ABOUT FEARLESS DANCE CENTER
#BeFEARless
Our instructors are highly trained and educated in all areas of dance. You have the choice of more than one instructor to fit your child’s personality and learning style. The energetic and friendly staff are invested in making a difference in your dancer's life through dance and having fun along the way!
OUR TEAM
HAYLEY LETCHWORTH
Owner/Director
Hayley Letchworth is from Peculiar, Mo and has been dancing since she could walk. Competing with her studio regionally and nationally as a child, along with her time on high school dance team, helped form her passion for dance. After graduating high school she traveled the country teaching camps for the Universal Dance Association for two years. She danced professionally for the Missouri Comets for one season. From there, she went on to cheer 5 years for the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders. As a member of the Chiefs Cheerleaders, she was a co-captain for one year, a captain for two years and was also the 2016 Pro Bowl Representative in Hawaii. She has been able to choreograph many routines, perform for our military in state and overseas on tour, compile youth halftime performances, and be a leader of the Junior Chiefs Cheerleader Program. She was on staff for the Cheerleaders for 5 years immediately after retiring from cheering. Hayley is in her 15th year of coaching the Ray-Pec Prowlers Dance Team. Most recently, she's accepted the position of Competition Director for the national dance competition - Inferno Dance. Hayley loves every avenue dance has led her down but her passion for teaching led her to open her very own dance studio, FEARless Dance Center in Raymore, Missouri 9.5 years ago. From the second the doors opened her studio became home to hundreds of dancers who take recreationally and competitively. She runs a fully competitive dance program out of her studio, where her dancers win many regional and national titles. Hayley's choreography is recognized and awarded at many regional and national competitions for various age groups. Owning her own studio has transformed her love of dance in ways she could never imagine and leaves her feeling extremely blessed to be able to have dance as her daily job. When she isn't teaching dance, she loves to spend time with her husband Brady and their dog Tenney.
KAYLA LEON
Instructor
Kayla began training in dance at the age of 4 years old in her hometown of Raymore, Missouri. Growing up, she danced competitively at a local studio and earned many overall local and national awards and titles, including Dance Masters of America Heart of America Miss Dance. Kayla also danced for one year on the Raymore-Peculiar High School dance team, The Prowlers, where she competed at the state championship level.
Upon graduation, she moved to New York City to pursue her dance education at the collegiate level. Kayla attended Marymount Manhattan College on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Alongside a rigorous academic course load, she studied Ballet/Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Composition/Choreography, Dance History, and Anatomy for Dancers under world renowned teachers and choreographers. In 2009, she was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Dance Performance.
While living in New York, Kayla took advantage of the diverse dance education and classes all around her. She trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Alvin Ailey School, and Peridance Center under many acclaimed teachers.
In 2017, after 12 years in New York City, Kayla moved back to Missouri and was ecstatic to be hired at Fearless Dance Center. She teaches Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary and Tumbling at both the recreational and competitive level. Kayla truly believes dance is a place where all students learn lessons far beyond technique. In her classes she also focuses on positive life skills such as determination and perseverance, self-worth and confidence, kindness to others, and respect.
In her spare time, Kayla enjoys Chiefs Football, Royals Baseball, cooking and spending time with her family. She is married and together they have a 2 year old son named Mateo, a 10 month old daughter named Maya and a crazy puppy named Evie. Kayla also works as a Client Services Specialist for American Century Investments. She feels beyond honored to be a part of the FDC staff and to continue her connection to her amazingly talented and supportive fellow teachers, our wonderful dance families and the awesome kids who on a daily basis reinforce her love for the joy and art of dance.
MARISSA AGUEROS
FDTNT Coach/Instructor
Marissa started dancing at the age of 4 and continued until middle school competing at various competitions regionally and nationally. She was then on the Ray-Pec middle school dance team and then the high school’s varsity dance team (Ray-Pec Prowlers) her Senior year. Marissa’s favorite type of dance is tap. She was awarded various awards growing up for excelling in this style of dance; one including the Most Improved Tap award at her local dance studio. She has her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education and is excited to implement these skills through the form of dance classes. She is the mom of three little boys and Hayley's sister. Outside of FEARless she is a licensed esthetician at Salon and Spa de Crist. Marissa has been with FDC since the moment the doors have opened and plays a key part in our success each year. She’s always had a special place in her heart for children and loves that she is able to work with children of all ages and share her love of dance with them.
MORGAN SMITH
Instructor
EMMALYN CASE
Instructor
This will be Emmalyn’s 8th year with FEARless!
Emmalyn started her dance career at the age of 3 and has always loved expressing herself through dance. She was a competitive dancer 4th grade through high school at Donna’s Doorway in Belton, MO. She also was the captain of her dance team at O’Hara High School for 2 years, performing all 4 years with the Celtics. She enjoys ALL genera of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, modern, hip-hop, and even a bit of clogging! As she moved through school, she became a Glitter Girl at Avila University and brought home multiple medals for placing 3rd in the nation in hip-hop as well as placing in the top 5 in jazz. She served as a captain her senior year at Avila. After graduation, Emmalyn danced for the Kansas City Chiefs and cheered with them for one season, where she met Hayley. She has choreographed for multiple high school dance teams in the area including Harrisonville HS Dance Team and Gardner Dance Team. Outside of dance, Emma loves going on adventures with her 3 kids and husband, as well as advocating for social justice through Noonday Collection jewelry. She is humbled and honored to spend time with your children every week at FEARless, and loves watching them grow!
SARA POLLARD
Instructor
Sara grew up dancing at Studio J in Independence, MO. She was a four-year member of her high school dance team at Blue Springs South and was Captain her senior year. For college, Sara attended Missouri State University and was a member of the Sugar Bears Dance Team for four years, serving as Captain her last two years. During college ,Sara began teaching dance at a local dance studio in Springfield ,where she also worked with several high school dance teams in the area. Sara graduated with her Bachelors in Science in Exercise and Movement Science in 2014. After college, Sara danced professionally for the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders for four years, serving as Co-Captain her fourth year. Sara graduated from the University of Kansas Medical Center with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2019.She specializes in outpatient orthopedics and dance physical therapy in Prairie Village, KS at Empower Physical Therapy & Performance. Sarai s Empower's Director of Dance and Performing Arts and became a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in 2022. Sara has taught several summer sessions with Fearless Dance Center and officially joined our year-round staff in 2018. Sara has choreographed for several high school dance teams and has choreographed quarter break routines for the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders. She spent one year judging for the Inferno Dance Competition. Sara specializes in jazz ,lyrical, contemporary, pom, hip hop, technique, and strength and conditioning. Sara is also one of our coaches for Fearless Dance Team.
MELISSA SHIPMAN
Tumble & Cheer Instructor
SARA EDWARDS
Instructor
Sara started dancing at the age of 3. She trained all the way through high school in jazz, tap, ballet, musical theater and lyrical. She was fortunate enough to get to travel extensively both for competition and experiences, including a week learning from the Radio City Rockettes where she performed the famous Rockette choreography on a Broadway stage. She earned several national titles throughout my years dancing and got to learn from multiple artists from across the country.
After high school, Sara attended Missouri State University where she continued her training. She performed with Inertia Dance Company whose mission was to bring the art of creative movement and dance to children in local elementary schools. While attending MSU, she received the chance to audition for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. She soon found herself hanging out with several Disney characters in all 4 parks and eventually got to waltz down Main Street USA in many of the various parades including the Electric Light Parade and Mickey’s Not So Scary, Boo to You Halloween Parade.
After moving back home to Kansas City, she started teaching and fell in love with sharing my passion for dance. She has taught and choreographed for all ages but finds her biggest joy with the youngest dancers. This will be her 11th season teaching!
ALEXIS HOLDEN
Instructor
ASHLEY MINCHER
Instructor
Ashley has been dancing competitively from the time she was 3 years old until high school. At which time she spent 4 years on the Ray-Pec Prowlers performing and competing at both regional and state competitions. After graduating Ashley went on to dance for the Missouri Comets for one season and the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons. Since retiring from cheering Ashley volunteered with the high school dance team for a number of years and was later the assistant coach for the JV Prowlers for 3 years. Ashley was with us when we opened the doors to Fearless and is returning after a year off to get married and start a family with the birth of her little girl Karsyn. Ashley’s heart has always found dance to be an escape that brings her joy. She is so excited to be back and to foster that same feeling within our recreational dancers after a year off from teaching.
GABBY SMITH
Instructor
CATIE SAGER
Instructor
ANNA BOEHM
Instructor
Anna is a freelance artist working between London, England and Kansas City. She has recently worked with choreographers and companies such as The Glitch Project (London), Fubunation (London), Olivia Emert (Kansas City), Haley Kostas (Kansas City), and Alison Curtis-Jones (London). She attended Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, England earning a BA in contemporary dance and has trained at GagaLab NYC, BalletMet, The Kansas City Ballet, Joffrey, and Wylliams and Henry Contemporary Dance.
AVERY WALLACE
Instructor