Last Updated on Monday, 13 February 2012 21:11
Mia Pacitto - MAS Dance Director
If you dance with your heart your body will follow ~ Mia Michaels
Miss Mia’s passion for dance started as a child in London, England, taking examinations with the ISTD and performing at grand theatres such as the London Palladium. After immigrating to the US in her teens, Mia’s dance world went from a strict syllabus to a traveling, competitive scene.
Whilst majoring in dance at VCC, Mia’s love for travel led her to a career upon sea with Disney Cruise Line, dancing and performing lead acting and singing roles. Mia also joined an activities team, running all onboard entertainment events, with Celebrity Cruise Line. Mia has performed for all major Florida theme parks including, Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and Busch Gardens, and has taught at dance and gymnastic studios in North Carolina and Florida. Mia’s choreography has been awarded for national dance competition team performances as well as gymnastic meet floor routines. Currently, along with teaching dance for Dance Arts Centre, Mia educates children in Brevard county schools and community centers. Mia has toured nationally and internationally with Vee Corporation’s Sesame Street Live and Feld Entertainment’s Disney Live shows. Mia’s feel for the urban dance scene expanded when she danced for the NBA, with the NBDL Fayetteville Patriots, leading her to pass the Les Mills Body Jam aerobic training.
Aside from dance, Mia has worked in the health and fitness industry. Mia managed LA Fitness health clubs and she obtained her license in facial aesthetics and acupressure. Mia feels that her vast exposure to cultures and styles has enabled her to show students a well rounded perspective on movement.
Mia is proud to share her talents and expertise as the Dance Director for Michael A. Smith’s (MAS), Rockledge, Florida.
Mikael Maynard
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful
~ Agnes De Mille
Miss Mikael Maynard has been dancing in Brevard County for 12 years, 10 of which have been with Precision Contemporary Dance, Rockledge FL. Mikael has been a Company member and has performed in many venues in addition to a being a lead role in last year's 'Vamp Ball' at Brevard Zoo. She has attended various regional conventions including JUMP and NUVO, and in 2008 received a full scholarship through FDA for the Miami Summer Dance Program. Along with sharing her passion for dance, Mikael is currently attending college and is planning on pursuing a degree in Environmental Engineering.
April Dianne Shock
Dancers are the athletes of God ~ Albert Einstein
Miss April acquired a love for dance at a young age. At age 10, she began cleaning a dance studio in Matthews, VA in exchange for dance classes 
and has been sleeping and breathing dance ever since. April continued on to become the youngest member of the performing company at Diggs School of Dance in Virginia. She attended the Eastern Virginia School of Performing Arts before moving to Florida where she began dancing at The Orlando Ballet. April is trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Contemporary, and Hip Hop, and is the recipient of two dance scholarships for Dance Educators of America. April has taught dance at numerous local dance studios in Florida. Additionally, she has danced professionally as a main stage performer with Disney Cruise Line. She has served as Artistic Director at The Dancers Studio and Festival of Dance where her duties included, Stage Manager, scheduling, programming, advertising, event planning, as well as teaching.
April believes God has given her the gift of dance and seeks to share this gift with others, hoping to inspire people of all ages with self confidence, respect and inspiration.
Rachel Zacrep
Many other women have kicked higher, balanced longer, or turned faster.
These are poor substitutes for passion ~ Agnes De Mille
Rachel Zacrep has danced since she was three years of age in both Florida and California. She has received extensive training in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, hip hop, and musical theatre. Not only has she performed in such ballets as Cinderella, Dracula, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, but Rachel also traveled for seven seasons competing throughout Florida with the New Dimensions Dance Company. Her dance training was mainly led by award winning directors Dawhone Perry and Billie O’hara, who continue to push Rachel to new physical and emotional limits. She has also taken classes at conventions such as Jump, Nuvo, Adrenaline, L.A. Danceforce, and Intrigue, and has spent time at Los Angeles’s Edge Performing Arts Center. Most recently, Rachel was on the Florida Tuskers Dance team for one season. Rachel continues to take class both in the studio and at conventions.
Rachel enjoys sharing her passion for dance whilst reaching out to young individuals. She loves to share her artistry, and what she views to be the greatest gift she was ever given, with up and coming future dancers. She likes to gear her classes towards encouraging kids to feel confident and embrace themselves, at the same time as giving them a solid foundation to work from.
Brynn A. Johnson
Do it big, do it right, and do it with style ~ Fred Astaire
Brynn Johnson began dancing at the age of 4 and hasn’t stopped since. She grew up in Indiana where she studied tap, jazz, and ballet at Stage I Dance Academy and The Academy of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Starting at an early age, she performed at events such as charity galas, amusement parks, and competitions. She also performed and toured the Midwest with ballets such as The Nutcracker and Cinderella. While earning her mechanical engineering degree at Purdue University, Brynn performed with the tap club and eventually became director of Dance 2XS Purdue, a collegiate branch of an international hip hop crew. Through Dance2XS she performed weekly at various basketball games, cultural events, and Purdue orientation events.
After moving to Brevard County in 2006, Brynn performed for a season with the Lady Warriors for a semi pro football team, the Brevard County Warriors, and she continues to take classes around Melbourne. She is excited to share her love and passion for dance with her students.