OUR MISSION
At THE FIREHOUSE, our mission is to provide professional instruction in dance, voice, guitar and piano in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment in order to expose students to the virtues of performing arts while fostering a sense of confidence and community.
Our Team
TONI BRINKER - Owner/DIRECTOR/
teacher/choreographer
Toni is a mom of 4 kids, a military wife, and a lover of dance. Her passion for dance started at the age of 3 and only intensified when she added cheerleading at the age of 12. Pursuing both throughout high school and college, Toni completed both her Bachelor’s of Exercise and Sports Science and Minor of Dance at Southwest Texas State University. After completing her Master of Physical Therapy at Baylor University she served 8 years in the U.S. Army as a physical therapist. She is excited to share all of the things that dance has added to her life with her students.
Classes: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Tumbling, Cheer, Clogging, Technique, and Acro
Chantal High-Santellano - Artistic director/Teacher/choreographer
Chantal High-Santellano, owner and founder of The Core Academy, LLC, was born and raised in Berlin, Germany. After moving to the United States, she began taking dance classes, and her love for dance quickly grew. Her passion led her to train extensively in a variety of dance styles, eventually competing and developing a deep appreciation for the art form.
Chantal’s dedication to dance inspired her to begin teaching locally and in cities across the East Coast, specializing in genres such as hip hop and contemporary. She has continued her dance education by training with well-known choreographers and studying pre- and post-injury techniques to better support and develop her dancers. Chantal is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), a program focused on developing strength, alignment, muscle memory, and technique. She is especially passionate about dancer conditioning, strengthening, and injury prevention, believing that healthy, educated dancers are better equipped for long-term success both in and out of the studio.
Throughout her career, Chantal has danced for local artists including Jasmine Rose and Christina “The Voice,” assisted industry professionals such as Dena Rizzo, and appeared in instructional dance videos. Her film credits include White Men Can’t Dance.
In addition to teaching and performing, Chantal has taught at numerous dance intensives and workshops throughout North Carolina. She was also honored to serve as a judge for the UNC Chapel Hill Dance Team for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025.
Today, Chantal continues to travel and teach throughout the East Coast, sharing her knowledge while managing a successful dance studio and competitive dance team. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Dance to further expand her expertise and impact within the dance community.
Dance is an integral art form to Chantal—one that provides opportunities for growth, confidence, and self-expression for dancers of all ages. Through her teaching, she continues to share her organic, innovative, and foundational approach to dance, inspiring the next generation of artists while promoting safe training practices, proper technique, and lifelong wellness.
Classes - Hip Hop, Technique, Dance Strengthening, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Contemporary
Jennifer Hudson Santos - TEACHER
Jennifer Hudson Santos, a native of Dunn NC, is a graduate of Appalachian State University. Jennifer has a BA in vocal performance and a BA in music therapy.
Jennifer has been teaching for 20 years, specializing in Voice, Piano, Guitar and Ukulele. Talent pageant coaching is another service Jennifer offers.
MICHELLE uRCIUOLI - tEACHER
Classes: Ballet
Michelle Urciuoli, originally from Greenville, SC, trained at the Greenville Ballet School, Greenville Fine Arts Center, and S.C. Governor's School for the Arts. At 17, she became a pre-professional dancer with the Greenville Ballet Company, performing in productions like The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast. After relocating to NYC, Michelle worked with The Staten Island Ballet, Ballet Long Island, and several other local companies. She toured with The Will Rogers Follies National Tour, Crazy for You European Tour, and performed as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Michelle has taught dance at the French Woods Festival and Hope for Kids Performing Arts Camp, and currently teaches Musical Theatre Dance at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. She trained and certified in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum and served as an adjudicator for Starbound National Talent Competition. Recently, she choreographed The Addams Family: A New Musical for Fayetteville Academy. Michelle is very excited to join Firehouse and to share her expertise with a new group of talented performers.
American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum is a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the pillars of dancer health and child development. ABT (trademark symbol) National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels.
ABT's National Training Curriculum is a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles and incorporates elements of the French, Italian, and Russian schools of training. The curriculum aims to assist beginning through advanced teachers in training dance students to use their bodies correctly by focusing on kinetics, coordination, anatomy, and proper body alignment. Artistically, the National Training Curriculum strives to provide dance students with a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to all styles and techniques of dance.
Lily BRINKER - teacher & choreographer
Ms. Lily has been teaching at THE FIREHOUSE for the past four years, though her roots in the studio run much deeper. Growing up alongside her mom, Ms. Toni, she spent countless hours taking classes and assisting with instruction, building a strong foundation in both dance and teaching.
Lily’s training includes three summers at prestigious Joffrey Intensives in Georgia, New York, and Los Angeles. She was also a cheerleader for four years at Cape Fear High School, further developing her performance skills and leadership.
Currently, Lily is entering her junior year in the Nursing program at East Carolina University, balancing her studies with her love of teaching. She is known for her sharp eye for technique and her ability to push dancers to reach their full potential. At THE FIREHOUSE, she teaches competition technique classes, choreographs for competitive teams, and—of course—brings unmatched energy and fun as our much-loved hip hop teacher.
Ms. Lily’s passion for dance, combined with her dedication to her students, makes her an inspiring role model both in and out of the studio.
Classes: Hip Hop and Technique
Gaebriele Wilson - office manager and teacher
Ms. Gaebriele Wilson, better known as Ms. Gabby, began her dance journey at THE FIREHOUSE in 2017 and has loved being part of this family ever since. For the past three years, she has worked in the office and stepped into classes as a substitute wherever she is needed—whether lyrical, tap, jazz, ballet, tumbling, or clogging.
Dance has always been a passion of hers, and she finds great joy in helping students grow not only in their skills but also in their confidence. Outside of the studio, Ms. Gabby is a hairstylist at The Bailey Collective Salon in Clinton.
She is truly grateful to be a part of THE FIREHOUSE team and to continue sharing her love of dance with the next generation.
Aubrey Autry - teacher
Ms. Aubrey has been dancing for as long as she can remember and recently discovered the joy of teaching, which she found incredibly rewarding. She was a member of her high school dance team and performed with the CCS All County Dance for the last two years, creating some of her favorite memories along the way. A proud graduate of Cape Fear High School, she finished in the top 10% of her class and is now a freshman at Methodist University, pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer. Aubrey’s favorite dance styles are acro and contemporary, and she loves any opportunity to get creative and try something new. She is thrilled to join the FESPA team and share her passion for dance with others!
Chassidy Lee - Teacher & Choreographer
Chassidy Lee was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. She started dancing at the age of 3 and danced competitively for 12 years. She graduated from East Carolina University in May 2022 with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography as well as a minor in Natural Composite Science. At ECU she trained in jazz, ballet, modern, improv, and composition where she found her love for choreography. She also studied dance history, theatre (lighting, set construction, painting, sewing/costuming), and dance kinesiology. She attended the CLI Conservatory in 2023-2024 under the guidance of Teddy Forance. Here she trained in all styles of dance and learned from the top choreographers in the industry. She also learned skills such as dancing on camera, personal branding, and entrepreneurship. She had the pleasure to be in a creative film titled ELEMENT that was directed and choreographed by Wade Robson. Her main goal in life is to inspire others with dance.
Classes - Contemporary, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Technique