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Encore Dance Center
Chris Houston - Instructor
Christopher Houston has been an integral part of the Encore Dance Center team. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee which is where he originally started dancing. He was a marine for a decade and has taught and conducted Hip Hop for the past 15 years. Chris has performed in Disney and MTV videos and was part of Footloose Okinawa Dance, YFAMD Dance Alumni, Subculture Royalty Dance Alumni, and UDIG Jookin' Academy Dance Alumni. He has studied under multiple choreographers in Los Angeles, CA and Houston, TX. His style of Hip Hop is centered around expression and musical diversity. Chris has won several choreography awards and continues to wow with his creativity and dedication.
Jaime Popard - Recreational Studio Director
Jaime is a Virginia Beach, VA native whose passion for dance has shaped a dynamic and accomplished career. She began her professional journey in Charlotte, NC, where she owned a successful dance boutique and served as a manager for one of the nation’s Top 10 dance studios. Upon returning to Virginia, Jaime became the Assistant Director of a program dedicated to enriching the lives of young children through dance and sports in preschools. Her choreography has been featured at Susan G. Komen for the Cure events, and she served as the state representative for North Carolina and Virginia for Dance Teachers On-Line. In addition to her work as an instructor and choreographer, Jaime has been a respected dance competition judge and the founder of Studio Simplified, a resource for dance educators. She recently served on the advisory council for The Richmond Ballet and currently teaches all genres of dance and acro with Encore.
Nikki Wolfe - Instructor
Nikki was first introduced to Pilates to compliment her dance training. As a dance major at Old Dominion University, she was awarded the Liberace scholarship and performed with the ODU Ballet and the University Dance Theatre. In 2006, Nikki was asked by her Pilates mentor to become a professionally trained Pilates instructor. She completed her 700 hour apprenticeship program with the world-renowned Romana's Pilates organization. Nikki continues her Pilates education by working with master teachers from all over the country. Nikki believes in the power of Pilates and enjoys teaching and encouraging others to discover the same positive results.
Diane Holland - Owner and Competition Team Director
Diane Holland is the founder of Encore Dance Center which opened in 1998. She attended Point Park College in Pittsburgh on a dance scholarship. Before relocating to Virginia, she taught dance in Houston under associates with the London Ballet. She's currently a member of Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America,. She has danced for the Rodriguez Dance Company in Houston, was a performer at Busch Gardens, and a lead dancer for dinner theater productions. She is a firm believer in the concept that anyone and everyone can benefit from dance, and would like to invite everyone to come explore this excellent creative outlet.
Leander Cooper - Instructor
Leander Cooper is a recent graduate of the Independent Study Program at The Ailey School in New York City. Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Leander has a strong foundation in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance, bringing versatility and artistry to every class. Their teaching style emphasizes creativity, individuality, and connection through movement. Leander is passionate about creating a welcoming, supportive environment where dancers of all levels can grow, explore, and express themselves.
Andie Purdy - Instructor
Andie Purdy was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she primarily trained in ballet, tap, and jazz from the age of 4. She performed for many seasons with the Corpus Christi Ballet, reaching the rank of demi-soloist. Her diverse training background includes the Rockettes Summer Intensive and the annual RDA Southwest convention. Andie also has a passion for community theater and has performed and choreographed several shows including Grease, Chicago, and A Chorus Line. Along the way on her dance journey she stumbled upon Irish dancing, and she now competes as a champion Irish dancer on a national level. Andie is so excited to join the Encore team and share her love of all things dance with her students!
Estelle Servidad - Instructor
Estelle is so excited to return to the Encore Dance Center Family as an Instructor! She spent a majority of her childhood, from first grade to her senior year of highschool, dancing with Encore and four of those years she was with the competition team. After she graduated, she taught ballet, traditional Filipino dance, line-dancing, and open Asian pop styles locally and in the Philippines. She continues to apply her knowledge of ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, cultural dance, and other genres at Jete Dancewear. She is now a biomedical sciences major at Old Dominion University and minoring in dance. She is excited to share her love of dance with the community and wants to create a safe space for dancers to express themselves.
Instructors
Emma Jones - Instructor
Emma is excited to continue her journey with Encore as an instructor. A Virginia Beach native, she has been dancing at Encore since the age of four and spent 10 of her 13 years on the competition team. She looks forward to supporting her teammates and helping train the next generation of dancers. Emma attended Salem High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Academy as part of the dance strand and was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts during her junior year. She will attend Old Dominion University to major in Exercise Science and minor in Dance Education.Trained in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and hip hop, Emma is eager to share her knowledge and create a positive, inclusive learning environment for her students.
Savanna Ruis - Assistant Competition Team Director
Savanna Ruis attended ODU where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing. Savanna enjoys teaching ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical and has received her certification from DMA. Savanna believes that Encore is a great place to teach and dance because they provide dancers with great opportunities but also keep the environment fun and family-friendly. Her favorite thing about teaching dance is seeing the long-term progression of her students. Seeing the difference between what a student could do at the beginning of the year and their beautiful performance at the end of the year at the annual recital is incredibly rewarding.
Lucy Durbin - Instructor
Lucy Durbin is proud to return to the Encore Dance Center family. A Virginia Beach local, Lucy trained at Encore for several years and was a dedicated member of the competition team from 2020 to 2023. She originally trained as a gymnast, where she found her love for acro and tumbling. She has many years of experience in styles including contemporary, jazz, ballet, acro, modern, and hip hop. Lucy is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at Old Dominion University, where she continues to grow as a dancer and performer. She’s committed to creating an inclusive, empowering, and supportive environment for students and hopes to inspire others to discover their love for dance.
Caitlyn Joyce Leach - Instructor
Caitlyn Joyce Leach is thrilled to be joining the Encore Dance Center Family! Originally from Forest, Virginia, she is excited to get back to dancing and teaching in her home state. Caitlyn graduated from East Carolina University's Honors College with a BFA in Musical Theatre in 2018. After graduating, she performed as an actor, singer, and dancer, all along the East Coast including Lexington Children's Theatre, The Lost Colony, Bright Star Touring Theatre, and Carowinds Theme Park. She turned to teaching in 2020, starting at her hometown dance studio, which led her to become one of the Resident Teaching Artists at Children's Theatre Charlotte. Caitlyn recently finished her Off-Broadway writing and swing debut for her musical titled SCOUTS, a story about stereotypes and friendship, that premiered at The Player's Theatre in NYC this past summer. She is excited to create a welcoming space at Encore that encourages students to challenge themselves, never give up, work with passion, and express themselves.