Alicia Ralsten
Substitute
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 & Company 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.
Stefani Sweitzer
Tiny Twirlers Instructor
Stefani Sweitzer is a senior competitive dancer at Energize Dance Studio. She's been dancing since her first day of kindergarten 13 years ago. Stefi loves teaching and being a role model for the other dancers. Stefi is an accomplished competitive dancer winning many overall and title awards. She has also had the privilege of choreographing her own solos for the last 3 years. In spring of 2024, she was named Miss Fly Dance at Fly Dance Competition and won 1st overall with her self-choreographed solo, Benediction. She's currently a Senior at Pine View School and graduates May 2025. After graduation Stefi plans on continuing her dance career in college and coming back from time to time to hang out with her Energize Dance Studio family.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Ava Maria Ipjian
Tiny Twirlers Instructor
Ava Maria Ipjian started dance at 4 years old, truth is she was inspired to be a ballerina after watching her favorite character Chloe on Sesame Street!
Academics and her passion and training in ballet quickly filled her days. Ava Maria soon immersed herself in all things dance and moved into performing arts, training heavily in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern and Latin and Ballroom! Ava is so appreciative for all of her amazing teachers and will remain eternally grateful for the wisdom and training she gained with Diane Partington.
Ava’s passion for helping children is limitless coming from a large close family. She loves sharing the benefits and discipline of dance with children. She was privileged to work as an assistant teacher with young dancers and individuals with special needs. Her work with those with special abilities is deeply rooted in her heart.
When not dancing, or teaching, Ava earned her A.A, and is currently a Pre-Med student at UF, majoring in Microbiology.
Today, Ava Maria is currently a passionate competitive Latin and Ballroom dancer and a Pre-Professional trainee with the Sarasota Cuban Ballet.
Ava knows the power that dance provides for the heart, soul and most importantly the mind. Her dream is to incorporate the benefit of dance with medicine. Perhaps in neurology.
Tyana Holte
Hip Hop &
Mini/Petite/Junior Instructor
Meet Miss TT! Miss TT's favorite color is purple and she is 21 years young! Outside of dance she's been a traveling hairstylist for 4 years and loves it!
Miss TT has been dancing her whole life - she started as a kid around seven years old. She started competing in ballroom competitions because her aunt was a professional ballroom dancer. After that, she went to Manatee school for the Arts for Middle School. While there she danced her heart out and got to venture out to every genre of dance that she was unfamiliar with. Some styles she enjoyed more than others, but even then she knew that dance would always be a piece of her.
Once she was at Manatee, she fell in love with Step and became captain of the step team for 4 years in High School. After graduation, she continued on as the Step team coach for 2. more years.
Not knowing what she should do to fulfill her joy and passion, she ventured out on a quest to find a job that she truly loves and that loves her, and she feels 100% like this is where she should be! Miss TT loves dance and loves teaching. She cannot wait to teach everything she knows!
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Daniela Di Santo
Tap & Acrobatics
Born in Toronto, Canada, Daniela began dancing at the age of four, training in many genres such as, Tap, Acro, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Jazz, and Ballet. Daniela was very fortunate to compete and travel across North America, winning many overall awards and scholarships, and training with the industry’s best.
Graduating from George Brown College, receiving a diploma in Commercial Dance, allowed Daniela to train in vocal and acting as well as dance, learning the skills to combine all three art forms. She continues to expand her dance knowledge by taking classes and constantly learning new skills to help her dancers reach their full potential.
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Daniela has over 20 years of experience training dancers from age 2 to adults, and although she loves to teach all styles, she specializes in Tap and Acro. Daniela is a certified level 2 Acrobatic Arts instructor and trains dancers following this syllabus, which allows them to participate in exams giving them the opportunity to become certified, if interested.
For the last 10 years Daniela was the owner and artistic director of RDDI, a dance studio in Ontario, and is honoured to have been a part of such an inclusive and loving dance community that she continues to stay connected
with. RDDI’s competitive dancers won numerous overalls and special awards and in their final season was top studio and runner up, at multiple competitions. “I am so proud of the dance community we created at RDDI and
all the hard work and success that our dancers had throughout the 10 incredible years that I was lucky enough to be their dance educator.”
Most recently, Daniela decided to continue her education and passion for helping other by receiving her level one certification as a Fascia Stretch Therapist. Sharing the gift of FST with her dancers has helped them heal
injuries and avoid new ones, but most important it has improved their overall well-being allowing them to perform better in studio and on stage. FST has been such a great addition to the many skills Daniela processes, and she is
excited to continue helping as many people as possible to feel their best and live their life to the fullest.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the Florida dance community and am beyond excited for this next chapter. I am blessed to love what I do and look forward to sharing my passion and knowledge with the EDS family!”