Meet your Instructors

Our WELL and WyND program instructors and support staff are not only deeply passionate about dance, but they also genuinely care about our dancers' lives beyond the dance studio. They are dedicated to supporting each dancer's personal growth, encouraging them to flourish both in their art and in all other aspects of life.

WyND Program Director
Here are the statistics a bio is supposed to present. I began dance at the age of three. I've competitively danced for 13 years and professionally with Exhale and Whirlwind. I've choreographed hundreds and hundreds of dances for dancers of various levels. I've taught dance for movement and competition for 18 years. I completed 29,565 pirouettes and at least 23,725 battements, and all these statistics continue grow.
Want to know the me behind the statistics? A fire in the belly. A spring in my step. A comfort to my soul. All of these are true of dance. My world is better because of the innate joy that dance brings to my body. I doubt my mother knew what would happen when she took me to my first class. (I actually hid under her top, I was so afraid). But something clicked, and the world felt right. Dance took me through the good and the bad. It lifted me and moved with me. It enveloped me when the world crashed and rose. Dance shielded me from every storm, and I rest comfortably in its embrace still today. Don't think for a minute I teach because I can't dance. I teach because I need to pass on the fire that warms me still. I can remember the first time I competed; ask me, I'll show you the dance. Ask me any of the dances I've performed in my life. I can show them to you. I can dance all my sister's dances. I can show you the first dance I ever taught any one of my students, and I remember how well they did. Dance is not my life - I have three children and a spouse (sometimes 4 children), but I couldn't imagine a life without dance. As I continue my journey, I recognize the need to refine my own art moving toward aesthetic dance and dare I say it, dance purely as art for art's sake.
WyND culminates this idea of a life moving toward art, capturing beauty, and passing on the fire. I am happy to be here at its inception and am thrilled to start our third year together!

Administrative Director
Laura is thrilled to start her 4th year at The Well as Administrative Director and is excited to continue the journey in bringing a pre-professional dance program to Central Ohio with her longtime friend Tiffany. Laura retired from Victoria's Secret in 2014 as a Regional Manager where she oversaw all aspects of sales and operations for 10 districts and 100+ stores.
After a 27 year long career in retail management she took on the challenging and rewarding role as co-owner and Studio Director of the award winning dance studio, Dance 614 from 2013-2017. Laura studied vocal performance at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI where she was a member of the acclaimed vocal jazz ensemble "Gold Company". She also attended the prestigious Phil Mattson School of Music in Spokane, WA. Laura is currently on the Board of Directors and serving as Executive Secretary at Columbus' own Short North Stage a professional theatre company. Laura is so happy to continue this journey with The WyND Program at The Well!

WyND Too Instructor
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Mackenzie LaFlamme is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer who received her BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in Texas. Mackenzie is currently an apprentice with Columbus Dance Theatre and formerly a company member with Whirlwind Dance. She received her training from her mentor Tiffany Frost and Columbus Dance Theatre in genres such as Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, and Ballet. Mackenzie has had the opportunity to present her choreography at the American College Dance Association South-Central Conference as well as Whirlwind and WyND performances. She has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Laura Wade, Jan Erkert, Evelyn Toh, Hanna Bricston, Joshua Manculich and more. Mackenzie is thrilled to be directing the WyND Too's at the WELL and continuing her teaching for a third year.

Jazz Funk / Hip Hop Instructor
Callista Young is a professional dancer based in Atlanta, GA. Callista grew up going to conventions and dancing competitively at The Movement Center School of Dance. Throughout High School, she traveled with Hollywood Connection dance convention as an assistant and company member. After graduating from high school, she attended The Ohio State University as a dance minor and Dance Connections performance chair. Post college she moved to Atlanta, GA, and joined the adult training program at Xcel Studios. Since moving Callista has worked on professional jobs such as an Amazon Prime Pilot "Band," DaBaby music video "Judy," choreographed music videos (Honey & Blue & Jay?duhh), and was a bride in Armani Ortiz's award-winning "En El Bronx" part two. She hopes to continue working professionally as a dancer and actor and cannot wait to dance with you all at The WELL

Contemporary Instructor
Allie Rodriguez is a dancer and choreographer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University. She has been an artist with Whirlwind Dance Company since its debut in 2021 and has just completed her fourth season with the company.
As a performer, Allie has collaborated and performing works by renowned choreographers including Sidra Bell, Shen Wei, Hanna Brictson, Joshua Manculich, Terrill Mitchell, and Andy and Dionne Noble. She has performed in the Palm Desert Choreography Festival in 2023 performing Joshua Manculich’s the rate in which I am, and in Houston's Barnstorm Dance Festival in 2019 performing Rasika Borse’s Garba: A Circle of Celebration, and again in 2022 performing Morgan Sandlin’s spare me.
As a choreographer, she has showcased her works No.36, May I?, and *freudian slip during her time in undergrad. Most recently she had the opportunity to set a duet this will only take two minutes on the Main Company at WhirlWind.
She has been a sub and rotating teacher for The Well this past year and is excited to be on faculty at The Well this year!

Ballet Instructor
Sheena Kapila, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada, began dancing at the age of 2. After dancing competitively growing up, she attended Sam Houston State University to achieve both her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (2022) and Master of Fine Arts Degree (2025). She has had the opportunity to train with the Radio City Rockettes, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, School of Alberta ballet, Dance Italia and most recently with Noblemotion Dance Company. In her collegiate career she was fortunate enough to work with choreographers Joshua Manculich, Nicole von Arx, Dual Rivet, Take Ueyama, Andy Noble, Evelyn Toh, Francisco (Cisco) Graciano, Colette Kerwick and Gregory Dolbashian. Sheena is looking forward to being a Mover | Maker in Whirlwinds upcoming 25-26 season and beginning her teaching season at The WELL.

Musical Theatre Instructor
Rachel Courtney Franz is a professional musical theater performer and choreographer in the Columbus area. She graduated from the American Music & Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, where she lived and worked professionally for many years. She’s performed in many productions at Columbus’s own Short North Stage, including West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Rock of Ages, White Christmas, The Rocky Horror Show, Legally Blonde, and more. She was also the associate director/choreographer for The Prom at SNS. She’s choreographed a number of musicals at Grandview Heights high school including The Addams Family, Sound of Music, and The Little Mermaid. Dance has always been her biggest passion and she loves teaching the next generation how to perform to their fullest potential!

Tap Instructor
Morgan Shubeta is a dedicated dancer, instructor, and student currently pursuing a degree in Exercise Science at The Ohio State University with aspirations to become a Physical Therapist. With years of competitive dance experience and a strong background in leadership, Morgan combines technical training, artistry, and mentorship both inside and outside the studio.
Throughout high school, Morgan was a member of her school’s state champion dance team, ASH the company, and her high-voltage competition team. Specializing in tap, she has received mentorship and knowledge from her teachers Maud Arnold, JP Krick, Jason Samuel Smith, Valerie Rocky, Jenifer Shubeta, and Anthony Morigerato. Her passion for movement and performance has continued through the teaching of dance classes, where she encourages dancers to grow in confidence, discipline, and self-expression. Additionally, she is a part of the Dance Connection club at Ohio State, where she explores choreographing pieces and performing other student-made choreography.
Morgan’s background in exercise science further enhances her understanding of body mechanics, strength, conditioning, and injury prevention, allowing her to approach dance with both creativity and knowledge of human movement. She is passionate about inspiring others through dance while continuing to expand her education and experience within the health and performance fields.
Through leadership, performance, and instruction, Morgan strives to create a positive and motivating environment where dancers can thrive both technically and personally.

Instructor
Olivia Barner is a graduate from Slippery Rock University, where she earned BFA in Dance with a concentration in performance and choreography, as well as a BS in exercise science. Throughout her college career, she has performed works by Martha Graham, Samantha Baker, Lindsay Viatori, Jennifer Keller, Jaya Mani, Matthew Shaffer and many of her peers. Olivia is currently dancing professionally with WhirlWind Dance Company in Columbus, OH, under the direction of Joshua Manculich. Olivia has had the opportunity to perform all over the country; she is the recipient of numerous performance awards and accolades, and has presented or performed work at Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Series, The American College Dance Association Conference, Koresh Dance Company’s Come Together Festival, and Ascendance Choreography Showcase. Olivia has also been named one of Mercer County's 30 most influential people under 40 years old by the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce (Pennsylvania). In addition to dancing professionally, Olivia is also an experienced dance educator and choreographer. Her choreography has been recognized and honored both regionally and nationally. Most recently, Olivia has co-founded publishing company Livington Books and co-wrote Livington's Ballet Dictionary for Children, which is sold at Barnes & Noble and Target, and on Amazon.

Little Movers Instructor
Maggie Derr started dancing at the age of three at Straub dance center and more than 30 years later she is proud and thrilled to be back in the studio with her friend Tiffany Frost. She trained primarily in ballet, tap and jazz and is excited to be bringing her love of dance to the little humans at The Well and surrounding community.
Maggie has taught dance for over ten years at Dance 614, Infusion Dance and Broadway Bound. She specializes in instruction of our smallest creative movers. She has danced professionally traveling the US with the AFL (Arena Football League) and locally in Columbus with various event groups. Maggie is also an Experienced social media and marketing strategist with a passion for creating captivating content and implementing strategies to elevate brands. Dedicated to storytelling, building brands and driving results. Maggie creates impactful strategies and content to resonate with our audience.
Maggie was born and raised in Central Ohio and now lives in Gahanna with her husband Tyler, and two children, Josephine, and Henry.

Sarah Sinclair is from Cape Coral, Florida, and graduated in May 2024 from Troy University with her Bachelor in Fine Arts in Dance. Sarah is dancing and training professionally with WhirlWind Dance Company based in Columbus, Ohio! She received her Pilates Mat and Reformer certification from Breathe Education in 2025. She currently teaches Pilates at CHI Heated Mat Pilates and The Pilates Studio in Columbus, Ohio. Sarah has received professional training from various intensives, workshops, and festivals from companies around the U.S. and abroad such as the DAP Festival in Pietrasanta, Italy, Limón, Salt Contemporary Dance, WhirlWind Dance Company, Houston Contemporary Dance, FLOCKWORKS, and Staibdance in Sant’Agata and Sorrento, Italy! She has trained with and performed works by artists like Peter Chu, George Staib, Chalvar Monteiro, Take Ueyama, Kelsey Metz, Alexis Capareda, Natasha Adorlee, Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, James Boyd, Adrienne Hicks, Dominque Angel, and Morgan Sandlin.
Sarah has taught dance to kids ages 2-17 in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio. Over the past 3 summers, Sarah has been a camp counselor and dance instructor at American Dance Training Camps in Austin, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, and Lake Forest, Illinois! Sarah is so excited to continue assisting and teaching at The Well for her second year!

Hip Hop Instructor
Augus is in his second season as a Mover | Maker with Whirlwind Dance
He graduated from Denison University in 2024 with B.A. in Dance and Psychology.
His movements are heavily influenced by Hip Hop aesthetics.
Aside from dance, he is pursuing a career in psychology.

Contemporary Instructor & Marketing Support Specialist
Morgan Sandlin is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher with a BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University. She is currently based out of Columbus, OH, working as a sports massage therapist, chiropractic assistant, and dance teacher alongside producing her own choreography both locally and nationally. Morgan has presented work across the U.S., including Barnstrom Dance Festival (HTX), Houston Fringe Festival (HTX), 5x7 Dance Festival (ATX), Big Muddy ScreenDance 2021, and Dance Work Chicago’s DanceChance. She was a 2022 recipient of Aimed Dance Company’s Emerging Choreographer Fellowship, resulting in her piece, i beg your PARdon?, premiering at the company’s Summer Fest in 2022, as well as being commissioned by Bellingham Repertory Dance to reset her stage work, spare me, for the company’s fall 2022 season. As a performer, Sandlin is one of the original members of Joshua Manculich’s WhirlWind Dance Company (HTX 2021), as well as working with Andrew and Dionne Noble, Adele Nickel, and Donald Shorter Jr. during her time at SHSU. She is now Assistant Director of the Columbus based dance company WhirlWind Dance for their 25-26 season and continues to perform her own work as well as collaborating with fellow artists locally.

Little Movers & Mini Company Instructor
Sarah Chavez is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, and has been dancing since five years old. She began training in many dance styles, but emphasized strongly in ballet, and became certified through Cecchetti Ballet Exam Grade Six. She received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Sarah has trained nationwide with prestigious companies and choreographers including Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company, Ballet West, SALT Contemporary Dance Company, and many more. She is particularly proud of her diverse, well rounded training and has had performance opportunities in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, and acro/contortion styles. Sarah has danced professionally with Quixotic Cirque Nouveau, Worlds of Fun Theme Park Entertainment, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and continues her dance career in Columbus with her second season with Whirlwind Contemporary Dance Company.
Sarah has been teaching and choreographing for the past seven years, and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the next generation of dancers!

Jazz Instructor
Conner Triplett is a dancer, choreographer, and educator born and raised in Newark, Ohio. He ventured into musical theatre at age ten and started training in dance at 13. Conner received his training at Joan Garrett Dance Arts of Newark and Infusion Dance of Worthington. He received many accolades as a student, including Mr. Dance of Ohio in 2016. He attended The Institute for American Musical Theatre in New York City, where he had the opportunity to train and perform works by many Broadway professionals. He performed with Broadway Dance Lab Connect and was on the faculty at American Dance Experience in Cheshire, Connecticut. Recently, Conner has been performing in many regional theatre productions, including Kinky Boots, Flashdance, 9 to 5, and Plaid Tidings. He is incredibly excited to be back in Columbus as a company member with Whirlwind Dance this year. He is eager to share the gift of dance and inspire others to find their inner star.