Meet Our Staff
Lauren Carr
Owner & Instructor
The En Pointe Dance Company in Cornelius, NC was established by Lauren Robbins Carr. Lauren started dancing at the age of three and fell in love immediately. Since then, it has been her dream to open her own dance studio and pass her love of dance along to others. With years of hard work and a Bachelor's Degree in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, her dream is finally becoming a reality.
Arianna Shahin
Instructor
Arianna Shahin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Elon University. She is originally from Ambler, Pennsylvania where she trained in an array of dance genres and performed competitively. Arianna has studied at prestigious intensives including American Dance Festival, Paul Taylor American Dance, NYU Tisch, and The Joffrey Ballet School to supplement her education and further her passion. Additionally, in 2019, she was selected to present choreographic work at New Century Dance Project. Throughout her life, Arianna has been drawn to the beauty and expressivity that dance offers. Dance has provided a second home for her, being a place to build relationships and uncover growth as an artist. Arianna is forever grateful for the life lessons and character-building aspects that dance has also provided her with. After completing her degrees, she received a Master of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University and has since continued to pursue her passion for teaching dance. Through teaching, Arianna hopes to provide her students with the technique and knowledge to succeed as well as share her passion for the beautiful art form of dance.
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Leah Wolfe
Ballet Instructor
Leah graduated from Butler University with a B.F.A. in dance performance in 2019. Formerly, she has danced and taught professionally with the Fort Wayne Ballet in Fort Wayne, Indiana for 4 years. While with the Fort Wayne Ballet, she enjoyed performing both classical and contemporary roles, ranging from Jewels in Sleeping Beauty to Edward Stierle's Empyrean Dances, as well as serving as a faculty member and co-director of the Fort Wayne Ballet's Youth Company. She is certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum for levels pre-primary to 3, and she loves working with students of all ages!
Donice Blanton
Tap Instructor
Bio and headshot coming soon!
Alexa Darcangelo
Instructor
Alexa holds a Master’s degree in Education from SUNY Cortland and a Bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher University. Originally from Upstate, NY, she trained in a variety of dance styles and performed in local productions throughout her youth. Growing up, she furthered her training and passion for dance by attending summer intensives at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Alexa is a Resource Teacher in the Fort Mill School District and is excited to continue sharing her love for the arts and working with young dancers so that they can learn to discover their own creativity, confidence, and joy through movement!
Harley Tilque
Instructor
Harley holds a degree in Kinesiology from The University of Alabama and will begin pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2027. Originally from Charlotte, NC, she has trained in a variety of dance styles, including tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, and acro. Throughout her youth, Harley grew as a competitive dancer, traveling to regional and national competitions, conventions, and summer intensives, including training at The Joffrey Ballet School.
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During her time at The University of Alabama, Harley was a four-year member of the Alabama Dance Team, competing in the Division IA category at UDA Nationals in Orlando, FL. The team earned multiple top-10 finishes in Jazz and a top-three finish in the Game Day division.
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Harley is passionate about sharing her love for dance and creating an encouraging, positive environment where young dancers can build confidence, strengthen their technique, and discover the joy and creativity that movement brings. She is excited to inspire dancers and help them grow both inside and outside of the studio!
Emily Vesely
Instructor
Emily is a 2025 High School Graduate. She has been dancing for 7 years, 3 of which were at En Pointe! She has been in multiple productions, including plays and musicals. She is excited to teach this year!
Grace Whittington
Teacher
Grace Whittington has danced at En Pointe Dance Company for 10 years. Grace has been assisting classes at En Pointe for 7 years and is excited to continue sharing her love of dance this season!