Our Teachers
All of our teachers are professional dancers who have a passion for dance, and for teaching others to dance. In addition to being highly accomplished in their fields, they are also energetic, positive and caring people.
Jazmene Craig
Jazmene Craig is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. Her first love is cheer. She spent three years in high school participating in competitive cheer. Jazmene then went on to attend the Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences where she majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Forensic Science. During her Sophomore year, Jazmene joined the US Armed Forces as a proud member of the Army National Guard. She has been an active member of the military for 15 years. She served as a military officer for 12 years and has been serving in the area of Human Resources for the past three years.
Jazmene teaches dance to help encourage a healthy and happy lifestyle. She enjoys watching her students use the art of dance as an outlet to express themselves. Ms. Craig loves watching her students find their passion and happiness while helping them navigate through it. She finds joy in teaching her students to be focused, creative, to have discipline and be free. But most importantly, she wants her students to just have fun! The focus on empowerment at Dance E.L.I.T.E. that provides their students, staff, and families has made teaching a tremendous learning, growing and happy personal experience.
Jazmene is a proud mother of her beautiful and immensely talented 10 year old daughter, Peyton, whose love for dance and talent helped her to find her new passion of teaching dance. One of her favorite quotes that she often shares is: Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” —Dr. Mae Jemison
Aureyl Pitts
A native of Columbus, Ohio. She attended The Ohio State University where she graduated with a dual degree in Dance and Communications.
She began her training with Two Left Feet in the Right Direction under the tutelage of Stephanie Bland. She then went on to train with BalletMet, under the direction of April Berry. While there, she performed works by April Berry, Maria Glimcher, Rosalyn Dove, Travis Gatling, and many more. While at The Ohio State University, she trained with artists such as BebeMiller, Susan Hadley, Teena Custer, Maria Glimcher, Coco Loupe, and Abby Yager, among many others.
She also attended The International Association of Blacks in Dance festival for three years under The Ohio State Department of Dance Quarterly Funding Initiative. While at OSU, she also co-founded the Black Dance Alliance, which performed works in the community, and assisted in bringing artists to teach forms of the African Diaspora into the dance department.
In 2009, completed working on a solo project, which she co-choreographed with up-and-coming artist Afaliah Tribune, entitled “Journey”. She is currently active with the Judah Performing Arts Center and the Rhema Christian Center Dance Ministry, “God’s Glory”.
Charmella Wilks
Charmella Wilks is passionate about sharing the gift of dance both on the stage and in the studio. Charmella completed 14 years of formal training at BalletMet, graduating from the professional training program in 1997, under the tutelage of Yoko Ichino. During this time, she performed Snow and Flower in the Nutcracker as well as many annual recitals and lecture demonstrations in various schools throughout Columbus.
As a young dancer, her most memorable performance as a youth was Alvin Ailey's "Fix Me" from Revelations and "Satisfaction" from Suite Otis during a 1996 presentation at Denison University, under the direction of former Ailey company member, April Berry. This same year she received the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Award acknowledging rising African American artists. Another highlight of her youth was being selected to learn and perform ‘works in progress’ under the late, famed jazz teacher, Fred Benjamin at the conclusion of the 1995 summer intensive at the Alvin Ailey School in New York.
Charmella has been teaching and performing in the Columbus area for over 20 years. Her prime desire in teaching ballet is to inspire appreciation for proper technique, the joy of getting results from putting in the hard work necessary to acheive success in this challenging art form. This is her first season with the Dance Elite family and she's looking forward to bringing out the best in her students.
Derrell McNeal
Derrell McNeal is a a graduate of University of Phoenix with a M.A. in Adult Education and Training. She is a full time educator teaching children ages 6 weeks to three at Kids Care Academy. She is also Training director for Caring Communities Birth to 3, serving other educators in the city of Columbus. She is a dance instructor/coach for Dance Elite Performance Academy working with all ages.
`She is is married with three boys ages, 5, 15, and 17. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family.
Amaya Arroyo
Amaya Arroyo was born in Columbus, Ohio and began her dance training at the age of 13 years old. Amaya was a founding member of Dance ELITE Performance Academy where she trained under the direction of Samara Tillman, in modern, ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop techniques.
Amaya has worked with artists such as Ron De Jesus, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Wade Schaaf, and many more. Currently, Amaya is working towards her BA in Dance at Columbia College Chicago. In addition to her studies, Amaya is an Emerging Artist at the South Chicago Dance Theatre under the executive artistic direction of Kia S. Smith.
Tori Thomas
Torianna has been dancing since she was three and started dancing competitively at the age of 11. Dancing has been her passion for many years and fell in love with choreographing at the age of 16. She has choreographed two musicals : “Pippin” and “Suessical”.
She has been teaching dance for recreational purposes and competition dances. She loves teaching because it’s an amazing way to share her passion and love of dancing to others.
Tori believes that dance is a unique way to express your emotions & who you are. She loves teaching her dance students to express themselves in unique ways through dance.
Sydney Jones-Rumph
Sydney Jones-Rumph is originally from Willingboro, New Jersey and is currently a dance major at The Ohio State University where she studies Ballet, African and Contemporary.
Her childhood years were spent growing up in a dance studio practicing various genres of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Pointe, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Acro.
She additionally attended The Academy of Performing Arts program at BCIT located in Medford, New Jersey where she trained heavily in Ballet and Modern along with graduating with a certification in dance arts. At BCIT, she also studied dance pedagogy, dance history, anatomy, dance composition, improvisational dance, and technical theater production.
She was the vice president of her schools National Honors Society for Dance Arts chapter and received the “Dance Award” for the highest academic achievement in the dance field. Sydney has additionally performed in the ballet “Cinderella” with Ballet NJ and the Philadelphia ballet along with participating in a summer intensive at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
In the future, Sydney plans on dancing with multiple professional dance companies, opening her own dance company, choreographing for various companies and becoming a storyboard artist for animation companies.