Tiffany Russell
Artistic Director | Owner | Instructor
tiffany@spartandancecenter.com
Tiffany has been dancing and instructing all her life. She was trained at Bay Valley Academy, Perry Woodard School of Dance, Russian Ballet Academy and Broadway Dance Center. Driven by a passion for the arts, she traveled internationally as the primary dancer for “ROADS” (1998-1999), where she toured 7 countries and 55 cities and completed over 100 performances. She has preformed in Carousel, My Fair Lady, Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankee’s, Into the Woods, and Cinderella. In 2002, Tiffany obtained a bachelor of arts degree in fashion design from the Illinois Institute of Art. Before founding Spartan Dance Center in 2010, she founded Schurrel Design, a custom wedding gown company.
Emily Kieliszewski
Manager | Instructor
As a dancer in her hometown for 16 years, Emily has put her passion to work by becoming a tumbling instructor and coaching hundreds of athletes as a Cheer! Michigan staff member. Her training and talent in dance and acrobatics helped secure three consecutive local titles within the Miss America Organization, giving her the opportunity to compete for the title of Miss Michigan in June 2010 and again in June 2011, where she placed second runner-up and was awarded a $4000 scholarship. With her third title of Miss Southwest Michigan, Emily will compete again this June 2012 for the title of Miss Michigan, once again showcasing her talent of acrobatics and her love of dance. Emily studies Spanish and political science at Michigan State University.
Leah Seery
Company Director | Instructor
Leah trained at Big City Dance Center and was a member of their nationally award-winning competitive company. She studied at Broadway Dance Center, the EDGE in L.A., and with choreographers such as Sonya Tayeh and Mandy Moore of So You Think You Can Dance. Professional appearances include: Walt Disney World, Premiere Cruiselines, the Moscow Ballet’s 2002 production of The Nutcracker, sporting events, and the premiere of Jeff Daniel’s “The Goodbye Girl.” Leah’s passion for performing, choreographing and teaching led her to coach high school dance teams; she has previously coached Walled Lake Western JV Poms and currently coaches South Lyon Varsity Pom, while teaching all levels of tap at studios across Michigan.
Melissa Ball
Marketing and Public Relations
Melissa is a Broadcast & Cinematic Arts graduate with a minor in Advertising from Central Michigan University. In addition to managing the marketing operations and customer service at Spartan Dance Center, Melissa has stayed at home with her two young children for the past 5 years. She has learned the insides and outs of what it takes to market a dance studio. At CMU, she was a member of the Advertising Club and spent 2 years working on the Moore Hall Television productions. Melissa grew up dancing jazz and ballet for seven years, played the piano for six years, and performed in high school musicals. She has learned the art of performing and with her educational background in marketing and public relations, she is now combining her love for both!