It's not just Dance...it's a way to grow up!
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We are always looking for new enthusiastic instructors to join our team. Email resume to Traceesdanceimpact@hotmail.com
Artistic Director Tracee Brann has devoted her entire life to dance. She began her teaching career
under Meg Segreto in Fort Lauderdale, serving as Assistant Company Director for 19 years. Over the
decades, Tracee has attended numerous teacher training seminars with organizations like DMA, FDM,
and Rhee Gold Dancelife Conferences, learning from renowned leaders in the dance community. At
just 16, she committed herself to teaching and has been instructing students of all ages in tap, jazz,
ballet, and tumbling for over 36 years. Tracee is a certified member of Florida Dance Masters and
Dance Masters of America and has served as a convention instructor and Miss Dance Pageant director
for FDM. As a young dancer, she was a featured "new" June Taylor dancer in concert with Wayne
Newton and appeared in the Miami television special "America is Me." In 1998, she opened "Tracee's
Dancin' Starz" in Naples, which quickly became a leading studio in the area. After selling the Naples
studio in 2006, she opened Dance Impact in Estero. Tracee is also a member of the organization "More
Than Just Great Dancing," a network of studios across the United States dedicated to promoting better
policies, education, and student safety. She is also certified by Alixa Flexibility. Tracee has trained dancers who have pursued dance in college,danced professionally, or launched successful studios of their own. It is a joy for her to pass on the gift of dance through generations. Over her 37 years as an instructor and mentor, Tracee has positively impacted countless students, influencing them not just in dance, but in important life lessons as well.
Competitive Team Instructor Jaymee Brann has been submersed in the dance world since birth and
the dance studio has literally become her 2nd home. Jaymee has followed in the footsteps of her
mother Tracee since a young age and has grown to absolutely love working with dancers and
experimenting with her own choreography. She was an SDA Power Pak dancer for 3 years where she
gained a lot of her current choreography styles. Jaymee has won regional titles, has been a National
Fusion Ambassador, and has modeled for Peter Sabasino’s dance wear line. Bigger than her passion
for performing, she loves teaching and choreographing. In 2022, Jaymee attended UCF to study
elementary education. While at UCF, Jaymee was a member of the Knights and Damsels dance
company where she was on the Executive board as the Artistic lead. Jaymee also competed in “Zeta
Lip Sync” and “Kappa Delta Shake down”, which are both non profit greek life dance competitions
with the purpose of raising money for their philanthropy. While she loved Orlando, she quickly
realized that Dance Impact is where her heart is and decided to move back home and study at FGCU
so that she can be immersed in training and choreographing for our team dancers. At FGCU Jaymee is
also a sorority member of Zeta Tau Alpha and recently had the opportunity to choreograph a routine for her sorority to compete in the “Sigma Chi Derby Days” competition to raise money for cancer, where they won 1st place! Jaymee choreographs for our competitive team and has had dancers win many Regional titles and a National First Place. She has also developed a passion for creating music and working as a professional DJ. We are all over the moon to have her back home full time!
Pre-school Elementary director Lisa Day is truly our "baby whisperer," known for her exceptional
rapport with young dancers and her outstanding reputation in the community. While she has extensive
experience working with competitive dancers, her heart is firmly rooted in nurturing the little ones. A
graduate of the prestigious "FAME" High School of Performing Arts in New York City, Lisa majored
in Dance under the mentorship of June Lewis at Brooklyn College and further honed her skills at the
Joffrey School in NYC. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she has inspired students ranging
from 18 months to senior citizens and is a proud graduate of Dance Educators of America. Before
relocating here from Fort Lauderdale, Lisa spent a decade teaching at Mrs. P's Dance and Acrobatics
studios in Weston, Boca Raton, and Coral Springs, where she also taught and choreographed for the
Coral Springs Institute of the Performing Arts Musical Theatre program.In addition to her teaching,
Lisa leads our off-site dance programs at various preschools and recently completed her certification to
teach Leap N Learn, an engaging preschool dance curriculum. Having collaborated with Ms. Tracee for
the past 18 years, Lisa's energetic classes are beloved by all her students, making her an invaluable part of our dance family.
Classical Ballet and Contemporary Instructor Eddy Borges Lopez, a distinguished instructor in
Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance, boasts an impressive background in the professional dance
world. Growing up in Cuba, he received extensive training with numerous esteemed companies. Eddy
has performed and choreographed for renowned institutions such as Ballet de Camagüey, the
Professional School of Ballet "Vicente de la Torre," Bruckman Inge Ballet School, and the San
Antonio Ballet. His teaching experience spans a wide range of prestigious schools, including UEES,
Holy Spirit University, the National Dance Company of Ecuador, the Ecuadorian Chamber Ballet, the
Metropolitan School of Dance, and Quenedit Ballet School, where he continues to travel to instruct
and choreograph for their company. Locally, Eddy has also taught at the Naples Ballet Conservatory,
G-Force Dance Company, and Dance Bochette.We are thrilled to have Eddy as part of our dance
family, and our students have thoroughly enjoyed his ballet and contemporary classes for the past four
years!
Classical Ballet Director Helen Sedmak trained in England and studied all forms of dance from the
age of 5. She attended Northern Ballet School (UK) where she attained Associate of the Royal
Academy of Dance and Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Helen danced with
the Manchester City Ballet at the opening of the Dancehouse Theatre in the presence of H.R. H.
Princess Margaret. She also danced before H.R.H. Prince Philip at the opening of Terminal Two,
Manchester International Airport. She has been involved in numerous classical productions including
The Nutcracker, Giselle, and La Bayadere. She has also danced on Cruise Ships in Vegas Style shows.
Helen brings that much needed polish and technique to our competitive dancers. Helen has been
teaching with Ms. Tracee for the past 21 years and is a much loved member of the DI family.
Instructor Jillian Shea has been dancing since the age of two, starting her journey at Debbie’s Dance
Company in Jacksonville, Florida. Her passion for dance flourished as she participated in the
competition team, honing her skills and competing at a high level. During her high school years at
Bartram Trail High School, Jillian expanded her repertoire by embracing various styles, including palm
and kick, while proudly representing her school’s dance team for three years.As she grew as both a
teacher and choreographer at Bartram, Jillian had the opportunity to work with dancers of all levels,
nurturing their talents and fostering a love for dance. After graduating, she took her talents to Fort
Myers to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, where she earned a spot on their prestigious dance
team, further refining her skills and performance experience. In addition to her impressive dance
background, Jillian competed in the Miss Jacksonville pageant, where she earned the title of Senior,
Miss Dance. With her positive outlook and unwavering encouragement, Jillian is dedicated to inspiring
her students to reach their fullest potential. She believes in pushing them to be the best they can be,
creating an uplifting and motivating environment in her classes.
Instructor Britny Main Britny has been dancing since she was 3 years old, and has loved every
second of it. She grew up in Philadelphia, PA where she danced at the award winning studio Touch Of
Class Dance. She's also competed and performed in multiple different countries while on their
performance team. She started teaching at the age of 16 and was asked to bring her choreography to the
nationwide Young Choreographer's Showcase, held in Philadelphia. She was part of both her high
school and college dance teams where she served as captain. She moved to Fort Myers in 2018 for her
job as a producer for ABC7. At that time she quickly immersed herself in the dance world here in
SWFL and started teaching and performing throughout the area. It was after that, where she became a
Professional Cheerleader for the Florida Everblades. She is in her fifth year on the team, and has been
named captain for 4 consecutive seasons. Her positive and contagious energy makes her classes
incredibly fun and she is such a great addition to our team!
Tumbling/Instructor Nikki Gutierrez began her cheerleading journey in 2003, quickly falling in love with the sport that would
shape her life. With her team winning international championships in 2012 and competing at Worlds in 2014, cheerleading has
been a transformative experience for her. With over 18 years of experience in All-Star cheerleading and 8 years of competitive
coaching, Coach Nikki brings a wealth of knowledge and passion. Her impressive achievements include being a 2-time state
runner-up as a high school cheerleader, an international champion, and a Worlds competitor. She has extensive experience
coaching tumbling for levels 1-5 and has successfully led multiple Level 1 and 2 teams. As a USASF and USA Cheer certified
coach, she is skilled in spotting up to Level 5 tumbling skills in All-Star cheerleading. Additionally, Coach Nikki has over 12 years
of experience coaching gymnastics. As a competitive cheerleader for over 18 years, Coach Nikki is dedicated to fostering a fun,
energetic, and supportive environment for her athletes.
Blair Armstrong has been immersed in dance since age two, starting her training in Topeka, Kansas. She has trained in jazz funk, hip hop, contemporary/jazz, improvisation, heels, ballet, and tap, and has taught many of these styles, blending refined skills with creative exploration. With over 11 years of teaching experience, Blair has worked with dancers of all ages across Kansas, Missouri, and Florida.
In 2021, she moved to Florida and expanded her focus to improvisation and street dance culture. She participated in the SELF program led by Olympian b-girl Logistix and has advanced past prelims in multiple dance battles. Blair continues to perform and choreograph, collaborating with local artists, performing in and choreographing showcases, and appearing and choreographing in local music videos in both Kansas City and Florida. She has received choreography awards and was a dancer for one of Disney’s Electric Bloom stars.
Blair currently teaches adult dance classes at Residance dance studio and works as a speech therapy assistant. She is dedicated to breaking down barriers to make dance accessible to people of all diversities and abilities, inspiring and empowering her students and community through movement.
A native of Naples, FL, Kasey Notdurft has an extensive background performing and teaching dance of all styles. Her passion lies in contemporary, modern, jazz and musical theater. A graduate of the Towson University BFA program in Dance and Education, Kasey had the opportunity to train under artists from renowned companies such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As a former dancer and dance captain with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, she performed in production shows onboard Majesty and Grandeur of the Seas. Most recently, Kasey developed and directed the dance program at East Lee County High School in SWFL. She is also a certified barre instructor with Pure Barre. When she is not teaching dance or fitness, Kasey travels the country adjudicating dance competitions. Outside of dance, Kasey loves spending quality time with her family, going to the beach and traveling. She is thankful to be joining the Dance Impact family and looks forward to sharing her passion!