Amanda Durst was born and raised in Erie, PA where she began dancing at the age of three. She trained in all styles of dance and was also a member of the Long’s Performing Arts Team LLC and traveled to Disney World twice to perform. Amanda also spent a year on faculty with Long’s School of the Dance, training under Long’s co-founder Marge Long.

In 2009, Amanda graduated from the Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theatre. While attending BoCo she had the privilege of studying with and attending master classes with many world renowned performing artists. During her time in Boston, Amanda developed a dance program for a Watertown cheer leading academy, Full Out Cheer. Her Junior and Senior teams became National Champions and were invited to compete in Hawaii by the World Spirit Federation.

After graduating, Amanda moved to NYC! She has performed regionally and toured nationally with multiple productions and companies such as; The Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Trumpet in the Land, Once Upon A Time Inc., American Family Theatre Co., and The Secret Theatre. Amanda is also an Acting and Drama teacher that has worked with South Asian Youth Action, American Dance and Drama, and CloverPrep Academy to bring the performing arts to students across the Queens borough.

Amanda is proud to be a member of the Fancy Feet faculty and family.

Raylynne Kuhn was raised in Norwich, New York where she began dancing at the age of six. She trained in all styles of dance and was also a member of the Donna Frech School of Dance and traveled to Disney World twice to perform. Raylynne trained with Donna Frech School of Dance and became a teaching assistant at the age of ten. While training with Donna Frech she earned the title of Miss. Pre NADAA at a National Convention, and was a member of the opening act for The Power of Dance National competition in 2020.

In 2021, Raylynne graduated from Unadilla Valley Central School and then began her college education at Russell Sage College where she studies Psychology, Expressive Arts in Mental Health with her focus being in dance. While studying at Russell Sage, she has the privilege of working with the college’s dance team, where she instructs beginner to advanced level dancers. While being a part of the dance team, Raylynne has filled the job as Co-Director and managed the social media pages, while also choreographing several dances for their spring show.

Raylynne’s primary focus in dance is creating a safe environment for all forms of expression. Raylynne believes that a subsequent part of creating this type of environment is creating a healthy bond between student, teacher and parents. Raylynne enjoys all styles of dance, but loves ballet, contemporary, and jazz. She believes that all people have a true dancer inside of them and that all we need to release that dancer is confidence. Gaining confidence and trust are essential for a healthy dancing environment.

Raylynne is so proud to become a part of this amazing family.

Ms. Amber was born and raised in Northern California. As a student she attended a Visual and Performing Art School focusing on ballet and hip hop. In high school, she began her dance career as a member of the 34th and Y Street Dance Company, studying hip-hop, lyrical, and jazz. As an adult, Ms. Amber has coached students from 8 years to 13 years leading them to cheer & dance competitions and has instructed adults in beginner's heels classes.

Ms. Amber's primary focus in dance class is using movement as an expression of emotions and feelings. She enjoys all styles of dance, but loves hip hop, jazz funk, and heels. She feels as a woman it is important to feel confident and strong in your body.

Her inspiration occurs when having fun, enjoying good people, great vibes, and listening to positive music in a creative, welcoming atmosphere. Ms. Amber is a strong believer in dream work = teamwork. Her creative processes begins with basic, structured dance movements, adding a touch of personality, and ending with an emphasis on stage performance. Ms. Amber is excited to be a part of the Fancy Feet community and hopeful to gain and grow within. It is imperative for our youth to have a place to learn and feel encouraged and be consistently empowered by one another.

Ms. Kat began dancing at the age of three and has trained in various styles. Her focus and dance goals changed throughout her life, initially wanting to be a ballerina and dancing the Nutcracker with the Berkshire Ballet. In college her focus changed to hip hop and she joined her schools dance team as well as local amateur sports teams like the Albany Attack. In grad school her focus moved towards fitness and while studying to obtain her MS in Nutrition and completing her internship to become a dietitian she worked as a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Ms. Kat has always enjoyed teaching a group, whether it be of kids or adults. She began teaching and choreographing as a student in her studio and was lucky enough to be able to continue this role in college with her dance teams and is so thrilled to be able to return to the studio as you teacher with the fancy feet dance family.

Her current dance focus and goals are found in the ballroom. She took her first lesson in April 2023 and fell in love with the new style. She has already progressed to the Bronze level (2 of 4) and competed successfully in regional and national competitions with no plans to stop ever!

In addition to dance and fitness, nutrition has been the other main focus for Ms. Kat. She became a Registered Dietitian in 2004 and worked in various roles in the field since obtaining the credential but ultimately found her niche in the areas of infant and pediatrics and adults and adolescent eating disorders. She currently runs a small private practice based in Guilderland.

When Kat isn’t in the dance studio or her practice she is probably at home with her husband, three kids and Toga, the best dog ever!

Kristina is a recent graduate of Binghamton University’s class of 2024 with a dual degree in theatre dance and history! Prior to pursuing a dance major in college, she grew up as a competitive figure skater for 12 years. After her skating career ended, she found her passion for dance through musical theatre! Some of her favorite shows that she has been in include: Head Over Heels (Director & Choreographer), A Chorus Line, Chicago, and Into the Woods! She also holds the title as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Musical Theatre Intensive selectee from Region 2 (2023), where she went on to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for the national festival. Outside of dance and musical theatre, Kristina also teaches singing and acting lessons, loves photography, and is always looking for an animal to pet!

Kristina strives to create an inclusive environment for students of all ages, levels, and abilities to thrive in at their own pace. She hopes to inspire others to not only to dance, but to take risks, choose kindness, and try new things because it is never too late to try something new!