Instructors
Jolene Coates - Director
Realizing that a passion for dance and a need to teach could be fulfilled together, Jolene Coates established Dance Depot, in August 2001. Her life long dance career began as a student of Phyllis and Gayle Tutterow at the age of four. She later became a member of their performance company Stars of Tomorrow. Mrs. Jolene has performed in many cities including New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, and internationally in Denmark and Russia. She has also had the opportunity to perform at venues such as Sea World, Disney World and Busch Gardens. Mrs. Jolene was also a member of the Royalty Theatre group where her dancing was featured in the musicals Anything Goes and West Side Story. Mrs. Jolene teaches the princess classes, combination classes and works with Revolution, the performance company.She also works with the assistants and teachers-in-training.
Bekah’s love of dance began at Dance Depot at the age of 7. During her time as a student, she enjoyed studying Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Pointe. She danced on the Revolution Dance Team for 13 years and the Competitive Team for several years. She started demonstrating in dance classes in middle school, assisted teaching in high school, and began teaching her own classes at 16. She's been teaching dance ever since.
Bekah earned a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and is licensed to teach K-5 in the state of Florida. Her love of dance and passion for teaching make her job at Dance Depot remarkably fulfilling.
Bekah Ellis - Asst. Director
Jeryn Coates - Office Manager/Instructor
This is where it all began, Jeryn Coates started her dance career at 2 years old with Dance Depot. She was apart of the Revolution Performance Company for 10 years and has danced for 19 years. She had the opportunity to dance on 2 cruise ships, New York on Broadway, Nashville Tennessee at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Disney, and many more. She started interacting with the parents of Dance Depot at age 16 and has continued to manage the office. She also has assisted in classes with her mom since she was 10 years old. In the last 2 years she has taken on her own classes and is choreographing 3 days a week, ages ranging from 2-16. She knew she wanted to be a dance teacher when she saw so much joy it brought to kids. Her mom started this company when she found out she was having a girl so there was something more for little girls to do in the area and that’s exactly what she hopes to continue to bring to the community.
Jessica McCann - Instructor
Born and raised in Lake County, FL, Jessica developed a passion for dance at the age of 12. Jessica has been trained in jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and modern, but focused primarily on ballet and pointe. Throughout high school she was a member of her studio's performing company. She also performed in the Nutcracker with the Dance Alive Company from Gainesville. She was accepted into the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts at the age of 17 and has also auditioned for Disney, So You Think You Can Dance, and the School of American Ballet. Jessica has trained dancers who have been accepted into dance programs including The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, The Joffrey Ballet School, and Orlando Ballet School. She has also worked with competitive dancers who have received top awards for their performances. Mrs. Jessica wants to instill her students with a passion and emotional connection to dance. And she firmly believes... It's not about the steps you do to the music, but about the story you're telling with your movement. If you can move just one person... Then you've done your job.
Harrison Rustay - Instructor
Harrison Rustay is an accomplished and awarded dancer, and choreographer. He has been awarded with multiple scholarships - including Pulse Protégé, Jump VIP, and Radix Core Performer. Growing up competing, he is an experienced performer - he has won numerous awards at many regional, national, and world competitions. Some of these include achieving Overall and Title winner at Starpower World Nationals in Orlando, and Overall and Title winner at Showstoppers in Myrtle Beach. In his years of training he had the privilege to work with and trainning under many of the industry's most notable choreographers - including but not limited to: Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Brian Friedman, Comfort Fedoke, Talia Favia, Ian Eastwood, Victor Smalley, Teddy Forance, Mandy Moore, Nick Lazzarini, Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo, and Tucker Barkley. He was a guest dancer, and scholar-shipped at the Northwest Florida Ballet Academy for their summer program. Along with this program, he has trained extensively with the renowned Katie Garza and Israel Rodriguez from the Orlando ballet. Having been able to work with these diverse sets of choreographers for years, he has had much experience in a myriad of styles of dance, and prides himself on being a versatile dancer. He has not only thrived as a dancer, but also as a choreographer. At the young age of 15, he won his first student choreography award. He has since continued on that success, and has won a multitude of awards at competitions for his choreography set on soloists and groups. Harrison sets himself apart as an artist - pushing the boundaries of what dance is, and can be.
Kaelyn joined Dance Depot in the Fall of 2021 bringing with her an extensive background in athletics and management. She has experience not only personally participating in competitive sports but also tending to athletes as an athletic trainer. Her well rounded knowledge, genuine care and work ethic bring a multitude of benefits to our youth at Dance Depot. Kaelyn has six years of business management that she gained while earning her Bachelor's degree in communications from The University of Central Florida which brings depth and organization to our Mount Dora location where she manages the front office.
Kaelyn Coates - Office Manager Mt.Dora
Sydney Ramos - Instructor
Sydney started dancing at a young age and instantly fell in love! She has danced at many different studios over the years with the goal to learn as much as she could. She danced on many different competition teams throughout her schooling years. After High school Sydney decided to audition for Universal and was hired for their Macy’s Holiday Parade. Sydney is in year 9 of employment with Universal. She went to Valencia College and received her AA in dance performance and spent many years broadening her range of dance through their conservatory programs while getting to dance with companies like Lehrer Dance out of New York and members of the Alvin Ailey Company. During her college years Sydney decided to audition for the Rockette Summer Intensive program and was invited to dance over several summers with dancers all over the country under the instruction of amazing Rockette teachers! Being trained in all major genres of dance with a specific passion for musical theater and jazz, Sydney wanted to share her knowledge and started teaching dance at a young age. Sydney has loved her time with the dance depot family and
is excited for the years to come!
Felicia Cruz- Instructor
Felicia has been teaching for 15 years and dancing for well over 25. Felicia grew up in New York, where she has trained at multiple studios, in all genres. A few of her dances are award winning at Intensity Competitions, KAR, Step Up to Dance and in 2011, she was part of Ironworks Company in New York. Her favorite genres to teach are Hip Hop and Tap at the preschool and elementary levels.
Nicole Pringle- Instructor
Nicole has been dancing for seventeen years and teaching for three years. She teaches all styles of dance including Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and Acro for all skill levels. Nicole also teaches competition dances including solos, duos/ trios, and groups which have received 1st and 2nd place this 2024 season. Nicole has experience dancing with Disney, Dance the Magic in New York City on broadway, Orlando Magic, and she is currently an Orlando Prowler. Nicole enjoys spreading her knowledge of acro and dance to young up coming students.