INSTRUCTORS + STAFF

Chansey Eames is the proud owner and director of Straight Up Dance Academy, where she has built a studio culture centered around passion, positivity, hard work, and heart. With a deep love for dance and an even deeper love for teaching children, Chansey is dedicated to helping every student feel seen, supported, and inspired both on and off the stage.

Known for her creativity, leadership, and commitment to excellence, Chansey has developed a competitive and recreational dance program that focuses not only on strong technical training, but also on building confidence, teamwork, accountability, and kindness. She believes dance should challenge students to grow while also creating joyful memories and lifelong friendships.

Under her direction, SUDA has become a studio family where dancers are encouraged to dream big, work hard, and support one another. Chansey is passionate about creating meaningful experiences for her students — from magical recitals and exciting summer camps to memorable competition seasons and community performances.

Her choreography and storytelling often bring imagination to life, blending creativity and performance in ways that captivate audiences and give dancers opportunities to shine. Whether she is organizing productions, mentoring students, supporting families, or cheering dancers on backstage, Chansey pours her whole heart into everything she does.

Above all, Chansey believes that the greatest success is not just creating talented dancers, but helping shape confident, respectful, hardworking young people who carry those lessons with them for life.

Chansey began teaching dance as a freshman in high school and has been passionate about the art ever since. A dedicated performer, she was a four-year member of her high school drill team, serving as Captain during both her junior and senior years. She also trained at her local studio in Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Clogging, and Hip-Hop. Chansey was honored to represent her school as the Dance Sterling Scholar and continued her education at Snow College on a dance scholarship. She later pursued Business Management at Salt Lake Community College.

Chansey’s performance experience includes tours and shows at Disneyland, aboard Carnival Cruise Lines, and throughout the Mexican Riviera. Her greatest passion lies in training the next generation of dancers and sharing her love of dance with the community she serves..

Adi began dancing at the age of three and spent 11 years as a competitive dancer, training in jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop. She was also a member of her middle school’s dance company before dancing on her high school drill team for four years, where she served as Dance Captain during her senior year.

Through her years of training and performing, Adi developed a deep love for dance and a passion for mentoring young dancers. She is dedicated to creating a positive, encouraging classroom where students can build confidence, develop strong technique, and discover the joy of dance.

Adi recently graduated from Salt Lake Community College with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Her knowledge of body mechanics and movement, combined with her extensive dance background, allows her to help students train safely while reaching their full potential.

When she’s not at the studio, Adi enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is excited for another incredible season and looks forward to inspiring and encouraging each of her dancers at Straight Up Dance Academy.

Leah serves as Straight Up Dance Academy’s Competition Director and as an instuctor and is thrilled to play such an important role in each of our competition dancers’ journey. She is passionate about mentoring young athletes, fostering confidence, and helping every dancer reach their fullest potential both on and off the stage.

As a choreographer and technique coach with Sharpen Up Dance Technique Training, Leah brings more than seven years of professional teaching and choreography experience to SUDA. Throughout her career, she has worked with organizations including UDA, Sharpen Up Dance Technique Training, V!ROC Choreography, and numerous dance studios throughout Arizona.

Leah has choreographed for and coached high school and collegiate dance programs across the country, helping dancers develop exceptional technique, artistry, performance quality, and confidence. Her thoughtful instruction, positive leadership, and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable resource for our competitive program.

Leah began dancing at the age of five and was a member of Casteel High School’s State Championship Pom Team. Her favorite styles to teach and choreograph are jazz, lyrical, and pom, where she enjoys combining strong technical training with dynamic performance and expressive artistry.

Tessa is excited to be returning to the Straight Up Dance Academy team! With extensive training in Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Acro, and Ballroom, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge and inspiring the next generation of dancers.

Tessa spent three years performing with Brigham Young University’s Contemporary Dance Theatre, including the opportunity to perform in New York. Following college, she relocated to Oregon, where she continued her professional training with FreshVibe Dance Crew and the renowned contemporary company BodyVox.

A certified Acrobatic Arts instructor, Tessa also brings her expertise in strength and conditioning through her work as a fitness instructor at Pure Barre Sandy. She has a passion for coaching competitive dancers, and her choreography has earned numerous judges’ awards, overall titles, and national championships.

Above all, Tessa is dedicated to creating a positive, supportive, and safe learning environment where every dancer feels encouraged to grow. She incorporates strength, flexibility, and injury prevention into every class, helping students build confidence, develop strong technique, and reach their full potential. She is excited to help each dancer thrive and looks forward to an incredible season at Straight Up Dance Academy!

Saige Auny began dancing at the age of six and received the majority of her training at Danceology Studio and The Pointe Academy in Utah. She began competing at just eight years old and continued throughout high school, developing a strong technical foundation and a passion for performance.

During her competitive years, Saige earned numerous scholarships while training with nationally recognized conventions including Radix, Transcend, ASH, NRG, and Velocity. She has had the privilege of learning from some of the industry’s most respected choreographers and educators, including Whittney Bezzant, Hailee Payne, Melissa Sandvig, Caroline Lewis Jones, Curt Hansen, and Talia Favia.

As a young performer, Saige’s talent opened the door to exciting opportunities, including performing at Disney’s Fantasyland Theatre, appearing as a ballroom dancer on the History Channel’s Brother in Arms, and performing as a Velocity MVA alongside pop artist Ava Max.

After graduating from high school, Saige launched her professional dance career and has continued to build an impressive résumé. Her credits include performing as a character dancer for Kuwahara’s Thriller Park, dancing in the production Fighter produced by 90&9, performing at USANA Live, choreographing and directing for local dance studios, creating choreography for film and music video productions, and spending four seasons as a company member with Shift Dance Company under the direction of Megan Warnick.

Saige’s favorite styles are contemporary and jazz, where her dynamic movement quality, captivating stage presence, and expressive artistry truly shine. She is passionate about helping dancers develop not only strong technique but also confidence, creativity, and a genuine love for performing. Saige is excited to inspire the next generation of dancers at Straight Up Dance Academy.

Hayley is a dedicated and passionate dancer with years of training in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballet/pointe. She began dancing at a very young age and fell in love with it from the start. As one of the original dancers at Straight Up Dance Academy, Hayley has grown both as a performer and a leader within our studio family.

While pursuing her own dance career, Hayley began assistant teaching and discovered her passion for mentoring younger dancers. She has been a member and officer of her school dance companies throughout middle and high school, which further developed her leadership skills and deepened her love for the art.

Hayley has earned numerous first-place awards, judges’ choice honors, and overall titles in competitions—both as a soloist and team member. One of her proudest achievements was receiving the prestigious All-American title at nationals.

Whether she’s in the classroom or on stage, Hayley brings creativity, energy, and a genuine love for dance to everything she does. Her journey reflects her commitment to hard work and her dedication to inspiring the next generation of dancers.

Ella has been dancing for over 16 years, beginning her training in Michigan before continuing her dance journey in Utah. She has trained in a variety of dance styles and spent 10 years as a competitive dancer, developing a strong technical foundation and a love for performance.

Ella was a four-year member of the Dixie High School Drill Team, where she served as both Drill Mistress and Team Captain. During her time on the team, she helped lead Dixie High to back-to-back State Championship titles in 2022 and 2023, strengthening her leadership, teamwork, and performance skills.

While Ella has always loved performing, her greatest passion is teaching and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She is dedicated to helping each student build confidence, develop strong technique, and achieve their personal goals. Ella strives to create a positive, welcoming classroom where dancers feel supported, encouraged, and excited to learn.

Ella is thrilled to be part of the Straight Up Dance Academy family and looks forward to sharing her love of dance while helping every student grow both as a dancer and as an individual.

BIO COMING SOON!

Paige has been a valued member of the Straight Up Dance Academy family and a vital part of our office staff for the past three years. Throughout her time with SUDA, she has become a trusted resource for our families, helping create an organized, welcoming, and positive studio environment. Her friendly personality, attention to detail, and commitment to exceptional customer service make her an invaluable member of our team.

As one of the first people many families interact with, Paige is passionate about ensuring every dancer and parent feels supported, informed, and cared for throughout their experience at SUDA. Whether she’s assisting with registration, answering questions, or helping keep the studio running smoothly behind the scenes, Paige consistently goes above and beyond to serve our dance community.

Paige and her husband are the proud parents of four wonderful children and are passionate about creating a fun, loving, and memorable childhood for their family.

Paige is grateful to be part of the Straight Up Dance Academy family and looks forward to continuing to support our dancers, parents, and staff while helping make every season a positive and rewarding experience.