Meet our Team

Owner, Director

Alex began The Lex Center in June of 2011 with a hopeful dream and has grown the studio into a booming business. She has been dancing since the age of five; she received competition training from Judy Dollenmayer’s Studio of Dance and classical dance training at BalletMet Academy of Columbus. Her genres of training include - classical ballet (French and Cecchetti methods), tap, jazz, contemporary, en pointe, hip hop, Irish step dance. During her training at BalletMet, she participated in annual shows such as The Nutcracker and Holiday Pops with Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She was also an avid member of her HS drama club. Alex also choreographed pieces for shows and was a member of dance teams in Columbus. She holds an Associate degree of Biblical Studies from Life Leadership College and an Associate of Liberal Arts degree from Columbus State. As a mom to four littles who you might see running around the studio (Duke, Lo, Romy and Rafe), Alex has a passion for growing the performing arts in small communities and thrives with her husband in business entrepreneurship.

Co-Owner, CMO

Tyler joined The Lex team in 2020. He is an experienced sales and marketing Manager by day, with focuses in Distribution Logistics, Sales & Marketing, Sales, Social Media Optimization (SMO), and Adobe Creative Suite. Tyler was a collegiate athlete at Muskingum University, where he also received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Business, Marketing and Sociology. Tyler, along with his wife and co-owner Alex, enjoys business entrepreneurship. You’ll see Tyler around the studio helping with studio maintenance and aiding with mid and end of season performances.

Brass, Trumpet, Trombone, Voice, Musical Theater

Gavin Newton is a recent OSU graduate where he received his Masters of Music in Trumpet Performance. Mr. Newton is an active performer in the central Columbus area as well as in Muskingum County where he is from. While working on his Bachelors in Music Education at Muskingum University, he had the opportunity to work with all the local High School music programs and is still a regular instructor. He enjoys working with students of all ages and helping make stronger connections to their musical self. As a performer, Mr. Newton finds the most joy playing in the pit for Musicals and in Big Bands. Most recently playing Oliver! with the Westerville Civic Theater, Chicago and Once Upon A Mattress with the Millersports Community Theater. Other notable favorites of his are The Producers, City of Angels, as well as premiering Surviving the Moonlight at the Short North Stage.

Piano, Keys, Choral

Tetiana, a passionate musician, moved to the USA from Ukraine in 2023, bringing with her years of experience in music education. She began learning music by playing the piano at a music school, where she studied for 8 years. Then she entered and successfully graduated first from a Music College, then from the University of Arts, receiving a master’s degree in choral conducting, vocal, and music teaching. After completing her studies, she combined work in music schools and singing in choirs in the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv. Tetiana's adaptable teaching strategies cater to diverse learners, fostering consistent academic success. With a background in child development and elementary education, she excels in both individual and group instruction, incorporating engaging vocal exercises and personalized attention.

Tetiana loves to travel, so she spent some time in Asian countries, where she also had a private piano teaching practice. She is convinced that music provides individuals with valuable skills for various aspects of life, including self-confidence, public performing experiences, and an understanding of beauty.

Besides music, Tetiana enjoys traveling, sports, and spending time with her husband and teenage daughter.

Drums/Percussion, Bass, Guitar

A true blue drummer since the age of 11, he also started learning guitar, then bass, a little piano, and even how to sing since the age of 15.

With his Swiss Army skills he has been lucky enough to play in all kinds of settings from musicals to punk shows, groups from big band jazz orchestras to folk duos, and he's still occasionally hired to perform as a last resort to this day.

He has even had the privilege of teaching music from 2019-2022 at the School of Rock in Dublin, Ohio before coming here teaching students from ages 7 to 70 (not an exaggeration) from all walks of life. He's excited to be a teacher once again at The Lex Center!

Dance

Sarah Chavez is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, and has been dancing since five years old. She began training in many dance styles, but emphasized strongly in ballet, and became certified through Cecchetti Ballet Exam Grade Six. She received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Sarah has had opportunities to train nationwide with prestigious companies and choreographers including Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company, Ballet West, SALT Contemporary Dance Company, and many more. She is proud of her diverse and well rounded training and has dance opportunities in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, and acro/contortion styles. Sarah has danced professionally with Quixotic Cirque Nouveau, Worlds of Fun Theme Park Entertainment, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and is continuing her dance career in Columbus as she begins her first season with Whirlwind Contemporary Dance Company. Sarah has been teaching and choreographing for the past seven years, and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the next generation of dancers!

Dance

Originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Anna began dancing at the age of 3 at Portsmouth School of Ballet. While she explored various dance styles and participated on her studio’s Competition Team, her primary focus and passion remained in classical ballet.

Between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, Anna attended several prestigious programs, including those at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Company Experience. At seventeen, she was accepted into Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Full-Time Program, where she trained at a pre-professional level. Following her graduation, she was invited to join PBT’s Graduate Program, where she continued to train and perform with the PBT company.

During her time at PBT, Anna performed in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker (Terrence Orr), The Great Gatsby (Jordan Morris), Giselle (Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot), and George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 and George Balanchine’s Serenade. She also performed in original works choreographed by company dancers Cooper Verona and Yoshiaki Nakano.

In 2020, Anna earned a Bachelor's degree in Human Services with a concentration in Family Studies and a minor in Early Childhood Education from the University of New Hampshire. She has since worked in various educational and ministry settings, and currently works in a daytime Montessori program for children ages 3-6.

Anna is passionate about sharing her knowledge and love for dance with students and families at The Lex Center of Performing Arts.