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XTREME FACULTY

SHERI METCALF

Founder and Artistic Director

Sheri is the Artistic Director and Owner of Xtreme Dance Studio and The Art of Movement ballet and contemporary intensive of Florida. Sheri studied in all genres with and emphasis in traditional techniques. Sheri has worked in film, television, and theatre.

She has choreographed for Nickelodeon and Universal Studio’s Orlando. Some of her credits include A League of Their Own, 90210, Melrose Place, Dooley and Pals, Gullah Gullah Island, Cabaret, and Gypsy. She toured with Denny Terrio from the TV show “Dance Fever” working alongside such classics as the Bee Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band, Donna Summers, Kool & the Gang, Village People and Ed McMahon.

Sheri has a gift and passion for training young dancers. Under her tutelage, Sheri’s students have achieved great success; Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance on CBS, Prix de Lausanne, YAGP Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist, YAGP Grand Prix, World Ballet, ADCIBC, Universal Studios, and Disney. Scholarships awarded to American Ballet Theater, Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, BBSI and more. Students have attended Marymount Manhattan College, PACE University, CLI Studios, and The Julliard School. Students also travel assisting on the national convention circuit.

Sheri is dedicated to share her knowledge and experience mentoring dancers who have a passion for the performing arts.

KATE-LYNN ROBICHAUX

THORNTON

Head of Classical Program

At 13, Kate-Lynn attended her first summer program at Orlando Ballet, where she decided to pursue a career in ballet. She trained at Florida Ballet School with Daniel Deal and then America’s Ballet School with Paula Nunez and Osmany Montano. Robichaux won a gold medal at the 2010 YAGP Regionals. In 2011 she was the Senior Division prize winner at the ADC. She danced in a collaboration with Cirque de Soleil and Orlando Ballet. She also danced Dying Swan at the performance that was dedicated to the victims of the Pulse tragedy, as well as performing Robert Hill’s Meditation for one voice in memorial of the Pulse victims. In 2019, Kate performed Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite in Ivan Putrov's international gala "Against The Stream" with world renowned Marcelo Gomes. Since 2011, she continues to perform principal roles with Orlando Ballet such as Juliet in Robert Hill’s Romeo and Juliet, the pads de deux couple in Jerome Robbins’ in Fancy Free, Cupid in Susan Jones’ Don Quixote, Odette/ Odile in Robert Hill’s The Swan Princess, Belle in Arcadian Broad’s Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Arcadian Broad’s Wonderland: Tales of the Mad Hatter, Cinderella in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, Nathalie in Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge and Wendy in Jorden Morris’ Peter Pan.

AMANDA SMALDONE-LEIMGRUBER

Children’s Dance Curriculum Director

Amanda began dancing at age 3 and trained under Sheri Metcalf from the age of 11-18. Amanda was awarded the inaugural Diane Marie Corino Lifetime Scholarship as well as a scholarship to attend the Giordano Dance Company in Chicago. At the age of 18 she joined the staff at Xtreme where she continued to teach her passion of dance for 8 years prior to relocating to California. She returned in 2022 with her husband and three children and is beyond excited to give back to the studio she grew up dancing in.

BRIANNA "BRI" PURVIS

Assistant Company Director

Brianna Purvis is a professional dancer/ instructor based in Central Florida. She has been dancing since the age of 3, and continues to train in various styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, ballroom and musical theatre. She trained at Xtreme Dance Studio for 6 years, and was a part of the competitive company during those years. Brianna is currently expanding her career throughout Orlando, FL at Seaworld, Universal Orlando, and Walt Disney World under Actor’s Equity Association. Brianna has also been able to travel and perform for corporate events such as Mary Kay Cosmetics and Catersource, both opportunities through Metropolis Productions.

AUSTEN ACEVEDO

Principal Classical Dance Educator

Austen Andrew Acevedo, began dancing at the age of nine under the direction of the late Deborah Barnes, as well as Audrianna Broad, Natasha Glos, and Sheri Metcalf. At the age of ten, Austen began his training in Classical Ballet at the Orlando Ballet School under the direction of Dierdre Miles Burger, Olivier Munoz and Kim Marsh.

At the age of eleven, he received the Bronze Medal in the Pre-Competitive Category at the YAGP NYC Finals. In the same year, Austen was also a semi-finalist in Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance on CBS, and a finalist for the production of Billie Elliot on Broadway/Touring. The following year he became a National Training Scholar at the American Ballet Theatre's JKO School, in New York City.

In 2014, he was the awarded Silver Medal at the YAGP NYC Finals in the Junior Category being the only American male to win a prize medal and the following year as a Senior Competitor was awarded the same medal again at the YAGP NYC Finals. Austen has earned numerous accolades such as receiving a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre's JKO School in New York City, and the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2015, Austen was the first American Youth Dancer along with Kenedy Kallas, to perform at the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Yuri Smekalov soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre choreographed a neo-classical repertoire on both dancers. The following year, he continued his training at the American Ballet Theatre's JKO School on a scholarship which he received as a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.

Austen has performed in multiple galas around the world and had an article written on him by Dance Spirit Magazine naming him a dancer "You Should Know”. At age seventeen, Austen completed his academic studies at Ellison Ballet in New York City, and the Winter before completion worked with Maina Gielgud OA former director of Australian Ballet at Ellison Ballet on Anton Dolin’s Variations for Four. Shortly after, in the same year he joined the Houston Ballet as a Union Member of AGMA and was the youngest male apprentice of the professional company; debuting in roles such as Amour (Cupid) in Ben Stevenson's Don Quixote, and excerpts from Stanton Welch’s “Clear”. The following year he was promoted to the rank of Corps de Ballet. During his time at Houston Ballet he performed an array of full length ballets; Swan Lake, Sylvia, Tarantella, Coppelia, The Merry Widow, Bolero, Marie, Nutcracker, Mayerling, Giselle, and Sleeping Beauty.

In 2020, Austen formally retired from the Houston Ballet and began teaching Classical Ballet in the Central Florida area. He composed an extensive curriculum for pre-professional students. His students have been awarded medals and scholarships at ADC IBC, and Universal Ballet Competition. Austen's former students are now attending college dance programs such as Julliard, and Pace University.

In May 2023, along with remaining in his position as a Classical Dance Educator, he felt exhilarated to return to the stage as a guest artist. After nearly four years, it is with great pleasure that Austen announces his upcoming return to the stage.

SHAWNA HILLEY
Teacher

Shawna is originally from New Jersey but has been residing in Florida for the past 10 years. She began her dance training at the age of three extensively studying ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and acrobatics. She has a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, in communications and media studies. She has received scholarships and attended Joffrey Ballet School and The Ailey School. She has performed professionally with the American Dance Company, UPN Morning News, as well as being a Kid of the Kingdom at Disneyworld. She has also been an assistant to Laurie Kanyok while living in New York. Her students in both New Jersey and Florida have won numerous titles including American Dance Awards National Jr. Dancer of the Year, Jr. Miss Dance of CT, Teen Miss Dance of NYC, and Teen Mr. Candance Nationals. For the past seven years she has been a judge for American Dance Awards. Shawna is also a former Teen Miss Dance of PA, Miss and Jr. Miss DEA.

ELIZABETH SHOOK
Teacher

Elizabeth began her ballet training at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, California. There, she trained with Maria Vegh, Ruth C. Petrinovic, Jocelynn Vollmar and Margaret Swarthout among others. She was fortunate enough to perform works by, and work with choreographers such as Norbert Vesak, Saeko Ichino, Leonaid Massine. After completing high school in three years, Elizabeth joined The Pennsylvania Ballet School on full scholarship, performing with the company. She then joined Boston Ballet II and performed with the company. She was privileged to perform a variety of rep including Etudes, Miss Julie, Balanchine works and Nutcracker. She worked with Bruce Marks, Birgit Cullberg, Bruce Wells, Laura Young and many others. Following an injury, Elizabeth settled in New York where she went on to dance as a free lance artist. In addition to classical performances in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut she was able to work with emerging choreographers. Elizabeth was thrilled to be invited as a participant in Betsey Johnson's Spring runway show at Fashion Week in New York City. Elizabeth moved to Florida and, in 2000, became a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. For the past 24 years she has been working in pediatric therapy.

Elizabeth is an ABT® Certified Affiliate Teacher, having successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive Pre-Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and successfully presents students for examinations. Elizabeth has been teaching at Orlando Ballet School since 2015

Elizabeth is proud to serve as a Board member of Boys Ballet Summer Intensive (BBSI). In 2024 Elizabeth was named an Associate Director of The Movement Mentor ® Program, which trains and certifies dance schools and teachers in The Movement Mentor® curriculum for inclusive dance for students of varying abilities.