Leslie grew up dancing with the Raleigh Civic Ballet and also trained at the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and at UNC-Greensboro. She has danced professionally with regional ballet and theatrical companies and has taught all levels and styles of dance for over 20 years in both private dance studios and public schools. Leslie and her husband founded and directed the Carolina Dance Company in North Carolina, a jazz company that earned a mention in Dance Magazine. Leslie also served as the Artistic Director of the Roanoke Ballet Theatre in Virginia, Dance Theater of New Bern's jazz company, and Olympia Children's Theatre in Florida, staging full length ballets, festival performances and competitive dance team events. Her students have won regional and national awards in competitions and pageants, been accepted into the high school program at North Carolina School of the Arts, and been awarded college scholarships for dance.

Lisa also danced with the Raleigh Civic Ballet before attending college at UNC-Chapel Hill where she performed with Carolina Dancers. After receiving a BA in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures, Lisa worked in radio and television in Raleigh, Durham, and Nashville, TN. Lisa's former position as administrative assistant for Franklin Academy Charter School has given her over six years of experience working with children and parents in the Wake Forest community.

From LA to London, New York to Chicago, Mark has performed with many greats such as Gregory Hines, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Warren Conover, Gus Giordano and many, many other performers. Mark has given master classes to thousands of students from coast to coast. As a North Carolina School of the Arts Alumni, Mark is proud to be working back in North Carolina. Mark gives instruction and coaching for dancing, singing, and acting. Working primarily with children and teens, the teaching style he uses is one that will not only put any artist on a fast track program toward achieving their goals, but also increase self confidence and personal growth, helping anyone, young or old, experienced or not, move rapidly toward being prepared for both performing opportunities and auditions. Mark works with those who are interested in entering the performing arts, those who want to consider a career, and professionals looking to expand their current horizons. "Never stop dreaming. If you can dream it, you can achieve it"

Matt Fields started taking tap and jazz classes when he was six years old and performed with Dance Theater of New Bern and Olympia Children's Theater for several years. While continuing to study tap independently, Matt performed with Bare Theater for three years in The Crucible, MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Matt also enjoyed three seasons of interactive, improvisational performances with the North Carolina Renaissance Festival. Matt studied martial arts for six years, earning a Red/Black Belt in karate from Daimyo Martial Arts in Tampa, Florida and also earned his 1st Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Doe from Black Belt World of Wake Forest. Performing with Gotta Dance in 2007/08, Matt's diverse talents were showcased in acting, improv, jazz, ballet, and tap. Burn the floor with Matt while learning a cutting edge style of percussive rhythm tap!

A native of Wake Forest, Emily has been dancing since the age of 5. She began her dance education under the instruction of Lee Beaman Grissom, a former Miss North Carolina titleholder. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, Emily danced competitively, receiving numerous awards and recognition such as Studio Dancer of the Year, Starpower Dance Ambassador in 2004, and several Overall High Score Solo awards. Throughout her career she has taken master classes from Raleigh to New York with dance greats Bill Hotaling, Savion Glover, and Desiree Robbins. Emily graduated this May from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an honors degree in Business Administration. During her time at UNC-CH she continued to dance with the jazz and lyrical group, Carolina Vibe, which performed at school and charity events. Emily could not be happier to join the staff of Gotta Dance so that she can continue to share her enthusiasm and love of DANCE!

Jake began his training at Nina's School of Dance in Durham, NC. After two years he joined Nina's Dance Company where he was instructed by Nina Wheeler, Bergen Wheeler, and Erin Wright. While with Nina's Dance Company he won many awards competing in multiple dance competitions, and was asked to be a dance ambassador for the years of 2006 & 2007 for Dance Troup Inc. Jake was accepted into the Contemporary Dance program at North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC where he studied with many notable instructors including Ethan Stiefel, Brenda Daniels, Susan McCullough, Trish Casey, Dianne Markham, and Sean Sullivan. Jake is thrilled to join the Gotta Dance family and looks forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with others in an art that he is so passionate about.

Riley O'Quinn began his career in dance at the tender age of thirteen. His self-taught break-dance and unique freestyle hip-hop talent was recognized and featured in a promotional debut for UNC-W's emerging dance program. Riley was trained in the full genre of hip-hop styles at Techniques in Motion under Kasi Lynch. He also trained under Joshua Allen, season four winner of "So You Think You Can Dance," and Gerard Heintz of Iconic Dance Crew. Riley appeared in an episode of the hit television series, One Tree Hill in which his physics-defying moves were highlighted. He has also appeared in Dawson's Creek, Summer Catch, and The Angel Doll to name a few. As a dance teacher and coach, Riley's students won top honors in multiple competitions. Riley's approach to dancing is like that of an athletic coach. Train for dance with the same passion and energy that you would use if you were training for a marathon.

Jenny Dameron, a Dramatic Soprano from Whiteville, North Carolina, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Peace College. She performs for audiences numbering in the thousands and has mastered various styles of singing, including classical, gospel, Broadway, and country. She has held titles for multiple Beauty Pageants and Talent competitions throughout North Carolina. In 2000, after winning the statewide Crimson Cross Talent Search, she received sponsored studio time at Coastal Recordings and recorded her first CD. During her high school years she was crowned Homecoming Queen as well as Miss South Columbus High School. Jenny's performance experience includes roles in numerous musicals, such as By Bye Birdie and Little Shop of Horrors. Jenny has also traveled throughout Europe with the Peace College Chamber singers and had the distinct honor of performing in renowned venues such as St. Peters Cathedral in Rome, the Duomo in Florence, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the Matisse Chapel in Nice, France. Jenny uses her passion for music, commitment to results, and relentless optimism to guide the careers of her students.