Meet Our Staff

Meet Our Staff

Meet Our Staff

certified professionals

Our Staff

At Tapio School of Dance & Gymnastics our staff members are Red Cross First Aid trained and are safety certified professional members of the USA Gymnastics, Amateur Athletic Union, Dance Masters of America, National Dance Educators Organization, and Professional Dance Teachers Association.

Susan T. Breland President and Owner of Tapio School of Dance & Gymnastics, Inc. since 1978 and teaching since 1971, Susan graduated from Charleston Southern University in 1978 with a bachelor of science in Physical Education. She studied as a dance major at Coker College in Hartsville and performed with the Coker College Dance Ensemble throughout South Carolina and on the ETV Network as well as performed with the Coker College Gymnastics Performance Group in 1974 – 75. As a staff dance and gymnastics professional, Susan taught at the NADAA national conventions held in Myrtle Beach and taught college gymnastics courses at Charleston Southern University as a part of their Physical Education curriculum for college students. A member of the USA Gymnastics and a safety certified skills evaluator; Susan is the Special Olympics-South Carolina Sports Head for Gymnastics, has organized and directed the State Competition since 1988 and served as the South East Gymnastics Coach for the World Games in Ireland in 2002. She is a professional member of the NDEO and PDTA.

Steven Breland Third generation affiliated with Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics, Inc., Stevie began as a gymnastics student at age three and grew up in the family business. He has been our After School and Super Summer Day Camp counselor since the age of fifteen and is the Gymnastics Program Director. Stevie is one of the head coaches for the Tapio Gymnastics Team and has been our instructional gymnastics teacher/coach since 1999 as well as our tumbling instructor who has coached many of our local schools’ Junior Varsity, Varsity, and College of Charleston cheerleaders. He attends USA Gymnastics State, Regional, and National Congress yearly and is a safety certified skill evaluator and professional member of USA Gymnastics and Amateur Athletic Union. Stevie volunteers at the state and regional level clinics as a training instructor. He attended the University of South Carolina and is a 2007 graduate of the College of Charleston. Stevie is the proud father of Crew Thomas who will participate in his first recital this year.

Johanna Runey Tapio Johanna established Tapio School of Dance in 1956, owned and operated the school for over twenty years. Still affiliated with Tapio School of Dance & Gymnastics, Inc. in heart, mind, and soul, she enjoys watching her former students, who now have their children, their grand children and now their great grand children in our recitals.

Jan W. Buckheister Jan is our preschool dance teacher and has been a part of our Tapio family since the age of 3. She grew up in our program as a student, a teacher in training, and a teacher of tap and ballet. When not teaching, Jan serves as our office manager. She has a BS in Math from the College of Charleston, and has taught at First Baptist Church School and the O’Quinn School in Mount Pleasant. She has been the director and recreational gymnastics teacher at the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department for over 35 years.

Elizabeth Anne Romagnuolo (née Demaline) Elizabeth and her husband, Joe, along with their 3 daughters relocated to Charleston in 2004 from Canada. She is a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and holds an RAD teacher's diploma, and as such, she is passionate about solid ballet technique.

Elizabeth also holds certification in the Vagonava ballet method through the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and is certified in Progessing Ballet Technique , Acrobic Arts and is a Silver Swan licensee.Elizabeth also holds membership with Rambert grades and International Dance Acclaim(IDA).

She trained under the tutelage of Christine Powel Wooten as a young girl, and then studied at the prestigious Oakville School of Ballet outside Toronto, Canada under Elizabeth Patterson (former RAD examiner) and studied Vagonava with Vitek Wincza. For college, she graduated from the well-respected Toronto Metropolitan University Theatre School Dance program, in Toronto, where she was fortunate to study with some of Canada’s best teachers, including the late Glenn Gilmour (National Ballet of Canada (NBC) and Cecchetti examiner), Anuschka Roes (head of teacher program, NBC), Audrey Looker, Florentina Lojekova, Maisee McFee and Nadia Potts (Principal Dancer, NBC; former partner of Baryshnikov and Nureyev), and study in both performing and teaching streams. After college she performed and choreographed for multiple shows and events in Toronto. In addition to her ballet training, she also holds her ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) intermediate certificates for both national and modern, training in Graham and Limon techniques, and, studied Jazz with great Canadian Jazz teachers including Eva von Gencsy (La Ballet Jazz de Montreal) , Stelio Calagias and George Randolph.

She has continued her dance education, taking class at Graham studios, Steps on Broadway and the Broadway dance center, in NYC and Ballet Divertimento in Montréal, and regularly travels to DC, Toronto and Atlanta for pedagogical workshops.Elizabeth also attends online safe guarding courses.

Elizabeth has been teaching for over 45 years across Canada and in the US and loves bringing her joy and passion of dance to her students. Locally, she has also been a guest teacher for Charleston County School of Arts and Dance Masters of America. Her students have gone on to illustrious dance careers with the NBC, big screen and television movies, Broadway, and music videos. She is proud to have started a successful RAD training and exam program at Tapio, one of few in South Carolina.

Elizabeth is the proud mother of Marisa , Meagan  and Sarah, who have all taken classes , and worked,at Tapio since 2005. Elizabeth loves teaching at Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics, and she believes if you dance from your heart you will always shine.

Callie Breland (Business, Afterschool, Camps) Callie is director of the Afterschool Program and the Summer Camps. She has a nursing degree from Trident Technical College. Callie grew up at Tapio’s and was one of our original summer campers. She bring a unique prospective to the programs and has tailored our camps to what children enjoy learning and playing during their summer breaks and after school activities.Callie is also a trained recreational gymnastics instructor and is safety certified by USA Gymnastics.

Jenna Breland Jenna is a 2008 graduate of University of South Carolina with a double major in Biology and Geography. She is a jack of all trades at Tapio’s she completes administrative duties for the summer camps as well as trains new camp counselors and manages our junior camp counselors. During our Fall and Winter sessions she teaches recreational gymnastic classes and coaches the competitive gymnastic team. Jenna is a professional member of USA Gymnastics.

Emily Molinari (Dance) Emily Molinari has been in the competitive dance world for over 23 years. She started dancing at the age of two, but fell in love with it when she started competing. Being from Charleston it was only natural she began her dance journey right here at Tapio. Emily was on Tapio's very first competition team, and her love of dance grew from there. She grew up dancing and competing up and down the east coast, and continued her love of dance in college. She worked with incredible teachers and choreographers from all over the world at Winthrop University to help grow her passion and knowledge of dance. Emily graduated with a BA in Dance from Winthrop University in 2015. After College, she came back to Charleston and continued to pursue dance in the teaching role. Emily decided she wanted to further her dance education career once she found her passion for teaching and received her teaching certificate for grades K-12. Not only has Emily been teaching and choreographing at Tapio since 2016, she has also been the dance teacher at Jennie Moore Elementary School since 2019, and was the Assistant Dance Team Coach at Lucy Beckham High School from 2023-2025. Needless to say, Emily loves dance and of course Tapio. She loves getting to share her passion in the place she grew up with her dancers and students across the Mt. Pleasant/Charleston community.

Erica Slaughter (Dance) Erica Slaughter is excited the upcoming season at Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics! Miss Erica grew up in the competitive studio dance world in New Jersey, and made her way down South for college. At The College of Charleston she was a member of the Cougarettes Dance Team from 2002-2006, and earned a degree in English and Masters in education. She has spent twenty five years teaching and training dancers at studios such as Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics in Mount Pleasant, SC and The Southern Strutt in Irmo, SC with a focus on technique, strength, flexibility, Acro, and Jazz. Miss Erica is going on her 25th year of teaching dance and truly loves helping dancers grow and achieve their goals. She is proud of her dancers’ accomplishments with her choreography placing in overalls for solos, duo/trios, large group jazz dances, and production. Miss Erica is also going on year five as the Head Coach of The College of Charleston Cougarettes who compete in the Division 1 category at UDA. She looks forward to this upcoming season working with dancers in the Lowcountry! Miss Erica is mom to Grayson and Sullivan and wife to supportive dance teacher husband, Chuck!

Madi Lynch (Dance) Madi Lynch grew up competing and training under the direction of Lisa Fowler and Whittney Niemi at Dancers Corner in Greer, South Carolina for 15 years. She attended the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC for high school where she intensely studied Ballet, Modern, and Choreographic Composition. During her junior and senior year of high school she taught weekly classes and ran company rehearsals at 23Dance Company. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 2023 and was a 4 year member of the College of Charleston Dance Team. She was awarded “Rookie of the Year” after her first season on the team. In 2021, she earned a National Championship in Division I Hip Hop at UDA College Dance Team Nationals. She was captain of the team for both her Junior and Senior years. Following graduation, She is currently going into her 2nd season as Assistant Coach of the College of Charleston Dance Team. She spends her summers traveling as a 4th-year Universal Dance Association Head Instructor, leading and teaching dance team camps/conventions across the country. She is a member of the social team for Varsity Spirit and captures footage at competitions and camps that is featured on the brand’s many accounts. She is a V!ROC Choreographer and choreographs for studios and dance teams all across the southeast. Madi is so excited to go into her second year at Tapio!

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Hailey Commodore (Dance) Hi! I’m Hailey Commodore. I grew up dancing competitively and have loved being part of the dance world for as long as I can remember. After graduating high school a year early, I moved to Manhattan NY and trained in Jazz and Contemporary at the Joffrey Ballet School in 2022. I’m now a senior at the College of Charleston and proudly served as Captain of the Cougarettes Dance Team for the 2024–2025 season.

From working at my home studio in New Jersey, and assisting many local ballet and contemporary teachers, the past 3 years of teaching at Tapio has been where I truly discovered my passion for teaching dance. I am continuing my dance education by attending classes, as well as becoming certified in Progressive Ballet Technique- more to come in the near future! I especially enjoy working with super young dancers, building confidence, technique, and helping them take their very first steps into the world of dance.

I’m so excited to keep teaching at Tapio and to continue learning and growing as a dance educator!

Mallory Hobday (Dance)Originally from Sumter, South Carolina, Mallory Hobday discovered her love and passion for dance at a young age and grew up training and teaching at Dreamworks Dance Academy. After graduating high school in 2020, Mallory went on to attend the University of South Carolina where she was a proud member of the Carolina Dance Team for four years. During her time on the team, the Carolina Dance Team made program history securing three consecutive National Championship titles. After graduating in 2024, Mallory moved to Charleston to pursue her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina. While her primary focus is building a career in physical therapy, she continues to share her love for dance by teaching at Tapio School of Dance & Gymnastics. She is grateful for this opportunity to combine her love for movement with a passion for helping others through both physical therapy and dance. Eighteen years of dance experience has shaped Mallory into the person she is today, and she cannot wait to continue to inspire young dancers while staying connected to dance as it was such a huge part of her life.

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Amanda Houston (Dance)Amanda Houston is a Mount Pleasant native who grew up dancing at Tapio. She was on the first competitive dance team at Tapio and enjoyed local performances, conventions, and competitions. After graduating from USC she and her husband moved to Tennessee where she taught dance and gymnastics for four years. After moving back to the Lowcountry, she was excited to rejoin her Tapio family as a teacher for the recreational dance program. Amanda currently enjoys teaching the tiniest twos all the way up to seniors. She teaches rec classes, Tiny Dancers, Stars, and company classes. Amanda especially enjoys sharing her love of dance with her two daughters who dance at Tapio. Her husband and two sons are their biggest fans!

Sydney Winn (Dance) Sydney Winn began her dance journey at just 2 years old at Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics, where she was both a dedicated member of the Tapio Dance Company and the Tapio Gym Team. Her passion for performing continued through college at the University of South Carolina, where she was a four-year member of the Carolina Dance Team.

During her time with the Gamecocks, Sydney performed on the sidelines and during timeouts at Williams-Brice Stadium and Colonial Life Arena, as well as on the national stage at the Women’s Basketball Final Four and National Championship. She also competed at both NDA and UDA collegiate nationals, where she became a two-time national champion.

Now, Sydney continues to share her love of dance as an assistant coach for the College of Charleston Cougarettes Dance Team and is excited to be back with her Tapio family! Outside of coaching, she is pursuing her dream of becoming a physician assistant as a student at MUSC.

Melissa Pauls (Gymnastics)

I'm from South Carolina but moved to Charleston in 2017 and I quickly knew this was home. In 2018, I started working at Tapio as a gymnastics team coach and instantly knew it was the right fit!

I started gymnastics when I was two years old and competed into high school. I truly enjoy helping our gymnasts find their love for gymnastics, seeing them work hard to achieve their goals, helping them become the most supportive and caring teammates they can be all while doing something they love.

When I'm not at Tapio, I enjoy traveling with my husband Taylor and being on the water with our two dogs.

Lynn Winn (Afterschool, Camps, Office)My name is Lynn Winn, I have been a part of the “Tapio Family” for 22 years. I have had 3 children that have been involved with Tapio classes. My 2 girls were on The Competitive Dance Team. I have worked at Tapio with the ASPUP and Summer Camp program for many years. I enjoy being at Tapio and being a part of the Tapio Program.

Kim Breland (Dance)Kim is the director of the Tapio Dance Company and also teaches instructional classes at Tapio.

Originally from Wisconsin, she began dancing at the age of 2 and hasn’t stopped! She received her BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College, with her focus being dance education. Kim performed professionally for several years in New York, at Walt Disney World, and with several touring companies. She always knew her passion lie in teaching and upon moving to South Carolina she began teaching at Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics, Inc. in 2003. Kim has been awarded several awards at numerous dance conventions recognizing her as an outstanding teacher and is a member of NDEO and Dance Masters of America. She is also the Dance Teacher at Lucy Beckham High School. Kim, along with husband Stevie, have two boys, Crew and Gus who keep them busy while not at the studio!

  • Susan Breland (Business)
  • Jan Buckheister (Office)
  • Sydney Corley (Afterschool, Camps)
  • Allison Davis (All Inclusive Gymnastics)
  • Jenna Geiger (Business, Gymnastics, Afterschool, Camps)
  • Suzanne McClary (Afterschool, Camps)
  • Elizabeth Romagnuolo (Dance)
  • Gena Runey (Afterschool)
  • Julie Tapio (Gymnastics, Afterschool, Camps, Birthdays)
  • LeAnn Russell (Dance)
  • Mary Mullen Sandifer (Dance)
  • Mariah Siciliano (All Inclusive Gymnastics)
  • Stevie Breland (Business, Gymnastics, Afterschool, Camps)