Staff

W E N D Y A T T I X

- Studio Owner & Instructor -

Wendy Attix is the owner and main instructor at Wendy's Dance Company. She is a very accomplished dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She started her training in Lakeland with Dale Bates as a child. She then danced in Bartow with Mamie Robinson for over 14 years, 12 competitively. She trained at Florida State University for two years. She then transferred to the University of South Florida and was a member of the college dance team, The SunDolls. She graduated at USF earning a Bachelor of Art in Communications. She has studied with numerous famous choreographers and teachers in many places; i.e. New York and California. She has been teaching dance for over 26 years.

JERMAINE THORNTON

- Nutcracker Director & Ballet Technique Instructor -

Jermaine Thornton began his dance training in lyrical jazz and ballet at Port Saint Lucie High School under Brian Spector. He earned a dance scholarship to Indian River Community College, studying classical ballet and modern techniques with Molly Magee and Loretta Miller. Jermaine later pursued a BFA in Dance Performance at the University of South Florida, performing works by faculty and renowned choreographers such as Bill T. Jones, Doug Varone, and Jennifer Archibald. He also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. His stage experience includes musicals and operas like Camelot, The Music Man, La Traviata, and more. As an educator and choreographer, Jermaine has worked with numerous Florida arts organizations, including Gulfshore Ballet, American Stage Theater Company, and Sarasota Opera’s Youth Opera Workshop.

In 2019, he became Executive Director of Florida Dance Theatre. He continues professional development through programs at the Edyth Bush Institute, the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, and is a graduate of EMERGE Serves.

A L Y S S A E L D R I D G E

- Office Staff & Instructor -

Alyssa started dancing at WDC when she was 4 years old, and joined the competition team at age 7. She later became an assistant teacher in 2016. Alyssa graduated from Fort Meade Middle Senior High School in 2021, fourth in her class, with high honors with distinction, then continued to Warner University to complete her Associate's Degree in 2022. She was the cheer captain at FMMSHS and cheered at the collegiate level while at Warner. In May 2024, she graduated from the University of South Florida with her Bachelor’s in Communication. She now attends Southeastern University studying in their professional counseling program to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Alyssa hopes to graduate in 2026!

B R E A N N A J O N E S

- Synergy & Recreational Instructor -

Breanna Jones is a Polk County native who was raised in Auburndale, FL, and graduated from AHS in 2022. She grew up dancing at the Wright Step School of Dance in Winter Haven, where she danced for 15 years and competed on the Xtreme Team for 11 of those years. She has been a dancer in the grand opening of Legoland Florida’s Heartlake City and also appeared in the Fashion Society’s opening number choreographed by Lane Napper from Nickelodeon. She has also trained for a summer in NYC at Broadway Dance Center. During high school, she was a 3-year member and senior captain of AHS's Competitive Dance Team. After graduating high school, she continued her dance career at UCF on the nationally ranked dance team and trained for two years as a Knight. Now, she is strictly focusing on earning her Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Digital Media, working for sports marketing companies around the state, and teaching weekly at WDCo.

O L I V I A M C C A R T N E Y

- Synergy Instructor -

Olivia began her athletic training as a competitive gymnast, and participated in both dance and gymnastics to aid in achieving a unique combination of artistry and athleticism that she would later take into her career as a professional dancer. She began her dance studies under the instruction of Hayley Stewart at Highland School of Dance during the school year, and spent her summers training with institutions such as Patel Conservatory and Modas Dance, while also working on earning her grade four certification in the Cecchetti technique. During High School, Olivia gained an apprenticeship with Collective Soles Dance Company under the instruction of Alexander Jones and performed at many events with the company in the Tampa and St. Pete area. In 2022, Olivia gained her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography at Florida Southern College and during her time there, got to work with notable guest choreographers and faculty such as Douglas Gilespie, Gregory Dolbashian, Doricha Sales, Sadie Lemker, Sarah Walston, Leah Pinder, Allison J. Baber, and CJ Inzinillo. Since graduating, Olivia has been teaching at Highland School of Dance, and she is currently dancing and performing with RAKR Dance Company in New Smyrna Beach, FL.

OLIVIA KERST

- Synergy Instructor -

Olivia grew up dancing at Carol Grayson School of dance and started competing with them at the age of 8. After graduating high school in 2019, she transitioned into coaching their competitive dance teams until the studio closed in 2022. After, she continued to teach competitive dance independently and taught classes at All Saints Academy. Olivia was a member of USF's dance team, the Sundolls, from 2019-2022 and was a captain on her final year on the team. She graduated with her B.A. in Psychology and B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare. She is currently in her final year Graduate School at Florida State University where she is pursuing her M.S./Ed.S degree in School Counseling. She works at Mckeel Academy of Technology as a Middle School counselor and is so excited to be joining the WDC family this season!

G R A C E D E V E C C H I S

- Synergy & Recreational Instructor -

Grace Devecchis has been a dancer since she was 4 years old and danced at Carol Grayson School of Dance until they retired. She loves to dance and was a competitive dancer for the past 6 years. She graduated high school from Mckeel Academy of Technology in 2024 and competed in her last regional and national competitions on the WDC Synergy Team. Now, she is on staff at WDC teaching weekly. In her free time she enjoys the beach, roller coasters, spending time with her friends and family, and loving on her golden retriever, Charli. She will be starting trade school to fulfill her dream of becoming a hair stylist at Travis Technical College in January 2026.

A M A N D A C O N T I

- Recreational Instructor -

Amanda Conti began her athletic career as a competitive gymnast, dancer, and cheerleader. Throughout her life, Amanda has also had the pleasure of working as both a recreational and professional gymnastics coach under USA Gymnastics, as well as earned her Youth Exercise Specialist certification under the National Academy of Sports Medicine.” In addition to this, Amanda currently teaches acrobatics at Highland School of Dance and Wendy’s Dance Company, in addition to working with Parkinson’s patients in an active rehabilitation program at Kelly Recreational Center. In 2024, Amanda co-founded FlipSide Tumbling and Athletics, a program that helps kids learn to be courageous, capable, and confident through tumbling and fitness. As of July, 2025, Amanda earned her Master’s of Science in kinesiology, which aids in her expansive knowledge of the human body and how to best train her athletes and dancers for success. Amanda currently dances with RAKR Dance Company in New Smyrna Beach, and hopes to continue her outreach in her athletic training services in the central Florida area.