Instructors
Interested in joining our Lucky Star Staff?
Email a resume, cover letter, and portfolio to brianna@luckystar.dance

Owner â‘ Lead Instructor â‘ Lead Choreographer
Miss Bri
Bri Clemente is the visionary founder and owner of Lucky Star Dance Company. With a passion for dance that has driven her since childhood, she has transformed her lifelong dream into a thriving studio celebrated for its excellence, creativity, and community spirit.
​
At Lucky Star Dance Company, Bri leads with a deep commitment to developing dancers who embody passion, proper technique, and safety. She is Acrobatic Arts certified and Comix Method Hip Hop certified, ensuring her dancers receive top-level training across multiple styles. Her leadership has earned the studio the prestigious Passionate Teacher Award from True Talent, the Studio Spirit Award three times in two years, multiple Highest Scoring Studio of the Weekend awards, and the Studio of the Weekend honor at ASH. Most recently, Lucky Star Dance Company was voted Best Dance Studio in Centre County in both 2024 and 2025, a testament to the studio’s reputation for quality training and supportive culture.
​
Bri’s choreography is renowned for its emotional depth and storytelling, earning her over 30 choreography awards to date. Her routines have captivated audiences nationwide, leading her teams to over 30 National Champion victories and more than 200 first overall placements in just three years. She was also recognized with the Making The Impact Judge's Choice Award through Impact Dance Adjudicators, the highest level of adjudication in the country.
​
Her talent and innovative vision earned her and her team an invitation to compete on the new season of Dance Moms, where her choreography achieved the two highest scores of the entire event, surpassing the show’s new cast. In addition to her studio’s success, Bri is a sought-after guest choreographer who travels to share her artistry while continuing to pour into her own dancers at Lucky Star.
​
Recognized as a national champion choreographer and an up-and-coming leader in the dance world, Bri has been named one of the Women in Business Women Making a Difference and honored as a Signature Leaders 30 and Under.
​
With a focus on excellence, innovation, and community, Bri Clemente continues to shape the future of dance - one routine, one dancer, and one story at a time.

Instructor
Mrs. Eleanor
Eleanor dance at 3 years old, in Blue Springs Missouri. She learned a combination of Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, and Ballet, with a little Tumbling and Rhythmic Gymnastics mixed in. At the age of 11 Eleanor received a scholarship to train at the Kansas City Ballet School, and she performed with the professional company in the Nutcracker, and with the Kansas City Youth Ballet, under the direction of Alecia Good, in several performances. During this time, Eleanor attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Eleanor was accepted into summer intensives with School of American Ballet in New York City as well. Eleanor eventually received a scholarship to train full time at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet when she was 14. Eleanor rained here under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary for two years, where she continued her ballet education and additionally studied modern dance, jazz, and lyrical dancing. At 16, Eleanor ended up tearing my ACL, and she realized that my career as a professional dancer wasn’t plausible. However, Eleanor started training at the Ribbon Mill Ballet School, and received instructor training from Leslie Hench. During her two years here, Eleanor taught Creative Movement, Mommy and Me, Levels 1, 2, and 3 of classical ballet, as well as beginner and intermediate Modern and Lyrical, Beginner Pointe, and Variations. Additionally, she taught an intensive stretching and technique class using therabands, yoga blocks, and other apparatus. Eleanor attended Penn State University for college where she danced with the Volé Dance Group for all four years and performed in several works. Eleanor also choreographed the first and seconds acts of their Nutcracker performance. She has 4 years of gyrotonic and pilates training and hope to get her certification soon! She is CPR certified and a BLS provider as well. Eleanor recently moved back into State College after graduating, getting married, and having a baby of my own. Dance has always been her absolute passion, and she is so excited to work with the next generation of dancers at Lucky Star.

Instructor
Mrs. Victoria
Victoria was born in New York, but spent a large part of her childhood playing in the rural landscapes of central Pennsylvania, where she resides now. Having a mother who was also ballet dancer, she was exposed to dance at an early age. Victoria would put on costumes and dance along with VHS tapes of CATS The Musical, and Gelsey Kirkland in ‘The Nutcracker.’
Victoria was a freelance artist and guest artist for multiple productions around New York City and Long Island. She has experience performing and teaching classical repertoire from major ballets such as; The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Giselle and more. She also performed with a contemporary ballet company for several years before moving to Pennsylvania in 2021.
But her path in dance was not a linear one. While she always studied ballet in the background, she was also drawn to activities like gymnastics, dirt bikes, skydiving and climbing precarious objects. It wasn’t until after Victoria graduated with her psychology degree that she found herself seriously considering a career in dance.
She traded her perilous pastimes for the vigor of the Vaganova method, a ballet technique and training system that fuses elements of traditional French style from the romantic era with the athleticism and virtuosity of Italian technique. It is designed to involve the whole body in every movement, with equal attention paid to the upper body, legs and feet. This approach increases consciousness of the body, creating a harmony and fluidity of movement and greater expressive range.
Victoria received a majority of her training from former Prima Ballerina, Ms. Irina Lebedeva, as well as other former principal dancers from the Mariinsky Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet. In 2012, Victoria traveled to Saint Petersburg, Russia to visit the Vaganova Academy of Classical Ballet to observe the students and expand her knowledge of this beautiful method. Furthermore, she took advantage of the most prestigious schools and teachers that NYC had to offer, including; Gelsey Kirkland, Katherine Healy, Leslie Browne, Lupe Serrano, and collegiate programs at American Ballet Theatre.
Revisiting serious training as an adult made Victoria a very analytical dancer and a pragmatic teacher. In 2015 she began teaching students of all ages and skill levels in Long Island, New York. She emphasized technique and small artistic details to help her students become more empowered performers.
Her practical and approachable teaching style also gained popularity on her YouTube channel that is dedicated to breaking down ballet technique for adult beginners. She currently has 12.5K subscribers from all around the globe, all of whom insist that “no one else explains things as well as she does!”

After relocating to Pennsylvania, Victoria continued to teach online, but she was missing the energy of being in the studio with other dancers. While researching studios, she discovered Lucky Star Dance Company! She quickly reached out to Miss Bri and is now thrilled to be a part of this school. Victoria has a passion for making ballet accessible to everyone. She hopes to inspire young dancers with her teaching, and aspires to keep the community engaged by starting up a professional performing company as well.

Instructor â‘ Choreographer
Miss Emma
Emma Girdany is a passionate and experienced dance instructor who brings a lifetime of training and performance to the studio. She began dancing at the age of five and trained extensively in all genres, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and tap. At just 12 years old, Emma became a teaching assistant and has been sharing her love for dance in the classroom ever since.
Emma was a member of the National Traveler Team at Evolve Dance Complex, performing at a high level across the country and working with renowned choreographers from the Dance One circuit. Her choreography has received numerous awards for both creativity and technique, and her routines have been recognized for their excellence and impact.
She graduated a year early from Penn State University with a degree in Kinesiology and is now Ballex certified, combining her deep understanding of human movement with her passion for dance education. Emma is dedicated to helping young dancers grow in confidence, skill, and artistry - both on and off the stage.

Instructor
Miss Robyne
Miss Robyne danced competitively for 15 years with All That Jazz Dance Company, training in acro, baton, ballet, hip hop, jazz, and tap. Throughout her career, she earned numerous regional and national titles in both dance and twirling, with her most notable achievement being named Miss Petite Acrobat of Western Pennsylvania. With over a decade of teaching experience, Robyne has shared her expertise in gymnastics, cheer, and dance. She is excited to bring her passion for dance and tumbling to the Lucky Star family!

Instructor â‘ Little Stars Competition Team Leader
Miss Cameron
Cameron is so excited to be a part of the Lucky Star team! Cameron has been dancing since she was 5 years old. She started her dance journey at Centre Dance here in State College. While she was there, she performed in two Nutcracker performances as an Arabian and a Flower. When Cameron was 10, she moved to Gainesville, Florida, and continued her dance career at IndepenDANCE Studio. There, she took various classes and advanced her technique, poise, and love for dance. When Lucky Star was in its second season, Cameron joined the competitive team and dove into all the dance world has to offer. Towards the end of that season, Cameron shadowed Miss Julia and started teaching pre-ballet and 4-5 ballet. While she was observing, Miss Cameron found a passion for teaching and inspiring the younger generation.
Cameron is now a junior at State College Area High School. She is also on the Spark competition team, traveling all over the East Coast to compete. Cameron is so eager to meet all her students and share her passion and love for dance with them!
​
Cameron is First-Aid, CPR, and BLS Certified!

Instructor
Miss Jossalyn
Jossalyn Struble grew up in State College, PA, where she began dancing at the age of four and started competing across the East Coast by six. Over the years, she has trained extensively in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, and Ballet, but discovered a special passion for Tap. Currently, Jossalyn is a member of both Tapestry Dance Company and Volé Dance Company at Penn State. She is thrilled to share her love for dance and is so excited to join the Lucky Star family!

Instructor â‘ Choreographer
Miss Anna
Anna has studied dance since age 3 and began her competition dance journey at 10. From ages 5-12, she also studied and performed with local youth theatre company Singing Onstage Studios. At 13, she started training with Miss Bri, focusing on technique, turns, and leaps. She joined Lucky Star in its first season and competed for three years on the Spark elite team, earning individual and group titles and awards, plus scholarships and recognition at many dance conventions. Anna was a 2024 Industry Challenge Protege and a 2024 Ignite Dance Live Dynamite. In her senior season, she earned three regional titles and a national senior title.
Anna is a 2025 graduate of Bellefonte Area HS and a student at Slippery Rock University, where she is working toward a BFA in Dance and a BS in Elementary Education. She is excited to continue teaching at the studio during holiday breaks and summers. Anna is grateful to Miss Bri for being a wonderful mentor and role model.

Instructor
Miss Madison
Madison Palmer is thrilled to join the Lucky Star family! Growing up in Kansas, she participated in a robust dance and theatre community. She was trained and has taught classes at Midwest Dance Mechanix in Wichita, Kansas. A competitive dancer from the age of 7, Break the Floor has been a second home to her and has given her many opportunities to hone her craft while working with the best choreographers and teachers in the industry. She has competed with choreography from Anthony Morigerato, Danny Lawn, Ricky Mallouff, Brian Marcum, Chad Vaught, among others. She also specializes in cleaning competitive dances. A highlight for her has been performing in many Music Theatre Wichita productions including The MTW Holiday Special (Regional Emmy Nominated), and last summer she performed in the ensemble of 42nd street. She also received a Kristi Award while filming the Documentary 1,300 Miles to Broadway With Kristin Chenoweth and Kenny Ortega. She is a Musical Theatre BFA major at Penn State and is thrilled to find a home to share her love of all things dance.

Instructor
Miss Julia
Miss Julia is from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and has been dancing since the age of three. She has been a competitive dancer for eight years and was a member of Lucky Star’s Spark Program, competing as an Elite dancer at events across the country. Her favorite style of dance is Ballet, and she loves sharing that passion with her students. In her final year of competition, Julia’s solo “Infatuation” was awarded the highest-scoring routine of the weekend at True Talent in Harrisburg, PA, earning multiple nearly perfect scores. That same season, she also received the highest-scoring 13 & up routine at Industry Challenge in Lancaster with her solo. Julia is now a student at Bloomsburg University, where she is pursuing her degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She is so excited to continue sharing her love of dance with the Lucky Star family!
Guest Choreographers + Instructors

Derek Mitchell

Hannah Gossett

Trevor Sones

Lauren Hummel

Josh Perez

Allynn Simons

Shane Ohmer

Mackenzie Simons

Stephanie Consiglio

Stacey Raab

Dominate Technique

