Our Faculty

Lauren Stephenson

Owner/Instructor

Lauren Stephenson is the co-owner and artistic director of DanceVibe. Miss Lauren strives to be the best role model and dance educator for her students. “When I opened DanceVibe in 2005, it was a dream come true to share my love of learning and dance. I strongly believe there is much more to dance than the steps. Dance lessons are life lessons. My students learn to believe in themselves, set goals, and strive for excellence. It is incredibly rewarding to watch them grow into respectful, motivated young adults. This is the driving force behind all I do.”

Miss Lauren is a well-respected dance educator and award-winning choreographer for DanceVibe’s company. She has been training dancers in Central Pennsylvania since 1996 and has her Bachelor of Elementary Education degree from Penn State University. She is a certified teacher in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and obtained certification in Vaganova Ballet Level 1 and Level 2 from instructor Arsen Serobian. She is also certified in mat and ball Pilates. Before opening DanceVibe, Miss Lauren was an elementary school teacher in the West Shore School District. It was during this time that she also instructed a national champion dance team and was recognized as “Coach of the Year” by the National Dance Alliance.

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Miss Lauren has always displayed a passion for dance and the arts, and her training and technical expertise is brought to life in each class she teaches. Starting her formal dance training at the age of four, she progressed her skills over the years as a competition dancer and received numerous awards and titles. In college, Miss Lauren joined of the University of Pittsburgh’s Dance Ensemble and Dance Production and had the privilege of choreographing numerous pieces for their galas. She also received formal training and college credits in ballet, jazz, modern, and tap.

Miss Lauren is passionate about dance education and continues to train with renowned choreographers and prestigious dance educators at top dance conventions every year. When she’s not at the studio, she loves spending time with her three kids and husband.
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Allyson Yost

Owner/Instructor

Allyson Yost is the co-owner and artistic director of DanceVibe. She was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA and has been immersed in the world of dance since the age of three. It was always a dream of Miss Ally’s to one day own a dance studio and pass her love of the art form on to others. Now, she is living her dream. “I feel blessed to be able to help my students achieve their dreams. Working with them and seeing the impact dance makes on their lives brings me such happiness. I love seeing each dancer progress, and I am inspired everyday by all of my students. They push me to be a better teacher, studio owner and person, and for that, I am grateful.”

Miss Ally has over 30 years of dance experience and has trained extensively in a variety of dance styles. She has been instructing dance for almost two decades and choreographing professionally for almost as long. She holds her BFA in Dance from Temple University with concentrations in modern, jazz, performance & choreography. She had studied under the prestigious faculty at Temple University, was awarded scholarship to Rennie Harris’s Illadelph Legends studying under many of the hip hop greats & continues to further her educations by learning from the hottest choreographers & educators at various workshops & conventions. In addition to her extensive dance training, Miss Ally is passionate about honing her choreographic talents. She is DanceVibe’s lead company choreographer, has choreographed for various dance teams on both the high school & college level and is proud to have created work for both the concert & competition stages. Her choreography has won numerous high scores and awards both regionally and nationally, and year after year her choreography is recognized for its innovation & beautiful pictures.

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Growing up, Miss Ally was a competition kid competing both regionally & nationally. She attended Cumberland Valley High School where she is honored to be on the school’s Wall of Fame. She was also the choreographer and competition coach for the CVHS dance team from 2000-2010 & Tyme 2 Danz All-Stars from 2000-2005 where she led both teams to numerous National and Grand Champion titles.

In addition to her dance degree, Allyson received her Certification in Art Education from Millersville University. On top of running the studio, Miss Ally enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

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Hailey Conrad

Instructor

Hailey Conrad trained at DanceVibe for 7 years as a student. She was a member of the pre-professional company for 4 of those years. In this time, she competed solos and group dances at numerous competitions where she received awards, as well as attended conventions to further her training. She has participated in all styles but is particularly drawn to contemporary. Hailey graduated in 2020 and now attends Messiah University with a major in Applied Health Science as a part of the accelerated program for occupational therapy. Hailey has loved working as an assistant teacher at DanceVibe for many years, and she is excited to continue pursuing her passion in this way!

Gabriella Gavazzi

Guest Instructor

Gabriella Gavazzi was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA and began her dance training at DanceVibe at the age of 8. After experiencing a wide variety of styles and participating on the competition team, she attended various competitions, workshops, and summer programs including the New York City Dance Alliance, Joffery Ballet School, and Parsons Dance summer intensives. She stayed with DanceVibe until her high school graduation, and is now attending Marymount Manhattan College’s prestigious dance program under the direction of Katie Langan along with a second major in biology. Gabriella has worked with professional choreographers including Kimberly Elliot (Kim Elliot Dance) and Lauren Grant (Mark Morris Dance Group). At MMC, Gabriella has taken O’Donnel, Nikolais, Graham, and Limón modern techniques, and ballet from former principle dancers of the Paris Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Ballet, and more! Gabriella was invited and has been working with Kim Elliot Dance on a full length work, Masks of a Woman, which will debut in September 2020. She will be graduating in 2022, and plans to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Abigail Iem

Instructor

Abigail Iem began her dance career at DanceVibe when she was six years old. After dancing for 11 years at DanceVibe, four of which were on the studio’s pre-professional company she chose to continue her dance journey to the university of Massachusetts Amherst. Here, she joined and became the team captain of a performance hip-hop company, where she choreographed showcase pieces that won multiple titles of recognition. After leaving school, she trained in ballroom dance for over two years, competing professionally all over the nation. She is happy to be back in her hometown where her love of dance began and is very excited to share that love with all ages of students as they begin their own journeys.

Kara Matlock

Instructor

Kara Matlock was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA and discovered her love of dance at the age of four. She trained for fourteen years in styles such as ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and contemporary. Seven of her fourteen years were spent competing. At West Chester University, Kara studied dance pedagogy, dance choreography, and performed with the University Dance Company. She is currently attending Eastern University with a major in Early Childhood Education. She is very excited to join DanceVibe’s faculty and share her love of dance with all her future students!

Michelle Maurer

Instructor

Known for her motivational and enthusiastic teaching methodology, Michelle’s instruction inspires students to develop strong technique, a sense of passion, respect, and integrity of the art of dance.  She keeps consistency in her classes by having a comprehensive syllabus.  Students develop into well-rounded dancers strong in each style of dance.  As the former Artistic Director of Company Dance, Michelle not only directed her faculty but was in the classroom teaching her students as well. Her involvement in the classroom was a vital to making curriculum decisions for her dance program.  Her students matriculate to prestigious colleges and universities, and attain professional performing arts careers including Broadway, National Tours, TV shows, Theme Parks and Cruise Ships.

Michelle’s performances include regional and national engagements, including Kings Dominion Theme Park, Nickelodeon’s National “All That” tour, the NBA’s New Jersey Nets “Power in Motion” dance team as well as touring with several recording artists.

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She has served as a choreographer to ABC’s Thanksgiving Parade, American Idol’s Ace Young, Curtain Calls 2014 “Costumes in Motion” promo video and various charitable events.  Her versatility as a choreographer is not only shown in her industrials, but in her National Award-Winning competition numbers.  Under her direction, her Company Members have led her studio to many awards both at the Regional and National Competition Level.  Such awards include: Studio of Excellence, Outstanding Technique, Choreography, Highest Scoring Numbers, IDA Awards, Fusion, Apogee, Odyssey and Title Soloist Awards.  Starting her competition team 10 years ago, Michelle kept the team small and only competed at the highest level in every competition. She was proud to announce in 2020 she opened her team up to both Novice and Intermediate Levels.

Since the studio’s opening in 2004, she has directed and produced Company Dance’s annual performance, The Company Project (TCP), staged at the amazing Hershey Theatre, and choreographed many of the show numbers.

Michelle made the difficult decision to close Company Dance in November 2022 as she wanted to focus on other teaching and choreography opportunities to allow her to grow as an artist. Michelle is excited to continue her focus finding programs that give their students a conservatory-based program with performance opportunities.  It is her passion to “TRAIN” the dancer, make each student have a clear understanding of each correction and to find innovative ways to make them feel the difference between what is technically right and what is wrong.  All while encouraging them that it’s a process.  She absolutely loves the journey she takes each day to improve herself, stay current, and set trends.  Her favorite quote, “What comes easy, wont’ last, what last won’t come easy.”  Enjoy The Process.

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Aubree Richards

Instructor

Aubree Richards has over 25 years of dance experience in a variety of dance styles. Growing up, Miss Aubree trained at DanceVibe and competed on several competition teams including DanceVibe’s Pre Pro Company, Tyme 2 Danz All-Stars & the CVHS Dance Team. As a member of the Cumberland Valley High School Dance Team, she was privileged to hold the title of captain for three years and led the team to several national victories. Upon graduating, Miss Aubree took over as choreographer for the Cumberland Valley Dance team for 4 years where her choreography won both national and regional recognition. In college, Miss Aubree was a member of Mansfield University’s cheerleading squad as well as the Pennsylvania College of Technology Dance Team where she was captain. Miss Aubree is now a Family Nurse Practitioner in Physiatry, specializing in Pain Management and Rehabilitation.  She is honored to have the opportunity to be back at DanceVibe inspiring young dancers to pursue their passion for dance, have fun, gain confidence and make life-long friends.

Carolyn Springer

Instructor

Carolyn’s life has been encompassed by dance for over 20 years. She grew up dancing at The Dance Connection of Canton, Michigan where she was a part of the regional and national award-winning Competition Team for 10 years. Carolyn graduated with honors from Michigan State University majoring in Kinesiology. During her time at MSU, she was a member of MSU Elite Competitive Dance Team for 4 years. Carolyn was elected captain of MSU Elite for her sophomore, junior, and senior year and lead her team to top national placements. Carolyn recently received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from Xavier University of Cincinnati, OH. She is currently working as a pediatric occupational therapist at UPMC’s Infant Development Program. Carolyn has over 10 years of experience teaching dance, with extensive training in ballet, jazz, tap, tumbling, hip hop, and pom. She is so excited to be part of the DanceVibe family and continue to share her passion for dance with others!

Rhianna Vignolini

Instructor

Rhianna Vignolini has been dancing since the age of three and has trained in many different styles over the years. Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, she loved being part of competitions, workshops, and conventions that gave her so many wonderful experiences as a dancer. After studying Early Childhood Education at Duquesne University, Rhianna relocated to Harrisburg, where she is now a first-grade teacher at Central Dauphin School District. She enjoys working with children both in the classroom and in the studio, and she believes in creating a positive, encouraging environment where students can build confidence, express themselves, and of course, have fun! Rhianna is so excited to share her passion for dance with her students and looks forward to helping them grow as dancers and as individuals.

Ashley Winfield

Instructor

Ashley Winfield was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA and began her journey at DanceVibe at the age of 8. Ever since, she fell in love with dance and it has become one of her biggest passions. After spending ten years at DanceVibe, six of which were spent competing with the studio’s pre-professional company, Ashley is continuing her dance training at Messiah University where she will pursue a degree in elementary and special education and a minor in dance. Ashley is thrilled to be part of DanceVibe’s faculty and cannot wait to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers!

Jenn Woodworth

Instructor

Jenn Woodworth has been studying dance for over 24 years. With extensive training in various forms of dance, Jenn has been fortunate enough to dance professionally across the continent. From performing with the hit rock band Lifehouse in Hawaii, to entertaining guests in a luxury hotel in Mexico, Jenn has always had a passion for dance. In Utah, Jenn was selected as an All State Dancer recognizing her as one of the top 20 dancers in the state. She was privileged to receive extensive training from renowned dancer/choreographer Bonnie Story. Jenn also danced with the Utah Valley University Dance Team and was captain her final year. As an NFL cheerleader, Jenn performed at all home games as well as numerous charity & promotional events. She was a Junior Denver Bronco Cheerleader instructor where she taught and mentored young future cheerleaders. Jenn was awarded Rookie of the Year, selected as a Pro Bowl representative and served as captain. Her most proud accomplishment was “Cheer for the Troops”, a Christmas charity she founded & organized. The charity is still going strong, providing care package to men & women serving our country. Jenn has taught a various studios & workshops throughout Utah, Colorado & Pennsylvania. Her work has won awards on both state & national levels. Outside of dance, Jenn enjoys spending time with her husband and three beautiful children.

Lisa Saffron

Studio Manager

At DanceVibe, Lisa makes magic happen behind the scenes in addition to answering any questions you may have at the front desk. As a part of the DanceVibe family, she enjoys seeing all of the smiling faces that come through the studio door and watching all of our beautiful dancers learn and grow. In addition to being Studio Manager at DanceVibe, Lisa works at CPAG both on the mat & behind the scenes. She is a respected gymnastics instructor, teaching preschool & school-aged children for the past 14 years. Lisa & her husband, Joe, have three beautiful daughters, Emily, Carina and Julianne. Carina is a recent DanceVibe graduate & Julianne is a current Pre Pro dancer. Miss Lisa has been a member of the DanceVibe family for years and knows all of the ins & outs of the dance world.

Tara Luckenbaugh

Receptionist/Costume Manager

My name is Tara Luckenbaugh and I teach 6th grade Math and Science. I am a graduate of Penn State and have been with West Shore School District since I graduated. I am married and have 3 children ages 14, 10 and 6. They are involved in many different sport and activities and keep me very busy. In my spare time I am a part time travel agent for Disney. I enjoy spending time booking and planning trips for other people! We also LOVE to spend time at Disney World and know all of the ins and outs of the parks. I am an avid runner, running about 15-20 miles per week. If you can’t find me at school, I’m either in Disney or running a race! I look forward to spending this next year with all of you!

Dayna Davis

Receptionist

Dayna and her husband, Ryan have three daughters who all have fell in love with dance through DanceVibe. Dayna’s passion is teaching and supporting families and children and has her masters degree in Elementary and Special Education and taught special education for Cumberland Valley for over 10 years before staying home full time with her children. In her down time, she enjoys making pottery and traveling with her family.

Beth Hockenbery

Receptionist

My name is Beth Hockenbery and I am a middle school math teacher in the West Shore School District. Born and raised in Central PA, I was a graduate of Red Land High School. I spent four years at Bloomsburg University majoring in Special Education and Elementary Education before returning back home. After graduation, I started teaching at New
Cumberland Middle School and am now teaching at Crossroads Middle School. My husband and I reside in the West Shore School District with our two kids. When I am not working, I can be found running the kids to and from all of their activities. I love spending time with friends and family, relaxing by the pool, or reading. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and helping at DanceVIbe this year!

Hillary Hurley

Receptionist

Hi, my name is Hillary Hurley and I teach Business, Computers and Information Technology at Mechanicsburg Middle School to 6th-8th grade students. I am in my 14th year of teaching, and it truly is my passion. My husband and I have been married 15 years and we have two daughters who absolutely love to dance at DanceVibe. In my spare time I love to bake, read, and travel with my family! I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you and helping at DanceVibe this season!