Meet Our IDA Staff
Blayke Liechty
Blayke has been dancing for over 30 years. While growing up she attended a competition studio and trained in jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, lyrical, ballet/pointe and gymnastics. In high school she was both a member and officer on her high schools drill team and dance company. She was also thrilled to be named the Springville High School Dance Sterling Scholar her senior year. While studying a degree in Community Health at Utah Valley University, she continued her dance training in African, ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary and hip hop. While in college she was a member and officer of the UVU Ballroom Dance Company and competed in both Latin and Standard styles. By attending numerous master classes and workshops over the years, she developed a love of World Dance styles and loves to perform and teach these unique genres as much as possible. Blayke has also been a judge and choreographer for numerous drill teams, dance companies and competitions around the state. Blayke began teaching dance in 2007 and was ecstatic to join the Innovations Dance Academy faculty in 2015. She is certified by the Acro Dance Teachers Association and has established a thriving acro and tumbling program here at IDA. Blayke absolutely loves what she does and looks forward to working with her students everyday. She strives to make every class fun, interesting and educational so her students can develop a love of dance while they grow in their dancing abilities. Blayke lives in Lehi with her husband, two daughters and their dog Blue.
Kayla Merrell
Kayla has been dancing for 25 years with experience and training in jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern, ballroom, hip hop, tap, and creative dance. She graduated from Brigham Young University with degrees in Human Development and Dance. Kayla grew up in Texas and spent most of her training in competitive and performing dance studios as well as her High School drill teams. In high school, she was Captain of her drill team which led to many performance and choreography opportunities. Kayla continued her dance training at BYU where she grew her love for contemporary dance. She danced as part of BYU DancEnsemble, Kinnect, and the Ballroom Dance Company as well as competing in Ballroom competitions with her dance partners. Kayla was thrilled to find her dance career was only beginning after graduating and began teaching, coaching, and choreographing in schools and studios. Kayla joined the Innovations Dance Academy faculty in 2015 and loves working with dancers to inspire joy, hard work, and their own creative voice through dance. Kayla is passionate about movement of any kind and loves to always keep moving, exploring, and exercising. She is a marathon runner and certified barre instructor. When she’s not dancing, Kayla loves to spend time with her supportive husband and daughters.
Tiffany Johnson
Tiffany began dancing at an early age training in various dance styles including jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop, and ballet. Tiffany attended Springville High School where she was an officer and a member of the D’velles Drill Team, as well as part of the school’s Dance Company. She has performed in Provo’s Stadium of Fire multiple times and after graduating High School assisted in teaching the Stadium of Fire dancers. Tiffany loves teaching and working with children. She was a live-in nanny on the East coast, worked in a child care facility, and now has the greatest job of being a mom to three adorable girls of her own.
Leslie Sticht
Leslie loves working with kids! She is currently the director for Singers Company, a singing and dancing group for girls. She also teaches art classes for children during the summer. She has taught preschool to 4 out of her 5 kids, along with other neighborhood kids. Leslie joined the Innovations Dance Academy faculty in 2019 teaching our youngest dancers and tumblers! She loves working with this age group and loves to use the skills she learned when she was competing in gymnastics. Leslie received her Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Visual Arts. She loves drawing, painting, dancing, singing, gardening, hiking, camping, kayaking, and spending time with her family.
Raimee Conder
Raimee has danced at Innovations Dance Academy since she was 2 years old. She has trained in all dance genres IDA offers including pointe, world and acro, just to name a few! She has performed in many IDA productions and was a featured soloist as Tinkerbell in ‘Peter Pan’, Sebastian in ‘Ariels Adventures’, Simba in ‘Dancing Through Africa’ and Tightrope Performer in ‘Rewrite the Stars’. For the past few years, Raimee has been a member of IDAs Senior Performing Company and had the opportunity to be in many performances around the state, as well as at several competitions where the group won 1st place and Platinum awards. In 2019 Raimee also represented IDA in competition as a soloist and was awarded Queen in her age division. Raimee was a member of her Jr High Dance Company and had her self choreographed work be chosen two years in a row. Raimee has also been a dancer and choreographer for the CVHS dance company for the past few years. Raimee has a love for choreographing and teaching! Her favorite genre of dance is HipHop. When Raimee isn’t busy dancing at school or at IDA, she loves to spend her time snowboarding, wakesurfing, playing guitar, spending time with her family, friends and puppies.
Pamela Trujillo
Pamela Trujillo is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has been dancing for 18 years. She obtained her bachelor’s in dance with an emphasis in Performance and Choreography in 2021 from Brigham Young University-Idaho. Pamela is also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance. While she was pursuing her bachelor, she performed with Dance Alliance, Brigham Young University Idaho’s premiere touring dance company, and the Collegiate Dance Team. Pamela directed and choreographed for collegiate dancers at BYU-I, as well as taught beginning Modern and World dance courses. She has experience in many styles such as Jazz, Hip-Hop, World Dance, Ballet, and Modern as well as improvisation, and choreographing. Pamela is passionate about dance, encourages individuality and appreciation for this art. She loves teaching and is very excited to be part of Innovations Dance Academy, and learn from her students and coworkers.
Stephanie Howell
Hello, I’m Stephanie Howell and I’m so excited to be teaching tumbling at Innovations this year! I was a competitive gymnast throughout my childhood and young adult life, nearly 15 years in total. I love tumbling and the excitement that comes with learning a new skill. For the last twenty years I have worked with preschool and elementary aged children. I love teaching and have worked at Avondale Preschool for the past 10 years as a teacher, trainer and coach. I am very excited for my two passions to merge and to now teach children the tumbling skills I love! I am especially excited to teach at Innovations where my own girls have taken dance for many years. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time camping, watching movies, cooking, crafting and gardening with my husband Brandon and my four kids – Chase 19, Paige 17, Sophie 15 & Bailey 14.
