Team — Drive Dance Co.

Meet the Team

Director / Owner
Sarah was born in Northville, Michigan and has planted her roots in the Metro-Detroit area while dedicating a large part of her life to dance. During her youth, Sarah had the opportunity to train and travel with numerous choreographers who helped guide her along her path. Following her years spent as a student, Sarah jumped right into dance education and has not looked back since. She has successfully trained students for over 25 years and is ready to build a foundation of training that she can call her own.
With 25 years of experience in the dance world, Sarah strives to provide quality education, training and choreography for her dancers. She’s a member of accredited dance organizations such as the National Dance Coaches Association, the Cecchetti Council of America and Dance Educators of America. She has helped guide her students to successful dance programs and careers following High School graduation. These include dance departments at the University of Arizona, NYU Tisch School of Dance, Western Michigan University, and numerous other programs across the country. Many of her students are now current members in dance companies based out of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Sarah has immense success in helping students set their goals high and achieving them.
Sarah is beginning her 14th season as the Head Coach of the Northville Varsity Dance Team. The team has taken great strides while under Sarah’s leadership. They have attended UDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida for the past 9 years and have earned a spot in the Top 10 each year. In 2023, she lead her team to a National Championship win in the Small Jazz Division! Sarah has used her success as a coach to help her dancers earn spots on top Collegiate Dance Teams across the country. Some of these teams include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, Washington State University, University of Kentucky, Penn State University and Grand Valley State University.
To own her own dance studio has been a lifelong dream of Sarah’s. She is beyond excited and more than prepared to make this dream a reality. As the director of Drive Dance Co., Sarah has made an oath to help her students achieve their own dreams under her guidance.

Lead Instructor
Maggie was born in Commerce Township, Michigan, and found her love for dance when she was only 7 years old. She spent the majority of her youth at the dance studio, where she gained a strong technical foundation. She was also a member of the Varsity Dance Team at Walled Lake Northern, where she graduated from in 2015.
Her drive to pursue dance beyond high school landed Maggie a spot on The Ohio State Dance Team. She began college years as a member of this prestigious team and made program history in 2018 when the team won their first National Championship title. She went on to win two more titles and completed her college dance career as a three-time national champion.
Maggie’s experience as a collegiate athlete led to her passion for nutrition. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition & Dietetics. Following her college graduation, Maggie matched with Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit to complete her Dietetic Internship. Upon completion of 1200 hours of supervised clinical practice, she passed the RD exam and officially became a Registered Dietitian in 2021. As an RD, Maggie holds 1-on-1 sessions with clients, hosts nutrition seminars for sports teams, and partners with Orangetheory Fitness to provide nutrition education to the community.
Maggie continued her dance journey and joined forces with Sarah as the Assistant Coach for the Northville Varsity Dance Team in 2020. Her knowledge gained through her experience on a nationally-ranked collegiate team has contributed to Northville’s top finishes over the past 5 years.
Maggie’s experience in the dance industry as well as her passion for health and wellness will make her an integral asset to the Drive team. She is excited to share her knowledge with Drive dancers and cannot wait to see what new opportunities this year brings!

Instructor
Originally from Miami, FL, Meagan began her formal training at the Miami City Ballet School and later New World School of the Arts High School. In 2019, Meagan graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in New York City. During her time in college, Meagan performed professionally with Ballet Hispanico Dos. Most recently, Meagan danced and taught for four seasons with Visceral Dance Chicago. This 23/24 season Meagan will be joining Eisenhower Dance Detroit as a company member. She is thrilled to be moving to Detroit and to work with the wonderful dancers of Drive Dance Co.

Instructor
A seasoned performer with experience on numerous competitive TV dance shows, Brandon Talbott honed his craft at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. There, he performed works by acclaimed choreographers including Doug Varone, Ashley Lindsey, Juel D. Lane, and Stephanie Martinez, as well as appearing in the school’s annual production of The Nutcracker. In 2021, Brandon joined Visceral Dance Chicago and expanded his career into freelance work with companies such as AJA Talent, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, The Candlelight Series, Zikr Dance Ensemble, Freckled Sky, and Symbiosis Arts. In 2023, he relocated to Los Angeles to further his training, joining The Klein Collective and teaching weekly classes at Millennium Dance Complex. He is now excited to begin a new chapter in Detroit!

Instructor
Coming soon…

Instructor
Lauren Yakima is a dynamic and versatile performer, hailing from Dearborn, Michigan, where she trained extensively at the renowned Noretta Dunworth School of Dance. Mastering all styles of dance — including ballroom — Lauren has built an impressive career collaborating with some of the industry’s most celebrated choreographers, such as NappyTabs, Derek Hough, and Tessandra Chavez.
Her talent has taken her to national television, competing on NBC’s hit show World of Dance and performing on the Disney Channel Summer Singalong. Lauren’s versatility extends to the music world, having danced in music videos for artists like AJ McLean, Christina Ricucci, and Sam Tsui, as well as sharing the stage with major acts including The Chainsmokers and Blu DeTiger.
A proud member of Royal Flux, the contemporary company directed by Jaci Royal, for over four years, Lauren recently completed a nationwide tour as a dancer on JoJo Siwa’s Nickelodeon D.R.E.A.M Tour. Beyond dance, she has expanded her artistic reach into singing and acting, continuing to grow as a well-rounded entertainer.
Lauren’s career also includes collaborations with leading fashion and lifestyle brands. She has modeled for popular dancewear lines such as Jo+Jax, Discount Dance, and Chelsea B Dancewear, and partnered with global brand SHEIN, showcasing her influence both on and off the stage.
Currently, Lauren travels across the United States and internationally, choreographing, teaching, and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She also teaches weekly at Michigan’s very own Release Detroit, continuing to share her passion and expertise within her home state.

Instructor
Coming soon…

Instructor
Cole Sears (he/him) began his competitive dance career at age 8 and since then he has furthered his education and earned his BFA in dance with a concentration in modern at Point Park University with a minor in business management. During his collegiate time, he had the opportunity to perform works by George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Penny Saunders, Bridget Moore, Kevin and Marcel Wilson, and Staycee Pearl. He also had the opportunity to perform notable works such as Bob Fosse’s “Rich Man’s Frug,” Robyn Miko-William’s “Cloudline,” and Twyla Tharp’s “Sweet Fields”. Cole had the opportunity to attend Whim W’Him Winter Intensive under artistic direction of Olivier Wevers and Karl Watson. Cole’s passion and expressiveness led him to expand his dance experiences through mascot work while filming the Owlympic campaign with Duolingo.

Instructor
Originally from Utica, New York, LejlaRaven discovered her passion for dance at an early age. She continued her training at Walnut Hill School for the Arts before earning her BFA in Dance, along with a minor in Business Management, from Point Park University, graduating summa cum laude. Throughout her career, LejlaRaven has performed works by renowned artists such as Martha Graham, Christopher Huggins, Jess Hendricks, Candace Brown, and Julia Erickson, among others. She is currently an apprentice with Eisenhower Dance Detroit and is thrilled to be working with the talented dancers of Drive Dance Co. this season!

Behind the Scene/ Instructor
Meaghan grew up in Plymouth, Michigan and started dancing at the age of 3. What her parents thought would be a hobby to keep her busy when she was little, turned into one of her greatest drives and passions in life.
She grew up at a local studio dancing competitively, having the opportunity to compete across the country. She built her foundation training at her studio, convention classes where she earned scholarships, and at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in California. Meaghan was also selected to represent Team USA in a global dance competition, competing with the team in Barcelona, Spain with a solo and in a jazz routine.
Meaghan has been teaching at studios for the past 17 years. She is knowledgeable in all styles of dance with specialities in jazz, contemporary, lyrical and pom. However, her main focus when training dancers is honing in on building a solid foundation of technique, intention and confidence. This mentality is also what she carries into the dance team world as a coach. She is heading into her 3rd season as the Michigan State Dance Team Coach.
Sarah and Meaghan met more than 10 years ago working together as coaches for the Northville Varsity Dance Team–Meaghan as the JV coach at the time. Since then they have worked and traveled together for conferences and competitions, fostering their strong bond over dance and passion to continue bettering themselves as teachers and coaches in this crazy world they love. Meaghan is honored and excited to stay on this dance journey with the team at Drive and will continue to instill the importance of team and determination in every dancer she works with.

Instructor
Hope was born in Michigan, and began dancing at a young age. Her home studio and additional training provided a strong foundation in technique as well as a focus on performance. Hope has trained and performed in many styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, ministry, musical theater, and pointe/variations. Her dance and performance experiences include pre-professional and professional opportunities and productions. Hope continues to train and perform professionally in the Metro Detroit area. Her ballet focus was the Vaganova method with instructors from the Vaganova Academy, Kirov Academy, the Perm Ballet of Russia, The Rock School of Ballet, and Bolshoi Academy. She is grateful to have studied several additional styles of ballet including Balanchine, ABT (American Ballet Theater), and Cecchetti.
Hope’s interest in anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology inspired her to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Health Science. Utilizing this knowledge helps dancers achieve proper technique by blending body mechanics and muscle awareness to optimize their performance. Hope is certified to teach Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and enjoys incorporating unique methods to help her students develop strong foundations. She focuses on technique as a way for each dancer to develop their strengths and gifts.
Hope has experience teaching numerous genres of dance and enjoys all of them. One of her goals as an instructor is to cultivate students’ joy and love for dance, and to encourage them to use their expressive abilities.
Outside of dance, Hope enjoys spending time with friends and family, baking, disc-golfing, and sewing. She is delighted for the opportunity to share her passion with the dancers at Drive and being part of the team.

Social Media Manager
Marina LoRe, a Maryland native, is a recent graduate of Hofstra University (Class of 2024), where she earned a double major in Business Management and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Social Media Marketing. During her five years at Hofstra, she was a proud member of the 13-time National Champion and 2-time World Champion Hofstra University Dance Team, serving as team captain for two consecutive seasons.
Marina’s collegiate dance career was marked by numerous achievements, including representing the United States on the US National Pom Team at the 2023 ICU World Championships, where she helped secure a gold medal against 16 competing countries. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was honored with the 2023 Eagle Award by the USA Cheer Association. Throughout her time at Hofstra, she consistently earned accolades for her leadership, passion, and dedication to her team and the sport.
Currently, Marina is a staff member with the Universal Dance Association (UDA), working with high school and collegiate dance teams across the country. She also serves as a coach for the Archbishop Spalding High School Dance Team — her alma mater — where her love for dance team first began.
Driven by an enduring passion for dance, Marina is committed to expanding the knowledge and enthusiasm for the dance team industry, inspiring the next generation of athletes to reach new heights