Our Staff

Dakota first started dancing at the age of 3. After her first ballet class she went home and wouldn't stop telling her parents how much she loved it. She has been dancing ever since. Her love has only grown over the years, with the many experiences and opportunities she's been given. Most recently, Dakota worked alongside the Radio City Rockettes in NYC for their summer program. She has danced for the Orlando Solar Bears dance team and has filled the role as captain for both her high school and college dance teams. This will be Dakota's second year teaching with 3D Motion Dance and she can't wait for what is in store this season!

Zhanna is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, where she trained from the famed Vagonova Ballet Academy, and graduated with Honors in 1968. She studied with the renowned O. Yordan and V. Kostrovitskaya. For over 20 years Zhanna was a soloist with the Choreographic Miniatures Company led by L. Yacobson and the Maly Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Michailovski Theatre). She has worked with international acclaimed choreographers such as Y. Yacobson, I. Belsky, N Boyarchikov, O. Vinogradov, and B. Eifman. Her performances have been seen throughout the world – from Europe to Asia. She is an accomplished ballerina with recognition in classical, contemporary, modern and character ballets such as: Swan Lake, Paquita, La Corsaire, Giselle, La Sylphide, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, The Hooligans, Serenade, and Theme and Variations.

Zhanna has been invited as a master teacher and choreographer to stage classical ballets such as Giselle, La Sylphide, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Paquita, and Swan Lake for major companies (including Colorado Ballet) and competitions throughout the United States and Europe. Since 1998 she has assumed the role of Artistic Director for Salt Creek Ballet – and has stage all productions for the pre-professional company. Under her direction, Salt Creek Ballet has also become recognized as one of the leading pre-professional ballet companies in the Regional Dance America Festival.

She is internationally respected and known for her preservation of the purity, musicality, and aesthetics of the Russian classical ballet technique and traditions. Today, her students perform worldwide in major dance companies. Many have gone on to teaching, choreographing, and staging ballets nationally and internationally.

Courtney is a professional dancer, instructor and choreographer with over 15 years of experience in the dance industry. She trained and danced competitively in the Orlando area from ages 6-19. After her competitive journey came to an end, Courtney furthered her training in NYC at Joffrey Ballet School in the jazz/contemporary program. Since Courtney has returned to Orlando, she has taught at various studios as well as working at Universal Studios Orlando & Universal’s Epic Universe as a professional dancer. Courtney specializes in leaps & turns, jazz and contemporary, but can also teach acrobatics. She is very passionate about creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for all levels!

Blayke Adkinson is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and competition judge with over eight years of experience in the dance industry. Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, she grew up as a competitive dancer before earning her BFA in Dance from Troy University.

Blayke has performed lead roles with Sea World Orlando—featured in productions such as Cirque Xceleration and the Sesame Street Parades—as well as with Sideways Contemporary Dance Company and Fuerta Contemporary Dance Company. She has also performed as a soloist at both the CDC Festival and the Alabama Dance Festival, showcasing her versatility and technical artistry on professional stages.

Throughout her career, Blayke has had the opportunity to train under and perform works by renowned choreographers including Teddy Forance, Tyce Diorio, Dante Puleio (Artistic Director of Limón Dance Company), Thang Dao, Takehiro Ueyama, Dominique Angel, and Kathryn McCormick. These experiences have deeply influenced her artistic voice and choreographic style.

Now based in Orlando, Florida, she shares her passion for dance as an educator and mentor, choreographing award-winning routines for dancers ages 5–18. As a seasoned competition judge, Blayke is known for providing thoughtful, encouraging feedback that inspires young dancers across the country.

Whether performing, teaching, or adjudicating, Blayke brings professionalism, passion, and a deep love for the art of dance.

Emily is the Performance Team Lead and one of the Competition Team Leaders at 3D Motion Dance Center. A former member of the studio’s competition team, she competed for eleven years before joining the teaching staff in 2022. Her training includes hip hop, jazz, acrobatics, ballet, lyrical, and contemporary.

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Emily works with dancers ages three through eighteen across recreational, performance, and competition programs. Passionate about making dance accessible, she adapts her instruction to students of varying ages, abilities, and experience levels and has helped build and expand 3D’s Performance Team and hip hop programs. Her competition choreography has earned first overall placements for solos, duets, and groups, as well as special awards and judges’ recognition.

Emily graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Nicole is an entrepreneur, professional dance teacher and choreographer with over 20 years of experience in the dance industry. She is based in Orlando, FL, and is the owner and director of Hell on Heels, Inc. Nicole specializes in jazz, jazz funk, hip hop, heels dance, lyrical & contemporary styles.Growing up, Nicole trained & danced competitively at prestigious studios like Rolann’s School of the Dance in Longwood, Florida bringing in multiple national titles and first overall placements.She has extensive experience teaching dance classes, choreographing dynamic routines, and maintaining high-energy classes. Nicole has also performed as a professional dancer with the Orlando Magic Basketball Team for 7 seasons as a team captain and the Orlando Predators Prowler dance team, showcasing her talents in front of thousands of fans and engaging with the community as an ambassador. She also choreographed many routines performed throughout the season; some performed at playoffs! During her time dancing professionally, Nicole was chosen to represent the Orlando Magic at the NBA’s Allstar Weekend in New Orleans backup dancing for artists like Joe Jonas, Remy Ma & Fat Joe with guests like Beyonce & Jay-Z sitting in the audience.Nicole has also performed styles like ballroom, latin & partnering on Telemundo’s “El Artista” (similar to American Idol) dancing with artists like Luis Fonsi.In addition to her dance career, Nicole is a licensed insurance agent with USHEALTH Advisors - The Insurance Couple, Inc., where she has achieved over $2 million in sales. Her skills also include social media influence, content creation, team management, and recruiting.

Nicole received her dance training from prestigious institutions such as Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, Millennium Dance Complex, and the Debbie Allen School of Dance. She has worked with Break The Floor Productions, JUMP, and Nuvo dance conventions, assisting faculty with all levels of classes and managing backstage operations.

Nicole attended the University of Central Florida before moving to New York to broaden her dance career. After getting married, and settling into her career, she chose to move back to Florida to continue to inspire and mentor dancers through her teaching and choreography.

Ms. Lauren has been classically trained in dance since the age of four and spent years as a competitive dancer, earning multiple national titles, prestigious scholarships, and performance awards. A former dancer at 3D Motion Dance Center, she is excited to return to the studio in a new role as an instructor, sharing her passion and experience with the next generation of dancers.

Now a Division I cheerleader at Stetson University, Ms. Lauren continues to pursue her love for performance while inspiring her students to build confidence, strengthen their technique, and discover their own love for dance. She is thrilled to be back where her journey began and to help her dancers shine both on and off the stage!

Shana Parrott is a Florida native and has worked as a Performing Arts Educator for over 18 years. She is a Broadway Dance Center Professional Semester Alumni and has trained under top industry professionals also at Steps, Peri Dance, Millennium Dance Complex, Movement Lifestyle and The Actors Studio. As an educator, performer and choreographer she has worked with: award winning dance studios, performed & choreographed in the Tri State Area, taught specialized workshops, sung in bands & on worship teams, worked in the fitness industry and has directed multiple youth theatre productions.

Her goal when teaching is to not only educate and nurture a child’s passion but help them gain confidence in themselves & their gifts. She strives to create a space where all her students feel respected and safe to be themselves so they can focus on honing their art. Shana believes anyone no matter their age is capable of learning to dance, sing and act; as long as they believe in themselves.

When she’s not teaching, Shana is raising her 2 children with her husband, possibly has her nose in a good book or is spending time in nature. Ms. Shana is so excited to be returning back to 3D Motion and can’t wait to work with your children!