Lynette Mesecke

Owner/Program Director

Lynette has been active with the studio for many years. First, as a parent/teacher liaison and Company Coordinator for the competition dancers. Her ability to manage the needs of the families, dancers & instructors by putting their interests and abilities at the forefront has been a success. With a paralegal and project management background, Lynette's attention to detail brings value to the studio and its clientele by offering a professional approach and business perspective to Coppell Dance Centre. Lynette's role as director offers our team of talented instructors the ability to plan and work together as they design and implement our progressive programming which includes successes in the classroom and at competitions and performances.

Lisa Svejkovsky

Owner/COO

Lisa brings experience as a CPA, former CISD Educational Foundation Board Member, PTO President and active involvement in the women's ministry at her church, and other community attributes to Coppell Dance Centre. She invokes trust and admiration from those who know her and is a quiet leader with strength and integrity. Lisa manages the infrastructure to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and objectives by maintaining the balance between, instructors, programming and studio performance.

Kim Henscheid-Bryant

Instructor & Performing Company Co-Director

Kim has been teaching in the Plano area for the past 28 years. She specializes in Jazz, Tap, and Character work for ages 3-18. Her students have won numerous awards at competitions and conventions locally as well as nationally and Kim’s choreography has won awards from competitions such as Starpower, Nexstar, American Dance Awards, Showbiz, Showcase USA, and Stage One Productions. Many of her students go on to become professional dancers and teachers in L.A. and New York

Kim’s goal is to provide the youngest dancer with the opportunity to excel in the competition dance world. She wants her students to set their goals, work hard to achieve them and to be proud of their accomplishments along the way. Kim believes that the young dancer today is more than capable of learning a more difficult level of dance than most studios seem to provide and she has a lot of confidence in our young dancers and will encourage them to be the best they can be as dancers, teammates, and friends.

Marcella Raneri

Instructor & Performing Company Co-Director

Marcella specializes in jazz and lyrical dance. She has studied dance for over 17 years including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, Cheer/Tumble and Modern. Her professional dance career includes the Dallas Mavericks, Six Flags of Texas, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Marcella was an award- winning dance competitor in all categories of dance. She was a featured dancer for the UFC Halftime Show and the ShowBiz Nationals, 4 Time Starpower Winner and Nationals Victory Cup Winner as well as a performer with Soul Escape, Justin Giles Dance Company. One of her greatest dance accomplishments to date was touring with Gwen Stefani.

Marcella has received instruction with Jason Parsons, Mia Michaels, Shella Sattler, Marty Kudelka, Kim McSwain, Michelle Sherill, Michelle Stafford, Ted Jackson, Justin Giles, Roger Lee, Brian Freidman, Rodney Johnson, Jana Shurich, Malana Murphy, Wade Robson, and Dee Casbery. She has also trained at Dallas Power House of Dance, Dancin Feet, Rodney's Dancin Zone, Broadway Dance Center NY, Steps NY, and the Edge LA.

Evgeny Lushkin

Master Instructor/Ballet Director

Yelena Ryabinkina, Vaganova Instructor and honored artist of Russia has described Evgeny Lushkin as "an artist of heroic character, with excellent natural abilities and musicality. He excels in his masculine technique and has great acting abilities." He graduated from Perm State Academy of Ballet in Russia in 1998, and shortly thereafter, joined St. Petersburg Ballet as a principal dancer. He has also performed with Stuttgart Ballet and the Russian State Ballet in Moscow. His repertoire includes principal roles in Walpurgis Nights, Diana and Acteon, Giselle, Swan Lake, Esmeralda, Don Quixote, Corsaire and The Nutcracker.

While visiting Moscow, Roy Kaiser, the director of Pennsylvania Ballet, observed Mr. Lushkin and invited him to perform in his company's gala in 2001. Mr. Lushkin was delighted to come to the United States and desired to stay. He joined Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina for one season, which afforded him the opportunity to dance in Allegro Brillante, his first Balanchine ballet, and principal roles in other ballets including Carmina Burana and Four Seasons.

Wishing to see more of America, Mr. Lushkin became a freelance guest artist, performing extensively with ballet companies nationwide, including the American Ballet Theatre where he became a full time member of the company for one season. Since then, Mr. Lushkin has been a regular guest with the professional companies nationwide, performing such roles as Cavalier and Snow King in The Nutcracker, Bluebird and Rose Adagio Suitor in Sleeping Beauty, and Escamillo the Toreador in Carmen. In addition to his performance career, Mr. Lushkin has served numerous companies as both a teacher and Assistant Artistic Director. Mr. Lushkin has now settled in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area where he is resuming his teaching career with both organized classes and private lessons for aspiring talent.

Amy Zurlis

Instructor & Performing Company Choreographer

Amy has been teaching Tap & Jazz for competitors for 21 years. She is a 1993 UTD Graduate and majoring in Psychology with a minor in Dance. She is married and has two children ages 6 and 12. Amy’s students have taken titles at numerous National Competitions, some of which have gone on to perform on such television shows as Barney & Grey’s Anatomy. Amy has personally performed in Murder by Numbers, Little Mermaid & Jesus Christ Superstar to name a few. Her choreography has been awarded at National and Regional Competitions in both group and solo categories.

Amy’s teaching style is fast paced and technical. She is able to instill skill and confidence to the beginner dancer as well as the most advanced – we are excited to have her talent and attitude here for your dancers.

Taylor Henscheid

Instructor & Performing Company Choreographer

Taylor has been performing since the age of 3 and has been trained in all areas of dance and is a well respected and known performer. Taylor’s gift as a dancer only strengthens her abilities as an instructor; she has an amazing motivational style that is a rare find in a dancer of her age which allows her teaching style to be very effective. Taylor teaches lyrical and contemporary classes at Coppell Dance Centre as well as assisting our performing company directors with competition numbers and solo choreography.

Some of Taylors personal accomplishments include Title winner as Tremaine-Studio Dancer of the Year, Miss Starpower, Miss Nexstar, ADA-Performer of the Year. She has many other competition and performance awards for area and National Competitions. She performed as a Chuck E. Cheese/Featured Dancer in 2004 as well as her performances as a Junior Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader with performers including Clint Black, Jessica Simpson, Creed, Toby Keith, Billy Gilman, LeAnn Rhymes, Destiny’s Child, and Sheryl Crow.

Shawn Lawson

Instructor & Assistant - Tap/Jazz/Hip Hop

Shawn Lawson was first inspired to dance by his grandmother and aunt who own dance studios in California. Shawn has trained with several schools in the Metroplex as well as dance conventions such as Dupree, Tremaine, Co. Dance, and Debbie Allen’s Dance Institute, winning scholarships to study at each. He has competed at many well known dance competitions both here and outside the state including Starpower, Starlight, Showbiz, and American Dance Idol. Shawn is a distinguished performer, winning multiple titles and awards at regional and national dance competitions and conventions. He has danced roles in Benjamin Houk’s Peter Pan, Debbie Allen’s Pepito’s Story, and performed at halftime shows for the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Desperados. He has also performed with Svetlana Stanova Ballet Academy in their productions of Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker. Winning a local talent show gave Shawn the opportunity to appear in several Chuckie Cheese Videos. Shawn has also participated in the Teen Talent Follies winning the Roger Spivey Award.

In addition to dance, Shawn referees soccer, is a fourth degree black belt in karate and is currently attending TCC earning his A.A.S. in business. He plans to go on to UTA looking to earn a B.A.S. in Accounting and Finance. He is excited to be a part of Coppell Dance Centre for the upcoming dance season and is looking forward to working with everyone.

Kayla Giard

Instructor - Ballet

Kayla Giard was born in Dallas, Texas. She began her ballet training at an early age. She spent summers training with American Ballet Theatre in New York, Joffrey School of Ballet in New York, Houston Ballet, Kaatsbaan International Ballet, and Ballet Austin. She performed with the Joffrey Ballet. Kayla has had the honor of studying with Suzanne Farrell, John Magnus, Kevin McKenzie, John Meehan, George de la Pena, Fernando Bujones, Martine van Hamel, Julie Kent, and many other talented artists.

Kayla was crowned Miss Junior Texas Teen and was first runner-up in the Miss Junior America pageant in 2006. She has been modeling professionally for twelve years and also enjoys acting. She has performed with Metropolitan Classical Ballet Company under the direction of Alexander Vetrov and Paul Mejia for three years and worked on the Academy staff for two years. She will be featured in the dance documentary 'Dance Pix' that is set to release in Fall 2009 in various film festivals. She is currently performing with the Metropolitan Classical Ballet in Arlington, Texas.

Keith Green

Hip Hop Choreographer/Instructor

This athletic dancer has gained credits in numerous local as well as national markets. His exposure in a variety of media and hands-on teachings offer clients a well rounded and experienced talent.

Keith is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he played football. Injuries caused his sport to change to dance, and since then he has been choreographing and dancing consistently on television, in music videos, tours, commercials and industrials. He has been teaching kids and adults of all ages at studios and energetic hip hop master classes throughout the country for over 12 years now. Keith is represented by Clear Talent Group dance agency based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Choreograph includes work for the record label National Recording Artists Tyrese, Marcos Hernandez, Carsello's music video "Ay Mamaita", MTV's " My Super Sweet 16 ", MTV3's " Road to Menudo " with Johnny Wright, Wire Records' recording artist Jer-Z road tour 2002, 2005 MLS Championship Cup Half-Time Show, NFL’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and AFL’s Dallas Desperados Dancers, Toni & Guy 2003 Photographic Awards, Beauticontrol, BKM, National Dance Alliance/National Cheerleaders Association, "Hip Hop You Don't Stop" instructional video, Dragon's Halloween Ball 2003-2008 and Move To Groove Ball 2004-2009. Keith is currently choreographing for recording artist Karen Noseff's upcoming 2010 Tour and new upcoming music group 3AM.

Performances include music videos choreographed by Marty Kudelka (Justin Timberlake) and Roger Lee (Janet Jackson), along with live stage performances in the "Body Art Ball ". Additional credits include Good Day Texas, The "V", Texas Lottery “Cash Five” commercial, “Indiana Live Casino” motion caption commercial and NFL’s Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Halftime Show. Opening performances for Monica, B2K, Omarion, Cassie, Ciara, Ice Cube, Chingy and Young Joc.