Sara Randazzo - Artistic Director

Sara Randazzo has a rich and varied career in dance including performing, choreographing, directing, producing and teaching. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and an Associate Degree in Health Sciences from Washtenaw Community College She received her Physical Therapist Assistant licensure in 2012. Most recently she has had the opportunity to assist Heather Southwick, PT at the Boston Ballet learning about the unique injuries and preventative interventions for dancers. Sara is a STOTT certified Pilates instructor in Mat and Reformer and uses Pilates to help the dancers to prevent injury and promote postural alignment. Sara holds her Cecchetti teaching certificates for grades I-III. Sara has studied Jazz/Tap intensively for the past 20 years in Chicago, and New York with many great teachers including Brenda Bufalino, Sam Weber, Josh Hilberman, Billy Siegenfeld (Jump Rhythm Jazz Technique), Ed Kresley (Broadway Jazz). 

Sara has choreographed for several dance companies including the Performing Arts Dance Theatre in Howell, Company Dance Traverse in Traverse City, Dance Arts of Chelsea, and the Ypsilanti Area Dancers. She spent the 2002-2003 academic year developing a Movement Physical Education program for the Ypsilanti Public School District. She is currently on faculty for the Dance Arts of Chelsea, the Department of Music, Theater and Dance at the University of Michigan and Randazzo Dance. Sara is the founder and director of Sole Full of Rhythm Tap Ensemble. (www.solefullofrhythm.com) The ensemble tours schools, performs at festivals and produces annual Jazz concerts with live musicians, promoting Jazz/Tap as an uniquely American art form.

Roya Panahi - Artistic Director

Roya studied ballet, jazz and tap with Marjorie and Sara Randazzo at Randazzo Dance and ballet at the University of Michigan. Additional ballet training consisted of summer study at the at the National Academy of the Arts, Southwest Ballet Center, Ellis-DuBoulay School of Ballet, Lou Conte Dance Studio and Marygrove College. She has performed with the Ypsilanti Area Dancers, Ballet Repertory in Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor Civic Theater. Roy has been an instructor at Randazzo Dance for many years. She has also choreographed for the Ypsilant Area Dancers and served as assistant to the artistic directors. Roya has received her MA degree in Clinical Psychology and a Specialist Degree in School Psychology from the University of Detroit-Mercy. As a psychologist, she has researched the benefits of dance on the self-concepts of young children.

Christine Sampier - Assistant Artistic Director

Christine started dancing at the age of 4 at Randazzo Dance Studio.  She started with ballet and then began taking jazz and tap later on.  Christine was also a member of Community High Dance Body, where she learned modern dance and began choreographing all styles of dance for the group.  She continued dancing at Washtenaw Community College with Noonie Anderson and Gayle Martin.  Christine has had the pleasure of dancing with Ypsilanti Area Dancers, Patchwerk Dance Troupe, Dance 4 Unity and Factory Dance Co.  She has taken master classes with Ed Kressley, Tony Randazzo, Peter Sparling and Jefferson Baum.   She has performed in numerous Nutcracker performances, at Heritage Festivals, the Ann Arbor Art Fair and several showcases in Ypsilanti.