About Step by Step

INSTRUCTORS | THE STUDIO | TUITION + POLICIES

INSTRUCTORS

Kristin Carney

Kristin is the owner at Step by Step Dance Academy. She founded Step by Step in 1998 and manages all aspects of her business from choreographing routines to altering and accessorizing costumes. She attended college at the State University College at Buffalo and majored in Fashion Merchandising & Design and minored in Dance.
Kristin has been teaching dance for over 20 years with most of her time teaching at Step by Step. Currently, she teaches Company Teen Tap, Pre Teen Tap, Jr Tap, Company Teen Jazz, Pre Teen Jazz, Company Teen Lyrical, and Adult Tap.
Her favorite class to teach and perform is TAP! Outside of the studio, Kristin enjoys a variety of activities such as working out, running, fashion, floral design, interior design, and event planning. Kristin does it all!

Meet the Team

Cassi Burns

Cassi was a Dance Major at Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado and brings over 25 years of experience as a dance instructor. She has been dancing since the age of 3, and over the years has had the opportunity to study under many well known instructors such as James Clouser - Ballet Master of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Debra Mercer - Principal Dancer of the Colorado Ballet, Joe Tremaine, and Gus Giordano.
Her mother has been teaching dance in Golden, Colorado for over 55 years! Cassi’s mom is her inspiration and has shared her special talent with Cassi on how to make dance a fun and positive experience.
Cassi currently lives in Avon Lake with her husband. She has 3 children of her own. She enjoys spending her summers with her family in Northern Michigan, taking advantage of the beautiful lakes and golfing.
In her younger days, Cassi enjoyed performing jazz! She still enjoys taking Kristin's adult tap class.
Joyce Petersen

Joyce is a Product Manager for Scottcare, a cardiovascular medical device company. She earned her undergrad from Ohio Wesleyan University with a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Dance. She went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University.
Joyce has been teaching at Step by Step for 8 years, and currently teaches Teen Tap, Teen Jazz, Teen Contemporary, Company Contemporary, Pre-Teen Lyrical, as well as Jumps, Leaps, & Turns.
When Joyce isn’t working or dancing, she enjoys running.
Kelly Castro

Kelly works as a nurses aid at a hospital, as well as a dance instructor at Step by Step. Kelly has earned her undergrad at Kent State University studying Exercise Science, and finished her Masters in Occupational Therapy in December 2021.
She has been teaching dance at Step by Step since 2019, she teaches Ballet, Pointe, and Hip Hop. Kelly loves all types of dance, but if she had to choose her favorite she would choose Jazz.
In her free time, she enjoys baking and working out.