Danielle Janbash
Teacher/Owner
Danielle Janbash started dancing at the age of three at Cathy’s Dance studio in Nashville. Through her time there she was able to experience many opportunities in dance. Danielle, at the age of thirteen, began participating in dance competitions with Mrs. Cathy dancing on the Jag and Cadillac dance teams and won numerous awards and championships. In 1994 she was a performer at the Olympic World Games in Atlanta and in the 1997 Orange Bowl Halftime show. After graduating high school in 1998 she continued her dancing through numerous dance workshops and camps and getting her first teaching experience through The Energy Source Dance Program in 1999. In 2001 she began dancing with Carnival Cruise Lines and returned back to Nashville in 2002 to study at Columbia State Community College in their dance and theater program. From 2002 – 2004 she taught dance at a local dance studio and in 2005 she opened Prima. Since opening her studio she has continued her dance education at Vanderbilt University’s dance dept. Danielle has always had a love for dance and a passion for teaching children and adults, through Prima she has the opportunity to share her passion to the Franklin community.
Hip Hop
Curtis Grecco started his dancing carrier here in Nashville TN, 8 years ago. He has spent the past 6 years traveling the country training and competing. He has won numerous awards and scholarships, from “Mr. showbiz” to a dance scholarship in New York City. Curtis has trained in every style of dance, from ballet to break dancing to ballroom. With all the traveling he has done in the past 6 years, he has been able to be a part of masterclasses taught by some of entertainments best choreographers and teachers, in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville and New York. Curtis has been a lead dancer in the Colorado School of Dance Nutcracker Ballet for 4 years as the Nutcracker Prince. He has also danced for Disney in the Tarzan show at Animal Kingdom. Curtis also studies fabric gymnastics and tumbling. Choreographing is Curtis’ favorite part of dancing, and he is very grateful to be able to share his gift with all of his students.
Alyssa Kawata
Tap, Lyrical
Alyssa comes to Prima Performance Studio from Houston, Texas. She studied multiple styles of dance at Boni’s Dance & Performing Arts Studio and The Woodlands High School including: ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and lyrical/contemporary. Alyssa is currently attending Belmont University studying Music Business and Dance. She has performed with Boni’s En Toure competitive team, Woodlands Dance Company (ballet) and The Woodlands High School Dance Department. She currently can be seen on stage performing with the Belmont University Dance Company.
Alyssa’s favorite styles of dance are tap and lyrical/contemporary. She also enjoys creating intricate choreography. Her other interests are “So You Think You Can Dance,” Apple computers, listening to music, and Nashville!
Andrea Roberts
Ballet, lyrical, Hip Hop
After earning her BFA in Performing Arts with an emphasis in dance from Western Kentucky University in 2000, Andrea has since performed and taught all throughout the Mid-West, Southeastern, and Northeastern United States; including performances with Lost Colony’s Dance Company, Manteo, N.C directed by Broadway’s Terrance Mann and Epiphany Modern Dance Company out of Nashville, TN.
Moving to Chicago in 2003, she brought her various and eclectic styles of dance along with her. Andrea is the early childhood instructor character of the 2009 DVD series of “It’s Hip-Hop Baby” on Rhino Entertainment. She has been on staff with the Peeka Productions, Galaxie, Chicago Moving Company, Moving Arts Studio (Director), Foundation Theatre Company, as well as other dance studios and performing arts establishments in and around the Chicagoland area.
In 2009 she returned to the Nashville Area to continue her work with Epiphany Modern Dance Company. Epiphany has since received state recognition with their participation in the Tennessee Association of Dance conference in 2010 at Austin Peay University and adjudicated in 2011 at U.T Chattanooga. Andrea is excited to be with Prima Performance Studio and a part of the community that inspired her to become the artist that she is today. Andrea’s current focus is to be a local advocate for the Performing and Visual Arts community in creating future projects, performance opportunities, and awareness to local patrons.
Natalie Sparkman
Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz
Natalie Sparkman’s passion for excellent teaching and unique choreography began during her classical training with The Lexington Ballet. After moving to Nashville, she became an apprentice under Mary and Michael Cadle with First Light Arts Academy where she was mentored in the art of teaching, choreography and dance technique. While training in LA, Natalie studied various styles of Hip-Hop at the Word in Motion Urban Dance Festival.
Natalie went on to attend Vanderbilt University and earned her Certification of Dance Studies in Balletand Modern dance and spent time as a trainee with Stillpoint Dance Theatre under artistic director Sharon Perry. Natalie has also earned her Teacher Training Certification from Ballet Magnificat! where she pursued more specialized training in Curriculum of Pedagogy for all levels of Classical Ballet. Natalie has had the privilege to study with prestigious names such as Marcia Dale Weary of CPYB, Kathy Thibodeaux of Ballet Magnificat!, and locally with Hip-Hop guru Chris Tyler and Ballet Principle Jennifer McNamara, to name a few.
Natalie has been a member of several professional Christian dance companies including touring Hip-Hop crew: rEVOLution, Eccentrique Backbone Dance Theatre, where she was also a Contemporarychoreographer and Soulfish Hip-Hop crew. Natalie also has performed rolls in classical ballets such as“Carabosse” in Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. With her students at Prima Performance, Natalie’sgoals are to instill excellence, creativity, joy, self respect, a heart for worship, a passion for purpose andconfidence to reach the biggest dreams.
Maryann Witt
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, GLEE
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Maryann studied dance under Amy Vandergriff at Starmaker Dance Studio and also served as the Lead Performer, Dance Captain, and Choreographer’s Assistant in a nationally award-winning competitive show choir while in high school. After moving to Nashville in 2006 to attend Belmont University, Maryann spent 3 years as a member of Belmont University’s Dance Company and received numerous awards for dance performance as well as for her contributions and efforts to improve the company. After graduating from Belmont University in May of 2010 with degrees in Sociology, Music, and Dance, Maryann began her pursuit as a singer, dancer, and performer. Currently, Maryann is a dance instructor at Dance South and Prima Performance. She can be seen performing as one of six dancers in the professional modern dance company Epiphany, and the Lead Singer in the band Kung Pow.