Grace Mims
Grace is so excited to be the next owner and director of Dance for Joy. She has been a Dance for Joy instructor for 9 seasons. She loves this studio, and she is dedicated to its vision and mission that Kit Rossi started. Dancing because we find joy in it and to bring joy to others is what makes this a very special place. Kit was one of Grace's teachers when she was a teenager and she has worked closely with her for almost a decade. Grace will maintain the "DNA" of Dance for Joy while also finding her footing as a leader. She has a heart for kids and ministry through the arts, and she has been teaching for over 12 years. She is committed to Dance for Joy being an affordable, loving, Jesus-filled environment that is accessible to everyone. Grace started ballet at the age of 3 with Lori Miller in Jacksonville. Later, she studied for six years at Shoshannah Arts where her love of dance grew to other styles such as modern and jazz. As a member of the Shoshannah Arts Dance Conservatory and Outreach Team, she traveled around Jacksonville and internationally to Montserrat and Scotland. Grace found a love and passion for children and the nations, and she firmly believes that dance can be positive and life changing. In 2012, Grace graduated with a BFA in Dance and Minor in Psychology from Jacksonville University. From 2012-2013, she spent a year overseas in the Philippines where she was a company dancer and teacher with BalletCenter Cebu under premier danseur Nicolas Pacaña and choreographer Gregory Aaron. In the Philippines, Grace had numerous performance opportunities in Romeo and Juliet and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. For the last 9 years, Grace has worked as a dance teacher and choreographer all over Jacksonville. She has also danced in numerous events around the city with Unforced Rhythms Dance Company and Selah Dance Ministries. Grace is certified in the Progressing Ballet Technique.
Elissa Srulevich
Elissa Srulevich has been dancing since the age of four. She began training at Buffa’s Dance Studio and the Virginia Ballet Company and performed with Burke Civic Ballet in Virginia. She attended Florida School of the Arts and received her B.F.A. in dance from Belhaven University. She has performed leading roles in Swan Lake, Paquita and Sleeping Beauty and has danced locally with the Braided Light Dance Project. Elissa was a company member at East Coast Ballet for two years. Currently she dances professionally with Unforced Rhythms Dance Company. She has loved teaching in the Jacksonville area for the past few years. Elissa feels blessed to share her love of dance with others.
Stacy Sulewski
Stacy was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida. Dance has always been a large part of her life. She took ballet all throughout her childhood, as well as, danced on her high school and college dance teams. After moving to Jacksonville, Stacy continued to take ballet classes as an adult. She enjoyed performing twice in the Community Nutcracker. In hopes to share her love of dance with others, she started to work with Dance for Joy in 2011. Stacy is our amazing administrator and we officially would be lost without her! Stacy and her husband, Jeremiah, have old boy/girl twins - Jason & Christina.