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 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 before the troupe moved to Ann Arbor. 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. Amy choreographs for the competition team, both Imagery and Minis, and her 2023 Hip Hop piece won the National Championship at Nexstar. She is also a licensed Zumba Fitness instructor, and loves the freedom and joy this class brings to adults, and primarily the cultural exposure it provides.
At Fusion Dance Center Amy is Owner/Director and instructor/choreographer. 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. Amy loves spending time with her husband, two adult children, and four furbabies!
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.
Babe Dyer | Instructor
Babe Dyer began her dance career at the age of three in Eaton Rapids, MI. Under the instruction of Marceil Warren and Brenda Hampton, Babe studied ballet, tap, and jazz through her senior year of high school and later added lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop. Additionally, she trained in gymnastics until the age of 12 at Michigan State University’s youth gymnastics program. As a student, she competed in regional competitions, had the opportunity to showcase her talents in many local performances, and was a dance assistant at her studio in her teen years.
Upon graduating high school, Babe chose to further her dance education at Lansing Community College. While at LCC she trained in ballet, tap, Jazz, and modern while supplementing her technique classes with courses in anatomy and dance history. Babe also attended numerous dance conventions and took master classes with many instructors.
After a brief period away from the dance world, Babe returned to classes in 2001 and has been a dance instructor since 2006. Though she has taught at several studios in the area, Babe is thrilled to be teaching at her home studio, Fusion Dance Center! She has a way with instilling the love of dance in our young dancers, which is so vitally important! When she’s not dancing, Babe enjoys watching sports, auto racing, traveling, and spending time with her husband Brent and their children – Skyler, Brody, and Breann.
Dani Platte | Instructor
Dani is a proud graduate of Fusion Dance Center. She has been dancing since she was 6 and was a competition dancer from 13-18. Dani is well versed in jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballet. She achieved a bachelors degree in Dietetics at CMU, where she was the president of her dance team and furthered her dance education through college courses. She is currently a student at MSU where she is working on her Masters with the goal of becoming a Registered Dietician. She is also trained as an infant through preschool caregiver through her family’s in-home daycare business. She has a very positive, patient, and easy going personality and enjoys making dance fun for kids!
Gracie Prudhomme | Instructor, Competition Choreographer
Recreational Performance Team Leader, Student Experience Manager
Gracie is currently a student at MSU majoring in packaging engineering and was a member of two collegiate dance teams, including MSU Elite Dance Team. She grew up in Brighton, MI and attended Glenn’s Dance Academy studying all styles of dance in both recreational and competitive programs, and was a member of her high school dance/pom team. She is very excited to share her knowledge and experience with the FDC dancers, as well as work to grow and lead both our Pom and Recreational Team programs.
Brynn Ruhl |
Instructor, Competition Choreographer, Marketing and Events Manager
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.
Bethany Scholten | Instructor
Bethany took her first ballet class at the age of five in Lansing under the instruction of Barbara Banasikowski Smith at Academy of Dance Arts. She later became a performing company member in the Children’s Ballet Theatre/Capital Area Ballet Theatre and Academy Ballet Theatre.
Throughout high school, Bethany trained and performed in ballet, modern, and jazz while assisting in many ballet classes at the studio. She was one of the six dancers from Academy Ballet Theatre chosen to participate in a dance exchange with Mozaika Russian Dance Troupe and Vaganova Ballet School, traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia. She also trained under Dmitri Roudnev, director of Ballet Intensive from Moscow.
Bethany’s love for dance continued in college where she studied and performed under Dr. Dixie Durr, professor and director of Michigan State University’s Dance Program. She also taught ballet classes to MSU theatre students. After completing her degree in Elementary Education at Spring Arbor University, she danced and performed at the Academy of Dance/Jackson Ballet Company (Jackson, MI) while beginning her teaching career at Western Middle School.
Bethany and her family reside in Holt and her daughter has been part of Fusion Dance Center since 2014. Seeing her daughter’s love of dance has renewed Bethany’s passion to be part of the dance community again and she is excited to bring her ballet and teaching experience to Fusion as an instructor! Bethany is one of the most patient and kind people which makes her perfect for teaching our young students! She is sunshine embodied.