Staff
Deanna Lefton
Owner | Artistic Director
Deanna Lefton is from New Hampshire and began her training at Londonderry Dance Academy where she successfully completed all of her RAD ballet exams. She attended the American Academy of Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet summer intensives. After graduating high school early, Deanna continued training at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Summer Lee Rhatigan for two years. At the conservatory she had the opportunity to learn and perform choreography by Ohad Naharin, Alex Ketley, Bobbi Jene Smith, Robert Moses among others. Professionally, she has performed works by Sharon Eyal, Paul Vasterling, Myron Johnson, Johanna Kotze, Eve Shulte, Marciano Silva dos Santos, and more. Deanna has danced with companies in California, Minnesota, and Colorado. By the age of 25 she worked for James Sewell Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Arena Dances, Black Label Movement, Burnswork, Live Action Set, and Wonderbound. Currently she is the Artistic Director and co-owner of Lefton Dance Complex in Bedford, NH. She is also the founder and head coach of the current Bedford High School Dance Team.
Jordan Lefton
Owner | Technical Director
Jordan Lefton, a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, graduated from The Juilliard School in May of 2015. Jordan danced at Thomas Dance Studio from the age of five, and later moved on to study dance at Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts. Jordan has trained in ballet, among many other techniques including Limón, Horton, Gaga, Graham, contemporary partnering, contact improvisation, and tap. He furthered his training by attending Springboard Danse Montreal and multiple Joffrey Ballet Summer programs. Jordan has worked with many talented teachers and choreographers including Lawrence Rhodes, Risa Steinberg, Troy Powell, Andra Corvino, Francisco Martinez, Alphonse Poulin, Loni Landon, and Larry Keigwin. Jordan danced professionally with Lar Lubovitch and James Sewell Ballet where he performed on stages across North America. While dancing for James Sewell Ballet, he served as the company event coordinator, rehearsal director, and choreographer. He has been teaching dance for over a decade at multiple studios, summer programs, and conventions in Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Jordan is also a professional photographer and videographer that specializes in dance and weddings. He and his wife, Deanna Lefton, now own and operate Lefton Dance Complex.
Jennifer Hamilton
Ballet, Pointe, Tap/Jazz
Jennifer’s love of dance started at an early age and has spanned decades. She has performed professionally throughout New England with companies including Dance Prism, Bay State Ballet, and many others. She is a member of Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston. As a teacher and choreographer, she is versed in many styles of dance, teaching Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and Hip-Hop. She has worked at numerous dance schools throughout the New England Area, where she has taught multiple genres and worked with all ages. She has choreographed various musicals including Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Alladin. She spent years as lead choreographer for Kidstock summer program and has also taught the dance team at Bentley College. She has choreographed multiple award winning competition pieces and her choreography has been recognized for its entertainment value as well as technical expertise.
In the studio, Jennifer strives to create an atmosphere where students can flourish and find their love of dance while building their dance technique in a fun, encouraging
environment! She has had many students go onto professional careers and even more that
have carried their love of dance and movement with them while they pursue their goals
outside of dance.
Jennifer is also a Certified Personal Trainer and teaches various fitness formats including Barre, Zumba, Zumba Toning, and Silver Sneakers promoting fitness and movement as way of life for all ages!
Adam Wertheimer
Hip Hop
Adam was born and raised in Boston and has been dancing his whole life after watching his grandfather tap dance when he was six years old. Adam has studied ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and krump. He has trained with a number of dance companies in the Greater Boston area, including Mass Motion Dance, Street Hype, VLA Dance, and many more. Adam has nearly a decade of experience teaching hip-hop and creative movement at studios in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where he has worked with students of all ages, from toddlers to adults. He earned a bachelor's degree in May of 2023 in Exercise Science and minored in Disability Studies. He is also a Level 1 Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC) and is a professional personal trainer at Fitness Together in Reading, MA. Using his experience in both dance and fitness, Adam hopes to become a leading professional for strength training elite dancers worldwide.
Julie Wolz
Ballet 1
Julie Wolz grew up in Bedford, New Hampshire, where she discovered her love of dance while training at Bedford Dance Center and the Palace Theatre. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Dance from Columbia College Chicago.
While living in Chicago, Julie taught dancers ages 3–5, 8–10, and 14–16 at Intrigue Studios while working as an apprentice contemporary for Alluvion Dance Company
. She is currently on faculty at the Palace Theatre Dance Academy, where she teaches Jazz Technique, Theatre Jazz, and Tap. She also teaches Commercial Jazz and Contemporary for adults at Pumps & Pirouettes in Manchester, New Hampshire.
In addition to teaching, Julie continues to perform professionally throughout New England. She has danced at major events in the Boston area at venues including Big Night Live and Patriot Place. Most recently, she appeared as Helga in Cabaret at the Palace Theatre.
Julie believes that every dancer deserves to feel seen, celebrated, and encouraged. She finds so much joy in working with children and considers it a privilege to help build the foundation of their dance journey. Her goal is to create a positive, supportive environment where young dancers can develop confidence, creativity, strong technique, and a lifelong love of movement.
Ani Berube
Ballroom
Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Ani Benavides Berube is a professional Ballroom dancer, performer, certified fitness instructor, and personal trainer whose career reflects a lifelong dedication to movement, artistic expression, and cultural dance traditions. She began dancing professionally at a young age with two renowned Colombian Folkloric Ballet Companies, where she received extensive training in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, African Dance, Latin Dance, and traditional Colombian Folklore.
Ani later expanded her career internationally after relocating to Costa Rica, where she further developed her expertise. As Dance Team Captain at Hotel Fiesta Resort, she led dancer training, directed rehearsals, and assisted in choreography and large-scale show productions, gaining valuable experience in both performance and leadership.
Driven by a passion for continued artistic growth, Ani moved to the United States to further her dance education. She earned High Honors for her Dance Education Certificate from Northern Essex Community College and went on to build a successful 20-year career as a Ballroom Dance Instructor. Throughout her ballroom career, she earned recognition in regional competitions as a Top Teacher finalist, receiving multiple 2nd and 3rd place honors. Deeply passionate about Latin dance, Ani has also performed at the Boston Salsa Festival and appeared in the award-winning environmental dance film Small Steps: Dances of Resilience.
Today, Ani combines her passion for dance and wellness through the National Academy of Sports Medicine while continuing her work as a personal trainer and dance fitness instructor. Known for her energetic teaching style, positive spirit, and commitment to empowering others, Ani inspires students and clients of all backgrounds to build confidence, strength, and self-expression through dance and fitness.