FACULTY

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Owner/Director 

Claudia began studying dance at the young age of 5, and continued until she received her full-time teacher’s certification in 1975. Throughout the years, Claudia has gained an abundance of experiencing traveling the United States studying with world renowned teachers and schools of Ballet, Tap, Acrobatics, and Jazz. Those include the Joffrey Ballet Company, Gertrude Hallenback, Al Gilbert, Bob Audy, Ron Daniels, Savion Glover, Luigi, Gus Giordano, Charles “Chuck” Kelly, Joe Tremaine, and many more. She studied authentic Hawaiian dancing from Wanda “Lokelani” Castello and traveled to Hawaii where she danced at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Waikiki in 1986. She also studied for one semester the ancient art of Belly Dancing and performed this genre at many functions. For over 40 years, she has been teaching all levels (pre-school to adult) at the Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance in St. Bernard Parish, Promise Land Academy School in Plaquemines Parish, The Garden District Ballet School in New Orleans, and Dancers Only Studio and Instruction in Metairie, Louisiana. She has trained several students to become professional dancers for stage, theatre, sport teams and has helped “graduate teachers” open their own dance schools. Many of her students have won dance competitions and scholarships, in both dance and academics. She has taught disabled, mentally challenged and deaf children creative movement for several years. Claudia is a former Miss Dance Educators of America, 1st runner up Miss Dance of Louisiana, Miss Congeniality for DEA and LADM. She had choreographed the Louisiana Junior Miss Pageants. She has judged several dance competitions, local beauty contests, high school dance team tryouts and partner disco/ballroom competitions. She has also assisted over the years many well-known choreographers at local and national conventions and master classes. Claudia continues to travel and study at the workshops, conventions and teacher conferences in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas as well as regional sessions year-round. Claudia is excited she is living her dream by opening Velocity Dance Center, LLC.     

Elizabeth has studied dance for over 30 years. She has primarily focused her education in ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. Throughout her dance career, she was awarded numerous scholarships including those to Tremaine Dance Conventions, LA Dance Force, West Coast Dance Explosion, and the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California. She has performed in many productions such as “Shake the Floor” and “Shake-N-Break”, which were Off- Broadway shows in New York City. Elizabeth was the first five-year member (8-12 grade) of the Archbishop Hannan High School Hawkettes Dance Team in St. Bernard Parish. She was also a member of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Jazz Dance Team and the University of New Orleans Starlettes. She was selected as a stage dancer for the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show, where she performed with James Brown, ZZ Top and the Blues Brothers. She has also performed in Euro Disney in Paris, France and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Previously she graduated and was a faculty member at Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance, Garden District Ballet School and Dancers Only Studio and Instruction. Remaining a student herself, Elizabeth travels across the country to take classes with sought after choreographers and master teachers. She is a graduate of the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, a minor in Psychology and holds a Law Degree from Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana. She is more than excited to share her knowledge with the past, present and future dancers of Velocity Dance Center.   

Jessica has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance from Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, Washington. Continuing her education, she has a Kindergarten- 12th grade Dance Teacher Certification from Tulane University. Dancing since the age of 2, she is an alumnus of Chalmette High School and studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. She is also a graduate of Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance. Jessica, a student at Ballet Hysell and later Garden District Ballet earned her Elementary student certificate with high honors in the Cecchetti Technique of Ballet. During her college career Jessica was a member of several dance companies including: Escaped Images Dance Company in Shreveport, Louisiana, Scottsdale Moving Company and Scottsdale Arizona Jazz Ensemble in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Cornish Dance Theatre in Seattle, Washington. She performed throughout the United States with these companies. She continues to broaden her dance education by traveling throughout the country taking classes with highly recognized choreographers. In New York City, she danced in an Off-Broadway show called “Shake-N-Break” and later performed with Dance New Amsterdam. She was one of the five selected throughout the country to intern at the Bates Dance Festival in Lewistown, Maine. Jessica has been teaching and choreographing dance for over 15 years. She has taught many open dance classes in the New Orleans and Seattle areas.  Currently Jessica, is on faculty at Chalmette High School as the Director of dance, teaching dance classes to the students of the high school. Jessica loves watching the excitement, creativity and confidence grow in students through dance, she is accomplishing her dream by teaching the students of St. Bernard Parish.   

Scarlett Saizan-Lancon is a  graduate of Northwestern State University, Lancon has been traveling around the United States performing in Cedar Fair shows such as “Lights, Camera, Action” and “Lusty Lil’s French Review”. Regional credits include Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chicago, Elizabeth Benning in Young Frankenstein, and Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler, and featured dancer in Salgado production of Matilda of New York. While in New York, Lancon got the opportunity to learn under choreographers such as Connor Gallagher, Jessica McRoberts, and Luis Salgado. Scarlett was recently honored by the Star Dance Alliance as a Nationally ranked choreographer. Choreography credits: Once on this Island, Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business, Anastasia, Anything Goes, Finding Nemo Jr. Willy Wonka Jr. and High School Musical on Stage, and School of Rock.  

Adrianne began her ballet training at the age of 3 at Giacobbe School of Dance and continued to advance her training and knowledge of specifically the Cecchetti Technique by attending Ballet Hysell in New Orleans, LA. At the age of 16 Adrianne decided to focus her training on the art of teaching ballet. While at Ballet Hysell she was given the opportunity to attend the Teacher’s Summer Intensive at the National Ballet School of Canada, attend workshops taught by Glen Gilmore of the National Ballet of Canada, study under Maestro Vincenzo Celli (a student of Enrico Cecchetti), Harvey Hysell a student of Maestro Vincenzo Celli, Diane Carney and Barbara Forbes whose resume includes training, teaching and careers with Royal Academy of Dancing - London, Institute of Choreography - London, Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing -London, Faculty of The National Ballet School of Canada, Ballet Mistress New Orleans Ballet. Adrianne attended Virginia Intermont College as a ballet teaching major under director Constance Hardinge - former dancer with Ballet Russe.    As a student, faculty member and children’s ballet mistress at Ballet Hysell and New Orleans Ballet during the 1980’s and 90’s Adrianne had the opportunity to perform in numerous full length ballets such as Nutcracker, Giselle, Coppelia, and Les Sylphide. She was also given the opportunity to perform on stage with many professional ballet dancers such as Dame Margot Fonteyn, Patricia Renzetti, Ivan Nagy, Galina and Valery Panov and Gelsey Kirkland. At this time Adrianne taught ballet and pointe classes to children through adults at Ballet Hysell and implemented the after-school ballet program at many schools in the New Orleans area.    In 1999 Adrianne opened the Garden District Ballet. She continued her training in the Cecchetti technique by joining the Cecchetti Council of America (CCA) and attaining her LCCA membership. She is the only certified member of the CCA in Louisiana. Adrianne has presented over 100 students to the CCA for exams, including Jessica Gorbaty of Velocity and Taylor Rauche of NBA Brooklynettes. She is also the only teacher coach in the New Orleans area and continues to present teachers for membership to the CCA including Gabrielle Gerrick of Velocity Dance Center. Many of her students and teacher candidates achieve markings of high honors. She is continuing to present students for exams as part of Velocity Dance Center. Last exam session her 99% of the students at Velocity received high honors. Adrianne is currently working towards her Advanced Teacher Exam. She continues to attend Cecchetti Council of America’s International Summer Intensive in Holland Michigan and regional workshops during the year.    Adrianne has also enjoyed teaching at and working with ballet/dance schools and companies around the Greater New Orleans area including Images, New Orleans Dance Academy, and River Region Ballet. Adrianne is a teacher at Louise McGehee School in New Orleans, LA. At McGehee besides her teaching position in Little Gate since 2006 she has been a part of the After-Care Enrichment Program as a ballet teacher since around 2004. 

Erin Wieber is an ICU nurse and dance instructor. Erin teaches tap preschool through adult, tumble tots and primary ballet with Velocity Dance Center.  She attended Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance for 16 years graduating in 1989 and returned to dance later in life taking tap classes under the instruction of Claudia Tavlin. Erin continues her education by traveling to seek out classes with master teachers in the dance profession.  

Kimberly began dance as a young child at Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance.  She went on to graduate in 1995 with dance experience in tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary,  tumbling and Hawaiian.  Kimberly's love of dance did not end here.  She has over 20 years of experience in teaching dance with a focus on preschool instruction in tap, ballet and tumbling.

Kimberly received a BA from the University of New Orleans in Elementary Education.  She has taught 4th grade in the St. Bernard Public School System for over 21 years.
Kimberly continues to study dance and attend dance conferences to bring back dance education to her students.  Above all, she hopes to share her love of dance and enjoyment to all she teaches.

Gabrielle started her dance journey at age two. She has attended schools such as Donna’s Dance Studio, Maureen Bersuder Academy of Dance, Audrey Odinet Schenck School of Dance, and The Dance Connection. Gabrielle graduated from Chalmette High School and The Dance Connection in 2011 then later Nunez C.C. in 2014. While attending Chalmette High she was a member of the Charmers Dance Team for four years. Throughout the years, she has had the opportunity to perform in various places: Louisiana, Disney world, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Gabrielle received her teaching certificate in Grade 1 of the Cecchetti method of ballet, and is a member of the Ballet Hysell Company. Her love of dance has taken her to all sorts of locations, most recently to New York City where she auditioned for the Radio City Rockettes.   

Amelia Stechmann has been a cheerleader since elementary school through my college years. Amelia was a also a dancer at Velocity Dance Center. She was a competition AllStar cheerleader for four years. She made it to the final round of the Saints Cheer Krewe audition! Amelia has coached for the AllStar teams at NOLA All Starts.  She has worked with school teams through The Louisiana Tumble and Cheer Academy in connection with Elmwood Gymnastics. All of her past coaches instilled the love of tumbling in me which made her want to become a coach.

Aerial Teacher

Alexandria White is the founder and lead instructor of Crescent City Aerial Arts. She has been practicing aerial dance for over 10 years and loves to share her knowledge and passion for aerial fitness and dance with others. Alex has been performing for over 6 years in theatrical productions, community events, festivals, and corporate events. More than anything, she loves to share aerial arts with others and is most comfortable teaching her love for the art with people from diverse backgrounds and fitness levels. Alex is inspired by her students and lives for the moments of achievement that only comes with the development of strength and mental clarity that aerial arts and fitness provides. With a background in ballet, various dance forms and Pilates, aerial arts have been a natural continuation of her love for creative movement arts and restorative fitness.  

 Laila has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in dance performance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she had the opportunity to take master classes from dance companies such as Ailey ll, José Limón dance company, and Momix, and has participated in ACDA’s southern dance conference. Laila was selected to choreograph the musical “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” for the ULL opera department in Spring, 2024. Currently, she is directing her focus on the development of technique in styles such as, modern, ballet, musical theater, and jazz. Laila is excited to start her journey here at Velocity Dance Center.