Meet the Team

Dana Generette is a graduate of Winthrop University with a

Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She is a native of Sumter, SC where she trained for 16 years in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, and hip hop. Dana has won numerous dance scholarships and received high honors while performing all throughout the southeast region. While attending Winthrop, she was chosen to perform in several Winthrop Dance Theatre pieces and had the opportunity to attend

and perform at the American College Dance Association Regional Conference. She also served as captain of the Winthrop University dance team. While finishing her degree, Dana was selected to perform professionally as a Carolina Panthers Cheerleader.

Dana’s current role is Artistic Director, choreographer, instructor, and adjudicator. She travels and teaches at different studios in the southeast. She has completed Dance Teacher Certification from UNLV and certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Dana hopes that sharing her love for dance and knowledge of the arts will help inspire her students to become artist who never settle.

She believes that mindset training is just as important as dance training, and having a strong sense of focus and discipline will allow her students to accomplish their dreams. This is Dana’s 5th season with Ignite and she is excited to see all the wonderful talent grace the IGNITE Stage!

Lindsay Giedl is a choreographer, teacher, and dancer. She was a founding member of CADE:NCE – Contemporary African Dance Ensemble: New Conscious Explorations under the direction of Tamara Thomas. A graduate of The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, she can be seen in the indie film “The Last of RobinHood”, “Honey 4”, as well as Corey Smith’s music video “Honky Tonkin’ in My Blood”.

​Lindsay was the 2020 recipient for the PANDEMIC ATLANTA Choreographer search

with the City of Atlanta – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Her work was selected to participate in the Fall for Fall Dance Festival, a new socially distanced dance festival in

2020 and 2022. Lindsay was also the 2020-2021 recipient of the Kristel Rose Tedesco

Residency with Mathematics-in-Motion. Lindsay currently resides as the Dance Director at The Studio Athens and is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at The University of Georgia. She is a guest teacher for Roswell Dance Theater and Ballet Hispanico’s Professional Studies & Adult Program. In addition, she is on faculty with Ignite Dance Competition and Convention and is also a 500 hour Registered Yoga

Teacher. In 2023, she had the honor of working as the Rehearsal Assistant for the UGA x Martha Graham Dance Company Project and is currently choreographing for the UGA Theatre & Opera

Department. Lindsay is in her ninth season with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and is currently the Administrative Director/Faculty of the Summer Programs – Joffrey South and Joffrey Colorado.

Rep: Aligned Stars Agency | @lindsgiedl | lindsaygiedl.com

La'Brece Knox began dancing at the age of twelve years old. From there, he joined the competition team at New Attitude Performing Arts Center. You can see him taking the stage on America's Got Talent and becoming a quarterfinalist and finding new heights as a dancer. He then moved into doing contract dancing at King's Dominion and Cedar Point Roller Coaster Capital of America. There he was able to receive amazing and intense training with Debbie Allen, Twitch, and Wildabeast. La'Brece now is working as a dance instructor at Dance U and travels frequently for master classes and guest choreography. 

Kasie Auten is choreographer and studio owner based out of Charleston, South Carolina. She has lived in NYC and trained at BDC, Ailey, and Peridance as well as interned at Steps on Broadway. Kasie has helped develop teaching programs and competition companies at studios all over South Carolina. She held a position with Converse College as a teaching artist and co-director for the dance ensemble. Her passion lies in teaching her own dancers, guest teaching, and choreographing at studios and schools all over the east coast. She has guest taught at the Charleston School of the Arts, Rollings Middle School, SC dance festival, DMA regional conventions, Gear Up Dance Convention, choreographed for the Wando Highschool dance department, Charleston SMART camp, presented choreography in the SC research symposium, several DanceFX shows, and DanceAthens in Athens, GA. As a dancer, she performed in collaborations with artists in NYC and was a principal with the Charleston Dance Project for four seasons. Kasie is currently the proud owner and director of Creative Edge Dance Center, home to the award-winning “Edge Co” in Charleston, SC. She is also the co-director of a pre-professional modern company known as “Vibe” that is housed at CEDC. Her students are currently studying dance in college and dancing professionally in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, cruise ships around the world, and Broadway shows.

Jasmine Edney, a Columbia SC native, is the Owner and Artistic Director of Beyond Words Dance Academy and Beyond Words In-House Dance Convention. She's been dancing since the age of 3. There is debate among her family members as to whether she learned to dance before she learned to walk! That lifelong dancing spirit is evident in her teaching style, which is becoming a popular hit among studios in the southeast. Jasmine has the dance experience that makes her an asset, offering her teaching talents in jazz, tap, contemporary/lyrical, modern, musical theater, and hip hop.

Jasmine graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. She was a competitive dancer for 17 years and has spent the last 18 years teaching across the United States. Jasmine has studied under some of the most well-respected names in the dance profession such as Jason Parsons, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, “Nappy Tabbs,” Chris Judd, Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Shiela Barker, Justin Giles, William Starret, Debbie Roberts, Kimberly Langley, Angie Baker, Anne Richardson, and Charlie Connolly. In addition, Jasmine has traveled, assisted teaching, and helped with choreography with dancers including Shiela Barker, Kimberly Langley, Charlie Connolly, and Christopher Robbins. Jasmine has been involved in several dance companies, dancing for the following: Carolina Dance Center, South Carolina Performing Arts Center- Company One, and Palmetto Center for the Arts. Through that time, Jasmine received countless special awards and scholarships from dance conventions such as: New York City Dance Alliance, SHOCK the Intensive, Pacific Coast Dance Fest, Apollo LIVE, Ailey II, Savion Glover IMPROV, Jazz Dance World Congress, and Broadway Kids to name a few.

Jasmine continues to judge for national dance competitions and choreograph for studios in the southeast. She looks forward to continuing to share her passion for dance with future students in the upcoming years.

Jennifer grew up in Midlothian, Virginia where she began her early dance training at the age of 3. She is a graduate of George Mason University, with a B.A. Honors Degree in Dance and Studio Management. While at GMU, she was on the Masonette Dance Team and a member of the GMU Dance Company. Jennifer studied under Susan Shields, James Lepore, Linda Miller, and Elizabeth “Buffy” Price. During her time at GMU, she realized her passion for becoming a

dance educator. Upon graduation from GMU, Jennifer became the owner and artist director of Dance and Theatre Unlimited, in Powhatan, VA from 1998-2004. In 2004, Jennifer moved closer to home and became the owner and artistic director of Premiere Dance Academy in Chesterfield, VA. This will be her 27th year as a studio owner and dance educator, teaching ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, acro, lyrical, and hip hop to all ages. She has won many awards for her

outstanding choreography and teaching excellence. Jennifer was recognized in the November 2015 national publication of Dance Studio Life Magazine for her methods of incorporating dance history into the class room. Jennifer has a love for being a lifelong learner and is continually taking dance classes and attending dance educator workshops. Jennifer is a certified instructor in Alixa Flexibility (Module 1), as well as certified with Acrobatic Arts

(Module 1, 2, Aerials and Back Handsprings, Acrodance Adjudicator, and Acrodance Preschool) She is also an alumni of Karida Griffith’s Tap Teacher’s Lounge. She is truly honored to be a part of the Ignite team for her third year! When Jennifer is not in the studio, she loves spending time with her husband, Tony, and their 2 children.

Kristen, a Fort Wayne, IN native and graduate of UGA, has been dancing and performing for over 25 years. Beginning her training at the age of 6, Kristen’s mother always knew she was a natural-born performer. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, cheerleading, acrobatics, and classical voice/musical theatre. Kristen was a member of the nationally recognized UNLV Rebel Girls 

Competitive Dance Team. While attending the University of Georgia, she was a three-year member/captain of the UGA Dance Dawgs. Kristen also performed at UGA Football games as a member of the Red Coats Marching Band dance line, The  

Georgettes. 

From 2012-2017, Kristen performed as an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader. She led two seasons as Captain, was the 2017 Pro Bowl cheerleader representative, and awarded Cheerleader of the Year. In her last season, she performed at Super Bowl LI and married the love of her life! 

In her 9 years as Faculty at the Greater Atlanta Christian School of Ballet, Kristen started their Tap, Hip-Hop, and Acrobatic/Tumbling programs teaching various genres to kids ages 2-18. 

She has also worked with the GAC Spartanettes program for many years and became the Director of the competitive dance company from 2020-2022. Winning numerous choreography, costuming, and entertainment awards, Kristen is the Owner/Director of Kreative Movement Academy of Dance. A place where she can mentor those who aspire to dance at any level, from beginner to the collegiate and professional levels.

Xavier began his training in 2010 at Dance411, taking classes from the likes of Sean Bankhead, Codie Wiggins, and Jeremy Strong. His first professional art job came at the age of nineteen - Hip Hop dance teacher at Georgia Dance Conservatory. From the age of 19-24 he instructed and taught master classes at many studios and schools including Kennesaw State University, Brenau University, Atlanta Ballet, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, Duet Dance Academy, and more. In 2015 he was hired at Grayson High School as their Dance Director. In 2019 he began sharpening his skills in music and music theory. By 2020 he was composing musical scores for multiple dance companies including Emory University, ImmerseATL, Georgia Staib, Zoetic Dance Ensemble, and more. In 2020 he was hired as a professional dancer for T. Lang and had a 2-month residency with Dance Canvas under the direction of Angela Harris. He has also worked as choreographer for Grammy-nominated artist Jack Harlow and was a background dancer for Hip Hop artist B.O.B. In 2021 and 2022 he was a Field Director for Kanye West's DONDA one and DONDA 2. To date, Xavier has created two full length productions for Disney, one of which being in collaboration with Essence Festival in New Orleans. Xavier's Atlanta based dance company, VIAUNI, is currently on it's 3rd season.