Heather Haskins
Heather began dancing at the age of seven at Filippetti's Acadamy of Dance in Horseheads, NY. Throughout her teens, Heather choreographed solos and group numbers, as well as performed in stage productions at Horseheads High school - earning her the Elmira Little Theatre Outstanding Performer Award in 2002.
In 2004, Heather began teaching, under Amy Bush, at Dancer’s Alley in both Horseheads and Corning. In 2006, she graduated from Elmira College with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Musical Theatre. During her time at Elmira College, Heather helped choreograph and run the student organization, Orchesis Dance Group, which held two shows every year.
Heather continues to perform onstage in numerous productions in the local area as well as professionally. She also continues to learn more every year by taking classes from several professional dancers, including SYTYCD stars Tyce Diorio and Lauren Gottlieb, Disney Choreographer Nancy O’Mera, and Hip Hop Star Barry Youngblood. Heather has also attended classes at STEPS and Broadways Dance Center in New York City.
In 2010, Heather opened Stage Door Performing Arts Center.
Danielle Butler
Taylor Ames
Taylor began dancing at the age of 3 at Donna Brooks Dance Academy for 9 years in Elmira, NY where she studied under Miss Donna Brooks Youmans and Miss Debi Youmans Warfe. She then moved to Elmira Dance Force for the next 12 years where she studied under her Aunt Robyn (Bennett) Grassette. At the age of 15, Taylor took an interest in teaching and began assisting at her home studio. At 17 she started teaching her own classes. Taylor competed from the age of 5 until she aged out at 19. During that time, she won multiple awards such as titles, runner up for titles and various special awards for her movement and sounds in Tap. Taylor studied all styles ranging from Ballet to Hip Hop but favored Tap. Taylor has also received many scholarships to Broadway Dance Center and many other workshops and conventions, taking classes with famous choreographers like Tyce Diorio, Brian Freidman, famous Tapper Anthony Morigerato, Robert Hoffman from the movie Step Up 2 and So You Think You Can Dance contestant Caleb Brauner and so many more. She also participated in workshops with Dance Masters of America where she received many scholarships to continue her training. Taylor also participated as a member of the Cutting Edge Nationals Performance Team in 2017. Taylor continues performing today with local artists in the 607 area.
This past year Taylor joined SDPAC’S competition team as a choreographer and her routines placed top 10 at every competition and her Hip Hop group was invited to Worlds. Taylor wishes to continue teaching, learning and spreading her love for the art of dance with every student she comes across. She resides in Elmira, NY with the next dancer in the family, her daughter Khalani.
Colleen Donovan
Colleen has been dancing for well over 20 years. She started her dance career in competitive dance while living in Utah, and began dancing here in New York at Dancer's Alley. She recently graduated from Niagara University with a degree in Early Childhood/Childhood education, with a minor in dance. At Niagara she was able to deepen her studies in ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater.
Colleen has studied all types of dance, although her favorite is routed in musical theater (thanks to Miss. Heather). She has taught for stage door sporadically since the beginning, however is more than excited to begin having her own classes this upcoming dance year. As a previous student of Miss. Heather's she is so excited to finally be teaching alongside her. She looks forward to a great dance year!
Gabby McLean
Gabrielle (Gabby) began dancing at the age of eleven at Stage Door Performing Arts Center. She then began to assist teaching acro at the age of twelve. Wanting to further her dance career she started competing for the studio at age thirteen. In her time at the studio she has studied and competed in all styles of dance, but really connected to contemporary do to the slow and strong movements.
Gabby also started tumbling at the age of seven. She also started competitive cheer when she was eleven and joined the Corning Painted Post cheer team at the age of thirteen continuing for all four years of highschool. In that time she was chosen as cheer captain her sophomore and senior year. She graduated from CPPHS in 2019 and decided to further her education at Alfred State College. In this time she joined the Alfred State cheer team. As the two years concluded she earned an associates degree in business administration in 2021. But her love for dance never subsided.
Once she moved back to town after college she was asked to come back to take over the acro department at Stage Door at age 20. And she is so excited to teach children the same things that gave her so much joy growing up.
