"Dance is the joy of movement and the heart of life."
Fundamental I
Fundamental II
Competition
Pre-Professional
We have an exciting year of dance ahead of us! Please complete the form below and we will contact you for a dance program placement interview.
The Studio
Dance ELITE Performance Academy has been inspiring and training dancers since 2010. We offer a wide variety of dance classes to suit dancers of every age, experience level and interest. All classes and workshops are taught by professional choreographers, many of whom learned have been dancing with us for years. Here at Dance ELITE Performance Academy, dance isn’t just an activity, it’s a way of life.
"This is my daughters first time dancing with the Elite family. Mrs. Samara is a ball of fun, and creates an awesome and positive atmosphere for the kids. They listen to her and respect her. I appreciate the communication they provide about events, and the price for classes are very reasonable. I was referred to this dance company and I'm so glad I was." ~ Ayanna G
Our Teachers
All of our teachers are professional dancers who have a passion for dance, and for teaching others to dance. In addition to being highly accomplished in their fields, they are also energetic, positive and caring people.
Samara Tillman
The founder and director of Dance ELITE Performance Academy, Samara has been a lover and student of dance since the age of 5.
Samara has over 30 years of dance experience ranging in dance genres from liturgical to hip-hop. She is currently a member of Nomel Inspirational Dance Theatre, a Columbus based professional dance company.
Over the years she has advised numerous youth dance programs and helped create dance programs in the school systems and churches. Samara is a firm believer that the arts changes lives for the better. When a child is involved in the arts from an early age, it helps them to develop a healthy self-esteem, learn how to interact and develop relationships with others, as well as discover ways to positively express themselves.
She thanks God everyday for the opportunity to use her gift to empower and inspire both youth and adults to just dance and be free!
Aureyl Pitts
A native of Columbus, Ohio. She attended The Ohio State University where she graduated with a dual degree in Dance and Communications.
She began her training with Two Left Feet in the Right Direction under the tutelage of Stephanie Bland. She then went on to train with BalletMet, under the direction of April Berry. While there, she performed works by April Berry, Maria Glimcher, Rosalyn Dove, Travis Gatling, and many more. While at The Ohio State University, she trained with artists such as BebeMiller, Susan Hadley, Teena Custer, Maria Glimcher, Coco Loupe, and Abby Yager, among many others.
She also attended The International Association of Blacks in Dance festival for three years under The Ohio State Department of Dance Quarterly Funding Initiative. While at OSU, she also co-founded the Black Dance Alliance, which performed works in the community, and assisted in bringing artists to teach forms of the African Diaspora into the dance department.
In 2009, completed working on a solo project, which she co-choreographed with up-and-coming artist Afaliah Tribune, entitled “Journey”. She is currently active with the Judah Performing Arts Center and the Rhema Christian Center Dance Ministry, “God’s Glory”.
Charmella Wilks
Charmella Wilks is passionate about sharing the gift of dance both on the stage and in the studio. Charmella completed 14 years of formal training at BalletMet, graduating from the professional training program in 1997, under the tutelage of Yoko Ichino. During this time, she performed Snow and Flower in the Nutcracker as well as many annual recitals and lecture demonstrations in various schools throughout Columbus.
As a young dancer, her most memorable performance as a youth was Alvin Ailey's "Fix Me" from Revelations and "Satisfaction" from Suite Otis during a 1996 presentation at Denison University, under the direction of former Ailey company member, April Berry. This same year she received the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Award acknowledging rising African American artists. Another highlight of her youth was being selected to learn and perform ‘works in progress’ under the late, famed jazz teacher, Fred Benjamin at the conclusion of the 1995 summer intensive at the Alvin Ailey School in New York.
Charmella has been teaching and performing in the Columbus area for over 20 years. Her prime desire in teaching ballet is to inspire appreciation for proper technique, the joy of getting results from putting in the hard work necessary to acheive success in this challenging art form. This is her first season with the Dance Elite family and she's looking forward to bringing out the best in her students.
Derrell McNeal
Derrell McNeal is a a graduate of University of Phoenix with a M.A. in Adult Education and Training. She is a full time educator teaching children ages 6 weeks to three at Kids Care Academy. She is also Training director for Caring Communities Birth to 3, serving other educators in the city of Columbus. She is a dance instructor/coach for Dance Elite Performance Academy working with all ages.
`She is is married with three boys ages, 5, 15, and 17. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family.
Tori Thomas
Torianna has been dancing since she was three and started dancing competitively at the age of 11. Dancing has been her passion for many years and fell in love with choreographing at the age of 16. She has choreographed two musicals : “Pippin” and “Suessical”.
She has been teaching dance for recreational purposes and competition dances. She loves teaching because it’s an amazing way to share her passion and love of dancing to others.
Tori believes that dance is a unique way to express your emotions & who you are. She loves teaching her dance students to express themselves in unique ways through dance.
Sydney Jones-Rumph
Sydney Jones-Rumph is originally from Willingboro, New Jersey and is currently a dance major at The Ohio State University where she studies Ballet, African and Contemporary.
Her childhood years were spent growing up in a dance studio practicing various genres of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Pointe, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Acro.
She additionally attended The Academy of Performing Arts program at BCIT located in Medford, New Jersey where she trained heavily in Ballet and Modern along with graduating with a certification in dance arts. At BCIT, she also studied dance pedagogy, dance history, anatomy, dance composition, improvisational dance, and technical theater production.
She was the vice president of her schools National Honors Society for Dance Arts chapter and received the “Dance Award” for the highest academic achievement in the dance field. Sydney has additionally performed in the ballet “Cinderella” with Ballet NJ and the Philadelphia ballet along with participating in a summer intensive at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
In the future, Sydney plans on dancing with multiple professional dance companies, opening her own dance company, choreographing for various companies and becoming a storyboard artist for animation companies.
Lee Edwards
Lee began his training in Columbus, Ohio with Debra Hardy, and Jeanette Grider. He then earned a place in Dance Theatre of Harlem’s (DTH) accredited Certificate Program. DTH's Co-Founder Karel Shook, personally placed him in DTH’s Dance Pedagogy Department’s legacy program. Bessie Schoenberg invited him to the first of her Choreographer's Workshops that were held at DTH at the time.
He continued his studies and began his Dance career at DTH, where Co-Founder Arthur Mitchell, and School Director Homer Bryant, chose him to be one of the original dancers in the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of the full version of George Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess".
After DTH, Lee danced with Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's Company at Chautauqua Lake, Alfred Gallman's Newark Dance Theater, and others. While teaching at a Summer Festival in Berlin Germany, he was asked to give a Workshop at Berlin's Ballett Centrum (Ballet Center), a State Supported Music and Dance School in Germany.
His "Workshops" with Berlin’s Dance scene, began as a featured dancer with Berlin’s Friedrichstatpalast, Europe’s largest Revue Theater. Lee performed, taught, directed, and choreographed productions all over Europe, Asia, West Africa, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the World.
Returning to Ohio, Lee's present and former students have entered and qualified to participate in the New York Finals of Youth America Grand Prix’s Ballet Competition, one of the world's largest Scholarship programs for young dancers. Lee is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of NOT JUST BALLET THEATRE (NJBT), a Repertory Company and School he started with the Late D'Juan McCrary.
NJBT is available for Arts Exposure performances, Lecture Demonstrations, and Short and Long-Term Residencies for Choreography, Dance, and Theater Workshops. Prior to the Pandemic, Lee founded a Dance program for All Saints Academy, in Columbus, Ohio
Amaya Arroyo
Amaya Arroyo was born in Columbus, Ohio and began her dance training at the age of 13 years old. Amaya was a founding member of Dance ELITE Performance Academy where she trained under the direction of Samara Tillman, in modern, ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop techniques.
Amaya has worked with artists such as Ron De Jesus, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Wade Schaaf, and many more. Currently, Amaya is working towards her BA in Dance at Columbia College Chicago. In addition to her studies, Amaya is an Emerging Artist at the South Chicago Dance Theatre under the executive artistic direction of Kia S. Smith.