Instructors Bios

KEELE Flanigan was a student at BBS for 11 years.  She is a very talented performer, and she excels in every genre: tap, ballet, gymnastics, hip hop, jazz, and sport aerobics. Keele performed with Boundless Energy in NYC in 2014. In 2020, Keele lost her senior year, and the senior solo every senior cherishes due to the pandemic. Although disappointed, Keele kept dancing. While attending Garrett College, she assisted me with the high school dance classes and taught ballet classes.   We made a great team and worked well together.     Mentoring her and seeing her talent with choreography, I knew she would be a good fit for our staff. When she transferred to WVU to continue her education, we were lucky enough to work the schedule for her to teach the Senior Dance classes that meet on Sundays. She also helped mentor and transition the ballet program to Arianna Torrisi. Our students love her approach to class formats; her creative routines are always revered. Keele has also taken on some unique feature routines for our alumni and our new program bloom. Our audience will enjoy her work and performances in a few feature routines. Keele received her associate degree in psychology from Garrett College. She will graduate from WVU in May 2024 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in child development and family studies. She plans to continue her education and earn a master’s degree in social work.   

AINSLEY Brantner was a student at BBS for 11 years. Ainsley is an accomplished gymnast, dancer, and baton twirler. The best part of having Ainsley in a class was her example of being attentive and executing every skill, combination, or routine 100% every time.  No one outworked Ainsley in a class.  Ainsley participated in all our premier courses and traveled to NYC and California with Boundless Energy to perform in Dance the Magic events.   Ainsley graduated from Duquesne University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in psychology and sociology.  She was on the dance team at Duquesne during her freshman and sophomore years. It is a huge accomplishment to make a division one college dance team, but winning the national title in the team division is exemplary. She learned a lot of new skills and techniques and has been implementing them into our program. Ainsley teaches our hip-hop, senior dance, and acro classes. She also teaches camps and private lessons in the summer. Her no-nonsense approach has taught the girls discipline and focus. Her routines are intense, creative, and entertaining. Alissa was one of Ainsley’s teachers at BBS, and she recognized the passion and ability Ainsley had for sport aerobics and paired up with her several times to perform remarkable routines in our recital; this year, they are taking it to a whole new level. Ainsley is currently in Grad School studying to become a clinical counselor. 

DANNY Durr Danny has been part of Brenda’s Body Shop since 2013. He taught weekly classes at BBS for five years before moving to NYC. He continues to contribute to the program with scheduled weekend choreography sessions. Danny’s creativity and passion are contagious, and he has elevated our program to the next level. Many of the students he taught are now some of our top-notch instructors.

Danny is a NYC-based actor, choreographer, and director. Danny has worked for Norwegian Cruise Line as a resident choreographer for shows such as Showdown, Acoustic Sessions, and Debonair. Danny has also worked as a choreographer for Baruch College Department of Fine & Performing Arts in NYC. Danny has worked at such theaters as Missoula Children’s Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theatre, Broadway Palm Theatre, The Post Playhouse, Millbrook Playhouse, The Wick, Stage Door Theatre, The Mac Hayden, Fort Peck Theatre, and the Cumberland Theatre. Danny choreographed the 2021 and 2022 National Tour of A Christmas Carol with Perseverance Productions and is currently performing Off-Broadway in Saw: The Musical.

SHERI (Perando) Hershman was a student for 11 years. She knows a lot about the history of BBS and enjoys having her two daughters, Addison and Lakin, participate in the program. She began assisting Amy Anderson with gymnastics classes at Accident Elementary School and is a crucial figure in the success of our satellite program. She has been part of our staff for the past 17 years, teaching children as well as adult exercise classes. Sheri has also performed with our ladies' routines for ten years. 

Sheri was on the Aerobic Diehards team in the 80s, a group that traveled and pioneered many of the opportunities enjoyed by our Garrett County Sportaerobic Team and Boundless Energy teams.  One of her memories of traveling was meeting and taking pictures with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sheri always supports our community dance projects, and her husband Justin gives our group a boat dock trailer to make into a float for the Autumn Glory Parade. He also drives in the parade with our sound system so we can have music.  

Sheri has certifications for CAN/ GNA. She attended Garrett College with a focus on nursing. Sheri also has a love for horses. She plans to return to showing horses in Western Pleasure and to one day show at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio.  

ALISSA Gank started taking classes at BBS at age 12. She is a testament that children excel at all different ages and debunks the thought that if you didn’t start at age three you will never be able to participate in an activity and expect success. She started in gymnastics and quickly advanced her skill set. In 2000, she was introduced to competitive sportaerobics, earning numerous national and world rankings. At age 12, she stood on a stage at a world championship, competing against athletes from fifteen countries, and was ranked first.  It was a defining moment for her and a giant leap forward for our program. Alissa competed in Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Argentina, and Mexico. She trained with coaches from New Jersey and Virginia. Her competitive sportaerobic career earned her numerous awards and opportunities.  These opportunities fueled Alissa’s passion for fitness, and she took all that she learned through competing and helped develop our Boundless Energy Sportaerobic Program.  She has raised the bar, and this group trains with all the effort of a serious athlete.  Her choreography is fast-paced, exciting, and highly skilled. Alissa also teaches our sportaerobic feeder programs and several gymnastics classes. Alissa has been teaching at BBS for the past 18 years. She has inspired many young girls in physical fitness and excellence. She knows how to push the students to get a little more than they thought they could give. Her students mirror her determination and discipline, and it reflects on their skills and performance. In 2019, Alissa and her husband, Jeff, started offering adult fitness classes at BBS. Their brand, “Misfits,” offers circuit training, weights, and various cardio combinations.  It was a perfect continuation to keep fitness cutting edgy and relevant at BBS.  Alissa is a fantastic performer, and we try to get her on stage every chance. 

Alissa is also everyone’s go-to hairstylist. She has worked at Nola's salon since 2006. Alissa and her husband, Jeff, have two sons, Cooper and Wiley. 

KENZI (Smith) Mousch comes from a dance family with two older sisters dancing to inspire her journey.  She experienced every class we offer and was a student for 15 years. She was on the Boundless Energy Team for eight years, traveling and performing in NYC and Disneyworld. Kenzi deserves the utmost admiration for the determination and perseverance she demonstrated when she was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 13. She underwent extensive spinal surgery, where they inserted a titanium rod into her spine. She faced lots of pain and rehabilitation.  Kenzi never lost her spirit and good attitude. She missed one recital due to the surgery but was back the following year without a beat. Kenzie was an athlete in high school, and the combination of dance and athletics led her to her life passion and career choice.     

Kenzi graduated from Southern High School and attended Frostburg State University, earning a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration and being a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She can teach any group exercise class and is a substitute for the Misfits program and a pound class at BBS. She has also assisted Alissa with some of her youth classes in dance and gymnastics. Kenzi has been assisting and teaching at BBS for five years. 

Kenzi is a Sports Performance Coach at Frostburg University. She is also an entrepreneur, owning and operating Glazed and Confused, a donut business at Deep Creek Lake. 

ARI Torrisi was a student at BBS for 16 years.  Daughter of Assistant Director Lexi Torrisi, she grew up at the studio. She enjoyed some of the perks and challenges of being a dance teacher’s daughter.  Because her mom was busy with the show, Ari learned to be entirely independent in the performing world. Ari participated in all our premier programs and excelled in each one.  She traveled with Boundless Energy to California, New York, and Nashville for Dance the Magic performances. Ari demonstrates excellence in her technique, but her heartwarming showmanship makes her so captivating on stage. Ari trained to be a teacher under the supervision of her mom who is a wonderful mentor and has trained many of our instructors and assistants. Ari currently assists with gymnastics, dance, and summer camps. Her patience, tenderness, and class execution make her an excellent choice for our younger students. Ari has collaborated with Keele Flanigan and created a sound curriculum for our older ballet class. Her skill drills are first-rate, and her classic choreography challenges the dancers. Ari graduated from Southern High School and Garrett College. She earned an associate degree in applied science in Graphic and Web Design. Ari loves working with people and plans to volunteer.  She also works at Walgreens in the store and pharmacy.

AALIYAH Rhodes was a student at BBS for 14 years and a teaching assistant for three. She currently is a dancer with our alumni program and our lady's dances. Due to the pandemic, Aaliyah’s junior and senior years were not what she expected. She was adaptable and never lost her passion for dance.  Aaliyah’s dance career included participating in gymnastics, hip hop, jazz, and sportaerobics. She holds the record for the most years as a sportaerobic athlete on Boundless Energy for ten years. While on the team, she traveled to NYC, Nashville, and California for Dance the Magic events. Aaliyah was the kind of student you need in a class, full of energy and orneriness. Aaliyah was always well-received by her peers and part of a good time. As she matured, it became obvious how talented she was at managing younger students. She began helping us at our summer camps, and her natural teaching ability shone through. After graduating high school in 2021, she was in college studying to be a nurse.  While pursuing that education, she was certified as a CNA and phlebotomist. Aaliyah would be excellent in the healthcare field, but she realized her heart was with children and education, so she changed her major, and this is excellent news for the children of Garrett County. Aaliyah is a busy girl who works multiple jobs, attends college, and substitutes and tutors students at Accident Elementary School.  She is doing so well at this school that she is always in demand for anything they need. Aaliyah loves to travel and took several school trips to Europe during high school. She graduated from Southern High School and will graduate at Frostburg State University. 

AMY Anderson grew up dancing in Pittsburgh. She attended Frostburg, where she earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood/elementary education and her master’s in reading. She danced with the Frostburg Dance Company, where she had the opportunity to travel, compete, and participate in many enriching dance experiences.

Amy often visited Garrett County as a child, skiing and enjoying the lake with her family. After college, she received a job as a teacher at Accident Elementary School. In 1999, Amy’s love of dance led her to me to inquire if we needed any help with classes; the rest is history. This is Amy’s 24th year teaching at BBS. She assisted our competitive teams from 2000 to 2006 and has been the lead instructor at the satellite program at Accident Elementary for ten years.  When I met Amy, she was fresh out of college and single. It’s easy to see why our staff is like family. I have seen her get married, and she has two daughters, Ashlynn and Ava, who have been taking classes at BBS since age 3.  Ava is an eighth grader at NMS, and Ashlynn is a junior at NMS. This is an excellent segue to talk about Ashlynn. She is a teacher's daughter, and the apple did not fall far from the tree.  Ashlynn is an accomplished dancer and leader. She is currently assisting us with classes at Accident. She is a great role model, and the younger students respond so favorably to her presence.  Having an extra hand to assist with our youngest students is a win for everyone. I do not doubt that Ava is waiting in the wings for her chance to help and demonstrate her leadership skills. The Anderson ladies are certainly a big part of our BBS family. They are masters at juggling busy schedules as they are avid skiers, mountain bikers, and runners. Amy is a coach for the Deep Creek Winter Sports Team, a Ski Instructor for the Wisp, and a cheering mom for her girls, both competitive skiers. Father, Eric, and dog Bella round out the family dynamic, and BBS is undoubtedly lucky to be in the Anderson Era. 

LEXI Torrisi

1981 when I opened my doors to the dream of operating a dance studio, a spunky 12-year-old who loved to dance walked through the door.  She was a fantastic student, performer, and role model for younger students. She was on the original Aerobic Diehard team, the team that pioneered the way for our future programs. In 1989, when the Diehards performed at the New Mickey Mouse Club and our group was inducted into the Mickey Mouse Club Hall of Fame, Lexi gave the acceptance speech and received the Golden Mickey we proudly display at the studio. It didn’t take long for me to see the potential in Lexi, so mentoring her was an easy and exciting task. She began teaching adult exercise classes at age 18. Her eagerness to learn and to teach was inspiring and helpful. Lexi and I have grown together over many years and made an extraordinary team. We value the same teaching styles and philosophies. As the studio grew, so did our roles.  Lexi has developed and implemented several of our signature programs. She has managed the studio anytime I would be out for a family affair, from having children to aging parents. To have the privilege of working with someone who has shared your passion for nearly four decades is truly a gift.  Lexi cherishes her connections and the opportunities she has enjoyed teaching former students, and children of her friends and sharing dance with her family. Lexi is a homeschool teacher to her son Pierce. Her daughter Arianna grew up at the studio, and like mother, like daughter, she is a phenomenal young woman who shares our passion for dance and teaching.