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Faculty
 Lisa Waddell/Owner:
Lisa has been teaching for 20+ years.
Lisa started her young career as an outstanding gymnast, winning many state championships and making it to an elite level. After ten years, she decided to take dance more seriously, joined a dance company and attended conventions and competitions. Lisa continued her dance training with various instructors throughout the Valley, having the opportunity to dance her way to New York and perform in Russia.
Lisa opened The Dance Connection with her sister Lori right after graduating from high school while still studying dance with a local studio. Dance Connection has just celebrated its 23rd year in business.
Lisa and Lori feel that The Dance Connection is a place for everyone from the just for fun dancer to the competitive dancer. They offer classes for all levels, providing a professional education in a family atmosphere.
 Lori Johnson/Owner:
Lori started her dance career in ballet and excelled for many years. She did gymnastics as well, competing with a college team. Lori took her first jazz class when she was fourteen years old and discovered her calling. Lori competed and performed with a local studio keeping up on her jazz and ballet technique. As an adult, Lori aspired to be a �professional� dancer and moved to Las Vegas where she performed for two years. Upon her return to Phoenix, she began a serious teaching career and realized that was where she wanted to be. Opening The Dance Connection in 1984, Lori put her talents to work to become a well known, award winning choreographer. Lori resides in Gilbert, Arizona with her two children, Savannah and Sierra.
 Virginia Perkins/Tap & Tumbling:
I started teaching for �Art Linkletter Dance Studio� many years ago. In fact I�ve had the wonderful opportunity to teach my past students children�What a gift. I also coached the gymnastic teams of many local gyms in Phoenix and Scottsdale, as well as the gymnastic team at Glendale Community College. My daughters Lori & Lisa opened the dance Connection 28 years ago, and of course that's where I�ve been.
My specialty in the dance program is �Tap� and �Tumbling�. I consider myself so fortunate to have been able to teach my grandchildren; Aspen , Kassidy, Savannah & Sierra-How lucky I was to have more girls! I am currently teaching at the dance connection in Scottsdale as well as the Dance Connection Too in Gilbert. I truly enjoy my �Little� dancers as there sweet spirits still inspire me to keep my �Old� Feet Tappin!.
 Kailin Metz:
Biography Coming Soon
 Natasha Brooksher/Company Ballet:
Natasha grew up in Woodbury, CT and received her Vaganova based ballet training at Nutmeg Ballet under the tutelage of Sharon E. Dante and Eleanor D�Antuono. She graduated Valedictorian of her class, both in ballet and academically from Nonnewaug High School. Mrs. Brooksher received honors in competition on the local, national and international levels at ARTS Recognition and Talent Search, IV New York International Ballet Competition, IV Paris International Ballet Competition, and the 20ieme Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland. Preparing for these competitions was just as valuable as the experience of the competition itself; the work and preparation, both physically and mentally, were a major part of her growth as a young and developing artist. Mrs. Brooksher also attended summer workshops at Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MI. She served as demonstrator for many Vaganova Pedagogy Teachers� Workshops at Nutmeg Ballet, giving her the experience of in-depth study of the technique. These programs proved invaluable, not only in her exposure to different teachers, but also in making connections with other serious young dancers, many of whom became her colleagues in the professional arena.
Natasha spent her professional career dancing with Boston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Arizona where she enjoyed working with choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Elisa Monte, Elliot Feld, Lyla York, Trey McIntyre, and Graham Lustig performing leading roles in American Classics such as Rodeo, Billy the Kid and Company B and Tinkerbell in Peter Pan as well as premiering Merce Cunnngham�s Breakers at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Natasha�s extensive classical repertoire includes Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Paquita and Raymonda Glazunov Classique. Mrs. Brooksher also danced many Balanchine roles in some of the choreographer�s masterpieces: Serenade, Symphony in C, Mozartiana, Who Cares?, Theme and Variation, and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, among others.
Mrs. Brooksher has extensive teaching experience, having taught for Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts as guest teacher and coach, Residential Assistant and coach for the 1996 New York International Ballet Competition. Most recently, Mrs. Brooksher is a founder of, and serves as Artistic Director for, Southwest Classical Dance Institute, involving all aspects of running a successful professional level ballet training program. Responsibilities have included teaching & coaching all levels of classes in the 8-year Vaganova- based program, choreography, curriculum and syllabus structure development, marketing, financial operations, and the daily operations of the school. SCDI students have gone on to attend The Nutmeg Conservatory on scholarship, Alvin Ailey summer dance program, Kirov Academy summer dance program, as well as university positions at Arizona State University and Oklahoma University.
Mrs. Brooksher is currently Resident Guest Faculty at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and serves as the AZ State Representative of the Classical Dance Alliance, an organization created to promote the highest of standards for classical ballet in the United States through teacher training programs and educational awareness of the importance of pedagogical training. Most recently, she has been named Ballet Mistress for NovaBallet in Phoenix, AZ. She shares her passion for her career and her life with her husband Joshua and two year old son Ian Flynn.
 Josh Brooksher/Company Ballet:
Joshua grew up in Mesa, AZ where he received his early training at Ballet Etudes and Jeanne�s School of Dance. At the age of 13 he left Mesa for Washington D.C. to attend Universal Ballet Academy (now Kirov Academy of Ballet), one of the premier ballet training schools in the world, on full scholarship for their comprehensive program. Studies included ballet technique, repertoire, ballet theory, pas de deux, historical court dance, character dance, contemporary movement, pedagogy, music theory, nutrition, kinesiology, painting, sculpture, injury prevention, Pilates and Gyrotonics. Mr. Brooksher graduated from KAB with High Honors, and from Bethesda Chevy- Chase High School with a Certificate of Merit, in 1993. During his years at KAB, he learned the craft of classical dance from some of the world�s true masters, the most influential to the shaping of Joshua�s training and career was, and still is, Rudolf Kharatian, a graduate of Alexander Pushkin.
Mr. Brooksher was most known for Achteon in La Esmerelda, Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Seigfried in Swan Lake, Sugar Plum�s Cavalier in The Nutcracker and Lucien from Paquita, among other leading male roles. He also performed in contemporary roles such as The Lead Roper in Rodeo, as well as Kevin O�Day�s Principia, Dwight Roden�s Skinny Puzzle and Scarlet Symphony, The Cheshire Cat in Trey McIntyre�s Aliss in Wonderland, as well as many Balanchine ballets. He is well known as an excellent partner.
After dancing professionally over the following decade with The Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and Texas Ballet Theater, Mr. Brooksher returned home for a season with Ballet Arizona before embarking on his teaching career. He has always been a teacher; even at a young age, his attention to detail distinguished him to his peers and teachers. During his school years, Joshua regularly took the time to return to his home in Mesa, AZ to teach for Ballet Etudes and Phoenix School of Ballet. Students he taught there have gone on to become professionals all over the world.
Mr. Brooksher is a founder and currently the Artistic Director for Southwest Classical Dance Institute. As such, he is involved in all aspects of running a successful professional level training program. His responsibilities have included teaching & coaching all levels of classes in the 8- year Vaganova-based program, choreography, curriculum and syllabus structure development, as well as administrative duties associated with such a position. SCDI students have gone on to attend Conservatories and Universities as well as securing work as professional dance artists. Mr. Brooksher is currently Resident Guest Faculty at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in CT, and serves as the Chairman of the Sate Representatives of Classical Dance Alliance, an organization created to promote the highest standards for classical ballet in the United States through teacher training programs and educational awareness of the importance of pedagogical training. Most recently, Joshua acts as Ballet Master for NovaBallet in Phoenix, AZ. He shares is passion for training and for life with his wife Natasha and young son Ian Flynn.
 Savannah Harrison/All Styles:
Savannah is 18 years old, and a freshman at Scottsdale Community College where she is a dance major, and studies subjects such as kinesiology and modern. She belongs to both Moving Company at SCC and the senior company at Dance Connection. Savannah has been training in tap, ballet, lyrical, hip hop, jazz and contemporary for 16 years.She comes from a �dance family� as her mom Lori Johnson and heraunt Lisa Waddell own Dance Connection, and work alongside with her grandma, Virginia Perkins.
Savannah has had the opportunity to train with many professional dancers and choreographers including but not limited to: Peter Chu, Ray Leeper, Dee Caspary, Brooke Lipton and Stacey Tookie. She has also won many titles, awards, and scholarships throughout her competitive dance career.
 Teisha Metz/Ballet & Tap:
Teisha has been teaching for 9 years.
Born and raised here in Arizona, Teisha began dancing the age of two with her mother, and then came to us when she was five, where she has been ever since. Along with training here at Dance Connection, Teisha also attended a performing arts school, Arizona School for the Arts, for seven years. Here she attended ballet classes at the School of Ballet Arizona. After graduating, she received the Katherine K. Herberger Scholarship and attended Arizona State University, to continue her academic and dance education.
Teisha was a member of the competition group here at Dance Connection, where she received many group awards, as well as individual scholarships. She began teaching her senior year of high school, and has continued doing so since. She teaches many types of dance including ballet, tumbling, tap, and jazz, but she especially enjoys teaching the younger kids.
Kenady Bunker:
Biography Coming Soon
Taylor Brown:
Biography Coming Soon
Christina Nelson:
Biography Coming Soon
Spencer Dennis:
Biography Coming Soon
Kassidy Bright:
Biography Coming Soon
Taylor Beyer:
Biography Coming Soon
 Talia Favia/Contemporary:
Talia has just completed her first LIVE dance production, “The Difference Between Sinking and Drowning” is her personal story about how the universe tests us through challenges & choices. This life long battle has infinite options to take, but this show is a journey of one’s heart diving head first down a particular path only to find itself submerged in an endless sea. With only two options left, one’s heart can either sink for a moment then fight its way back to the surface, or drown in the mindset of being a victim of the universe.
Talia has an incredible background in the dance industry. She has consistently assisted some of the top names in the industry behind the scenes of SYTYCD in the US and Canada, taught abroad in Poland and will be heading to Russia at the end of this month. She enjoys traveling throughout the United States teaching, choreographing and sharing her love for movement.
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