Lara Kennedy is a Contemporary Dance artist and educator with extensive training in Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary techniques. Originally from New York, NY, she began her formal dance education at Logrea Dance Academy, specializing in the Vaganova Ballet Technique. She performed classical roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, La Boutique Fantasque, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, and was invited to perform with the Westchester Ballet in a benefit concert for New York City’s Joyce Theater in 2009.

Lara’s passion for movement led her to explore a wide range of techniques, including those developed by George Balanchine, Lester Horton, Martha Graham, and May O'Donnell. She has trained and performed alongside professional dancers at prestigious programs including the New York State Summer School of the Arts, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Hubbard Street Dance, Hofesh Shechter Company, and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts.

During high school Lara studied in the Alvin Ailey Pre-Professional Dance Program, further developing her artistry in Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary styles. She continued her training internationally at the Joffrey Ballet School’s summer intensive in Genoa, Italy, and later joined their year-round trainee program in New York City. Beginning in 2018, she danced professionally with the Graham-based Toronto Dance Theatre.

Lara is currently apart of the inaugural cohort of the Alvin Ailey Teaching Certification Program and has taught and coached dancers of all ages in a wide range of styles. In addition to her work as a Modern and Contemporary instructor, she is a certified Pilates teacher and has served in several arts administration roles, both at DancEast and within the broader Nashville arts community.

Lara brings a deep well of knowledge and an infectious passion to her work at DancEast, where she teaches and also serves as a member of the arts administration team. She is committed to inspiring dancers of all ages through thoughtful, inclusive, and creatively rich instruction.

Kyrstin Young is a Nashville-based professional dancer, choreographer, and creative director who has made significant strides in the entertainment industry. A two-time published author and founder of the nonprofit Kreate You, Young currently teaches dance classes at various studios in Nashville while continuing her performance career. She graduated from Austin Peay State University in 2021, where she was a four-year dance team member and has since returned as a choreographer for the university's dance team. Young began dancing at the age of two and trained extensively under the mentorship of Zach and Dorinda Walker, who played a pivotal role in shaping her professional career. At just 14 years old, she booked one of her first major professional gigs dancing for Coco Jones at various shows across the US and music videos, setting the foundation for her impressive career trajectory.

Young achieved a major career milestone by performing as a dancer with Kendrick Lamar during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, which drew a record-breaking 133.5 million viewers. Beyond her performance career, she has demonstrated her artistic versatility through various creative projects, including creating a film for the "N2020: Community Reflections" exhibition that premiered at Nashville's Frist Art Museum. She has authored two books: "Seven Paths, One Destination," featuring memoirs from seven different authors, and "Kreate You by Kyrstin Young," an interactive self-reflection book. After graduation, Young pursued her professional dreams by moving to Atlanta to advance her dance career, but has since returned to Nashville where she continues to teach, mentor aspiring dancers through her nonprofit, and build her artistic legacy in her hometown.

Whit Hill grew up in New York City where she studied dance, theater, and music. She spent many years living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she was the artistic director of an acclaimed dance company, People Dancing--Whitley Setrakian and Dancers, choreographing more than 60 dance and dance/theater works. She toured the country as a backup singer for a band, began writing her own songs, then formed her own band, Whit Hill and the Postcards. That band released two records: We Are Here and Farsighted. Whit and her husband, award-winning blues artist Al Hill, moved to Nashville in 2008. In 2016, Whit released I Dug it Up: an album of songs inspired by metal detecting; she is currently developing a musical by the same name.