Brittany Hudson-Trent started dancing at the age of 4 under the instruction of Christie Tate at The Berea Dance Academy training in Tap, Ballet and Jazz.

Her freshman year of High School she joined The Berea Festival Dancers, a local folk dance group. She always knew dance was her passion but it wasn't until then she fully understood how powerful the art of dance could be. It was with the BFD she was able to tour abroad to teach folk dance in the schools. When she saw the childrens' faces light up when she performed and how excited they were while being taught dance she knew this was her life goal, to teach and educate dance and art to the youth. She was able to travel to Australia, Fiji, Ireland, Germany, Iceland and Denmark.

After High School Brittany wanted to further her dance education and attended Eastern Kentucky University where she trained in Modern dance for 3 years. She  participated in EKU Dance Theatre for 4 years where she served as the Costume Manager and Secretary, won best choreography numerous times, and won the Most Improved Dancer Award.  Her college experience only furthered her passion for dance and what goes into creating/making a Production as she was able to take part in lighting design, stage managing and putting up and taking down stage sets.

After College Brittany auditioned for Lexingtons Blackbird Dance Theatre. They partnered with KCT in 2015 for the Winterfest performance of Cabaret where she played a Kit Kat Girl - Frenchie. She participated in many other original adaptations including Romeo and Juliet - Capulet, Titus Andronicus - Roman son Martius, Ovid's Metamorphosis - Proserpina,  Minerva, Muse. Broken Queen -Aurora, Macbeth-Lady Macbeth and choreographed, and Robando-Carmen. She also Co-directed and Co-choreographed Ole Luk Oie-The Red Shoes

Layne Masters has been dancing since second grade and was a Kentucky Dance Academy student from 2018-2022 and joined the KDA Staff in January 2024. Layne has extensive experience in Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, and Musical Theatre dance styles.

Suzanna Benassi was born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky and began her dance career in her hometown at age 4 in 2003. She danced for two years, and then decided to shift her career to gymnastics at age 6 at a gym in Versailles, Kentucky. She was able to move up through the basic classes quickly and was asked to join the level 3 competition team the next year in 2006. Throughout her gymnastics career she was able to advance to a higher level each year at the beginning of every fall and continued practicing and competing with the gym in Versailles through level 6. In the spring of 2010 she made the decision to change gyms to a facility in Lexington, Kentucky to compete as a level 7 gymnast. In the fall of 2010 she sustained an injury during practice, but continued practicing until she was advised by a doctor to take a break in early 2011. Due to this injury, along with another injury from gymnastics that required surgery, the decision was made to end her competitive gymnastics career and pursue dancing once again. She restarted her dance career in 2012 at a studio in Frankfort and trained in contemporary, jazz, and acrobatics classes. While she was a dance student, she was also an assistant in 2 acrobatics classes for the younger students at her studio. She had the pleasure of performing in 4 different studio productions during this time. She continued to dance until the fall of her junior year of high school in 2015.

Suzanna became a gymnastics coach during her senior year of high school in August of 2016. She has had the pleasure of teaching ages 2-18 in various skill levels in all four of the events that are in gymnastics: bars, beam, vault, and floor. She taught classes for beginners, co-coached the pre-team, assisted with the level 2 coach, and taught a tumbling class for middle and high school students at two different local gyms. In addition to coaching during her senior year, she also job shadowed at an elementary school in a fifth-grade classroom throughout the entire school year. She found that the concepts for teaching that she learned in the classroom carried over to teaching in a gym or studio.

Suzanna has a passion for working with children and always has. What she loves most about coaching and teaching is building a positive environment that helps to promote a love for learning. While it’s important to correct the small mistakes that take place in acrobatics, it’s just as vital to celebrate the victories that students achieve in class. She knows from experience the difference it makes when you have a coach or teacher who is encouraging and who gives positive and constructive criticism, and that’s what she strives to do during her instruction.

Lexington native Caroline Combs has been dancing since the age of four. She began her training at the Lexington Tap & Jazz Company in traditional jazz dance and rhythm tap, and with Dancers’ Studio in ballet and modern dance. She is a 2012 graduate from the School for the Creative and Performing Arts where she majored in contemporary dance for nine years. Caroline is working towards her bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration with a minor in Dance at the University of Kentucky. There she was also a member and Vice President of the UK Dance Ensemble where she got to broaden her experience as a choreographer. In 2016 Caroline joined Movement Continuum, Lexington’s original contemporary dance company, and is currently dancing in their eighth season productions.

Rosa Hislop grew up in Lexington, Ky where she started dancing at 4 years old. She began her training with the Lexington Ballet for 13 years and performed in various productions like The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Coppelia. Rosa has also trained with the Joffrey Ballet NYC, Cincinnati Ballet, and various Lexington Ballet summer intensives under the instruction of guest artists such as Mariaelena Ruiz, & Elena Bartley. 

During college at Butler University, Rosa continued to train and perform in various styles of dance while earning her Bachelor's of Arts. She quickly developed a passion for teaching and choreography. She had the amazing opportunity to create 3 original pieces for her school’s showcase. She also had the joy of teaching workshops ranging from beginner to intermediate/advanced levels. 

She continues to take classes with the Bluegrass Youth Ballet (Adult Ballet), Cincinnati Ballet, Virtual Steps (Steps on Broadway), The Lexington Theatre Company (Adult classes), and Movement Continuum’s open classes. She is thrilled to bring her love of ballet back into the studio! Rosa would also like to express her sincere gratitude to her teachers and dance mentors, including Ayako Hasebe Lloyd and Kate Hadfield Antonetti, whose guidance and encouragement have played an important role in her growth as a dancer and teacher. Rosa looks forward to learning and growing alongside her students this year!

Carma Wilkins began dancing at the age of four and has been passionate about dance ever since. At 13, she began training seriously with the goal of pursuing a professional career in dance. Throughout her training, she studied a variety of styles, such as modern, hip hop, pointe, tap, musical theatre, heels, and partnering, while maintaining a primary focus on ballet, jazz, and contemporary.

Carma furthered her dance education at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, where she received a merit scholarship.  She trained under the direction of Angelica Stiskin and Michael Waldrop. Her years of intensive training in central Kentucky and New York City gave her a strong technical foundation while also allowing her to develop her own artistry and love for movement.

After a serious knee injury changed the direction of her professional dance career, Carma went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Georgetown College. Her background in both dance and exercise science has given her a unique appreciation for the connection between technique, strength, movement, and injury prevention. She has also been accepted to the University of Miami’s (FL) Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program and will be attending in the summer of 2027.

Carma loves creating a positive and encouraging environment where dancers can challenge themselves, build confidence, and *most importantly* enjoy dancing! She is excited to share her love of dance and experience with her students and is especially looking forward to teaching Contemporary I-II and leading the Jazz program this year.