Instructors

Laurie Stoianowski, Owner/President, Instructor

Laurie Stoianowski - Owner/President, Instructor
Laurie is a veteran dancer and instructor of 60 years. She is a former dancer with Randazzo Dance Studio and the Ypsilanti Area Dancers, studying solely under Marjorie Randazzo. At the age of 17, she was recruited by the Southwest Ballet Company in Austin, Texas. She has owned the Tecumseh studio for 32 years and the Saline studio for 22 years. Laurie manages both locations along with the competition team. She enjoys working with and sharing her love of Ballet with the Ballet and Pointe dancers.

Reeves DeVoe, Instructor

Reeves DeVoe - Instructor
Reeves DeVoe studied dance therapy at Eastern Michigan University (2014-19) where he performed in various ballets and dance concerts such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Midsummer Nights Dream and Coppelia. Outside of Eastern, Reeves has danced for Abigayle Cryderman in the Ypsi Dance Swap, Detroit Dance Race, Detroit Dance City Festival, Detroit Dance Exchange, Going Dutch Dance Festival, Koresh Artists Showcase and the DUMBO festival. Along with instructing at Dance Steps, Reeves also teaches adaptive movement classes through Ballet Chelsea's adaptive dance program.

Marissa Relitz, Instructor

Marissa Relitz - Instructor
Miss Marissa started dancing at age six in Ann Arbor, She started competing at age ten in Tap and Jazz and eventually competed in Lyrical and Pointe as well. She graduated from Alma college with a BA in dance where she performed in many classical Ballets and Modern pieces, as well as in many Jazz and Tap numbers. She choreographed Tap and Modern pieces for the student choreography shows each year. After college she joined Third Coast Dance Company and has been teaching and dancing professionally around the state of Michigan.

Kristen Hudecz, Instructor

Kristen Hudecz - Instructor
Kristen "Miss Kris" Hudecz is a passionate dance educator, performer, and choreographer who has been dancing for more than twenty years. Kris first trained recreationally and competitively at Gail Wildfong School of Dance before achieving her degree in Social Work and Dance Performance from Eastern Michigan University. Kris's choreography and performance has been selected for feature at several Southeast Michigan dance concerts. Kristen shares her passion for dance and movement with students of all ages and backgrounds. She teaches a little bit of everything, but mostly instructs hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, and tap at DSS. She is so excited to be a part of the Dance Steps family!

Ashlyn Payer, Instructor

Ashlyn Payer - Instructor
Ashlyn Payer began dancing at the age of three at Dance Steps Studio. Here she has been trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, and acrobatics. At the age of ten she joined the studio's competition team and continued competing until she graduated high school. Outside of the studio she enjoyed attending different festivals, as well as having the opportunity to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in the TCA's production of the Nutcracker in 2021. Ashlyn is now attending Eastern Michigan University where she is studying French and teaching ESL. She continues her personal dance education by taking classes through the university. Ashlyn cannot wait to share her passion for dance with all the students this year!

Anna Smith, Instructor

Anna Smith - Instructor
Anna Smith has been dancing and competing since she was 4 years old. She has been trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, and acrobatics. She had danced with Cohesion Dance Company from 2009-2014, attending countless master classes taught by some of the most world renowned choreographers. She had then started at Dance Steps Studio in 2011 and joined the competition team in 2015. Anna is now attending Eastern Michigan University with a major in Secondary Education in Integrated Science. Her love dance and the art of movement inspires her everyday and she is so excited to share that love with all of her students.

Autumn Henkel, Instructor

Autumn Henkel - Instructor
Autumn is from Adrian, Michigan. Autumn began dancing when she was 11. She studied tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, acro, musical theatre, hip-hop, ballet, and contemporary. She was the Sugar Plum Fairy in TCA's "The Nutcracker", she won multiple special judges awards in dance competitions, and has been to New York to take classes from several Broadway instructors. Autumn has studied Cecchetti Ballet through training and examinations. When Autumn isn't dancing, she loves weightlifting with her husband, being outside, playing with animals, and spending time worshipping God. She is so excited to teach and is hopeful that the Lord will lead her and help her make a lasting impression on her students, giving them a safe, energetic, and compassionate place to learn and share her love of dance!