Shannon (Connellan) Krische is the owner and director of Studio West Dance Centre. She began dancing at the age of 3 and has trained extensively in ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary styles. Shannon is a graduate of DeSales University, where she earned a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Psychology. While at DeSales, she performed and choreographed for numerous productions and taught for three years in the university’s community program, the Conservatory of Dance, serving as Student Assistant Director in her senior year.

Shannon participated in the American College Dance Festival Association and studied under renowned artists, including those from Jacques D’Amboise’s National Dance Institute. Her coursework at DeSales included Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Teaching Methods for Dance, Kinesiology, Dance Composition, and Dance History.

She has choreographed for the Parkland High School dance team and danced professionally with both the Lehigh Valley Outlawz dance team and Serendipity Dance Ensemble. With Serendipity, Shannon performed in a variety of productions and festivals, including the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Mountain Dance Concert, and Mayfair.

For the past 22 years, Shannon has taught throughout the Lehigh Valley in local studios and college community dance programs. She has experience working with all ages and ability levels. Her choreography has received numerous accolades and has been featured at competitions, Disney World, the 6ABC/IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, the National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C., Hersheypark, and other events across the region.

Outside the studio, Shannon enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children—Nicholas, Aiden, and Charlotte. She is passionate about teaching and is dedicated to sharing her love of dance with her students.

Miss Laura earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Dance with a performance concentration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.  After graduating, she performed professionally in a national tour, several Off-Broadway shows, and a modern dance company based out of New York City.  Since then, Miss Laura transitioned her career path into childhood education.  Miss Laura has found her true happiness combining her love of dance and her love of working with childhood education by teaching dance at the Arts Academy Charter Middle school, as well as with Miss Shannon  for the past 15 years at Studio West Dance Centre.

​Miss Tracey started her dance training in first grade and has been dancing ever since.  She has many years of experience in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Acrobatic Jazz and Competitive dance.  She has won many awards not only as a dancer, but also as a choreographer.  Miss Tracey has been teaching dance for 9 years and coached two professional teams in the area.  She was named the first dance team coach of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks.  In her free time Miss Tracey enjoys photography and spending time with her family.  She is an aunt of 5.  

​​​​Alexa Fahs is a dance instructor at Studio West Dance Centre. She began her dance training at the age of three. Alexa spent her adolescent years training in Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap, Hiphop, and Acrobatics until transitioning to spend her college years earning a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from DeSales University. During her time at DeSales, she focused her studies on Ballet, Jazz, and Modern. Alexa participated in many college dance performances and screendance productions working as a dancer, choreographer, and occasionally serving as a member of the crew. During the performance processes, Alexa enjoyed working with choreographers like Amirah Sackett, Elise Jumes, Nicole Walcott, and Annex Dance Company on various dance pieces. In addition to the wonderful opportunities within campus, Alexa also received opportunities to grow with various dance companies such as New York Dance Project and Joffrey Ballet. While she loved all of her college dance experiences, a personal favorite of hers was working with the DeSales University College Dance Team as a jazz dancer, and eventually as Captain. Alexa utilized this time to choreograph, perform, participate in community outreach, and even began the fundraising for new uniforms to encourage more inclusive sizing for the team as a whole. Following her time at DeSales, Alexa also earned a Masters Degree in K-12 Special Education. She utilizes both her degrees today, and greatly enjoys teaching various styles of dance at Studio West Dance Centre, and working with the special education department of Arts Academy Charter Middle School. 

Miss Allison received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from DeSales University in Center Valley, PA.  At DeSales she studied Ballet and Modern technique, Musical Theater, Classical Jazz, Dance Composition, as well as Theater Technology.  She also served as "Dance Director" for the Conservatory of Dance at the university, a group in which dance majors instruct local students.  Since earning her degree, Allison has performed in a number of musicals, and served as head choreographer for several school musicals including: "Anything Goes", "Beauty and the Beast", "Guys and Dolls", "Annie", "The Music Man", and "High School Musical".  Miss Allison now has more than 20 years of professional experience teaching dance.  This is Miss Allison's seventh year at Studio West. She is   constantly working to pass on her love of dance to all of her students, as well as her 3 children: Dean, Clare and Cecilia.