Meet our Team
Instructors
Amy Rubink – Office Manager Extraordinaire
Born and raised under the blazing Arizona sun, Amy Rubink is a true desert dweller who first joined the DSPA family in 2013 when her daughter—also a homegrown Arizonan—twirled into the studio. A proud double-degree graduate of Arizona State University (because why stop at one?), Amy has been happily married to her fellow cactus-loving husband for nearly 20 years. When she's not holding down the fort behind the front desk, she’s usually wrangling rogue sequins and battling runaway thread behind her trusty sewing machine. Need a costume fixed or a crisis calmly averted? Amy’s your woman. Powered by coffee, quick wit, and an unshakable love for all things organized, she’s the real glue (sometimes literally) that holds the studio together.
Tonya Randall
Alyce Layden – Instructor
Alyce Layden is a dance teacher by day, mystery novel devourer by night, and occasional lemon enthusiast around the clock. She’s taught nearly every grade from Kindergarten to 8th (6th grade continues to evade her like a villain in a whodunit), and once competed in baton twirling, which she swears is more dangerous than it sounds—those batons have velocity. When not inspiring young dancers or crocheting something fabulous, Alyce writes free verse poetry and contemplates a memoir filled with tales from her mildly chaotic, lemon-scented youth. Her heroes include Montessori, Cecchetti, Roosevelt, and anyone who’s made the world a little gentler and a little weirder—in the best way. While spicy food is a hard pass, give her anything soaked in vinegar or flavored with citrus and she’s in heaven. She may not eat fire, but she will eat a lemon like it’s a slice of cake. And yes, she’s proud of that.
Lynsey Louden -Instructor, Coach & Cookie Connoisseur
Lynsey thrives on spirit, sparkle, and a whole lot of squad goals. When she’s not coaching her powerhouse pomline team, she’s in the kitchen making cookies with her daughters (quality control is serious business) or catching the latest flick with her movie-buddy husband.
Though you may not know it, Lynsey has two famous cousins—one more famous than the other, but she’s too humble (or strategic) to name drop. A Disney devotee and unapologetic fantasy romance bookworm, Lynsey’s idea of magic includes a good plot twist and a touch of pixie dust.
Her future? It’s fierce: coaching a college Spiritline squad, becoming a professional writer, and embracing the beautiful chaos of motherhood.
Her heroes range from real-world icons like Ruth Bader Ginsburg to literary queens Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas, with a musical nod to Fall Out Boy—and a romantic one to her husband.
Oh, and if you ever need to bribe her… just don’t offer cotton balls. Seriously. She hates how they feel.
Ceylan Gentilella – Owner & Artistic Wizard-in-Chief
Since 2006, Ceylan Gentilella has been the heart, soul, and sparkly headband behind Desert Sun Performing Arts—her lifelong dream turned full-blown dance utopia. She caught the dance bug at age five and never recovered (thankfully), turning pliés and pirouettes into a lifelong pursuit of grace, grit, and glitter.
Armed with a BFA in Dance, a BS in Therapeutic Recreation, and certifications that could fill a dance bag—including massage therapy, Barre fitness, Progressing Ballet Technique, and a triple threat certification in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz via Dance Masters of America—Ceylan is basically a walking syllabus with a killer sense of rhythm. Her favorite class to teach? Beginner ballet—because watching tiny dancers discover first position is her kind of magic.
Offstage, she’s part mentor, part muscle-recovery guru, and part “can we make this a dance number?” visionary. If it moves, grooves, or has room for a high kick, Ceylan is probably choreographing it in her head.
Vince Thacker – Instructor
Vince tumbled into the world of gymnastics back in high school and never looked back—unless he was flipping, of course. With 14 years of experience coaching girls’ gymnastics and a certification in Acro from Dance Masters of America, he brings serious skills and just the right amount of dad-joke energy to the dance floor.
By day, Vince is an engineer—precision is kind of his thing—but by night (and recital season), he transforms into the ultimate prop master, crafting sets and fixing things you didn’t even know were broken. When he’s not building backdrops or balancing dancers, he’s off camping and traveling with his family, probably constructing a tent with zip ties and gaffer tape.
De’Aviyon Samuels – Leadership Academy Director
De’Aviyon Samuels spends her days shaping the leaders of tomorrow and her nights wondering how her cat Koa manages to ignore her so thoroughly. A dance teacher by day (and also by evening, and probably weekend), she’s a firm believer that life is better with rhythm, ocean views, and really good food—preferably at the same time. When she’s not on the dance floor or mentoring future stars, you can find her hiking uphill both ways, pretending she’s outdoorsy while secretly just searching for the perfect snack spot. With two siblings, a big dream of owning her own performing arts facility, and a deep admiration for her grandmother (who she insists is cooler than Beyoncé), De’Aviyon is the kind of person who leads with heart, laughs at the chaos, and somehow makes it all look effortless—even if she still can’t figure out what people mean by “funny.”
Deja Williams
Velaine Jollé – Instructor
Born and raised under the Arizona sun, Velaine Jollé has been dancing since she could walk—and possibly before that, if baby toe points count. With over 30 years of experience lighting up stages, coaching future stars, and choreographing award-winning routines, she’s a walking, pirouetting, handspringing force of nature. Her choreography has snagged regional and national recognition, not to mention some serious hardware from judges who know brilliance when they see it. For over a decade, she’s directed full-scale productions with casts of 150+ students—because why do anything small?
Velaine is certified by Acrobatic Arts, keeping her technique sharp and her cartwheels cleaner than your grandma’s kitchen. Her heart beats for acro, tumbling, and technical training, but she also thrives creating in lyrical, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop foundations (yes, she can drop a beat and drop into the splits). Many of her students have leapt—literally—into professional careers, thanks to her no-nonsense, high-energy, deeply passionate coaching style. Velaine is beyond grateful to call this life “work,” and she's fired up to keep inspiring the next generation of dance-floor dynamos—one eight-count at a time.
Emma Rubink – Instructor
If you’re looking for someone who can pirouette, bake cookies, wrangle chickens, and shape molten glass into works of art—all before lunch—Emma’s your girl. With 13 years of dance training under her belt and three years of glassblowing experience (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds), Emma brings a unique blend of grace and grit to the studio.
When she’s not teaching or dancing, she’s listening to music, baking something delicious, or dreaming about classic cars she’ll one day drive to a dance competition (hopefully with room for her chickens in the back). Her heroes—her parents and teachers—helped mold her into the passionate, creative soul she is today.
Future goals? To build a life around her artistry, whether that’s through dance, glass, or something else that hasn’t stolen her heart just yet.
Nikki Nino
Emily Thacker – Assistant Instructor
If there's one thing Emily Thacker knows, it's how to lift spirits—whether she's teaching a class, hiking a trail, or professionally kneading your stress away. A certified massage therapist and eternal optimist, Emily is on a mission to improve the quality of life for everyone she meets, one back knot at a time.
Formerly rocking a head of glorious pink hair, Emily now channels her vibrant energy into acro instruction and wilderness adventures. She’s happiest when she’s outside camping under the stars, preferably with a snack in hand and a good story to tell. Her hero is none other than her dad, Mr. Vince—prop master, acro guru, and all-around legend.
And while Emily may appear cool, calm, and collected, don't be fooled: she has peed her pants more times in her 20s than she'd care to admit. Let's just say, laughter is literally her cardio.
Leadership Academy
NaKyhia has been dancing for 12 years, training in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, lyrical, hip hop, and contemporary—basically, if there’s music, she’s moving! Her favorite memory? Accidentally slurping a feather on picture day (because dance life is never dull). With a goal to keep improving her technique, she lives by the motto, “Just because it’s taking time, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.” Fun fact: she knows ASL and has six siblings, which means she’s fluent in both dance and organized chaos!
Meet Daniel —our feline-loving dance dynamo who’s been twirling, leaping, and jazz-handing his way through 8 fabulous years of dance. His favorite memory? Commanding the stage as the Nutcracker Prince at the Sugar Plum Tea, probably with imaginary cats in the audience cheering him on. With a goal to strut into Juilliard and someday inspire future dancers as a teacher, Daniel lives by the motto: “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today”—which also applies when you're outnumbered 10 to 1 by your cats
Makayla has been dancing for nine years, immersing herself in ballet, contemporary, pointe, acro, musical theatre, jazz, and lyrical. Her favorite dance memory is performing Hometown Glory, a moment that deepened her love for the stage. With a passion for sharing her artistry, Makayla’s goal is to one day teach her own dance class, inspiring others as she has been inspired. A master of both grace and quirky talents, she can pop her shoulder in and out—a fun fact that always surprises! She lives by the quote, "Fill up your own cup and let them fall in love with the overflow," believing that true joy and passion shine from within.
Madyson has been dancing for 11 fabulous years, which is almost as long as it takes her to pick a leotard for class. Her favorite dance memory is performing at Gammage—because nothing says "I’ve made it" like dancing where Broadway tours roll through! She’s on a mission to level up her technique (and maybe remember to point her toes in every photo). When she’s not pirouetting, she’s tickling the ivories on the piano like a true multi-talented queen. Her life motto? "Dance like no one is watching"—which is great, because she’s been known to break out the moves in the cereal aisle.
Semra has been dancing for 13 years, mastering every style thrown her way like a true dance chameleon. Her current mission? Conquering aerials with the same determination that (almost) got her through a game of leapfrog—RIP to that leg. When she's not flipping through the air, she's vibing to music from all eras, proving she’s got the soul of a ‘90s kid and the playlist of a time traveler. Her life motto? "When all hope is lost, sometimes all you need is a good laugh to stay positive"—because even a fractured leg is funnier in hindsight!
Sofia has been dancing for eight years, mastering a diverse range of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, pointe, acro, and musical theatre. Her favorite dance memory is the exhilarating moment she landed her first aerial, a testament to her dedication and fearless spirit. With dreams of attending Juilliard, Sofia aspires to become either a professional dancer and actress or a dance teacher, eager to share her passion with others. As the fifth of nine siblings, she embraces her role with resilience and heart, living by her favorite motto: "Tiny but mighty.”
Gracelyn has been dancing for 13 years, training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, pointe, acro, musical theatre, and lyrical. She is always pushing herself to grow, with her current goal being to master a triple pirouette on both sides. One of her favorite dance memories is the unforgettable moment when her friend hilariously ran into a wall during ballet class. Outside of dance, a fun fact about Gracelyn is that she had plastic surgery on her ear when she was eleven. She lives by the quote, "What seems hard now will someday be your warm-up," reminding herself that perseverance turns challenges into strengths.