Meet the Team

  • Founder & Artistic Director

    Helena Alessi is the founder and co-owner of Alessi Dance Factory! She was born and raised in Suwanee Georgia where she started dancing at 3 years old. She then started her competition career at 9 years old at one of the top 10 dance studios in the US, Dance Arts Centre with the late directors Jeff Boss and Jamie Wardrop. Her passion for dance led her to Peachtree Ridge High School where she participated and earned 8 letters from the Advanced 2 dance level, hip hop company where she did a performance at every home Varsity Basketball game, and many after school dance companies. She was also a JV and Varsity Football Cheerleader for her high school. She continued to dance and teach after highs school at Southern Ballet Theatre where she was a guest soloist and performer with many of their shows. When she moved to Tampa she now performs at Busch Gardens and has taught and directed for 2 local studios where she learned exactly what she wanted to do with her life. That was teach and be a competition director for her very own competition dance studio. She cannot wait to see all of her kids gain the confidence and strength to be on that stage and shine through their passions of being a dancer and performer.

  • Boy’s Private Lessons, Strength Training & Partnering

    Erik started his dance training at the age of 6 at Erin’s Danceworks in Spring Hill Florida. He spent his time competing until the age of 20 and then immediately moved to Atlanta to train in ballroom for Eddie Ares at Academy Ballroom. Erik trained for about 6 months before returning back home, where he started to work at Busch Gardens and stayed there before the pandemic. During the pandemic he got into contact with DJ/Emcee Allen Arellano and started DJing for him and continues to DJ for Allen today. You may have seen him DJ at Epperson Lagoon or even Busch Gardens during the Summer Nights event. Once the pandemic started to get better, Erik got back into dancing, getting the opportunity to perform at SeaWorld and Universal. He is currently a performer at Disney, having the pleasure to be a “Lost Boy” at Magic Kingdom’s “Festival of Fantasy” parade. Erik will be teaching partnering and strength training for guys and is looking forward to train the new age of male dancers!

  • Musical Theatre/Vocal & Piano Privates

    Jacqueline has been teaching musical theatre, piano, and voice lessons for over two years now and cannot wait to continue to do so in the upcoming semester! Jacqueline began studying theatre at the age of 13 and has taken various theatre, voice, and piano classes over the course of 10 years. She graduated from the University of South Florida and pursued a degree in Theatre with a concentration in Performance!

    “I am overly joyed to be able to share my passion of theatre and performance with the next generation and be able to provide them with an opportunity that was not available to me when I was growing up. I can’t wait to get started!”

  • Teacher & Competition Choreographer

    Miranda Espinosa is a 22 year old Tampa native. She began dancing at the age of 4 and it was true love ever since! She joined her studios competition and performance team and remained on it for 7 years. During those 7 years, she would take masterclasses, attend summer intensives, and find any other opportunity to further her passion for dance. Miranda was her teams dance captain during the 2018-2019 dance season, where she learned what it meant to be a leader and a good example for her team. She followed in her mother and sisters footsteps at age 11 by assisting dance classes, which introduced her to her love of teaching dance. Miranda is currently attending HCC where she is earning an AA in dance, and she performed with the dance department for 2 years. She is so excited to see growth, not only in her students technique, but also in their confidence and is looking forward to seeing how each student can find their individuality through dance.

  • Acro, Adult Musical Theatre Jazz & Tap, and Pre-Dance Teacher

    Madison Vandeborne has been a dance teacher for ten years and a director/stage manager for five. She is a University of Tampa Alumni and has taught at a studio in South Tampa for the past seven years. Madison is also a choreographer for Plant High School’s Theatre program and does rhythmic dance fitness for numerous elderly care facilities around Tampa Bay.

    Madison specializes in musical theater technique, acro, and tap but is trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, silks and voice. She has taught and choreographed for students of all ages!

  • Ballet Mistress

    Sailor Streeter began dancing at the age of 3, studying at Bonnie Lindholm School of Dance and Barrington Dance Academy. During her time at BDA, she was featured in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Sleeping Beauty, and Graduation Ball. Sailor continued her training with Miami City Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, and River North Dance Chicago.

    At Barrington High School, she joined the Orchesis Dance Company, serving as Artistic Director for two years and choreographing various dances for the company. Sailor has taught a range of classes at Barrington Dance Academy. She is now serving as the Ballet Mistress at Alessi Dance Factory.