Our Team
Ashley Schwyn
Studio Owner and Choreographer
Ashley began dancing at the Dance Academy in Marysville at age 4 and joined her first show choir, Electric Youth, at age 8. Ashley continued to dance throughout high school both recreationally and competitively. She was involved in numerous community and school musicals growing up. She was also a member of the Marysville Mini Swingers and the Marysville Swingers Unlimited. She attended Ohio University where she earned a bachelors degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Administrative Social Work. Ashley is active in her local community serving as a director and choreographer of Encore! Union County since 2010 as well as serving on the board of directors for the Union County Chamber of Commerce, the Union County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Distinguished Young Woman of Ohio. Ashley, her husband Derek and their daughters, Callie Jean and Garrett Lynn, live in Marysville.
Pam Snyder
Choreographer
Pam started teaching dance in high school, helping teach the “littlest students” for Miriam Carson. She then went on to teach with Miriam for many years, until she started her own studio in 1981, “The Tappin’ Toe Studio” in Milford Center. Pam worked at Honda of America for 32 years, but still continued her passion for teaching dance in the evenings. She taught with John Clark at the State Street Performing Arts Center for four years, and now teaches at The Academy, where she teaches Combo, Expressive Movement and Dancely. She is certified in Zumba, Zumba Kids and Zumba Gold, which she teaches at several Senior Living facilities in Marysville, Dublin and Worthington. Pam is married with one son and daughter in law, and has three grandkids who are the loves of her life!
Rachel Larkin
Choreographer and Admin
Rachel Larkin started dancing at the age of three, and grew up training in styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, modern, and lyrical. She graduated from Ohio University in 2019, with a B.F.A in Performance and Choreography. She returned back to central Ohio to choreograph at The Academy, where she teaches ballet, jazz, contemporary and lyrical.
Madii Keever
Choreographer
Madison graduated from Ohio University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance and Choreography. She began dancing in 2000 and has trained in many styles including, ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, musical theater, as well as tumbling and acrobatics! She is an alumnus of the award-winning Marysville Swingers Unlimited show choir, directed by Jeremy Alfera. Most recently, she performed, Residuum, choreographed by Christi Camper Moore, which premiered in the Winter Dance Concert at Ohio University (2020).
Lucy Robinson
Choreographer
At three years old, Lucy fell in love with the Nutcracker ballet and watched the video countless times. A year later her mom signed her up for dance class and she’s been dancing ever since. Lucy came to the Academy as a student in 2016 and danced with the Academy Dance Company for 3 years. Outside of dance she works as a nanny. And in any free time she has she loves to crochet and bake.