We hire the best so your dancers can be the best.
​We strive for excellence at Starpath Dance Academy, which is why we're so selective with our faculty. We think that teachers make the difference between good studios and great studios. With a team like this, we think you'll agree that we're a great studio.

OWNERSHIP

Lindsey Kaplowitz
Founder and CEO
Starlight Program, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Starlette Team, Tap

Lindsey has been dancing for 36 years, and teaching for 23 of them. She started training at a young age with former Radio City Music Hall Rockette Cheryl Andersen, and then trained as a teenager with Keith Banks and with the Valley Dance Theatre.

While the thrill of being onstage is indescribable, Lindsey's truest passion is sharing the joy of dance with her students and helping them fulfill their potential both inside and outside of the dance studio. Nothing can compare to the twinkle in a student's eye, and the smile across their face when they learn and perfect a new dance skill. Click here to read more about Miss Lindsey.

Janice Rava
Co-founder and Executive Director

Miss Janice is our Executive Director who works tirelessly behind-the-scenes to ensure all of our staff members and dance families are taken care of and in the best hands. Miss Janice is our secret weapon to organization and our incredible recitals and events. You can often find her in the office helping countless dance families along with her Boston Terrier (our studio pup), Mugsy!

Miss Janice has been to more recitals than you can count on fingers and toes, and loves being able to share knowledge and joy with our dance families. She is Miss Lindsey's mom and one of her greatest inspirations.

FACULTY

Erica Bennett
Dance Teacher
Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre,  Starlettes, Tap 

Miss Erica comes to us from Long Island, New York, where she started dancing at seven years old. She joined her studio’s competition team a few years later, competing in tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and contemporary. Erica was also a member of her high school and college Kickline teams and served as a captain for both teams.

After graduating from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Erica began performing with a professional dance team in Syracuse, NY. She also began teaching at a local dance studio where she taught recreational classes and choreographed for the competition team. Erica moved to North Carolina in 2018 for her full-time job, which is working as a Case Manager for adults with Traumatic Brain Injuries.

​Erica is excited to return to teaching and looks forward to sharing her passion for dance with the next generation of dancers. 

Toni DePaoli
​Lead Dance Teacher, Starlette Coordinator
​​Tap, Acting, Hip Hop, Lyripop, Technique, Jazz, Musical Theatre

Welcome, Miss Toni! Miss Toni double majored in Dance and Drama with a minor in Musical Theatre at UNC-Greensboro.

​She has worked professionally as a dancer and participated in several musicals and was the Dance Captain of South Pacific at Triad Stage. She was also dance captain of Heathers and Pippin at the University. She has experience teaching dance to ages 4-18 in a variety of styles, and is so excited to be a part of the Starpath family!

​Elizabeth Holmes
Starlette Coach, Dance Teacher, Client Coordinator

​Miss Elizabeth is a USA Gymnastics certified coach with over five years of experience coaching compulsory gymnastics, tumbling, and acrobatics.

While she began training in artistic gymnastics at the age of 2, she only discovered dance at 13 and immediately fell in love with the art. Since then, she has trained in ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and hip-hop. When attending the University of Pittsburgh, she performed with Exhalations Dance Theatre and began a dance club with her best friend. Having completed her master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021, she has been looking to be more involved in the community and believes Starpath is the perfect place to do so.

​She is excited to join Starpath and create a safe and inclusive space for dancers to explore gymnastics and acrobatics.

Caitlyn Lane
​Dance Teacher
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Pointe, Tap, Starlettes, Starlight Program

Miss Caitlyn has been dancing for 19 years, with an emphasis on Modern, Lyrical, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, and Tap.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and an Associate's degree in Business Administration from SUNY Potsdam. Caitlyn has had some amazing opportunities throughout her dance career including working with Paul Taylor Dance Company, receiving a scholarship for a dance intensive in Florence, Italy, and training at Perry-Mansfield in Colorado with Peter Chu and Chuthis Dance Company.

​Miss Caitlyn loves to teach and has taught all ages at a private studio in NY as well as at the University. She is so excited to be a part of the Starpath dance family.

Alison Levenberg
Choreographer and Professional Path Consultant

After relocating from the northeast where she was a Radio City Rockette, Broadway performer and Associate Choreographer (for Peter Darling - Billy Elliot) among other credits, Miss Alison comes to Starpath with a long career in performing, choreographing and dance education.

Alison grew up in England where she began teaching dance at the age of 16. She trained at the prestigious Bird College in London where she gained teaching qualifications in the nationally taught I.S.T.D. syllabus and also trained as a professional dancer.

Since becoming a mom herself, she has focused her energies on dance education and is very excited to join the Starpath family!

Erica "Rickky" McCurdy
​Dance Teacher
​​Starlight Program, Hip Hop

Welcome, Miss Rickky! Miss Rickky is a recent graduate of Western Carolina University, where she majored in English with a Professional Writing concentration and a double minor in Dance & Film Studies.

While in school, she was a choreographer for the Miss. BSU Pageants (‘18-‘20), while holding leadership roles in SGA, BSU, Queens of WCU, Inspirational Gospel Choir and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She’s been dancing for 18 years and had the pleasure of taking workshop with Hiplet, Urban Bush Woman and Rhythm Street Movement.

​Miss Rickky is ecstatic to share her love of dance and creativity with our young students!

Kailey Rabel
​Dance Teacher
Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Starlight Program

Kailey has been dancing for 17 years, ever since watching her older sister’s dance recital. Kailey grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and trained at a competitive dance studio where she focused on many styles such as jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and hip hop.

After graduating high school, Kailey found her way to Oklahoma City University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in American Dance Pedagogy with a minor in Spanish. She was able to teach dance classes to the Oklahoma City University students, where she learned more about her teaching style. Kailey hopes to bring the joy and love of dance to young students and help them grow into confident and respectful people.

​Kailey cannot wait to begin her journey towards a long teaching career where she can create meaningful relationships and impact the lives of many.

 Nicole Reese
​  Dance Teacher
  Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Starlette Team

​Originally from Central Arkansas, Nicole began her dance training at the age of 2 and has never stopped      performing. She has studied all styles of dance but loves Jazz, Lyrical/Contemporary, Musical Theatre          and Hip Hop most. Throughout her life as a dancer, she attended convention and performed in local events! She grew up in the competitive dance world and was the director of the Competition Team at her home studio in Central Arkansas for six years before making the move to North Carolina. She has a passion for working with students of all ages and helping them find a love and passion for dance the way she did.

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Devin Siebert
​Dance Teacher & Teacher Training Coordinator
Acro, Ballet, Jazz, Starlight Program, Tap

Miss Devin has been dancing for 20 years, studying Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. She taught dance for many years to students of all ages in Pennsylvania before moving to North Carolina.

While in Pennsylvania, Miss Devin gained a variety of teaching experiences, including serving as a Dance Instructor at Dancer's Edge in Millersville and a Youth Cheerleading Coach for the Eckert Fitness Group in York. Most recently, she planned and implemented her own dance curriculum at Get into GEARS, a recreation-based community center for kids and adults in Elizabethtown.

​Miss Devin is an elementary school teacher with a passion for working with and educating children. She is excited to share her love of dance with the students at Starpath!

Brittany Spartz
​Dance Teacher, shineBRIGHT Camp Manager
Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Starlettes, Starlight Program 

Miss Brittany has been dancing since the age of four. She started competing at the age of 12 in numerous genres of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, clogging and musical theatre.

Throughout her competitive career she was awarded numerous awards for solos, duets and group pieces she was part of. Her junior year of high school Brittany began teaching where she then discovered her true passion. After graduating high school Brittany attended Meredith College in Raleigh, NC where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing. At Meredith, she was a part of the Meredith Jazz and Tap Company, Meredith Dance Theatre and President of Nu Delta Alpha. Throughout her time at Meredith she performed at the American College Dance Festival for three years and was chosen to dance under various guest artists including Julia Rhoads, Kristin Sudeikis, and Tina Marie Custer. Brittany also received numerous honors from faculty at Meredith such as the Outstanding Leadership and Metamorphosis awards.

​Brittany is so excited to be a part of Starpath and cannot wait to see her students grow and develop a love for dance just as she has.

Ella Volpe
Dance Teacher
Starlette Only Advanced Ballet, Pointe 2/3

Ella Volpe trained for 11 years prior to attending summer intensive programs at the Carolina Ballet and Boston Ballet. In 2019, Ella joined the School of Carolina Ballet on scholarship as a pre-professional student. There, she had opportunities to rehearse and perform with the company.

​She is currently a corp de ballet member and is excited to share her love of dance with the talented students of Starpath Dance Academy!

Jené Ward
Dance Teacher
​​Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Starlettes

Welcome, Miss Jené! Miss Jene is a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where she was President, Choreographer and teacher for Blank Canvas — the same largest group on campus that Miss Lindsey was President of herself years ago!

Jené loves all styles of dance and has been surrounded by it her entire life, as her mom owned a studio of her own for 20 years. Jené has been a dance teacher since high school and loves teaching kids of all ages! We are thrilled to have Miss Jené at Starpath!

STAFF

Isabella Demasi
Front Desk Receptionist

Isabella is a fabulous Starpath student and student at Green Level High School. Isabella's favorite style of dance is hip hop! This season she won many awards for her Hip Hop solo, including First Overall and the "Natural" special judge's award.

Isabella loves to answer all of your questions and help your dancers in and out of class! She works hard to ensure you have all the information you need! We love Isabella!

Shaya Sharma
Front Desk Receptionist

Shaya is a member of the Starlette performance team and a student at Panther Creek High School. She also participates in her school dance team and enjoys volunteering in the community. Her favorite styles of dance are hip hop and contemporary!
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You will find Shaya working at the front desk when she is not in class. She is so grateful to be a part of the Starpath family!