Meet our Team
Kara discovered her love for dance in Akron, Ohio at the Dance Institute at The University of Akron. She studied as a full scholarship student at the School of Cleveland Ballet, graduated from the University of North Carolina School of The Arts, and received her B.A. in Psychology, B.F.A in Dance Performance and M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Akron. She went on to perform with The Ohio Ballet, The Eliot Feld Ballet, Long Island Dance Theater, The Washington Opera, Toledo Opera, and The Cleveland Opera companies. Kara is a faculty member in the School of Dance, Theater, and Arts Administration at The University of Akron, where she teaches courses in Dance Education and Ballet Technique. She is also a faculty member in the Joffrey Ballet School’s summer intensive programs. Kara recently co-authored a professional development series for teaching artists who work in K-12 settings and directed the dance activities for Akron Children's Hospital's Dancing For The Kids and the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival's children's interactive segments. Kara served on the Board of Directors for Summit Artspace and NEOS Dance Theatre and was a member of the Akron Symphony Orchestra's Education Committee, The University of Akron’s Arts and Culture Committee, and the Summit County Municipal Court's Citizen Academy. Kara currently serves on the Akron Public School's College and Career Academies steering committee and The University of Akron’s Arts Advancement committee and is a member of Leadership Akron’s Signature Class 39.
Kara Cea (She/Her)
Executive Director & Founder
Erica graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelors of Arts in Dance Education. During her time at the university she had the opportunity to perform in works by professionals from The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Hubbard Street Dance, Neos Dance Theatre, and Alexandre Munz’s S.A.F.E. Project and participated in community events with the Akron Children’s Hospital and the Rape Crisis Center.
Erica’s passion for quality dance education has led to some amazing experiences. She has attended the National Dance Education Organization’s national conference. She also attended intensive teacher training with the acclaimed National Dance Institute (NDI) in New York City as well as participated in NDI’s D.R.E.A.M Project for young dancers with disabilities. She has attended the Kennedy Center’s L.E.A.D Conference to learn about and advocate for accessible arts experiences as well as participated in workshops with AXIS Dance and Dance for Parkinson’s Disorder.
Erica Piper(She/Her)
Artistic Director
Lead Teaching Artist
Missy Marquette (She/Her)
Director of Operations
Missy Marquette began dancing at the tender age of 3. Growing up in Northwest Ohio, she studied at D&D Dance Studio and Becky’s School of Dance. It was in high school, when she found a love of teaching and choreography. She was hired as an instructor at age 15 working with preschoolers and also choreographed for her high school musicals.
She attended the University of Akron and graduated with a BA in Dance Performance with concentrations in Dance History and Dance Education. At the U of A, Missy performed with the Touring Ensemble, Choreographer’s Workshop and Repertory Dance Company. She has choreographed for Our Lady of the Elms Show Choir, Cuyahoga Falls MM’s auditions, Kent HS production of Oliver and Stow HS production of Beauty and the Beast. In 2001 she opened Marquette School of Dance(Grace in Motion) in Stow where she was the owner and director for 21 years. During this time she furthered her education in New York City by attending classes at the Broadway Dance Center and taking part in Broadway Master Classes with cast members from Aladdin, Lion King and Wicked. She has attended numerous conventions and has been a member of Rhee Gold’s International Dance Entrepreneurs Association. Endorsing and aligning with their code of ethics of quality dance education with maintaining age appropriateness, high standards and integrity in business customer service and classroom management. She also has been blessed to attend Gold’s DanceLife Teacher Conference and Business Owner’s Retreat. She loves her little family, her faith and all things farmhouse with a little Cleveland sports teams, writing and journaling and of course spending time at the beach!
Simon began studying music at the age of nine when he persuaded his mother to enroll him in piano lessons. A few years later he developed an interest in the guitar and eventually joined several bands as a teenager. After high school he attended Kent State and played piano for their Jazz Ensemble, ultimately graduating with a BS in Mathematics and Biology. Currently, he is the accompanist for Stow Community Church and the drummer for progressive rock band, Crown Kingdom. In his free time, Simon enjoys going on bike rides and playing tennis.
Simon Hunt (he/him)
Music Director &
Musician
Egan Ammerman (He/Him)
Musician
Morgan Ashley (they/them) is a professional wiggly person in Akron, Ohio. After earning their BFA in Dance from Kent State University, they served as the Lead Teaching Artist for GroundWorks DanceTheatre until their 2024 finale. Ashley has been dancing for 20 years; as a movement educator they are certified in physically integrated dance by Dancing Wheels Company, and they’ve taught every age from pre-K to senior adults. When they’re not teaching, Ashley is dancing with Ajayi Dance and learning Sign Language to engage with more students, always innovating new ways to share their passion for dance with diverse
communities.
Morgan Ashley (They/Them)
Lead Teaching Artist
Egan has been a professional musician, educator, and producer for the past 20 years. He attended Columbia College in Chicago, IL, and received his bachelor's degree in Music Composition and Performance. Egan is a versatile performer who has worked with multiple nationally touring musical groups and has been involved in a variety of recording and production projects. Currently, he lives in Akron, OH and is closely working with local talent groups and artists such as Weathervane Playhouse, The Balch Street Theater, Umojah Nation and Temple Israel to create a larger platform for the Akron Arts Community.
BIO COMING SOON!!!
Emma Cogar (She/Her)
Teaching Artist
Delaney Dunn started her dance training in third grade as a result of being awarded an after-school scholarship through ArtSparks. She was a member of TNT and XD and now holds an Intern position with the organization. As an Intern, Delaney has had the opportunity to choreograph and teach members of TNT, mentoring them as they prepare and perform in the Intern Showcase. Delaney studies multiple dance forms at Martell School of Dance, where she is also a scholarship student. Outside of dance, she enjoys other art forms, such as acting, singing, painting, photography, and sculpting.
Delaney Dunn (She/Her)
Intern Teaching Artist
Emily Kaplan is from Independence, Ohio. She is currently pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in dance at the University of Akron. Emily studied dance at Revolutions Dance Academy for fourteen years and competed for ten years. She continues to choreograph for RDA and dance with RhythmiCle Sound Tap Company. Emily is a co-teacher at ArtSparks and is excited to see what the future brings!
Emily Kaplan (She/Her)
Teaching Artist
Brittany Medlong is from Independence, Ohio. Her dance training began at the age of eight at Revolutions Dance Academy under the direction of Lisa and Tricia Bires. She continued her dance training at Baldwin Wallace University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communication Disorders and Dance. During her time at BWU, she had the opportunity to perform in pieces by Sara Whale and Gregory Daniels. After graduating from BWU, Brittany took on the role of a Teaching Artist when she taught integrated dance classes throughout Cleveland at The School of Dancing Wheels. Brittany had the opportunity to participate in professional development workshops with AXIS dance company, an integrated dance company, and Race Forward, a non profit organization that champions racial equity in the media. She also had the opportunity to attend The National Dance Institute’s “Dream Week” in New York City. Brittany is also a member of RhythmiCLE Sound Tap Company. She continues to expand her knowledge as a Teaching Artist and Communications Coordinator by attending professional development seminars, master classes, and conventions. Brittany loves sharing her passion for dance through ArtSparks!
Brittany Medlong (She/Her)
Early Childhood Education Coordinator, Communications Coordinator & Lead Teaching Artist
Coral Overly is from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania were she trained with the Seton Hill University Dance Academy throughout high school in: ballet, jazz, hip-hop, pointe, musical theatre, and modern. She continued her dance education at Slippery Rock University before transferring to Seton Hill
University for her bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration. Coral Overly has trained with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Community Program, BuildaBeast, The Millennium Complex Los Angeles, ArtÉmotion, Liz Guerrieri, Elly Shepley, and the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum. She is a big believer in continued education and has achieved multiple certifications throughout her career. Some of those include: Level 1 Ballet Syllabus through Global Ballet Teachers, 200 hour yoga certification through YogaRenew and Level 1 Stretch Solution through Muvmethod. Coral Overly is also a certified teacher for Once Upon a Ballet. She is always striving to continue to learn and pass on her knowledge to her students. Coral Overly is a member of the Cleveland Dance Project, and with them has performed in various styles such as contemporary, hip-hop, and jazz.
Coral Overly (She/Her)
Teaching Artist
Chloe J. Redman is currently pursuing a Masters of Art in Arts Administration from the University of Akron and is a recent graduate from the university's dance program earning a Bachelors of Fine Art in December, 2020. From age ten all the way through high-school, Chloe trained at the University of Akron's Dance Institute under the executive direction of former Cincinnati Ballet dancer Christina Foise. Chloe is the Advanced Teams Coordinator and a Teaching Artist with Artsparks, a ballet and pointe instructor at Martell School of Dance and a Second Year Graduate Assistant with The National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron. Chloe looks forward to knitting her love of dance and organization together as she works towards her advanced degree and continues to pursue teaching and performing for years to come.
Chloe Redman (She/Her)
Artistic Associate, Advanced Teams Coordinator & Lead Teaching Artist
Dan Shiller is a percussionist from Youngstown, OH. He completed his BM in Percussion at The University of Akron, and his MM in World Percussion at Oakland University. Dan specializes in world music traditions, including Ghanaian xylophone, Steel pan, and conga drumming. He has done two study abroad trips to Ghana, West Africa where he studied music and dance traditions. He has worked as an accompanist throughout his entire college career, including a trip to the Mark Morris Dance Center in New York to train as an accompanist. Dan also freelances as a percussionist and music teacher. "I thoroughly enjoy playing for the Dynamic Duo's class, seeing how these kids benefit from dance and music education is what makes what we do, worth it".
Allison discovered her love for the art of dance as a child. She continued her education at The University of Akron where she earned her BA in Dance with a Business Cognate. She has performed with The University of Akron Dance Company, Ballet in Cleveland, Denise Nahat's San Jose Ballet production of The Nutcracker at Playhouse Square, and Real Edge Dance Company. Allison has taught and choreographed for several studios throughout the State of Ohio, and has been acknowledged for her creative approach to choreography.
Dan Shiller (He/Him)
Musician
