent hopes to see in their child.

Megan Bright

Artistic Director

Megan Bright is a dance educator originally from Wilmington, North Carolina. She trained at classical and contemporary conservatories across North Carolina and Florida, studying under mentors such as Jason Williams, Nick Dinicolangelo, and Wyatt Rocker. Her competitive experience includes elite circuits like The Dance Awards, NYCDA, and National Dance Honors. After relocating to Florida, Megan shifted her focus to dance pedagogy, earning certifications in the Vaganova Method through the Bolshoi Ballet Academy under Ekaterina Trunina and the Premiere Comprehensive Program with the Acro Dance Teachers Association under Melissa Klassen. Her teaching repertoire spans early childhood through pre-professional levels, with specialized training in DiscoverDance, the IDT Syllabus, The Godfrey Method, and more. Though personally invited by Teddy Forance to join the CLI Conservatory, Megan chose instead to build something of her own: a visionary studio dedicated to excellence. In 2020, Megan founded The Dancehouse & Co. where dancers refine their technique, grow their artistry, and train with intention. Today, Megan serves as a guest artist and choreographer throughout Florida while continuing to lead, mentor, and inspire her students right here at home.

Harrison Rustay

Director of Education
Harrison Rustay, an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator from Orlando, Florida, brings 20 years of experience to the dance community. He trained at Central Florida studios and renowned convention circuits like The Pulse, Jump, and Radix, earning scholarships as a Pulse Protégé and Radix Core Performer. Mentored by Orlando Ballet’s Israel Rodriguez and Katia Garza, he built a strong technical and artistic foundation. At 15, he joined Northwest Florida Ballet Academie’s summer program on scholarship, advancing his classical ballet expertise. An injury at 13 sparked his choreography career, leading to award-winning works, including a student choreography award at 15, in regional and national competitions. Currently, Harrison dances and choreographs for Free Movement Society, a professional dance company, works in management with Nexstar National Talent Competition, and teaches at top Central Florida studios like Xtreme Dance Studio and Performers Edge Dance Center. His teaching philosophy centers on pushing students beyond their preconceived limitations, guiding them toward a future where they are amazed by their own potential.

Lauren Hembree

Instructor

Originally from Oklahoma City, Lauren Hembree began her training under Lisa Webb at The Academy of Ballet and Theatre Arts, a pre-professional program rooted in the Vaganova method, which she has studied exclusively since the age of three. Lauren studied directly under numerous prestigious instructors including Edward Ellison, Gelsey Kirkland, Jolanta Valeikaite, and Misty Copeland. She has trained extensively through elite summer intensives at Tulsa Ballet, Ellison Ballet, and The Harid Conservatory. Lauren is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), and her teaching style emphasizes functional strength, targeted muscle engagement, and healthy flexibility. After relocating to Florida, she continued her dance journey as a member of the Flagler College Dance Team. Since 2021, Lauren has been shaping technically strong and artistically confident dancers at The Dancehouse & Co., grounded in her belief that great training begins with a supportive, student-centered relationship.

Jayden Burge

Instructor
Jayden Burge is a dancer and choreographer from Wheeling, West Virginia. She trained at Turn It Out Dance Academy in Bellaire, Ohio, under the expert mentorship of Mandy Doyle, a former Radio City Rockette, and Lacey Booth, a seasoned performer with Holland America Cruise Lines. With over 12 years of competitive experience, Jayden has performed at top conventions and competitions including Showstopper, Showbiz, Primetime, VIP, Ohio Dance Masters, Turn It Up, Starpower, Rising Star, Nextstar, Revel, and Radix. Her performance credits include appearances with the Wheeling Symphony and Broadway icon Sutton Foster. She also competed in Dancing with the Ohio Valley Stars (2023) and the OVAC Queen of Queens pageant (2024). After five years of teaching at Turn It Out Dance Academy, Jayden relocated to Florida to attend Flagler College. She believes dance is more than exceptional techinque and skillset; it’s about learning life skills such as time management, building resilience, and forming lifelong friendships. Jayden’s goal is to be the kind of mentor who truly sees her students, just as her own teachers once did for her.

Keri Ann Payne

Instructor

 Keri Ann Payne is a national award-winning choreographer and dance educator with over 15 years of experience. Originally from North Alabama, she relocated to St. Augustine in 2020. She specializes in jazz, tap, and contemporary, and is certified in classical ballet through Dance Educators of America. Her choreography credits include numerous regional theater productions in Alabama and Tennessee, including Cabaret, Hairspray, Aladdin, Camp Rock, and Beauty and the Beast. Keri Ann is also a Walt Disney World cast alum, having appeared in a national commercial and currently serving as a member of the Disney College Program Alumni Association. In 2014, she founded The Factory Dance Productions in Cullman, Alabama, where she launched both the studio’s competitive dance program and the county’s first special needs dance program. Outside the studio, Keri Ann studied Broadcast Journalism at the University of North Alabama and worked as an on-air DJ for 104.3 WZYP and Q107.3. She most recently completed a three-year national tour with Beyond The Stars Dance Competition, serving as DJ, emcee, and audio engineer. In addition to her work in dance, Keri Ann is a full time preschool teacher and a certified lifeguard through the American Red Cross. She brings energy, creativity, and a deep commitment to making dance accessible and empowering for every student she teaches.

Chloe Rivenbark

Instructor
Chloe Rivenbark grew up dancing in Wilmington, North Carolina, after starting her training at the age of five. She competed throughout growing up in Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Hip Hop, and Acro. After high school, she was accepted into East Carolina University’s Dance Performance and Choreography program, where her senior choreography project earned the prestigious Undergraduate Research in the Creative Arts grant. Now based in Florida, Chloe is a company member with the professional dance group Emily Cargill and Dancers. She’s passionate about connecting through movement and is so excited to be expanding her dance family here at The Dancehouse & Co.

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Our mission is simple: to develop dancers of the highest caliber who lead themselves with discipline, serve others with humility, and rise together with integrity.

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