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ABOUT US..

 

The philosophy behind Impact Creative Arts Academy is to offer a high level of instruction to the Low Country -- and that starts with our staff! We hand select each member of our team and challenge them to look at the studio as a unique opportunity to collaborate with other instructors.  Impact instructors come from very diverse backgrounds and professional experience yet come together on their approach to teaching.  

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​Rob Hazelip (aka Robert Forrest)

Owner and founder of Impact Creative Arts Academy


He came to Summerville with his wife, Jen and 3 children 6 years ago with the intension of bringing his love of acting, filmmaking and the creative process by opening a studio that combines all the creative fields under one banner - Impact!  He has numerous NY and LA film and television acting credits including guest starring roles on LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and HOME IMPROVEMENT as well as recurring roles on ARMY WIVES and the NBC soap opera PASSIONS. He’s currently still very busy with working and auditioning in this incredibly vibrant Southeastern film and TV market. He is also very proud to have studied acting at the William Esper Studio in NY.   Rob has written and directed dozens of musicals, plays, short films and commercials.  Rob teaches advanced acting classes and directs musical and plays.

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Jen Hazelip

Co-owner of Impact and Musical Theatre Instructor

 

Jen got her start in acting and modeling while she was earning her degree in Theater at Penn State University. She understands the rigors of putting in the time for preparation as well as driving hours into New York from State College in pursuit of her dreams. She moved to NY and also studied at the William Esper Studio which led her to Los Angeles. In LA, she (among other TV credits) was selected to be the main contestant on the new version of THE DATING GAME! Between NY , LA and here in SC, she was lucky enough to film dozens of commercials and industrials and continues to flourish in her acting career.  She is currently a recurring guest star playing "Pam" on the hit HBO series "The Righteous Gemstones" .

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AlexandriaWaning 

Lyrical Instructor and Competition Team Choreographer

 

Alexandria comes to us from Milwaukee, WI where her dance story began at age 5. During her school-years at Lakeshore Dance in Port Washington Alexandria participated in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Pointe, Hip Hop, the Company team, the Competition team, and School Dance team. Alexandria was accepted into the nationally acclaimed University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dance Program with a concentration on the Modern style of dance. Alexandria then spent a year at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for a yearlong Ballet Intensive. During summer breaks she choreographed for Danceworks Inc. which partners with local artists to create performance pieces. After graduating college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Alexandria spent several years training dancers at (coincidentally) Impact Performing Arts Center in Port Washington, WI under a former Chicago based Company dancer. She has experience choreographing solos, duets, and groups in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern for competitions. 

Alexandria is very excited to bring her "fresh, new" style to our corner of South Carolina. She looks forward to learning and growing with us at Impact and introducing her unique blend of classical technique and modern style that they may have never experienced before.

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Emily Scolaro

Contemporary and Ballet/Tap Combo Class Instructor and Dance Team Choreographer

 

Emily Scolaro began her professional dance training at The Florida Ballet Training Center and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Fl. She graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the Florida State University.  During this time she performed in works by Monica Bill Barnes, Stephen Koester, Lynda Davis, Gerri Houlihan, Tim Glenn and Anthony Morgan. She was a member of the University’s Dance Repertory Theater, Ella Rosewood Dance, and Mary Love Dance Projects. Emily has performed in New York City festivals such as DUMBO Dance Festival and Dance Gallery as well as internationally in London’s Cloud Dance Festival.

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Emily has taught dance technique to students for over 15 years at training centers such as the Florida Ballet, Rollins College, and The Center for Contemporary Dance.  She is excited to share her passion for the arts, love for movement and teaching experiences with Impact Creative Arts Academy!

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Andrea Griffin

Ballet / Tap / Jazz  Dance Instructor

 

Andrea Griffin is originally from Spartanburg, SC and started dancing at age 3. She trained in ballet, tap, and jazz for 7 years at a studio in Spartanburg where she had the opportunity to both perform and compete.  Upon graduation, she received her Associate of Arts Degree in Speech/Drama from Spartanburg Methodist College in Spartanburg, SC. Andrea owned Rising Star Dance Company in Inman, SC for 15 years where she was also choreographer, director and instructor for both recreational classes and competition team.

 

After moving to the Charleston area, she taught tumbling, jazz, hip hop and tap at Cambridge Street Dance Academy in Mount Pleasant. She lives in West Ashley with her husband and thrilled to be part of Impact!

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Natasha Nast

Jazz and Adv. Ballet/Pointe Dance Instructor

 

Natasha Nast, a Baltimore, Maryland native, began her training in ballet, jazz, and tap at the age of 2 and went on to dance competitively in both regional and national competitions. She began her formal training in ballet and modern in high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts.  Upon graduation, Natasha joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre as a graduate student under full scholarship.  Natasha spent four years dancing in Pittsburgh prior to moving to Charleston in 2017 where she is currently dancing as a company member with the Palmetto City Ballet. Natasha has been teaching students of the Charleston and surrounding communities in ballet, jazz, musical theatre, and more since 2018.

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Jolene Parker

Ballet Instructor

 

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Jean Louisa Steele (MisWesa)

Jazz and Tap Dance Instructor and Dance Team Choreographer

 

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Jasmine Stiles

Hip Hop and Acro Instructor and Dance Team Choreographer

 

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Temi Dolenc

Ballet 1 and 2 Instructor

 

JTemi began studying ballet at the Frederick School of Classical Ballet before moving on to Metropolitan Ballet Theatre in Maryland for 9 years. Throughout those years she attended summer intensives at the Washington Ballet, Boston Ballet, as well as numerous at MBT. She performed principal and solo roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Cinderella, Carnival of the Animals, Alice and Wonderland, and other ballet works by MBT's founding Artistic Director, Suzanne Erlon. She went to college at Radford University and continued to pursue her passion for Ballet and took Ballet courses taught by RU Ballet Theatre's Artistic Director, Inessa Plekhanova, throughout her college career. She danced in various RU Ballet performances including Fall Dance Fest and The Nutcracker. She taught ballet at MBT in Maryland until moving to Summerville. Upon moving here, she taught ballet for 2 years at Only Imagine and currently teaches ballet at Barre Nation. 

Carly Horton

Fine Arts Instructor

 

Hi. My name is Carly Horton. I am very excited to take on some artistic adventures here at IMPACT! I have been an artist all my life. Even as a child, I loved painting, drawing, working with clay, and experimenting with new and different materials. I knew I wanted to share my passion for the arts with others, so I decided to become an art teacher. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Winthrop University with an emphasis in Ceramics. I also have a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Winthrop University. I have taught art at numerous camps and after-school programs as well as in the public school system. I am currently an art teacher at Flowertown Elementary. I cannot wait to share my new projects and ideas with  students and learn alongside them!

 

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Crystal Smith

Fine Arts Instructor

 

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Judi Boudreaux

Piano and Vocal Instructor

 

Judi Boudreaux has had an extensive career in performing arts as a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer and producer for over 30 years. She began intensive vocal training at a young age and started singing professionally, before graduating high school. She coached competing vocal theatre students and taught voice at a performing arts middle and high school in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for many years before relocating to Summerville. Judi is excited to share her love of music with the students at Impact. 

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