Ashley MonacelliAshley’s love for dance started at Deborah Stage Door Center for the Performing Arts at the age of 4. She continued studying Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and Lyrical; spending 12 years competing locally and nationally winning numerous top awards. After graduating, Ashley went on to pursue her Bachelors Degree @ Michigan State University where she was a member of the Impulse Dance Team. Later, Ashley went on to complete her Masters at the University of Michigan and is in the process of completing her second Masters this year.
Ashley has been working with various age levels at both the recreational and competitive levels in jazz, hip hop, pom, lyrical and tap. Ashley is very excited to be teaching at Next Level, a studio that creates a safe environment for kids to achieve whatever they set their mind to do. Admittedly, Ashley’s proudest accomplishment is being able to see her students take pride in their achievements as they grow as individuals and enjoy her classes.
Julia Kirkpatrick
Britne has been teaching dance for more than 15 years. She has coached elite level dancers to several national and world titles. Over the years her choreography has been honored with top overall awards, most entertaining awards and best choreography awards. She has also done choreography for the Radio Disney Frequency dancers as well as the Detroit Pistons Dancers.
Britne was a competitive dancer since the age of 8 and has trained exclusively under leaders in the dance community such as Mia Michaels, Cory Finn, Jackie Sleight, Mike Minery, Greg Russell and Tyce Diorio. She holds three national titles in tap dance and trained extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, modern, hip hop and gymnastics. Britne performed in the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Woodward Dream Cruise, Motorcity Movement, the PGA Ryder Cup celebrity gala, Halloween Fever with Channel 95.5 and Detroit Pistons halftime shows. She has also performed for many artists including Raven Simone, The Cheetah Girls, The Jonas Brothers and Corbin Bleu and Detroit jazz legend Marcus Belgrave.
Britne earned top scholarships at several conventions including an excellence in technique award from LADM and an invitation to perform in the Final Cut showcase in California. Britne received a dance scholarship to Oakland University where she furthered her dance education in kinesiology, dance pedagogy and choreography. Britne graduated from OU in 2013 with a degree in dance education and a minor in dance and is excited to share her knowledge and passion for dance with her students!
Rhona began dancing at age 4 at the Julie Adler School of Dance, where she studied tap and jazz for the next 14 years. It was there that she began her love affair with dance that continues to this day. Rhona continued dancing and performing in community theater productions during college and beyond while raising her family and pursuing a corporate career. After a successful career in the corporate world, Rhona decided to follow her lifelong love of dance and in 2009 she bought a small dance studio in Birmingham, MI. That studio grew by leaps and bounds over the next nine years and she and Britne opened Next Level Dance Center in 2015. Next Level was developed with the idea that you could offer top notch competitive and recreational dance training in a warm, supportive and safe environment – ultimately building exceptional people through exceptional dance training.
Rhona sold her prior studio in 2017 to focus solely on building Next Level (and to have time to visit with her children and grandchildren who don’t live in Michigan)! She’s thrilled to continue to have a role in shaping future generations of young dancers.
Rhona attended Stanford University and has a degree in education from The University of Michigan. She has been married to Rob for more than 40 years and has two children and five grandchildren.
Ali started dancing at the age of 8 and danced competitively in all areas of dance for 7 years. After high school, Ms. Ali attended Michigan State University, where she received her Bachelors degree in Merchandise Management. After undergrad, she continued her education at Eastern Michigan University where she received a second degree in Elementary Education. Soon after, she moved to Chicago where she began her teaching career and used her experience and passion for dance to run after school dance programs! Ms. Ali has been teaching for 13 years and has been in Early Childhood Education for 9 years. Ms. Ali is married to her husband, Jeremy, and they have two daughters who both dance at Next Level! Her older daughter, Willa, is on our mini company! Ms. Ali’s favorite part about teaching young kids to dance is watching the progress they make week to week and the excitement they have while dancing!! Fun Fact about Ms. Ali: She is a certified Zumba and Zumba Kids instructor!! We are so excited to have Ms. Ali as a teacher at Next Level!
Lesia grew up dancing many different styles through college including Irish Step dancing! She now has two boys that dance at the studio. Her favorite part of working at Next Level are helping the parents navigate the crazy busy times and watching the little ones learn so quickly! Her family loves to go to the zoo and travel.
Miss Renee has been in love with dance since her first recital as a bumble bee and
on through her professional dance career. She hopes to share with you everything
I have learned from the Paris Opera Ballet, ABT and NYC Ballet as well as my
dance education at Western Michigan University.
When she isn’t teaching dance, Renee’s days are filled with music from her
husband Keith’s saxophone playing and her recent fondness of watercoloring.
Some of Miss Renee’s favorites include, homemade chicken noodle soup, ice
cream and the color purple!
Angela has been teaching dance for the past 15 years for both recreational and competitive purposes.
She started dancing and appeared in her first commercial when she was five years old. Since then she has appeared in many commercials, preformed in countless musicals, and danced on stage for the Goo Goo Dolls on national television during a Lion’s Thanksgiving halftime show.
She’s a graduate of Oakland University, where she majored in communication and minored in dance. One of Angela’s proudest moments as a teacher was when she saw one of her musical theater students performing in School of Rock on Broadway!
Meet an amazing member of the NXTL staff, Miss Stacey! Stacey grew up as a dancer, and now her daughter Sydney is a dancer on our mini company. Stacey says working at Next Level is like being part of a big extended family. She loves the parental support and comradery between the adults and watching how much the big girls love and take care of the little girls. Her family is her #1. She has been happily married for 10 years and is mom to two wonderful kids. Her son plays hockey, baseball, tennis and swims while her daughter dances, plays tennis and swims! Stacey’s husband Craig works for the Detroit Red Wings, so you’ll often find her family at a game!
Deborah grew up dancing in Louisiana, studying under Cindy Teel and Linda Lavender Ford where she studied ballet, jazz, tap and pointe. She was a member of the Twin City Ballet Company, a Southwest Regional Ballet Member, where she performed in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Les Sylphides, Coppelia and many original pieces. She began assisting her teacher in high school and opened her own studio while in college. Following college graduation she moved to Harrison, Arkansas where she taught dance for 22 years and owned her own studio, Deborah Moore Academy of Dance, for 17 years. She created and directed many story ballets for their annual dance recital, and directed the DMAD Competition Team, which won numerous outstanding awards through the years. Deborah is married to Brady and they have two daughters Makenzie and Mallory.
“Dance is a passion of mine that I love sharing with others. I believe that students learn self-confidence, discipline, and structure all while having fun and learning an art that has been around for a very long time. It is always a joy to see students grow into beautiful dancers.”
Miss Kristen started gymnastics when she was in 9th grade and currently coaches gymnastics. Her favorite part about working at Next Level is all of the students. Kristen is happily married to Denny and has 3 kids: Tenley, Buster, and Alex. Alex is on our senior company. Kristen loves animals and has two dogs, a cat, a gecko, a rabbit, and a fish and her favorite animals are deer and peacocks!
Linda is a teacher, choreographer, workshop clinician and business owner. Linda teaches recreational tap and jazz classes and Competition Team Choreography here at Next Level and feels very fortunate to be a part of our studio! She has trained with the likes of Henry LeTang and Charlie McGowan. Along with teaching here, Linda has created choreography for many local musical theatre productions. She is currently the on staff Choreographer for the MRP Theatre Program at Marian/Brother Rice High Schools, and visiting Choreographer for Peanut Gallery Players at Meadowbrook Theatre, and The Community House Theatre in Birmingham. Her tap piece ‘Tightrope’ received the honor of being the only tap piece chosen to perform in the 2012 MCM Choreographers Showcase. Linda owns an Advertising/Marketing Company called L. Fournier & Associates and feels truly blessed to have found two occupations that offer such great personal challenge and fulfillment.
Magyn has been dancing for over 30 years. She trained at Deborah’s Stage Door in Rochester, Michigan in many styles of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop and lyrical. After graduating from Oxford High School, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career in dance. Magyn was represented by the Dorothy Day Otis Talent Agency and worked with well-known talent such as the Los Angeles Laker girls, Gwen Stefani and N’Sync. While working and auditioning, she also took classes with many talented choreographers including Doug Caldwell, Jackie Sleight, John Crutchman, Mark Meismer and Mia Michaels. Magyn moved home and began her teaching career and has taught recreational and competitive dance ever since. Since returning to Michigan, Magyn has choreographed for Detroit Pistons Half Time Shows, Hob Nobble Gobble, The Annual Thanksgving Day Parade, The Opening Gala for the Ryder Cup and much more. She has trained beginner to elite level dancers throughout her career and also coached All Star Cheer and Hip Hop. When not dancing, Magyn is a licensed insurance agent with the Pino Agency and the proud hockey mom of Chase and Blake. She is happily married to Ryan Reid and is so grateful and excited for the opportunity to teach and share her love of dance with the wonderful children at Next Level.
Julie started dance and gymnastics when she was just 3 years old. In high school, she was the captain of Eisenhower Varsity Dance Team and in college, she was on the Michigan State Dance Team. She majored in Elementary Education and teaches preschool during the day. One of her favorite dance memories is dancing for Enrique Iglesias at the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game. Miss Julie has been happily married for 11 years and has 2 kids: Caleb, age 10 and Lucy, age 7. Lucy is on our mini company.