With a Bachelors Degree in Ballet Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, Jessie Dolezel, the owner and creative force behind Ascend Studios, knows what it takes to become a true dancer. With over 16 years of training and professional dance experience Jessie brings a wealth of knowledge & passion to the studio. 
Sharing her love of dance with all students is her passion, & passing on the life lessons learned in the dance classrom is her mission. Jessie served as a founding member of the Oral Roberts University dance program & throughout her training has had the privilege of working with professional artists from many companies including Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and others, giving her a broad range of experiences and rich background in technique.

Jessie is proud to have built a space at Ascend where dance grows each student in Mind, Body & Spirit - for a lifetime of benefits.

Carson Berry was born and raised in Austin, Texas and started her formal ballet training at the age of 6 at ONE Academy of Dance. Her dance education primarily focused on the Cecchetti method of classical ballet technique, in which she reached level 6 before graduating a year early and moving to Oklahoma City. While in high school, she competed in YAGP and the Cecchetti Classical Ballet Competition, and performed principal roles in Giselle, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker. In 2021 she joined the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School, and in 2022, was promoted to trainee. Some of her favorite ballets she’s danced in are Ryan Jolicouer-Nye’s The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Abbey Road, and Petite Seat, Maria Konrad’s Bolero, and George Balanchine’s Western Symphony. Carson’s teaching experience spans ages 3-18 at multiple studios in Oklahoma City, as well as assistant teaching back home in Austin. In her free time you can find her drinking coffee, listening to Taylor Swift, and painting! She is so excited to join the staff at Ascend this season! 

Alissa is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Bachelors of Science in Dance and Arts Management. The Ann Lacy School of Dance and Entertainment at Oklahoma City University is consistently ranked as one of the top dance schools in the nation. While there, she intensely studied ballet, jazz, and tap with a sprinkling of musical theatre, lyrical, and hip hop under the direction of Jo Rowan and instruction of notable professors such as: Patricia “Fast Pat” Oplotnik, Brian J. Marcum, Diana Brooks, Kelli Stevens, Tiffany Van der Merwe, Tiffany Warford, and Alana Martin. She was a member of the American Spirit Dance Company, Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dancers, and cast in numerous student choreographed pieces. She was also given the honor of choreographing a lyrical piece for Project 21: A Multimedia Concert in coordination with the Wanda L. Bass School of Music.

In addition to her dance training, her degree also prepared her for the entertainment industry as whole. She took classes and completed hands on training in the fields of Non-Profit Management, Stage Management, Lighting Design, Technical Direction, Events Management, Accounting and Business Finance, and many other areas.

Since graduating in 2014, she have broadened her arena of expertise to the fields of teaching and choreography through employment at numerous notable dance studios in the Oklahoma City area as well as assisting at festivals and conventions. Her choreography has received choreography awards and high adjudications at national competitions. You can also see her as a demonstrator in Fast Pat Tap, a series of tap tutorial videos.

She is incredibly thankful for the opportunities she has been given and desires to share her experiences with the Ascend dancers!

Miss Tachana brings a range of experience to our team, from administrative experience that she puts to good use in our front office, to many years of dance experience. Miss Tachana has performed & choreographed for many organizations in her dance career. Throughout her journey, Tachana has garnered recognition for her exceptional talent and dedication. With each performance, project, and endeavor, she reaffirms her commitment to harnessing the power of dance to unite, uplift, and empower communities across the globe. Her contributions to the arts and advocacy for inclusivity serve as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring performers and change-makers alike. Miss Tachana directs our ASPIRE dance program for dancers ages 7+, & just celebrated her 6th Season with Ascend!

Polly Fitch began her dance journey 16 years ago. During her years as a student, Polly studied modern, contemporary, ballet, jazz, nontraditional partnering, lyrical, tap, hip hop, and various other dance styles. She performed and competed with different studios around Collin County, Texas. At 16 years old, Polly performed two professional productions with Epiphany Dance Arts as a Training Artist. Around this time, she was given the opportunity to choreograph dances on herself and her peers. She began her teaching career through teaching Summer Camps/classes and Assistant teaching students ages three and up. During these years, she discovered and cultivated her passion for performing, choreographing, and teaching dance. Polly received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance from Belhaven University in May 2022. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she performed in various modern and ballet works with Belhaven University’s Dance Ensemble and the Dance Ministry Ensemble. During this time, she choreographed multiple group works and solos that were showcased in Belhaven’s Senior Dance Concert and the Emerging Choreographer’s Concert. Polly also enjoyed learning about stage production through her experience as a stage manager, light operator, house manager, and strike coordinator. She left Belhaven with refined experience in dance performance, choreography, teaching and pedagogy, production experience, and dance office management. Polly worked as a choreographer and dance instructor at multiple studios throughout Collin County. She taught contemporary, modern, ballet, variations, pre-pointe, jazz, combo classes, and improvisation classes. She served as the lead choreographer and rehearsal director for the RFAC Dance Rep at Toby’s School of Dance in Collin County Texas. There, her pieces won multiple awards at local dance competitions. In spring 2024, Polly choreographed a large-scale ballet production based off C.S. Lewis’s, The Chronicles of Narnia, “Step Into the Wardrobe”. This hour length production featured both students and professional dance artists. Around this time, she danced with Full Circle Dance of North Texas as a company member during the 2023-2024 season. Polly recently married and moved to Norman, Oklahoma. She is excited to continue her work in choreography and dance instruction.

Jocelyn Lewis (Pullin) was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma. She began her journey of dance at the age of six. She was classically, competitively and professionally trained in Oklahoma and Texas with various studios, ballet schools and companies that broadened her education in all styles and techniques of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary, pas de deux, musical theater, hip-hop, worship dance, swing and more. Her professional career began at twelve as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Dino Kartsonakis’ Christmas Spectacular Show in Branson, Missouri for two consecutive seasons; touring throughout Northeastern United States and ending in NYC. From 2009-2015 she was a member of Arrows International Dance Company, led by Jeff and Natalie Lewis, traveling internationally on mission trips. After graduating high school in 2012, she continued her education and performance with Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston, Texas under direction of Randall Flinn. As a trainee for two seasons she was led and choreographed by company members from Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Limon Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Zion Dance Project and others. Other contracts include Radiant Dance Company 2009-2012, EPAC Pro 2015-2017, and Aroma Dance Company 2020-2023. Jocelyn's career has landed her many opportunities in Performance, Ministry, Directing, Producing, Music Videos, Modeling, and Cinematic work. For twelve years Jocelyn has shared her passion for technique, choreography, artistry and instruction to professional, competitive, and recreational dancers. This season Jocelyn is grateful to be at Ascend this season and cannot wait for the beautiful experiences and growth it will bring!

Joshua Okpara is a versatile and innovative teacher, dancer, and choreographer. Since 2009, he has brought arts education in the form of dance and creative movement to a wide range of populations in Oklahoma through, master classes, workshops, arts camps, staff development sessions, seminars, and guest choreographer positions. Believing that individuals learn best through the application of the arts in various formats, Joshua finds great joy in working collaboratively with artists of other mediums to bring multi-faceted arts curriculum to participants of all ages and abilities. In addition, Joshua is a director and member of Band of Misfits and has competed in international dance competitions such as World of Dance. He is a recipient of many studio dance competition awards and his performance and choreography has been a part of numerous concerts, festivals, theatre productions and events throughout Oklahoma, Texas, California and overseas. As a creative director for many performance arts organizations, Joshua enjoys expressing his love of dance by performing challenging choreography in many creative projects. Eventually Joshua was given the opportunity to tour overseas in Germany, France and Amsterdam with a non profit organization called HYPE (Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence). Afterwards, Josh teamed up with Project Elevate; another Oklahoma based non-profit organization that uses creative arts such as spoken word, skits, MCing, hip hop dance and freestyle, and motivational speaking that focuses on anti-bullying and suicide prevention throughout the school districts. Josh continues to stay heavily involved in the non-profit sector as a Director of Dance of Generation Why (GNWY), a non profit organization that uses the arts to inspire kids to find their “Why” and passion so that they are able to move forward in your life.

Hannah Pierce (she/her) is a dance artist and educator. She grew up dancing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and graduated with her BA in dance from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She has taught and performed across the country including several years in the San Francisco Bay Area (CA) and most recently within the Twin Cities (MN). She has had the pleasure of dancing professionally with DANCE ELIXIR, KWENTO Dance Theater, AXIS Dance Company, and Garrett Moulton Productions, among others. Hannah loves teaching and creating work with students of all ages and firmly roots her teaching practice within the belief that everyone can (and should!) dance. She is so happy to be back in Oklahoma and a part of the Ascend Studios team.

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Jenna is so excited to be joining Ascend Studios for their 10th season! She was born and raised in Durant, OK and attended Oklahoma City University where she received her Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre. While at OCU she was also a part of the OCU Pom Squad where she won 2 National Championship titles in both Hip Hop and Team Performance. After graduating, Jenna began traveling and performing in various states and shows around the US. She has worked in many different theatre styles, been behind the scenes of productions, helped in casting processes, and worked hard to maintain her training along the way. She made her way back to Oklahoma where she is excited to start sharing her love for performing with kids who are dedicating themselves to training and growing! Jenna is excited to help build the Musical Theatre & Hip Hop programs at Ascend, and cannot wait to see what year 10 brings at Ascend Studios!

A dedicated professional with a passion for fostering positive change and championing both people and operations. As an Air Force veteran, she learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, and adaptability—values that have shaped her approach to leadership. Holding multiple college degrees, she is committed to lifelong learning and leveraging knowledge to enhance our success. Her commitment to humanitarianism has earned her recognition at both local and national levels, showcasing her dedication to making a positive impact in the community. She has also proudly served as the president of a not-for-profit organization, contributing to its growth and success through strategic leadership. Beyond the military, she has worn various hats, from teaching in public schools to accumulating years of professional experience in the entertainment industry. These diverse experiences have honed her ability to communicate effectively and navigate challenges with resilience. Outside the professional realm, she is a proud mother of two Ascend dancers. Balancing the demands of a dynamic career with the joys of motherhood has further refined her organizational and multitasking skills. She excels in teaching communication and resilience—essential skills that empower individuals and teams to thrive in any environment. She is dedicated to facilitating growth and fostering a positive, collaborative atmosphere. You can find Alicia greeting you at the front door, at the front desk, or organizing all of the costumes for our productions!

Originally from Minnesota, Ethan's love of dance began in junior high with partner swing dancing. He began his formalized training with Premiere Dance Academy at the age of 17. Ethan is a two-time graduate from Oklahoma City University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in American Dance Pedagogy in 2019, and his master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership in 2022. While in school, Ethan was involved with many student activities including Greek life, Relay for Life, Dance Marathon, American Spirit Dance Company, and Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dance Company. After graduating in 2019, Ethan performed at Frontier City as a singer, dancer, and magician. Ethan was the dance director at Harding Fine Arts Academy, a public charter school in Oklahoma City, for 3 years. He has also taught at various dance studios in the OKC metro. Ethan has a passion for nonprofit work and fundraising. In addition to teaching, Ethan is the Scholarship Program Coordinator for Ascend Studios. "I am looking forward to having a variety of styles, including ballet! My hope for this year is to see our students grow not only in their dance technique, but also as people. I hope to encourage them to use dance to develop empathy, drive, resilience and creativity to help them navigate their journeys."

Ashley is an seasoned Oklahoma City based performer, dance instructor, and choreographer. Her love of the performance arts began at a very early age and began dancing at the age of 8. She obtained her degree in dance performance from the University of Central Oklahoma where she also had the opportunity to perform with the resident pre- professional dance company, Kaleidoscope. While in the company, Ashley had the privilege of working with many guest instructors and choreographers from around the world, some of which include; Andrew Palermo, Edwin Olvera of PILOBOLUS dance company, and Israeli choreographer, Idan Cohen. Since graduating, Ashley has taught and performed with Perpetual Motion Dance Company, lived in New York City where she performed in several small choreography showcases, and is now back in Oklahoma pursuing her career in choreography and dance instruction. Ashley has worked with numerous studios across the metro area as well as KA! Musical Theater where she fulfilled her role as a resident dance instructor and choreographer for their shows for the past 3 years. She is so excited to be back teaching at Ascend!