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AVA DANCE COMPANY
About Us
"I am so proud of the community we have built that truly feels like a family."
- Leah Mariner, Founder/Director, to CanvasRebel
AVA Dance Company offers adult drop-in dance classes, performance opportunities and pro training outlets to dancers in the Washington DC and Northern Virginia areas.
Founded by former professional dancer, Leah Mariner, her vision is to offer a fun and motivating community for adults to share their passion for dance. AVA Dance Company's mission is to provide adult dancers the opportunity to learn cutting-edge choreography in an encouraging space, find a sense of community, and work towards your dance goals.
At AVA Dance Company we’re more than just a studio; we’re a community! Our welcoming and supportive environment is perfect for expressing yourself, continuing your training, and most importantly, having fun! Whether you're chasing personal dance goals or just looking to connect with local dancers, we’re here to cheer you on every step of the way.
How AVA Started
as told by Leah Mariner
"Dance has been a huge part of my life for over 30 years. Growing up in the dance studio, competing on dance teams, and dancing professionally for the NBA has been such an integral part of my life. After I finished dancing professionally for the Washington Wizards Dance Team, I tried to find a place to dance in the DMV to continue to share my passion in a supportive environment and wasn’t able to find a studio that I could do that. I decided that I wanted to create one myself. I began teaching once a week to dancers in the community. It was so hard to start something from scratch, but I knew that what I could provide was special and I believed that I could make a difference in our DC dance community. I never gave up on my dream and gradually our dance community began to grow. Eventually I started having more classes, more instructors, and more studios. Now since 2016, we have had thousands of dancers join us in the studio to dance, perform, and share their love of dance!"
Want to learn more about AVA's story? Leah shared it all on the Figuring Out The Left Side podcast! Listen below to her conversation with Olivia Lou, the podcast's host & an AVA instructor!
Meet The Team
LEAH
Founder & Director
Founder and Director, Leah, has been dancing and sharing her passion for dance with others for over 30 years. Leah danced professionally for the Washington Wizards for three seasons, serving as co-captain of the team during her third season. During her time with the Wizards she had the opportunity to dance in Rio de Janiero, Brazil at the NBA 3x Events; Atlanta, Georgia for the annual All P-R-O Dance Convention; as well as New York City for the 2015 NBA All Star Events. Leah has also performed in the Cherry Blossom Parade alongside renowned artists such as Lance Bass of N'Sync, Jay Sean, and Elliot Yamen. Leah was featured on CBS-affiliate WUSA9 discussing her career as a professional dancer and has performed live on FOX5 News. Leah was born and raised in Long Island, NY, where her dance career started. Throughout her 31 years of dance experience, Leah has taught several genres of dance to both children and adults. Her choreography has been featured in Washington DC Cherry Blossom Parade, Washington DC Independence Day Parade, Washington Commanders NFL Games, Washington Wizards NBA Games, as well as concept videos, showcases, and competitions. In addition to dancing, Leah is also a mother of two, and certified elementary and special education teacher. Leah has always loved sharing her passion of dance with her students and is thrilled for the opportunity to help dancers fulfill theirs!
Wendy
Director of Operations
Wendy grew up in a small town in Upstate New York where she began her dance career at the Marya Kennett Dance Center. Her love for dance quickly grew as she expanded her training to a variety of styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, and hip hop. She often traveled to Broadway Dance Center in NYC for classes and workshops. She graduated from Penn State University where was a member of Rêve Dance Company for four years, serving on their executive board. After graduation, Wendy moved to the DMV to work full-time as a federal consultant and continued her dance training with AVA Dance Company. Wendy loves sharing her passion for dance with the amazing dancers in our community and is excited to be a part of the AVA team! In 2026, Wendy became a member of the inaugural Spirit Crew, the official dance team for the NWSL's Washington Spirit!
Lauren
Director of Digital Marketing
Lauren's love for dance didn't develop in the studio, but instead on the field & court! Born & raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, she was first introduced to dance with the Philadelphia Jr. Pro Soulmates dance team. As a member of the program, she performed her first pro-dance style halftime routine at age 12 with the Arena Football League (AFL). Over her 6 years with the Jr. Pro Soulmates and their rebrand, the Platinum All Stars, she travelled the tri-state area to dance in arenas and stadiums (including Madison Square Garden) for thousands of NBA, NHL, AFL, MLL and NCAA fans as well as with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Since moving to the DC area, AVA has been a consistent source of support & growth for Lauren. She's thrilled to share that love with our dancers and to be a part of such a special team!
Erica
Director of Community Engagement
Erica Stuchel (she/her) is so excited to be part of the AVA Dance Co. family! Erica studied dance her entire life. As she grew up in the studio so did her passion for dance and performing. She spent her early career studying Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Ballroom and Hip Hop. Outside the studio, Erica was extremely involved in musical theater and was part of over 20 musicals by the time she was 18.
While pursuing her degree in communications at George Mason University, she continued her dance education with a minor in dance. After graduating Erica found AVA Dance Co., fell in love and was determined to keep dancing. With AVA, Erica trains in Heels, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Technique and Street Jazz along with NFL and NBA styles. Outside of AVA, you can find her teaching kids jazz and hip hop at PowerWorks Dance in Virginia.
Chelsea
Class Manager
Chelsea Greene (she/her) joined AVA Dance Co. in 2021, seeking a dance class and community after the pandemic. Originally from West Orange, NJ, Chelsea grew up in a family of artists. Throughout high school, she was a member of the pre-professional scholarship company Performance Workshop Ensemble, where she performed and later choreographed her first full-length piece, 1960 Now!, at age sixteen.
In 2016, Chelsea moved to the DMV area to attend American University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Dance, followed by a Master's degree in Special Education: Learning Disabilities. She loves weaving together her passions for dance and teaching children in her everyday life.
She is deeply grateful to AVA for welcoming her and creating a supportive, fun, and engaging space. She is thrilled to join the team as Class Manager.