MEET OUR AMAZING STAFF!!!
~Nikki St. John – Owner/Director/Choreographer!
- Nikki is natively from Minnesota, primarily the greater Twin Cities area. She moved to North Dakota in 2003 from Minneapolis, after spending nearly 9 years auditioning/dancing professionally for such venues as Dance Olympus, the IFL (Indoor Football League) “Minnesota Purple Rage,” Minnesota Vikings and WCW Nitro Girls choreographers. She brought her love of dance since age 4 to our community in 2006 when Burn the Floor was opened. She has been the guiding force behind her studio’s incredible “Give Back and Pay it Forward” motto…Nikki’s choreography has won overall choreography awards in 2013 and 2014 competition circuits, as well as her proudest honor through the “Anti-Bullying Stand Up” endorsement of receiving 5 Sportsmanship Awards since 2013, and most recently the “Academic Achievement” award from the LEAD Team dancers average GPA being 3.79. She is constantly part of her community through the art of dance in the over 14 years of dedication to nearly 12 various charities/community venues. On Oct. 1, 2016, Burn the Floor, Diversity in Dance celebrated 10 years of quality dance instruction to the Dickinson and surrounding area! As of Oct. 3, 2016, Burn the Floor transitioned to our new name: PROJECT 2017, DFy Studio, DEFY YOUR DANCE!
~Deb (Kuylen) Jarrett – Assistant Director/Instructor!
- Deb is a native of the South Heart area. She has 3 children; Tanner, Madisen, and Aspen! Deb was highly involved in dance, even as a child taking Tap and Ballet classes, all the way to her involvement with pageants and the talent portion involving dance. Deb has already successfully been awarded Title, Overall, High 1st place, and the Overall Entertainment Award(s) for her choreography in the area of beginning Hip Hop and Ballet. Deb has taught beginning Hip Hop, beginning Ballet and “Intro 2 Dance” since 2009 with Burn the Floor studio in Dickinson and now DFy PROJECT…Deb hosts/directs DFy classes at the South Heart school, teaching Hip Hop as well as “Intro 2 Dance.” Deb has an amazing personality and brings her training as a Mother and an educator in the South Heart school system to the table!
~Sherri Mindt~ Associate Director & “Music and Movement” Director!
- Sherri come to us from the great state of Minnesota, and brings her 2 daughters and husband Bryce along! They met Nikki one year prior to making the move from Minnesota to North Dakota…Nikki, Sherri and Bryce followed to what was then “Burn the Floor” for one year, then contacted us with an interest in moving to the area and enrolling in classes after being impressed with our competitive dancers at several competitions in 2014 that BTF and their former studio both attended…the rest is history! Sherri is a full time Mary Kay Consultant and has brought her former dance training and previous office skills to us here at DFy! Thank you Sherri for lightening the load for Nikki! You were long overdue!