The Teaching Staff
Making Continuing Education a Lifestyle
FLI-City Studios is proud to have staff that value education and a strong work ethic teaching in the classrooms. They are looking to meet the student where they are and help them build their skills from there. Here is a look at the instructors for our 2024/2025 season.
Alisyn "Wonderland" Hurd
Instructor and Director
Alisyn has been dancing and performing since the age of 4 in dance and competitive figure skating. She earned her Bachelors of Performing Arts in Dance from Oakland University and Her Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA in partnership with the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt, Germany. She has been an active member of the Michigan Hip-Hop scene since 2006, participating in workshops, performances, and battles as a competitor, judge, and organizer. Formerly a member of Lunchbox Jams Crew, currently a member of Vertical Ambition crew and Vertical Ambition Dance Company which she co-founded with Jared Hurd in 2008. She is currently Interim Director of Dance at Alma College
Alyssa Lovett
Instructor
Alyssa Lovett began her dancing career in 2010 with the Flint Institute of Music (FIM). There she trained under ABT-certified instructors, auditioned and earned merit scholarships year after year, and danced with the Children's Performance Workshop, Youth Dance Ensemble, and Flint Youth Ballet. She performed in the Flint School of Performing Arts professional production of the Nutcracker for ten years and was invited as a guest alumna to perform the Opening Movement of George Balanchine's iconic Serenade with Flint Youth Ballet. Partway through her career with FIM, Alyssa was offered three teaching assistant positions for Discover Dance, Children’s Ballet I, and Children’s Ballet II where she guided, led, and presented her strengths in ballet for four consecutive years. Following her dancing career and assistance with FIM, Alyssa was offered an official position in the summer of 2024 where she instructed Dancin’ Fun, Intermediate Modern, and Intermediate Adult Ballet. As of Fall 2024, Alyssa continues to pursue and engage in further teaching endeavors as she instructs middle school dance for the Flint Cultural Center Academy, the GCCARD Head Start dance program, Pre-ballet at the Flint Institute of Music, Ballet I, II, and III for Creative Dance Expressions Studio, and Ballet I and II, Intermediate Ballet, Adult Ballet, and Pointe at FLI-City Studios. She is on the path of broadening and developing her pedagogy as she continues to advance in her teaching career.
Jared "J-aura" Hurd
Instructor and Co-Director
Jared has been breaking since 2001 and has spent that time as a choreographer, competitor, crew leader, battle judge, and event promoter. Formed the Zion Crew in 2001, joined Lunchbox Jams in 2005, and finally co-founded Vertical Ambition Dance Company and Crew in 2008 where he remains an active member to this day. Always bored sticking to one discipline, Jared has focused on Tumbling, Parkour and Freerunning, Trampoline, traditional Hip-Hop forms and Funk Styles, as well as, Contemporary, Modern, and Ballet.
His career in dance strongly adheres to the "each one teach one" tenet of Hip-Hop culture. Jared has been actively teaching for over 20 years in community groups, at studios, with master classes, open sessions and workshops. He is a graduate of the 2019 International Teachers Training course from the B-Boy Dojo and is looking forward to continuing his education in dance and pedagogy.