Staff/Instructors
Danielle Flood
Owner and Operator of the Safari Dance Studio. Mrs. Flood started as a student of the Fine Arts since the age of 8. Mrs. Flood attended Evelynn Ott School of Dance in her elementary years and continued her love of dance through Community and Public School forums, entering and performing in plays and skits throughout her school years. In 2009, Mrs. Flood started a Non Profit Cheerleading Team, which soared and developed into over 100+ Cheerleaders.
She is currently the CEO and Executive Director of The Competitive Youth Dance Team named Captivating Cats Dance Team.
Daniel Flood
April Flood
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Co-Owner and Operator of Safari Dance Studio. Daniel discovered his love of dance at age 9 when he portrayed Michael Jackson in a special halftime performance with the Hampton Roads 7 CIties Pro-Am Cheerleading Team. Since, Daniel's passion of dance only began to grow. By the age of 16, Daniel became a choreographer for the infamous Captivating Cats Dance Team and in 2017 was named Head Coach. Daniel has choreographed countless winning routines and helped bring home over 300 awards including a win at JaQuel Knight's Something In The Water Dance Showdown. Daniel is a mentor and big brother in the 757 community and has helped guide youth on and off the dance floor. He is currently the Mini Hip Hop Instructor at Safari Dance Studio.
Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, April began her dance career at the early age of 5. She began training at Denise Walls Dance Energy and Broadway Dance Center in New York. April's achievements include leading her team to over 300 victories as the former Head Captain of CCDT and choreographing countless award-winning routines. April is currently studying dance at Old Dominion University and is trained in an innumerable amount of genres including Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Majorette, African and Liturgical. April has been filmed for Lifetime's Hit TV Show, "Bring IT!", opened for jazz saxophonist Sam Rucker, performed
at Pharrell Williams's "Something in the Water" Dance showdown and Paul Mitchell's World of Dance. April is currently the Level I and Tiny Tots Ballet Instructor at Safari Dance Studio and Assistant Coach to their competition team, the Captivating Cats Dance Team.
Michael Flythe
Michael Flythe was born and raised in Chesapeake, VA and began his career in dance through stepping and hip hop in grade school. Since starting college at Old Dominion University, Michael began to minor in dance and trained in Moden, Ballet and Hip Hop. Michael has worked alongside Dance Professor, James Morrow, to put on a "Pre-Collegiate" Dance Intensive for recent High School Graduates, became a Hip Hop Instructor at ODU's Student Recreation Center, performed his own choreographed modern solo in ODU's University's Dance Concert and began dancing for ODU's "Afrosimbas" where he trained in Afro-beat and traditional African Dance. Alongside the Simbas, Michael has performed at Pharell Williams' Something In The Water Festival, TACA 757, Norfolk State, UVA, on the Hampton Roads Show, and various events at ODU and in the 757 Community. Michael is currently the Hip Hop instructor at SDS and a coach for Safari Dance Studio's Captivating Cats Dance Team.
Mikayla Revell
Mikayla Revell is a professionally trained dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been intersecting movement and storytelling for over 10 years. As a native of the Washington,
DC metropolitan area, she learned ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz during her
training at the Washington School of Ballet. She also studied at the Debbie Allen Dance
Academy and other elite dance programs where she continued developing her dance
technique while also learning African, tap and salsa. Mikayla's stage performances include
the Warner Theatre, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Luckman Fine Arts Complex in Los Angeles, and she performed at the White House for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Mikayla is currently a student at Norfolk State University where she is an honor student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. At NSU, she is the dance director of the NSU Drama Theatre Company. In that role, she participated in numerous stage performances and events, earned a dance theater scholarship, and received the 2020 NSU Best Choreography award. At the Safari Dance Studio, she is the jazz/contemporary instructor.
Dejanae Clark
Dejanae Clark was born and raised in Trenton, NJ. She began her dance career at the age of 6 at Calvary Dance Academy, under director Renee Riddle-Davison. She is trained in Hip-Hop, Tap, Ballet and Praise Dance. Dejanae has taken her talent of dance across the East Coast. From the ages 11-17, Dejanae was apart of the community dance academy tap competition team. As captain, she was able to lead them to 1st place in several competitions. Dejanae has trained at Broadway Dance Center in New York, Stewart Johnson Dance Studio and in addition has taken classes under Savion Glover. While currently attending Norfolk State University, she has become a member of the award winning theater company since 2019. Dejanae’s passion for tap only continues to grow as she is the Tap Instructor at Safari Dance Studios.
Sierra Bryant
Sierra “Cici” Bryant is a professionally trained dancer and choreographer who strives to motivate others through movement. She was born in Lompoc, California, but due to her family’s military service, she moved consistently. She first .began dancing in church as a Praise and Worship dancer. Throughout her traveling childhood, she learned the techniques of Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, and West African dance. She attended a performing art high school in northern Virginia where she graduated with a concentration in dance arts. While training she had the opportunity to study under Jamie Howes and work with Darrell Grand Moultrie, Kate Skarapatowska, and George Mason University Dance Company. Sierra now attends Norfolk State University where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication & General Broadcasting. At NSU, Sierra has become an active member of the Theatre Company. She has appeared in the company’s production of A Tribute to Whitney Houston, Rock the Runway: ROAR, and a partnership production of Dreamgirls with Virginia Stage Company. She also is part of the leadership team for The Ladies of Sparta Danceline at NSU. Sierra’s love for dance grows as she is the Ballet Instructor at Safari Dance Studio.
Ajah Heckstall
Ajah Heckstall is the head cheerleading technique instructor at Safari Dance Studio. Ajah began cheerleading at just 4 years old on a recreational cheerleading team and continued to hone her skills through the Hampton Roads 7-cities pro-am cheerleading squad ran by SDS Director Danielle Flood. From there, cheer became Ajah's life; she cheered for her middle school and in just the 8th grade she began cheering on the junior varsity cheer team at Norview High School. In the 9th grade Ajah made the Varsity cheer squad where she was apart of the two time back to back Eastern District Cheerleading Championship. During Ajah’s senior year she was named captain. In 2018, when Ajah graduated highschool, she attended Radford University majoring in pre-nursing. During her freshman year she founded the first official stomp and shake cheerleading squad at Radford University, the Lady RUs. With the help of Jade Hayes, Ajah’s responsibility as founder and president consisted of leading a group of young woman, creating routines, organizing fundraisers, seeking sponsorships, representing the team in a professional manner, finding events to perform at and much more. Ajah has recently returned from Radford University and is now the Head Coach of the Captivating Cats Cheerleading Team.