Jai Eastland is the proud of owner and Artistic Director of Excite Dance Company. Jai has been in the dance industry for over 30 years dancing for Disney, performing, entertaining and choreographing for various productions and training dancers into their professional careers. She is thrilled to be offering such a special opportunity to share her passion for the arts and movement with dancers right in the comfort of their schools. So many dancers do not have the opportunity to train at a studio due to time, money, convenience, etc so having the same quality instructors, for a fraction of the cost and brought directly to your students school, is the goal of Excite Dance and we are so thrilled your student is a part of it. Jai, along with her husband Brian, help run all the maintenance behind the scenes so definitely look out for them at performances and say hello. Jai has three sons who are also dancers & theatre majors in college, and they are also a huge part of the success of Excite Dance & Cheer. We are a military family, faith based, and so proud to serve the community in this way. We hope to meet each and every one of you.

Miss Mandi is a passionate dance instructor with 12 years of training in a variety of styles, including ballet, lyrical, hip hop, jazz, and poms. She now enjoys passing on her knowledge and love for dance. Mandi has experience teaching dancers of all ages and takes joy in helping each student grow in both skill and confidence. With a strong foundation in technique and creativity, she brings energy, patience, and positivity to every class. Teaching is her greatest passion because it allows her to share her love of dance, inspire young artists, and create a supportive space where students can express themselves and reach their full potential.

Ruby Messina is a 2x Dance Champion & awarded Professional, Pivot Dance Company Alum Soloist, 2 consecutive years 1st place award winning Young Champion of America choreographer. Ruby began dancing at 3 years of age, she has trained in multiple dance disciplines with various dance companies/ teams including Pom/Cheer growing up and through college. She has a double Major in Dance Performance/ Choreography & Dance Production (AA Dance & BFA Dance); Alma Matters: CSUF, IVC, UNLV with a Commercial Dance Certification from AMDA, Los Angeles. Ruby’s career in the dance industry has expanded to include work in TV/Commercial; Music Videos, Film, Concert, Events. Ruby’s dedication has affiliated Works as: Ambassador, Talent, Dance/Cheer Pom Coach, Dance Educator/Advisor, Dance on Film Director, Artistic Director, Film/Production Producer, Dance Technique Specialist, Competition Coach, Cheer/Dance Judge, Choreographer (Competitions, Shows/Events, Productions, Education). SYTYGT Season 2, Fast & Furious, She Goes To Hollywood, NBA Emirates, Gatorade, Adidas, Netflix, World of Dance, Cocoburry, Coco Chanel, UFC to name a few. Ruby Messina has contributed to her young community through Sports Advocacy and Dance on Films Collaborations.

Hi I am Hailey I have been dancing for 15 years and have always had a love for it. I am a senior and have been on my highschool dance team for 3 years. I can’t wait to share my love of dance with the students at EXCITE. A fun fact is that I also do barrel racing.

Hi, I’m Emma! I’ve been dancing for over 15 years and have trained in contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop at Center Stage Dance Academy and Dance Connection, where I competed and won many awards. I was also part of my middle and high school dance teams. Now as a dance teacher, I love sharing my passion and experience with students. Outside of dance, I’m studying nursing and enjoy barrel racing and training horses!

Originally from South Africa, Nadine Alexa Buys-Blackmore is a contemporary dance artist and teacher with a degree in Dance Pedagogy from the University of Cape Town. She has toured and performed internationally with acclaimed choreographers and companies, and now channels that experience into the classroom. Nadine’s teaching blends strong technical foundations with creative exploration, aiming to inspire the next generation of dancers to move with confidence, curiosity, and artistry.

Gwen-Renae’ was raised in Kansas City, Missouri and has always had a love for dance ever since the age of 3. She started training at Creative Movements in Shawnee Kansas at the age of 7. She spent 12 years at this dance studio training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, and tumbling. For 6 years Gwen taught a series of classes at her home studio teaching the younger combo classes and beginner hip hop classes as well. Over the years Gwen received many scholarships at different conventions and is an Alumni of the "Go Pro" through Talent On Parade. Gwen received a scholarship to Theater Arts Preparatory School in Las Vegas, Nevada where she is currently studying and training to continue her dance career.

Mr. Joshua has been dancing since the age of 2 and started teaching at the age of 14, winning multiple awards for dance and choreography in both regional and national competitions. He graduated from the University of Arizona School of Dance in 2022, where he was able to perform works from world-renowned dance companies including Keigwin + Companies “Megalopolis,” River North Dance Chicago “Habaneras: Music of Cuba,” and Paul Taylor Dance Companies “Colven Kingdom.” He also has trained with Giordano Dance Chicago, Limón Dance Company, and Summer Dance Sessions at their summer intensives. Most recently working as a cruise ship dancer on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas performing Showgirl: Past, Present, & Future, and Ballroom Fever. He recently moved to Las Vegas to continue his professional dance career and plans to continue teaching around the country, spreading joy through dance. Fun Facts: His favorite dance styles are jazz-funk, contemporary, and hip hop. He has a minor in Business Administration and his favorite place in the world is Vieques, Puerto Rico.

My name is Annika. I have been dancing for 13 years with professional training. When I was younger I danced with my brother in krump and from there as I got older that exposed me to hiphop, popping, and locking. From there around age 7 I fell in love with dance and explored more into different styles, like ballet, contemporary, jazz, modern dance, tap etc. I’ve trained in all of these styles for years and still do. Fun Facts - I love children - I can rollerblade - I am very good at painting and drawing - My initials are ABC :)

Sydney Carrigan, a Las Vegas native, is a professional dancer and educator. She trained at The Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre and pursued higher education at Point Park University earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She specializes in Jazz, Ballet, and Modern techniques. She continues to be a student of dance, starting with curiosity and diligence in movement research. Her class mission is to build an understanding of dance technique fundamentals and above all encourage students to live life artistically.

My name is Lena Mahavong. My passion is to help change lives in the most positive way. I love creating a safe and fun space for dancers to do what they love. I’m all about high energy and hard work. I’ve been coaching for over 10+ years now and I wouldn’t give it up for anything else in the world.

Sabine was born and raised in Las Vegas. She began her journey at the age of two and has been dancing ever since. She started off dancing at a studio called Summerlin Dance Academy and then moved to The Rock Center for Dance. You may know her from NBC World of Dance season two where she and her team “The Rock Company” performed all the way to the semi finals. She has also been in the Cirque du Soleil foundation show “One Night for One Drop” where she played the lead role “Drop”. Recently Sabine has been doing multiple concept videos and performances on some of the biggest stages in Las Vegas for example MGM arena, T-mobile arena and The Smith Center. Some fun facts about Sabine is she loves knit and bake cookies. When she was in school her favorite subject was always History. She can’t wait to meet you all!

Kelsie was born and raised in Kansas and found her passion for dance at the age of 11. She has trained in various styles of dance such as, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, lyrical, Acro, Musical Theater, and more. Kelsie is trained under Donnette Rothweiler, who studied under Marjorie Kelly with the Royal Academy of Ballet. Growing up competing, Kelsie received many tuition scholarships, special awards, and is even an Alumni of Talent on Parade GoPro, where she got to work with Solid Gold Performer Liezel Marie, Chip Abbott, Bart Doerfler, and many more. As a Sophomore in High School Kelsie received a scholarship to attend TAPS, a Theater Arts Preparatory School in Las Vegas, Nevada. After she graduated high school she moved to Vegas to pursue her career in dance.

Lucie May is a veteran in show business, with 20 years teaching experience she specializes in jazz, ballet, Irish dancing and hip hop. Originally from the UK, Lucie has travelled the globe with her dance career and performed on some of world’s most prestigious stages. Lucie builds confidence in her students and has a very unique teaching style focusing on strength, grace and posture.

My name is Jessica Bowen. I am 23 years old and I am originally from Nebraska where I fell in love with all things dance and choreography at a young age at my local dance studio. My training growing up included Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and my favorite, Hip Hop. By my early teens I was teaching and choreographing for my own classes at my home studio and have loved teaching ever since! I love the team work, discipline, mental and physical strength dance can help all ages develop all while also being fun and bringing joy. Since I was 17 I have traveled and trained at many studios, with many great and professional choreographers from the areas of Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, and now here in Vegas I am auditioning, performing, and training as much as I can and I am loving every minute of it! My favorite styles of dance to teach currently are Hip Hop, Lyrical, Acrobatics, and Jazz Funk. A fun fact about me is i have a white and brown cat named Toby!

My name is Abby Cork, and I am so excited to be apart of Excite for this upcoming season! I have been teaching dance for 3 years now, and so excited to continue my teaching journey! I trained at the amazing Theater Arts Preparatory School, and have been dancing professionally since. A fun fact about me is that I have been sawed in half over 100 times! I have a passion for dance, and I can’t wait to share that passion with others!

My name is Mikayla Jackson! I am the ultimate cheerleader! I have more than a decade of experience cheering and coaching young children. I really enjoy cheering, dancing, and tumbling. Cheerleading gives me the perfect outlet to do all my favorite things. I am so excited to be apart of this amazing program and foster a love for cheer. Let’s Go Excite!!!

My name is Savannah, or some people call me Sparrow. I started dancing when I was little and after taking a small break, I got back into studio dance classes. I used to dance competitively for Bunker Dance Center. I was on both a hip hop team and an ensemble team. On the teams, I trained for at least 11 hours a week taking Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Ballroom, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and other classes to improve my technique. I have performed on the Smith Center stage multiple times, other performance stages, experienced conventions and competition settings, and have been able to really grow as a dancer over the past few years. Taking my break from competition/studio dance has helped me find my passion for dance again and I am very excited to teach young dancers with a positive and welcoming mindset. I want to be able to inspire young dancers and for them to feel safe and confident in themselves. My goal is for my dancers to never feel unwanted or unworthy as I will always be here for them 110% At the end of the day, I want each dancer to go home and find joy in their life and be able to achieve their dreams while becoming a mindful human! I'm a very creative/artistic person so I spend a lot of time creating things. Some other fun things about me is I used to do competitive archery, snails are my favorite animal, I love taking care of my plants, and I enjoy expressing myself through fashion and my fun hair colors!

My name is Sofi! I am a third-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill and am studying Psychology. I have been a dancer for 13 years and recently got into the swing of things. I enjoy drinking coffee, listening to music, and reading books. Some fun facts about me are I speak four languages—Japanese, English, Spanish, and Latin, I cannot swim, and I do not like frogs. Let's DANCE the night away!

My name is Kena! I am so excited to share my passion of dance with the next generation. I have danced and cheered for my whole youth and into college. I love all styles of dance and enjoy some breakdancing on occasion. After taking a break to start a family I am excited to get back into it. I have identical twin boys who love to have dance parties on the daily. I have three dogs who love to snuggle. My husband and I love all things Spooky and Halloween. I am currently studying early education and special education so I can be a special education teacher. I know basic sign language and currently learning conversational ASL :)