Norvell Robinson
President & Artistic Director
Norvell, a native Richmonder, began his dance career after training in the School of the Richmond Ballet and North Carolina School of the Arts. He has toured internationally with an Italian touring company as “Richie” in A Chorus Line. For 16 years, he appeared as a soloist and principal dancer in the Richmond Ballet Company. Norvell’s other local appearances include commercials, as well as VCU Dance Department, Theatre IV, Barksdale Theatre, SPARC, and Encore. Norvell has taught dance and choreographed for several local, state and national schools -preschools through high schools levels, as well as for dance schools and other community organizations, such as Girl Scouts. At Lakeside Presbyterian Church Weekday Preschool, Norvell is an Elder and the movement and dance teacher. He is co-owner and manager of Pilates, Dance and More…The Art of Fitness. He is married to Tristi McMaster Robinson. They have three beautiful children who are constant reminders of love, joy, sacrifice, forgiveness, and a reason to do, and to be…
Keyah Robinson
Director
Keyah Robinson’s dance journey began at Pilates, Dance and More, a studio founded and run by her parents, Tristi and Norvell Robinson. Growing up in this creative and structured environment sparked her passion for both movement and mentorship. She continued her training at the School of Richmond Ballet and later at J’adore Dance, where she was a competitive company member, earning numerous regional titles and placing at national competitions.
In 2018, Keyah graduated from the Henrico County Center for the Arts after completing its advanced dance program. During her senior year, she was invited to join the prestigious Richmond Ballet Trainee Program, gaining professional performance experience in full-length ballets including Swan Lake, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Toy Shop, and Giselle.
Her training also includes full scholarships to renowned summer intensives at Carolina Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and American Ballet Theatre. She later performed professionally through contracts across the globe.
Keyah’s deep love for dance education fuels her commitment to inspiring and empowering the next generation of dancers. With years of teaching and choreographing experience, she focuses on building a strong technical foundation while nurturing creativity, discipline, and confidence in every student. Earning a degree in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University, Keyah combines her academic background with her dance expertise to create a positive and well-rounded learning environment.
Matt Nixon
Production Manager
AV Analyst II / Associate
Alexa Ratlief
Administrative Assistant
A former dancer and currently a Pediatric Ultrasound Technician at the VCU Children’s Hospital of Richmond.
Valerie Lancaster
Treasurer
Valerie was born in Richmond, Virginia. She presently resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. After attending Richmond Public Schools, she obtained a degree in Finance from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. After working for many years in the Health Insurance industry, she obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Strayer University. After leaving the insurance industry, she pursued her life long dream of teaching mathematics. For the past 10 years, she has been teaching middle school mathematics to a diverse population of students from many countries around the world.
Taylor Robinson
Technical Support
Mr. Robinson presently resides and is a native Richmond, Va. He currently serves as a Senior Software Development Engineer for the multinational technology company, Intel Corporation. He is also a loving dog dad of 3.
Growing up in Richmond, Taylor was active in the arts community, having studied ballet, the cello, and was a founding member of the Richmond Boys Choir. After graduating from Richmond Community High School in 2005, Taylor went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Carolina A & T State University in Computer Science with a concentration in Software Engineering. During his 13 years of working with Intel, he resided in California from 2011 to 2022, developing his skills and expertise as a solution architect, helping to create better experiences for developers through producing progressive automations.