Meet NOVA'S Staff

Aubrey received her formal dance training from a ballet conservatory in her hometown of New Mexico. She danced with a pre-professional company from the time she was 12. She has a BSED in education from Northern Arizona University and has used her skills as a classroom educator, curriculum designer, and instructional trainer to bring new ideas to dance. Aubrey has studied nutrition, bio-functional movement, physiotherapy, and personal training to train young athletes and dancers. Her passion is to provide dancers and adults alike with effective skills to awaken their body, mind, and soul, and fall in love with movement. Aubrey is an ABT-certified instructor, trained pointe shoe fitter, and RYT with advanced training in yin and biofunctional, NOVA's signature class.

Laura grew up dancing in Southern Maine, studying ballet and tap at 3 years old. She trained at Maine State Ballet, working her way up through the company to becoming a soloist! She has enjoyed performing in many ballets, and some of her favorite roles have been the Lead Creature in Firebird, The Summer Fairy in Cinderella, The Moth in A Midsummer's Night Dream, and Clara in The Nutcracker. Laura moved to Jacksonville in 2020 and has enjoyed teaching both children and adult dance classes at NOVA.

Hannah began taking ballet classes at the age of 4. Since then, her love for dance has only grown! As she moved around the country in adolescence and adulthood, she has taken classes with many teachers and varieties of ballet styles and is trained in Pointe and Modern. She has performed multiple roles in The Nutcracker Ballet, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and The Jungle Book. Before joining the NOVA team in 2022, Hannah taught ballet in YMCA classes, private home lessons, and more.

Alyssa is a native of Jacksonville, Florida where she began dancing at the age of 3. Alyssa joined the Florida Ballet Training Center Program in 2015, and soon after the Conservatory Program in 2017. Since then, Alyssa has completed six different ABT NTC Student Examinations in various levels. She has performed in many of Florida Ballet's productions including The Nutcracker, Jill Bahr's Alice in Wonderland, Alabama Ballet's Cinderella, as well as Roberto Forleo's Creatures of Prometheus, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gaite Parisienne, Carmen, and Dracula.

Alyssa has competed in the Semi-Finals of the Youth American Grand Prix in 2021 and 2023 and has placed in the top ten in both contemporary and classical ballet at the Universal Ballet Competition's Semi-Finals in 2023. She has previously attended summer intensives at the Florida Ballet (2015-2022), Orlando Ballet (2017-2018), Atlanta Ballet (2021), and Richmond Ballet (2023).

Alyssa was a Trainee with the Florida Ballet for two years (2021-2023) and is now an apprentice with the company. Alyssa is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

I grew up in Vermont dancing and doing gymnastics. In High School, I was in my school's fine arts program where I learned the foundations of many styles including Jazz, Modern, Ballet, and more. I was also taught dance history, choreography, and terminology. I was on our school's Dance Company and performing for 4 years.

I went on to coach cheerleading, take classes, and then open my community-focused dance studio which I ran for 9 years before moving. During this time I trained in Hip Hop, studied the culture, and trained with many master teachers, poppers, and Bboys. I worked hard to keep hip-hop authentic and also be able to break down its technique in the studio and choreograph for performances and competitions. I have since taken classes and taught in California and North Carolina where I was contracted to run the dance and tumble program at Camp Lejeune.

My Acro training is mixed acrobatics arts and ADTA and my hip hop is a mix of using updated info from the John Comix Method and my training with street artists. I now have over 20 years of teaching and choreography experience.

Darla’s passion for creativity has been a constant throughout her life, beginning with her studies in art. At 16, she discovered ballet and fell in love with the art form. Since then, she has been training diligently with NOVA Dance & Wellness and The Florida Ballet, striving towards her goal of becoming a professional dancer. Now a Pre-Professional Conservatory student at The Florida Ballet, Darla is committed to making ballet accessible to everyone. She cultivates a welcoming and safe environment for all her students, ensuring that they feel supported and inspired, no matter their background.

Tony is a dedicated wellness professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry. As a Certified Yoga Instructor (200hr), Certified Health Coach, and Licensed Massage Therapist, he brings a unique perspective to his yoga practice and teaching. He is trained in Vinyasa Flow, trauma-informed yoga, and functional fitness. Tony is passionate about sharing the transformative power of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. With over 5 years of teaching experience, Tony has helped countless individuals discover the peace and balance that yoga offers. He believes that yoga is a journey of self-discovery and is committed to guiding students towards a more fulfilling life.

Maria Tucker

Jazz, Tap Instructor

Maria Tucker began her love affair with the arts at the age of twelve, studying with and being mentored by Zetta (Shook) Alderman. She received scholarships to Gus Giordano Dance Center in Evanston, IL, and the University of Arizona, School of Dance in Tucson, AZ. She has been performing, teaching, collaborating, and creating for more than 20 years; with credits including Royal Caribbean Entertainment, Busch Gardens, Bodyvox, Northwest Dance Project, Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Oregon Children's Theatre, and Colorado Jazz Dance Company. For more info: MARIA TUCKER - Teaching artist, choreographer, performer