fbpx

ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

HEAT is family, which is why when co-creators Kobi Rozenfeld and Jonathan Shamos designed HEAT, the team they put together were comprised of family and friends like family that they’ve known for decades: Morgan Mulholand (Assistant Artistic Director), Leah Bleiweis (Director of Production), and Matt Gutierrez (Director of Studio Relations).

That atmosphere of family, which starts with the core HEAT Team and circulate to every aspect of the organization – from staff & faculty to studios & dancers to the family environment of our convention classes & competition!

HEAT’S Mission: HEAR – EDUCATE – ADVOCATE – TRAIN!

We at HEAT believe that when we Hear with an desire to listen, we can Educate ourselves, and Advocate for change in order to Train others.

The goal of HEAT Convention & Competition is to highlight the artistry of dance with our inspiring classes and fierce competitions, not only for the camera and social media, but for the pure love of dancing. It is the fundamental focus of heat, that students continually desire to develop an ethic of striving to be the best – both with their skills and with their hearts

HEAT faculty platforms

HEAT Faculty Platforms are areas of expertise inside and out of the dance industry that our faculty brings to each and every class. Our goal at HEAT is to provide our dancers with tools not only for their careers in dance, but for wherever life might take them.  Platforms include: Dance History, Mental Health, Industry Tips, Cultural Dance, Inclusion, Autonomy, Progressions, Anatomy, and Nutrition.

Commitment to Training

HEAT’s focus is on our training – focusing on both the macro and micro levels of instruction. This allows for the best both in class instruction and the individual dancer. We are committed to never compromise the quality of care from our convention workshops for the benefit of competition.

POSITIVE CONVENTION ATMOSPHERE

HEAT is committed to providing our dancers with both positive instruction and a safe and approachable environment. We believe that our teachers and mentors should be down to earth and accessible, not idolized and intimidating, in order to to inspire and push our dancers to their full potential.

A note from our artistic director

When I started HEAT I wanted to design a convention space where dancers felt they could grow and flourish – a safe space where everyone had a sense of belonging, were included, and felt seen!

It was important to create a convention with the idea that dance is about more than merely steps, that it is about shaping the next generation of the dance community.

After three years, seeing HEAT come to life and intentions come to fruition, it has been a joy to see dancers, parents, and teachers grab hold of and fully embrace those values.

I am beyond excited for Season IV of HEAT and to share who we are and what we have to offer with even more cities, studios, and dancers!

Kobi Rozenfeld

Ashley Spiller

Ashley Spiller was born and raised in Southern California where she began training under the direction of Kobi Rozenfeld, Deanna Mondello, and Kersten Todey. At age 16 she relocated to Phoenix, Arizona where she currently works as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. Throughout her years dancing competitively, Ashley trained extensively in many different styles such as Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Ballet. After moving to Arizona, she trained under mentors Dana Metz, Jaclyn Royal, Tanner Clark and more. She has also been accepted to and attended New York Gaga Lab and Westside Dance Project Intensive. Her versatile training background has led her to working jobs assisting choreographers as well as performing as a backup dancer for Tony Vincent and Ceelo Green. Now touring with Heat as a PRO, she is excited to continue her training and passion for dance.

Evan Jordan

Evan Jordan is a dancer/choreographer originally from Long Island, New York. Around the age of 6, he moved to Tampa, Florida where his dance training began. Here, his training consisted of Hip Hop, Contemporary, Acrobatics, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Ballroom, to name a few. To further his training, Evan has attended workshops like Archcore 40 and MSA Closed Call. Evan has worked under Dancers/Choreographers such as Comfort Fedoke, Marty Kudelka and Fikshun. Currently, Evan is signed under MSA Talent Agency and can be found working professionally as a dancer/choreographer in Florida. His credits include dancing with pop artist Frankie Zulferino, Hard Rock Live in Universal Orlando, and now touring all over the country with HEAT as a Pro.

Ainsley Lilly

Growing up, Ainsley trained at Thrive the Essence of Dance in Monroe, Connecticut. She trained in all styles, with a main focus in tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip hop. Throughout her 14 years as a competitive dancer, she received numerous scholarships and awards from a variety of competitions and conventions; a few including ASH Apprentice Scholarship Winner in 2020 and 2022, Radix Protegé runner up in 2018 and 2022, and was best known for her versatility, movement quality, and attention to detail throughout her competitive years. Tap being one of her strong suits, Ainsley has had the opportunity to work with Maud Arnold from the Syncopated ladies. She also has had the privilege to work with choreographers such as Rudy Abreu, Courtney Schwartz, and Evan DeBenedetto. Once she graduated from high school, she began teaching, while also studying medical sciences at the University of Delaware, with her end goal being to work with young dancers and children, providing them proper medical care through physical therapy. While working towards her degree, she works for Thrive as a teacher and choreographer, and continues to pursue her passion for dancing and learning. She has been with Heat for 2 years now, is a proud member of the Heat family as a PRO, and is excited to tour with them for her second season!

Tyson Ford

Tyson Ford was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up competing with Modern Conceptions of Dance. Wanting to pursue dance, once he graduated high school he attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a BFA in dance 23’. Tyson will be dancing with Visceral Dance Chicago this upcoming season.

Stanley Glover

Stanley Glover was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Stanley holds a BFA from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. He was a top-20 contestant on FOX’s television show, So You Think You Can Dance, and has performed repertoire and trained under some of the best in the industry, including, Sidra Bell, Robert Battle, Random Dance, Hubbard Street, Pennsylvania Ballet, and many more. Stanley performed as a principal dancer five days a week on the Las Vegas Strip in Cirque du Soleil’s production of Mystère. Stanley is also a 2019 Princess Grace Dance fellowship award recipient. Pointe magazine featured Stanley as one of their 2019 “Standout Performances”. Stanley also had a featured spread in Dance Magazine’s column “On The Rise”. Stanley currently dances at BalletX in his 3rd season.

Stanley Glover

Stanley Glover was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Stanley holds a BFA from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. He was a top-20 contestant on FOX’s television show, So You Think You Can Dance, and has performed repertoire and trained under some of the best in the industry, including, Sidra Bell, Robert Battle, Random Dance, Hubbard Street, Pennsylvania Ballet, and many more. Stanley performed as a principal dancer five days a week on the Las Vegas Strip in Cirque du Soleil’s production of Mystère. Stanley is also a 2019 Princess Grace Dance fellowship award recipient. Pointe magazine featured Stanley as one of their 2019 “Standout Performances”. Stanley also had a featured spread in Dance Magazine’s column “On The Rise”. Stanley currently dances at BalletX in his 3rd season.

REGISTER

Please fill out the form below and one of our agents will get back to you as soon as possible .