Judges

Aiden Pressel

Aiden Pressel is a Michigan native, who has spent the last 6 years working professionally in New York and is signed with MSA in NYC. Aiden graduated with honors from Pace University earning his BFA in Commercial Dance May of 2021. His concentrations during school were performance, pedagogy, and choreography. Right out of college Aiden joined the Broadway National Tour of CATS as Dance Captain and Plato/ Macavity. Other recent credits include Target, OOFOS, Step One, and multiple regional theater productions. Currently Aiden is curating new work and workshopping new shows all across NYC. He finds a lot of excitement in sharing his passion for dance in all capacities and is eager to see where his career is headed.

Haley Bjorn

Haley Bjorn is a professional dancer based in NYC. Haley spent two years dancing in the off-Broadway production Hypnotique at The McKittrick Hotel (home of Sleep No More), and was most recently seen performing in Broadway Christmas Wonderland in Tokyo. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University at Buffalo and is represented by Jim Keith at the Movement Talent Agency. She previously spent five years performing at sea with Norwegian Cruise Lines as a Featured Dancer/Dance Captain. 

As a dance educator, Haley is a fiercely passionate artist who seeks to inspire, support, and challenge her students to push the boundaries of what they can achieve. As a competitive dance adjudicator, she seeks to nurture the joy of upcoming dancers and remind them of the importance of a strong technical foundation. Haley is also a certified barre3 instructor in NYC, where she supports her clients by curating a space where all bodies can move with joy.

Kerri Jo Richardson-Watts

 Owner of Kerri’s Dance Studio, Kerri has been involved in dance for over 25 years. Kerri started taking lesson in tap and ballet at age 3. For the next 18 years she added classes in jazz, hip hop, pom pon, ballroom, country western, musical theater, and swing to her repertoire. Kerri opened KDS in 1992 while still taking ballet and pointe classes at Beth Gaynes studio and Creighton University.

In addition to teaching classes at KDS, Kerri has choreographed many musicals for The Bellevue Little Theater, the Bluffs Arts Council, and the Council Bluffs Childrens Theater.

In 1994 Kerri was nominated for the Theater Arts guild award for the choreography of the musical Sugar and has won several choreography awards from M.A. Dance and NDA Dance.  Kerri has choreographed routines for several area high school and college dance teams and served as the Pom Pon coach at Abraham Lincoln High School for 5 years.  Kerri is thrilled to continue judging as she loves to share her passion and insights of dance to young performers everywhere.

Rob Healy

Rob Healy, a Boston, MA native, earned his BA in Dance from Dean College. He is the Co-Owner and Founder of Soarin’ Forces Acrobatic Dance Company. Early in his career, Rob performed in numerous professional musical tours and regional theater productions, including A Christmas Story, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and Guys and Dolls. His positive spirit and passion for teaching make him a highly sought-after instructor and choreographer, dedicated to making a meaningful impact on his students’ lives.

Beyond his accomplishments as a dancer, Rob is widely recognized as a distinguished teacher and choreographer. In 2024, he was honored as the Star Dance Alliance Teacher of the Year. Many of his students have gone on to perform with major league sports dance teams, earn top awards, victory cups, national titles, and prestigious scholarships. Rob is thrilled to return as a judge for the Star Dance Alliance.

Stephanie Knudson

Stephanie’s early education and love for dance started in the suburbs of Chicago at Paula Aubrey’s School of Dance. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from the University of Idaho and further, a Master’s of Science in Recreation Therapy from the University of Florida. She has had a wide range of experience in her professional dance career, starting in Florida as a Miami Heat Dancer and a Character Dancer at Walt Disney World along with other commercial work.

More recently, Stephanie was the Competition Director for East County Performing Arts Center in Brentwood, California. For 17 years, she was a teacher and choreographer for the competition team specializing in technique, private lessons, and choreography cleaning. Stephanie’s students have helped to add to her list of accomplishments winning choreography awards from over 10 different national competitions. She also co-founded and led The Ballet Company of East County as the Artistic Director which puts on, amongst other productions, an elaborate and very successful interpretation of The Nutcracker each year.  Stephanie also spent three years in Nashville teaching at several of the areas pre professional studios and soaking in the culture. Through the years the part she is most proud of are the dancers that have gone on to work on Broadway, for the Raiders and the Kings, Disney, in Las Vegas, traveling shows and of course the dancers who teach and choreograph now!

Today, Stephanie is the Ballet/Technique Director for Gotta Dance Company outside of Phoenix. She also teaches with Axiom dance conventions spreading love and passion for what ballet can do for the competition dancer. She recently directed the Stand out dancer opening number for Starz Dance Competition as well as teaching the workshops for Nationals.  Stephanie’s favorite part of her work is judging at Competitions and teaching on the convention circuit!  It is a great way to stay connected with the needs of the dance world as we move on in this highly competitive industry. Stephanie also values continuing education, recently receiving a certificate in Acrobatic Arts, Mental Health First Aid and Dance for PD, for work with Parkinson’s patients in the near future.