Each teacher at Fusion Dance Center has trained extensively in a variety of dance disciplines and knows it is our duty to give back and make sure the next generation of dancers is strong, educated and full of passion to be the best version of themselves. Some of the best lessons we have learned as people have been imparted through dance and we don't take our roles as mentors lightly. We love music, movement and most importantly children as the next generation of caretakers and influencers of humanity!
Scroll for more information on each instructor!
Amy Berry |
Owner,
Studio Director,
Instructor,
Competition
Choreographer
Amy has been dancing practically her whole life in a variety of platforms from the studio to collegiate clubs to professional performance dance. She has been teaching dance and dance fitness classes since 2009 with a focus on hiphop, tap, jazz, Latin, Middle Eastern/Bellydance, Bollywood, and other International/cultural forms of dance. Amy was also an original member of the professional performance troupe Karma in Lansing, MI from 2012 to 2016. Amy has a love for all forms of music and dance, and offers classes that are focused on letting music guide the movement, with the intent of personal expression. Musicality and the art of dance as well as mind/body/soul connection is very important to her and she conveys this to her students.
At Fusion Dance Center Amy is Owner/Director and instructor/choreographer. Amy primarily teaches Acrobatic Dance, Hip Hop, and Jazz and choreographs for the competition team, and her pieces have won several awards and placements, including a National Championship. She is also a licensed Zumba Fitness instructor, and loves the freedom and joy this class brings to adults and the cultural exposure it provides.
Amy is very passionate about providing a welcoming and inclusive environment at Fusion Dance Center and her mission is that all dancers may feel comfortable to thrive under the support of their dance family. In particular, she knows that providing opportunities like dance is vital to the mental wellness of children especially in the tween/teen years, and wants to ensure that FDC is a place where they can find belonging and allow for expression of self. Because of this, she has become certified as a Mental Wellness Dance Educator from Danscend, and Youth Mental Health Wellness from the National Council of Mental Wellbeing. She implements a Mindfulness Training class for Competition Team members and strives to be a mental health wellness advocate in all she does.
In every decision she has the culture we have created as the primary focus and each faculty member hired aims to reflect the studio's core values: wellness (physical and mental), artistry/creative expression, honesty, integrity, kindness, fairness, compassion, quality, commitment, and respect. Amy places emphasis on creating a team of individuals that are cohesive in their ways of implementing these values in the studio!
Amy loves spending time with her husband, two adult children, and four furbabies whenever she can, and also studies spiritual practices based in Shamanic teachings and energy work.
Mya Berry | Instructor, Competition Choreographer, Enrollment Assistant
Mya joined our teaching team as an Acro instructor at the age of 16, and has been a continuous positive role model for FDC. She has extensive knowledge of multiple dance genres having taken every class she could fit in her schedule since she was in kindergarten. She always took the opportunity to learn something new when she could and attended many conventions, specialty workshops, and competitions. Her favorites to dance are contemporary, jazz, and hip hop and she endeavors to learn more about ballroom. She has always had a way with kids and enjoys imparting the basics and love of dance to them. She is currently teaching Acro, Tap, and Hip Hop and choreographs for our competitive team, as well as providing administrative tasks, all while attending Lansing Community College as a student.
Kaylee Malt |
Instructor, Marketing Assistant, Student Experience Manager
Kaylee brings 16 years of diverse dance experience to Fusion Dance Center, with a particular passion for contemporary, lyrical, and jazz. She has spent 7 years competing, earning 4 national titles along the way. Outside the studio, Kaylee is currently a student at MSU majoring in Advertising and channels her performance energy into the Spartan Marching Band Color Guard as well as the Dance Club. That experience gives her a unique combination of precision, artistry, and teamwork! Her teaching style focuses on building confidence, technique, and expression in every student, encouraging dancers to explore their own creativity while mastering fundamentals. When she’s not teaching or performing, Kaylee pursues her love for digital media and social media, aspiring to work with a major brand or advertising agency to bring stories to life through content. You’ll see some of this creativity in action in FDC’s social media accounts!
Ellie Fracassi | Instructor
Ellie described herself as someone who leads with passion, curiosity, and a genuine love for helping others grow. With over a decade of competitive dance experience, she’s spent years not only mastering technique but also learning what it means to be part of a true team. Growing up in the dance community, Ellie discovered how much she values community, leadership, and the simple joy of lifting others. Now a student at Michigan State University, Ellie believes the discipline, creativity, and resilience she gained from dance naturally shape the kind of educator she’s becoming: patient, motivated, and deeply invested in her students. For her, teaching at FDC feels like coming full circle. It’s a chance to share the art form that shaped her, to give young dancers the same confidence and community she found on the studio floor, and to be part of a place where passion meets purpose.
Brynn Ruhl |
Instructor, Competition Choreographer, Social Media Assistant
Brynn is a dedicated and passionate individual with a profound love for dance and education. With 10+ years of competitive dance experience, she has honed her skills and cultivated a deep appreciation for the art form. As the former team officer of an All-Star dance team as well as being a senior competition team member, she not only embraced the challenges of leadership but also fostered a collaborative and supportive team environment. She is currently pursuing a degree in secondary education at MSU with a focus on becoming a high school English teacher. She has a commitment to imparting knowledge and fostering a love for learning in others. She believes that the discipline, teamwork, and dedication instilled through years of dance contributes to her effectiveness as an educator. She sees teaching at FDC as a wonderful opportunity to inspire and empower the next generation of dancers.
Lindsay Walsh Jong | Ballet & Preschool Instructor
Lindsay began dancing at age three and has been passionate about it ever since. Although ballet has always been her first love, she also enjoys jazz and lyrical. She has over 15 years of teaching experience and is excited to share that with the dancers of Fusion!
Lindsay began her training under Lori Ladwig and Linnea Strauss at the Academy of the Arts in Spring Arbor, where she also studied with renowned instructors including Elzbieta Kutek. Through her training, Lindsay participated in Regional Dance America (RDA) with Greater Lansing Ballet under Barbara Banasikowski Smith, earning the Craft of Choreography Scholarship. She also attended summer intensives at Ballet Magnificat! in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was accepted into the Trainee Program.
Lindsay continued her dance education at Alma College, studying under former American Ballet Theatre soloist Samantha Shelton. As a freshman, she performed the principal role in the dance department's production of Paquita.
After college, Lindsay returned to her hometown of Jackson, MI to teach at Grace School of Dance under Linnea Strauss and gradually assumed additional teaching and leadership responsibilities. Mrs. Strauss succumbed to cancer and passed away in 2018, and according to her wishes, Lindsay become the studio owner. Over the next eight years, she taught and directed productions (including her favorite, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and grew the studio both in numbers and relationships. After the birth of her daughter, Maggie in 2025, she stepped away from studio ownership to focus on her family life in Lansing, and teaching at FDC allows her to continue to share her love of dance.
Lindsay says she is honored to be part of the Fusion Dance Center family and shares our mission. She believes the best dancers are, above all, kind and compassionate people, and she is passionate about helping her students grow both as dancers and as individuals.