Meet our Teaching Artists
Alison Smith
Teaching Artist and OwnerAlison Smith has been a professional dancer and actress for more than 30 years here in Southern California. She has been in numerous plays, musicals, television productions, and industrials, and she has been lucky enough to travel the world with her talents.
She grew up on the stage dancing, transitioned into film and television in her 20’s, learned make-up artistry in her 30’s, and has also worked as co-owner in a successful photography business.
Alison has taught dance as a guest artist throughout many studios from Kansas City to Southern California. Her love for dance and choreography continued even as she settled down in South Pasadena to raise her 3 children.
She continues to teach dance at her studio in South Pasadena and local schools. She is very involved in her community, directing productions, talent shows, musicals, and school choirs for the South Pasadena Unified School District. Alison also continues to audition commercially and share her talents as a Teaching Artist for Disney Musicals,Upstage Theater schools & Cultural Arts Programs for LAUSD.
Alison feels her best when she is inspiring kids and people through dance and expression. “Do what you love & love what you do!”
Katie Kammas
Miss Katie Kammas has been part of the Rise Up & Dance family for five years, growing from student assistant to instructor and choreographer. She first began working alongside Ms. Alison during her sophomore year of high school, where her love of teaching and connecting with younger dancers quickly became apparent. She eventually stepped into leading her own K-POP classes and summer camps and has become a wonderful part of the RU&D teaching team.
Katie is currently a Biochemistry major at Occidental College, where she continues to pursue her passion for dance alongside her academics. She is a member of Occidental’s Dance Production Club, performed in the club’s 2026 showcase, and will be co-choreographing a piece for its 2027 production.
Katie brings a fun, encouraging energy to her classes and especially loves sharing her enthusiasm for K-POP with her students. Having grown up within Rise Up & Dance herself, she understands the supportive, non-competitive environment that makes RU&D special and now gets to help create that same experience for the next generation of dancers.
Teaching Artist
Lilly graduated from AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles with a BFA in Dance, in June of 2024. She has a lot of experience teaching and choreographing for dance competitions and dance recitals. She trains in all styles of dance and for the past several years has been on tour traveling on the convention and competition circuit with Fluid Dance and Musical Theatre Competitions of America (MTCA), being a lead faculty assistant and teaching her own classes. Lilly brings a high level of passion, technique, and stage presence to the stage as well as the classroom, and loves working with dancers of all ages and levels. She is based Los Angeles, California and is currently represented by Briizy Talent Agency.
Teaching ArtistLilly Cornell
Gianna Mow-Parker
Teaching ArtistBio coming soon.
Katie, Gianna, Alison, Lilly, and Megan
Megan supports the studio behind the scenes, handling administrative and operational tasks so our instructors can focus on what they do best: teaching.
Megan is no stranger to performance. A former elite gymnast and US National Team platform diver, she grew up dancing and singing in amateur neighborhood performances with her sisters and friends — and she's had a performance itch to scratch ever since. She rediscovered her love of dance right here at Rise Up and Dance, in our adult dance cardio class, which brings back all the joy of those childhood living-room productions.
Megan connected with Alison through the South Pasadena school community, where she's been a dedicated volunteer leader — serving as PTA President at Arroyo Vista Elementary, PTA President and Boosters President at South Pasadena Middle School, and Boosters President at South Pasadena High School. Professionally, she works as a bookkeeper and small business consultant, bringing exactly the organizational know-how a growing studio needs.
When she's not keeping the studio running smoothly, you might just catch her in class — dancing like nobody's watching, living room-style.
Behind the Scenes SupportMegan Gardner
“I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to discover their unique talents and explore their creativity in a positive and supportive setting. My goal is to promote diversity and acceptance by celebrating differences and encouraging collaboration. I strive to foster a sense of belonging and community by providing a space where every child feels valued and respected.”
— Alison Smith, Founder