Meet The Team

›Megan BrightOwner & Operator

Megan Bright is a dance educator and the founder of The Dancehouse & Co. in St. Augustine, Florida. She grew up dancing in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she trained with a pre-professional competitive company. After moving to Florida, she trained across Orlando and on the convention circuit, including NUVO, 24 Seven, Radix, NYCDA and Adrenaline, with the goal of earning as many scholarships as possible so she could take every training opportunity she could get. Along the way, she studied under instructors and choreographers like Jason Williams, Nick Dinicolangelo, Wyatt Rocker and Ryan Kirby in her home studios.

In 2020, Teddy Forance personally invited Megan to join the CLI Conservatory. She turned it down to go to college and open The Dancehouse & Co. instead. While she built the studio, she earned her bachelor's degree in advertising from the University of Florida and worked for several marketing and operations agency start-ups, directly under their founders.

Megan is certified through the Bolshoi Ballet Academy's pre-ballet exam under Ekaterina Trunina and holds CLI Studios' Intro to Preschool Dance certification. She also trained extensively in the Acro Dance Teachers Association's Premiere Comprehensive Program under Melissa Klassen. She has been mentored by Karla Curatolo, owner of Expressenz Dance Center; Aly Slone, director of Club Dance; Jon and Chelsea Godfrey of the Godfrey Method; and many more. She has brought guest choreographers to The Dancehouse & Co., including Melissa "MJ" Jackson of the Revive Dance Convention faculty, Elena Espinoza of Stars Dance Studio in Miami and Aileen Arauz of Dance Town Miami.

Today, Megan's mission is to bring exceptional training to St. Johns County, so dancers can reach their full potential without traveling to other cities to find it. She's eager to create sustainable opportunities for dance educators, so they can devote their full time to teaching dance right here in St. Augustine for the betterment of our dancers' training. She continues to work as a guest artist and choreographer throughout Florida.

›Harrison RustayDirector of Education

Harrison Rustay is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator from Orlando, Florida, bringing 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. His teaching philosophy centers on pushing students beyond their preconceived limitations, guiding them toward a future where they are amazed by their own potential.

›Jayden BurgeLead 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 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 dance experience, Jayden has performed at conventions and competitions across the country, as well as 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, where she studies Graphic Design with a minor in Advertising. She is a Level 1 AcroTrix Certified Instructor and a MUV Method Level 1 Certified Instructor. In addition to teaching and choreographing, Jayden is the author and illustrator of the children's book The Garden Inside Me, inspired by her love of encouraging young girls to recognize their own strengths.

Jayden believes dance is about more than exceptional technique and skill; it is about learning life skills, building confidence, developing resilience, and forming lifelong friendships. Her goal is to be the kind of mentor who truly sees her students and helps them grow both inside and outside the studio, just as her own teachers once did for her.

›Lauren HembreeBallet 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.