Faculty

Logan Tharpe opened Artistry Dance Alliance in the Summer of 2016 bringing her unique approach of operating a studio to Tallahassee and the surrounding area. Tharpe began her training at the age of three. She was a competitive dancer and trained in a variety of dance styles both classical and modern. After high school graduation, she became a member of the prestigious Florida State Golden Girls Dance Team. She's performed live on national television and at many events throughout the country. Her teaching and choreography career began at the age of 18 where she worked with dancers in Tallahassee and the surrounding area. Tharpe quickly became a sought after professional.

In 2008, after receiving a bachelor’s from Florida State, Tharpe moved to Jacksonville, Florida where she began teaching at a local studio. In 2009, she was named Company Director and became an integral component of the studio's growth which grew substantially, both in size and acclaim, during her tenure. Her competitive company grew into an elite contender at competitions throughout Florida. Tharpe was committed to providing her dancers with every opportunity to grow both in the dance room and outside of it often stressing the importance of dedication, self-empowerment and responsibility.

In 2015, Tharpe and her husband of 6 years, moved back to Tallahassee. She continued to choreograph and instruct master classes throughout north Florida. Her choreography is widely recognized as being innovative and dynamic, receiving much recognition. Most recently, her works "Let it Be," "Alice" and "Contagion of Hate" all received choreography titles in 2018. Her influence to the dance community has been seen at regional and national competitions and in dozens of studios and dance teams as well as on NFL Cheer teams and at Miss Florida pageants. She travels regularly to take classes and expand her range under the instruction of countless masters in their fields.

“I am one of the lucky ones. My hobby became my passion; my passion became my work, and my work has shown me my calling. Every young person deserves to feel unique and empowered and what better way to encourage this than through the art of dance. I am committed to Artistry Dance Alliance’s mission, to provide safe, supportive, skillful and inspirational instruction to any and all aspiring dancers.” -LT

Rebecca Krumel Sanchez completed her M.F.A. in Dance at Florida State University in 2016, following her thesis concert, Ashes of Beauty. She received a B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and English from the University of South Carolina, where she was the recipient of the USC Libraries Research Award in 2012.

Sanchez is a professional dancer, choreographer, dance educator and coach, and dance researcher. Her choreography has been performed at USF for New Grounds Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, and American College Dance Association, Florida State University School of Dance, the University of South Carolina School of Dance. She has taught in dance schools in New Mexico, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sanchez received a foundation in classical ballet training under Karen Alwin, Joetta Jercinovich, Luis Fuente, and Deanna Encinias.  She grew up dancing in a pre-professional company, The Performers, and competed in numerous dance competitions. In 2005 she competed in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals in NYC.  She was fortunate to spend summers on scholarship at professional ballet schools throughout the U.S., including American Ballet Theatre, the Washington Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.  She continued her training with the Boston Ballet, performing with the school and the company, and later danced professionally with Columbia City Ballet in South Carolina.

Sanchez is passionate about wellness and conditioning as part of dance training. She is a certified Balanced Body Pilates Instructor and Trainer of the GYROTONIC Movement Method.

Jennifer grew up dancing in Tallahassee, Florida where she established herself with training under numerous accomplished instructors and choreographers. Along with years of studio training in a variety of styles she was a member of the Tallahassee Ballet Company for seven years. In high school, Jennifer was a member of the Leon High School dance team where they competed and ranked in both state and national level competitions. She also earned titles including NDA All-American and UDA All-Star.

After high school she received her Bachelor’s of Business degree at the University of Central Florida with a focus in Hospitality Management. While at UCF, Jennifer was apart of the Knightmoves dance team which is one of the nation’s top competitive college dance programs. While in her last two years in Orlando she coached the Oviedo AllStar dance team. These both gave her the opportunity to work throughout Florida as an Instructor, Choreographer and Judge at competitions like FCDA and Florida State Fair.

Since returning to Tallahassee, Jennifer has taught an array of styles and ages at various dance studios. She currently coaches the Lawton Chiles High School dance team and is a dance instructor and choreographer for Young Actors Theatre Junior Company. She is excited to be teaching at Artistry Dance Alliance and looks forward to helping her students reach their potential and express their passion for dance.

Sam Brown was born and raised just outside of Jacksonville, Florida. She’s a recent graduate from Fleming Island High School. Sam began dancing at the age of 11 under the instruction of Mrs. Logan Tharpe. She has trained in ballet, contemporary, pointe, tap, jazz and hip hop. Her clean lines and dynamic performance ability helped her earn many accolades during her years as a competitive dancer. In 2016, Sam was crowned Miss Fleming Island High School and scored top talent for her contemporary routine. Around the same time, she won the “Free Spirit” award for her love of improv. In 2017, Sam competed with Artistry’s Competitive Company, learning and perfecting her solos and duo through videos, traveling and determination. Her dedication helped her receive the Title of Miss Platinum at Platinum Dance Competition’s Daytona Regionals.

She began assisting dance classes at All-Starz Dance Studio at the age of 13 and was an instructor her Senior year of high school. The commitment she brings to her art is truly a gift to her students. She’s a natural at the head of the classroom. She taught and choreographed for Artistry Dance Alliance in its inaugural summer, and since then, has been eager to share her knowledge and passion for dance with the Artistry dancers yet again. Welcome to the Artistry Staff, Miss Samantha!

Caroline Hartsfield is a Tallahassee native and recent graduate of Chiles High School. She began dancing at the age of 10 years old and instantly fell in love with the artistry and sport of dance. She soon began competing and attended numerous regional and national competitions as well as conventions to further her training. During the 2016 season, she assisted and taught classes at Artistry Dance Alliance. Her connection with young dancers is palpable, and she takes time to listen and connect with each student. Her talent for working with children is also shared with her community church where she enjoys teaching Sunday school each week. She has a true love for teaching and sharing her passion. “My favorite aspect of dance is having the power to tell a story through movement.” She can't wait to meet everyone and have a great year!

Caitlyn began her dance training at the age of three in Tampa, Florida. She has been trained in ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, modern, pointe and tap. She joined a performance company at age nine and became a competitive dancer at age twelve. To expand her dance experience, she attended many conventions and workshops throughout Florida. She began sharing her passion for dance as an instructor at age sixteen while being a member of her studio’s Elite Competition Company.

Upon completion of high school as salutatorian, she obtained her Child Development Associate and Early Childhood Professional Certificate. She is committed to encouraging and empowering her students, while promoting a healthy and positive lifestyle through dance. Caitlyn is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Management and Professional Sales at Florida State University. She also serves as President of the FSU Panhellenic Association.

Autumn Simunek is a South Dakota native with strong family roots in Tallahassee, Florida. She began her training at the age of seven studying the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet, modern, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, and musical theatre.

At an early age she captured the judges’ attention in pageantry with her lyrical dance performance, gaining her the title of Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen 2007. Her eighteen years of dance training includes over ten years of choreographing production numbers for pageants, multiple Miss South Dakota contestant talent pieces, swing choirs, and dance teams. Being well trained in communication techniques, dance styles, and music led Autumn to the title of Miss South Dakota 2015 and to performing at the Miss America pageant live on ABC in Atlantic City, NJ.

Autumn has been a featured dancer in her collegiate opera productions several times, and is a firm believer in continued professional development. Along with teaching dance for the past 10 years, Autumn has continued her own dancing under the direction of Raena Rasmussen of LiRa Dance Theatre Company, Dana Alexa, and Eric Campros, and Tracy Stanfield of Broadway Dance Center, NY.

Autumn is a graduate of The University of South Dakota with her Bachelor of Music degree in K-12 Vocal Music Education. She is excited to give back to the community of Tallahassee and work with Artistry Dance Alliance’s students to create a love of a dance in a safe, self-empowering, and fun environment.  

Jeremy Williams was born in Jacksonville Beach, Florida where he began his training in gymnastics. He grew up participating in competitive gymnastics and cheerleading. After moving with his family to the panhandle, he began dancing at the age of 15. He excelled in dance, and went on to win several National Titles. Jeremy began assisting and teaching dance at the age of 17 where his training in both gymnastics and dance were a huge asset to his students. For the past 6 years, Jeremy’s focus has been on coaching cheerleading and tumbling. He received his coaching certification from the U.S. All Stars Federation (USASF). His teams have received numerous top overall placements at Regional and National competitions. Jeremy recently became a member of the Florida State University Co-ed Cheer Program. He’s looking forward to pursuing his passion at FSU while also working towards a degree in Finance and Marketing. Artistry is excited to utilize Jeremy’s talents with our Acro students.