MEET OUR TEAM
Ashley Wyatt
Owner/Director
Ashley grew up dancing at local studios in Richmond, Virginia. She attended Henrico High School Center for the Arts where she studied dance for four years. After graduating from high school, she attended James Madison University and earned a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Kinesiology.
While at JMU she was apart of the Associate Dance Ensemble and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble. She was also the President and Choreographer for both Madison Dance’s hip-hop dance club and MOZAIC which she helped create. She has previously performed with the Z Mullins Dance Company, Rapture, Mayzoul and RADAR dance companies. Ashley has taught many styles and levels of dance including contemporary, lyrical, jazz, ballet, tap, and hip-hop. She has received numerous awards for Best Choreography, Best Direction and scholarships to teacher training workshops. She has presented at the Small Plates Choreography Festival and she was awarded an RVA Dance Award for Instructor of the Year and Best Lyrical Choreography. She has also taught masterclasses and set choreography for different studios and schools- both public and private around Richmond.
Ashley continues to train and learn from instructors all over. She loves to attend Conventions with the MDC Company and take classes as well as observe them. She has attended the Dance/USA conference, The Dance Teacher's Summit in New York Center and most recently the Dance Teacher Web conference. She has trained under Danny Law, Denise Wall, Tessandra Chavez, Martha Nichols, Al Blackstone, Stacey Tookey and many other well-known choreographers. When not at the studio Ashley can be found teaching dance everyday to Lower and Middle school students at St. Catherine’s school. She loves to teach dance to all ages. She is married to Chris and they have two dancing daughters Addisyn and Ava Grace and a soccer loving son Clayton.
While at JMU she was apart of the Associate Dance Ensemble and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble. She was also the President and Choreographer for both Madison Dance’s hip-hop dance club and MOZAIC which she helped create. She has previously performed with the Z Mullins Dance Company, Rapture, Mayzoul and RADAR dance companies. Ashley has taught many styles and levels of dance including contemporary, lyrical, jazz, ballet, tap, and hip-hop. She has received numerous awards for Best Choreography, Best Direction and scholarships to teacher training workshops. She has presented at the Small Plates Choreography Festival and she was awarded an RVA Dance Award for Instructor of the Year and Best Lyrical Choreography. She has also taught masterclasses and set choreography for different studios and schools- both public and private around Richmond.
Ashley continues to train and learn from instructors all over. She loves to attend Conventions with the MDC Company and take classes as well as observe them. She has attended the Dance/USA conference, The Dance Teacher's Summit in New York Center and most recently the Dance Teacher Web conference. She has trained under Danny Law, Denise Wall, Tessandra Chavez, Martha Nichols, Al Blackstone, Stacey Tookey and many other well-known choreographers. When not at the studio Ashley can be found teaching dance everyday to Lower and Middle school students at St. Catherine’s school. She loves to teach dance to all ages. She is married to Chris and they have two dancing daughters Addisyn and Ava Grace and a soccer loving son Clayton.
Anaya Scarlett-Davis
Jazz Instructor
Anaya began dancing at the age of 5 at Jessica Morgan School of Dance which later became Prestige Dance Studio. She began competing at the age of 10. At the age of 13, she became a member of their elite group, Royal Court. Throughout her time dancing she also assisted many classes. Since then she has received many scholarships in a variety of genres, like Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, and has also been chosen at multiple competition events to perform in their closing show performances. She attended Manchester High School and participated in both their Dance Team and Show Choir. By sophomore year, she was captain of her dance team and assisted with choreography. In her senior year, she became dance captain of her show choir, providing additional choreography help to her classmates. Anaya is excited to be a dance instructor with Momentum Dance Center, serving as a Jazz Instructor, Youth Company Instructor, and Company Assistant.
Lauryn Everic
Pre-K Dance Instructor
Lauryn is a part time Youth Minister and full time stay at home mom. She grew up in Powhatan, VA and began dancing at 4 years old and continued through high school. Lauryn attended seminary at Baylor University, and while living in Waco, TX was a DOT Buds assistant teacher, served as the Creative Arts Director at Mission Waco for 2 years, taught at Joy's School of Dance, and received her 200 hr yoga teaching certification. Currently, she enjoys teaching Pre-Ballet, Ballet/Tap, & Trio at Momentum and finds it life giving to provide opportunities for our littlest dancers to explore movement, be themselves, and form a solid dance foundation.
Kim Marie Jacobs
Pre-K Dance Instructor
Kim-Marie began dancing at the age of 3 at Shuffles Dance Studio under the direction of Peggy Thibodeau; the studio later progressed into Jessica Morgan’s School of dance and then Momentum Dance Center. Prior to college, she continued her dance training at Marianne Kelley’s School of Dance and Richmond Ballet. In this time of life, Kim-Marie was an apprentice with Dissonance Dance Theatre, a company dancer for competition Dance Theatre USA, and was awarded many accolades such as national and international scholarships.
After graduating from high school, she attended Point Park University and earned a BFA in Dance. While at Point Park, Kim-Marie performed in the productions of Don Quixote, Raymonda, Swan Lake, and other original works created by faculty and guest artists. In addition to her studies at PPU, she enjoyed her time as a tap club member and a ballet instructor at The Academy of Dance by Lori.
Since then, Kim-Marie has continued on to become an intern for DTUSA where she helped assist and run their national competitions. She has also taught summer intensives, virtual, and face-to-face technique classes at MKSD, BWSD, and MDC. She has worked with young dancers for 11 years and is overjoyed to be an instructor at Momentum Dance Center.
After graduating from high school, she attended Point Park University and earned a BFA in Dance. While at Point Park, Kim-Marie performed in the productions of Don Quixote, Raymonda, Swan Lake, and other original works created by faculty and guest artists. In addition to her studies at PPU, she enjoyed her time as a tap club member and a ballet instructor at The Academy of Dance by Lori.
Since then, Kim-Marie has continued on to become an intern for DTUSA where she helped assist and run their national competitions. She has also taught summer intensives, virtual, and face-to-face technique classes at MKSD, BWSD, and MDC. She has worked with young dancers for 11 years and is overjoyed to be an instructor at Momentum Dance Center.
Nicole Perricelli
Tap Instructor
Nicole Perricelli grew up in Niagara Falls, NY and began her dance training with baton twirling-she loved performing in parades as a little girl. She later added tap, jazz and ballet to her studies and fell in love with musical theater after watching her best friend's dance recital. Ms. Nicole thrives in a "whole vision space" before she can dig-in to her work and attributes that to her second dance teacher, Ms. Janet-her costuming, themes and productions were something out of a Broadway show. After adding competition dance & dancing in musicals in school (always being asked to lip-sync), she continued to find dance always on her path. It was at George Mason University where Ms. Nicole snagged a tap class as her art elective, that catapulted her love for teaching dance, and here she is today (many, many years later) with THE BEST JOB EVER! Ms. Nicole LOVES teaching! Ms. Nicole enjoys teaching many styles of dance including creative movement, tap, jazz, musical theater, lyrical, modern, and contemporary. She attributes her dance teaching skills to the mentorship of Alzine Straub Cuppett and Amy Cuppett of Cuppett Performing Arts Center in Vienna, Virginia, along with the numerous parents & students at CPAC that she adores. While at Cuppett's, Ms. Nicole continued her training with Dance Masters of America's Teacher Training School at State Univeristy of NY-Buffalo. When Ms. Nicole relocated to RVA, she joined the staff at the Jessica Morgan School of Dance. During her time here in RVA, she has also worked with Godwin HS & Freeman HS's drama and choral programs, setting choreography to shows including, Once Upon a Mattress, 1940's Radio Hour, and The Music Man. Ms. Nicole's work is always for the dancer, because of the dancer-she wants them to be confident, to grow, to feel accomplished and proud of themselves. Her students have gone on to showcase their own talents on high school and college dance teams/companies, with National and International Companies and as dance instructors (many times in full circle moments at the studios in which they grew up). She is forever grateful to Ms. Ashley for that "can you sub for me" phone call and for giving her back a piece of herself after "retiring" in 2014. Momentum Dance Center and the families have a piece of her heart. When she isn't teaching, Ms. Nicole spends time with her family, watches her favorite kiddos do what they love, cook, shop and volunteer. She is looking forward to Season 10 and watching all of the dancers shine!
Keyah Robinson
Ballet Instructor
Keyah first began dancing at Pilates, Dance and More, the studio once run by her parents, Tristi and Norvell Robinson. She continued her training at the West End Academy of Dance, the School of Richmond Ballet, and J'adore Dance, where earned many title awards and scholarships as part of their competitive company. Keyah graduated from the Henrico County Center For the Arts in 2018 with an advanced degree, after participating in their dance program. During her senior year in high school, Keyah was invited to the Richmond Ballet Trainee Program, where she performed in their productions of Swan Lake, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Toy Shop, and Giselle. Keyah's training also included summer intensives with full scholarships at Carolina Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and Kansas City Ballet. Keyah went on to dance professionally at Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, and Six Flags America, and performed in Cinderella with Virginia Repertory Theatre. She is currently studying to earn a degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.
Tristi Robinson
Dancing Angel <3
Tristi is a native of Carson City, Nevada, where she began her early training at Pinkerton Dance Academy, under the direction of Fern Pinkerton. Later she went on to train with Barbra Monibi, and then moved to California at 15 to study with Maria Vegh, Ruth Petrinovic, Jocelyn Volmar and Margaret Swarthout, Melinda Bach, among others, at the Marin Ballet School and Company in California.
Her career has spanned over 30 years as a professional dancer and teacher. She was formerly a Principal dancer with the Washington Ballet and Richmond Ballet, as well as a soloist with the Atlanta Ballet and a member of the Milwaukee Ballet Company. She has also performed across the nation as a guest artist.
In 1997, she was awarded OYA, Outstanding Young Women of America. She has taught many different levels and styles of dance including Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Tap, Jazz, Creative Movement, and dance exercise classes.
She is the Artistic Director for a new non-profit PDM Productions, Inc which will begin their 3rd season and provides performance opportunities for those in Richmond and the surrounding counties. She has directed the Ballet “The Nutcracker Sweet” for 6 seasons, now under the new non-profit organization, PDM Productions, Inc. She is married to Norvell Robinson. They have three beautiful children who are constant reminders of humility, love, joy and happiness.
Melissa Tiggle
Hip-hop Instructor
Melissa started dancing around the age of 5. She received formal dance training in the Magnet program at Woodside High School in Newport News Virginia under the direction of Dr. MaryAnn Laverty. There she studied ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and African dance.
In 2004, she progressed to Virginia Commonwealth University studying business administration. While in school, she joined 4 The Streetz, a professional hip-hop dance company that competed in annual competitions, danced at local events, and danced back-up for local artists. She also used this time to train at different studios along the east coast including Broadway Dance Center, Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts, Gotta Dance Atlanta, and Dance 411.
Melissa is a former member of The Honey; dance troupe for The Virginia Hornets Semi-Pro Football Team. In 2010, she was featured as an instructor for MOVE! Dance workshops & Seminars in Newport News VA and Charlotte NC. From 2013-2014 she was the hip-hop instructor at Encore Dance Studio. In addition to teaching, she has assisted local artists with choreography and artistic direction for their live shows.
Melissa continues to offer her choreography services to groups and individuals in the Richmond area and beyond. She has organized flash mobs for Altria and Haley Auto Group. In 2016, she choreographed for Suntrust’s OnUp! Campaign which included performances at the Richmond Coliseum and The Philips Arena in Atlanta. Recently, she has been commissioned by Maryland Live Casinos to choreograph for events that include “Dirty Dancing’s" 30th anniversary celebration and “Thriller” during the halloween season.
Currently, Melissa is a member of Studio 4 Dance Company where she teaches monthly classes and workshops at Dogtown Dance Theatre. Through Studio 4, she’s had her work featured in the Richmond Dance Festival as well as The Small Plates Choreography Festival. Melissa continues to train as well as learn new techniques to help develop her dance and teaching style.
In 2004, she progressed to Virginia Commonwealth University studying business administration. While in school, she joined 4 The Streetz, a professional hip-hop dance company that competed in annual competitions, danced at local events, and danced back-up for local artists. She also used this time to train at different studios along the east coast including Broadway Dance Center, Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts, Gotta Dance Atlanta, and Dance 411.
Melissa is a former member of The Honey; dance troupe for The Virginia Hornets Semi-Pro Football Team. In 2010, she was featured as an instructor for MOVE! Dance workshops & Seminars in Newport News VA and Charlotte NC. From 2013-2014 she was the hip-hop instructor at Encore Dance Studio. In addition to teaching, she has assisted local artists with choreography and artistic direction for their live shows.
Melissa continues to offer her choreography services to groups and individuals in the Richmond area and beyond. She has organized flash mobs for Altria and Haley Auto Group. In 2016, she choreographed for Suntrust’s OnUp! Campaign which included performances at the Richmond Coliseum and The Philips Arena in Atlanta. Recently, she has been commissioned by Maryland Live Casinos to choreograph for events that include “Dirty Dancing’s" 30th anniversary celebration and “Thriller” during the halloween season.
Currently, Melissa is a member of Studio 4 Dance Company where she teaches monthly classes and workshops at Dogtown Dance Theatre. Through Studio 4, she’s had her work featured in the Richmond Dance Festival as well as The Small Plates Choreography Festival. Melissa continues to train as well as learn new techniques to help develop her dance and teaching style.
