Alicia Ralsten
Tiny Twirlers Instructor
Alicia Ralsten is a recent graduate of the State College of Florida, where she earned her Associate's degree. Her passion for dance ignited at the age of 4, and she has been devoted to it ever since. Throughout her journey, Alicia has lived and traveled across the USA, enriching her dance education by attending many different studios such as the Mapel Valley School of Ballet in Washington State and the Russian Ballet here in Sarasota. She is a proud alumni of Booker High School's Visual and Performing Arts dance program, where she immersed herself in intensive dance lessons for multiple class periods a day. During this time, she primarily studied Ballet and Modern; however, Alicia also had the privilege of exploring various dance genres including Tap, Afro Caribbean, Flamenco, Hip Hop and many others! Alicia started teaching at Energize when she was 18 in 2022 and is excited to be back teaching two years later! Dance is one of her many passions and she’s very excited to watch your children grow a strong knowledge and love of dance!
Energize Dance Studio Faculty
Erin Crobons
Owner/Director
Erin Crobons is a recent graduate of New College of Florida with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor in Applied Mathematics. Erin grew up dancing at Focus Performing Arts Studio under the direction of Jenny Clifton and at Empire Dance Studio under the direction of Alexis Black, where she was apart of award winning competition teams. With experience in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary, Erin began assisting classes at age 14 and teaching at 18 years old. Erin has experience working with dancers of all ages and choreographing award winning competition numbers. Dance is her passion and she loves to share that with children in hopes of inspiring them.
Erin Crobons
Owner & Director
Erin Crobons graduated from New College of Florida with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor in Applied Mathematics. Erin started dancing at the age of 6. She grew up dancing at Focus Performing Arts Studio under the direction of Jenny Strickland and at Empire Dance Studio under the direction of Alexis Black, where she was apart of award winning competition teams. With experience in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary, Erin began assisting classes at age 14 and teaching at 18 years old. Erin has experience working with dancers of all ages and choreographing award winning competition numbers. Upon moving to Sarasota she began teaching at various local studios. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Erin was finishing her degree at NCF and was no longer teaching dance. After a group of families approached her about continuing classes, she opened Energize Dance Studio in June 2020. With over 20 years of experience in the dance industry, she is ready to take the next step into entrepreneurship. Dance is her passion and she loves to share that with children. Her main focus is to create a studio that is your child's home away from home while providing quality dance education in a fun and supportive environment.
Kendall Britt Jr.
Ballet & Pointe Instructor
Kendall George Britt Jr. was a leading member of Ballet Memphis for ten years. He danced in many ballets, including the title role in Peter Pan as well as the roles of Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, the Prince in Cinderella, and the Lion in Wizard of Oz. He danced in Matthew Neenan’s The Darting Eyes, in Gabrielle Lamb’s I Am A Woman: Moult, and in Julia Adam’s I Am A Child. Kendall also danced the memorable role of Puck in Mark Godden’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Prince in Nutcracker, the prestigious Ballet Asteras 2013 gala in Tokyo. Before joining Ballet Memphis, Kendall trained on full scholarship at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Ballet Academy East. He also attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Kendall is a 2006 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts youngARTS merit scholarship recipient. He is from New York City and joined the Company in 2006 and completed 10 seasons there.
Jaylee Carpenter
Mini & Club Energize Instructor
Jaylee Carpenter has been dancing since she was 4 years old. Jaylee is a proud graduate of the Booker High School Visual Performing Arts Program. Jaylee started off as a student of Mrs Erin's and later became a teaching assistant while dancing with the Energize Dance Company in High School. She has trained in all styles including but not limited to, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, ballet, modern, and flamenco. Her favorites include modern and flamenco. She loves dance and making sure the kids have all the tools they need to be successful in the dance industry.
Mikayla Johnson
Instructor
Mikayla Johnson is a recent graduate of SUNY Fredonia with a B.F.A. in Dance, B.S. in Mathematics, and a minor in Dance Studio Administration. She grew up in Jamestown, NY, and has been dancing since the age of 4. During her years in college, Mikayla had the opportunity to travel to various cities and perform work. Most recently, Mikayla’s choreography was selected to be shown at the American College Dance Association Conference in Athens, Ohio. Aside from performing, Mikayla has taught various classes and workshops, and is grateful to be sharing her passion of dance with others here at Energize Dance Studio.
Patricia Strauss
Ballet Instructor
Ms. Strauss has performed with several prominent companies in which she was soloist and/or principal dancer. Those companies include Les Ballet-Jazz of Montreal, Minnesota Dance Company, Rondo Dance Theater, Joyce Trislers’ Dance Company, and Het-National Ballet of Holland’s Opera Ballet. She has also danced with the Alvin Ailey Apprentice Company, and was invited by Paul Taylor to understudy repertoire. In addition to performing, Ms. Strauss has taught ballet with many of the major dance schools which include Ballet Orlando, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet , Ballet Chicago Studio Company , Sarasota Ballet Pre-Professional Division, Diane Partington School of Classical Ballet and International Ballet Sarasota.
In addition she has been resident or guest teacher for the Lafayette Ballet, School of Richmond Ballet, New World School of the Arts, Walt Disney World, Audre Mendel & Jurgen Schneider’s Vaganova Seminar, Lake Michigan College, Sarasota Ballet, Ballet Florida, Harvard University / Ballet Company and Chevalier Ballet, NYC. Ms. Strauss has taught professional company ballet classes for Maximum Dance Company in Miami, The Alvin Ailey Company in Boston and Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.), Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Luna Negra in Chicago, Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, Les Ballet Jazz of Montreal and Cirque de Soliel in Las Vegas, Ballet Hispanico and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami.
Ms. Strauss has similarly and extensively choreographed for not only dance companies but for television, film, music video and musical theater. Moreover, she was the artistic director of her own company and school, L’Image, in Miami, Florida. While residing in Boston Ms. Strauss was on faculty of Suffolk University, Emmanuel College, and Boston College. In addition, New College of Sarasota teaching dance courses on their campuses.
Ms. Strauss was the creator and co- producer of the highly successful choreographic showcase in Boston, “Dance on The Top Floor”, which ran for 7 years receiving numerous articles and acclaimed reviews. As resident choreographer for, Turtle Lane Playhouse in Massachusetts, she choreographed numerous musicals for them in the span of 9 years.
She has taught summer dance intensives in Virginia for former ABT (American Ballet Theatre) soloist, Keith Lee, Ballet East (West Palm Beach, Fl.) Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance Attack Miami, Chicago Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Diane Partington School of Classical Ballet and International Ballet Sarasota.
Ms. Strauss has similarly and extensively choreographed From 2010-2015, Ms. Strauss was a full-time teacher for the Conchita Espinosa Conservatory of the Arts in Miami heading up their pre-professional ballet division and Artistic Director of the CEC Youth Ballet Company. She was the Artistic Coordinator for the Miami Master Class Series hosting eminent teachers from around the globe bringing in Jose Carreno in 2013 and other prominent teachers in 2014/2015. Ms. Strauss was featured in World Dance Magazine Florida as “SPOTLIGHT ON A TEACHER in 2013 and wrote featured articles published in World Dance Magazine, Florida May 2014, March 2015 and November 2015.
In 2019 Miss Strauss choreographed “Gwendolyn the Graceful Pig” by author David Ira Rothenberg using the professional level dancers from Sarasota Ballet’s Trainee program and Studio Company touring throughout public schools in the area.
Currently teaching for the Diane Partington School of Classical Ballet, Sarasota Circus Arts Conservatory and has teamed up with the renown contemporary choreographer, Frank Chaves former artistic director of River North Chicago, teaching Dance Workshops together (classical ballet and contemporary choreography). In 2024 she collaborated with Sarasota Circus Arts, Cuban Ballet Studio Company dancers and a circus artist with Cirque de Soliel Canada to create an original work.