THE RIVER RHYTHMS
DANCE CENTER STAFF

Kristyn Ewald, Studio Director/Instructor
Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Musical Theater

Kristyn Ewald is the artistic director and owner of River Rhythms Dance Center. She is a graduate of LeMoyne College where she was the head choreographer of the LeMoyne Student Dance Company and received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Elementary Education. Working with the children and students in the educational atmosphere inspired her to combine her love of teaching children with her passion for dance and the arts and she decided to open a dance studio where she could get the best of both worlds.

Her choreographic versatility has earned her students and studio numerous recognitions and awards. She has earned choreography awards at the regional, national, and even international level when she took students to compete at the World Dance Championship. Her studio has repeatedly won admission into the Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions for their success at dance competitions. Students in her competitive dance program consistently win scholarships and titles at conventions and competitions for their technique and performance quality.

Kristyn is always looking to advance her knowledge and training by studying new teaching techniques and participating in ongoing educational opportunities. Yearly she attends the Dance Teacher Summit which is a collaboration of classes, exhibits, and performances which is designed to give dance teachers ongoing motivation and inspiration to continuously re-energize their passion for their art and improving their business. She is also a member of CLI studios which is the leading online industry resource for dance studio owners which connects top choreographers and dance studio owners all over the world. Her affiliation with the Association of Dance Conventions and Competitions allows for the opportunity to work with an association which unites studios and dance teachers to promote quality, integrity, and opportunity for their dance students.

Continued education is something that Kristyn also continues to promote to her students. River Rhythms Dance Center has a well trained and well rounded staff all of whom are experienced and dedicated professionals, however Kristyn also continues to constantly seek opportunities for her students to take classes from other professionals in the industry. Because dancers can get used to the way that their studio teachers present information and their teaching style, Kristyn brings in master instructors once a month to give dancers an opportunity to be exposed to the endless varieties of style in the dance world and give them the chance to work with adults who may provide information and training to them in a new and different way. Kristyn is also the owner and founder of Rhythm Revolution Dance Convention which brings some of the best and brightest dance talent right to Central New York. This 2 day convention gives her dancers the opportunity to receiving challenging dance instruction without having to travel or pay more money to attend dance conventions out of town.

As a respected teacher and award winning choreographer for almost 20 years, Kristyn is dedicated to teaching and inspiring young dancers to believe in their dreams and help them reach for the stars. “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will land among the stars”.

Alexis Earle, Instructor
Toddler Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theater, and Hip Hop

Alexis grew up in the village of Baldwinsville and has been dancing since she was 2 years old.  At the age of 8, she began dancing competitively and fell in love with it!  She trained in ballet, lyrical, jazz, tap, acro, contemporary, some musical theater and hip-hop at Tawn Marie’s Dance Centre, enjoying musical theater and jazz the most. Although most of her training came from the studio, Alexis also expanded her dancing at many summer camps in NYC and Rutgers University, along with master classes presented by the studio. 

​In 2004, she began privately training and assistant teaching under the direction of Kristyn Ewald. This is what paved the way for her career as a dance instructor in various styles and age groups for the past 12 years, specializing in the toddler and kinder levels.

Alexis has her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literacy and her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood/Special Education at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Alexis teaches dance at River Rhythms during the week. Alexis’ love for teaching dance is what helped her realize her true passion for teaching in general. She loves utilizing and sharing her new knowledge of teaching in each dance class so that every student can feel excited, motivated, focused, and free to learn! 

Sarah McCombie, Instructor
Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Lyrical, and Jazz

Sarah began studying dance at a young age under teachers on the East and West coast and found a great passion in Jazz and Ballet. As a young dancer she danced competitively and performed shows in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and with the Syracuse Opera Company.  She spent her high school years studying Ballet, Jazz, and Modern at The Center Of Ballet & Dance Arts. 

After struggling with a recurring knee injury and not being able to dance herself, she decided to turn her passion towards educating the next generation of dancers. She's been teaching in Central NY for a decade and on a competitive judging panel for eight years. 

She currently teaches Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Stretch, Contemporary/Lyrical and works with the Elite program. Sarah is proud to teach ballet and to share its tradition of elegance, beauty, and rich heritage.

Liz Brown, Instructor 
Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Jr. Comp, and Lyrical

Olivia Okoniewski, Instructor 
Tap​, Jazz, Musical Theater, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip Hop

Olivia has had a passion for dance her whole life.  She grew up in Syracuse, NY and danced competitively for 10 years  with a special interest in tap dancing, teaching, and choreographing.  Olivia has choreographed several pieces over the years that have been performed competitively and for many different showcases.  

Olivia graduated in 2025 Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Geneseo with a major in Communication and minors in Business Studies and Dance.  In college, she participated in all three dance organizations on campus where she was a Student Assistant Director of the Dance Program as well as a student choreographer for the Geneseo Dance Ensemble.  Olivia has had the opportunity to attend and perform at the American College Dance Association Conference as a Student Representative for Geneseo.  At the ACDA Conference, she was able to learn and take classes from David Dorfman, Lisa Race, Cheryl Johnson, and Kendra Portier.

Olivia has completed and passed her group fitness instructor course/exam online through the American Council on Exercise in hopes to teach group fitness classes in the future.   Olivia plans to continue her love for dance by applying for her MFA.

Aldo Kattón, Instructor
Ballet, Jazz, and Conditioning

Aldo Kattón is a Mexican artistic director, rehearsal director, choreographer, and former dancer with extensive professional experience. He has participated in the creation and production of numerous ballets and shows with companies and projects around Mexico, USA, and Guatemala. His expertise is not limited to the technical and artistic aspects of dance, but extends to collaboration and coordination of logistics, sound, set design, costume design and publicity aspects of small and large-scale theatrical productions. He is committed to excellence and the development of individual artists and artistic institutions.

As a ballet teacher, he has taught all levels in dance education, from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals. Kattón is member of the International Dance Council CID (The United Nations of Dance). Kattón’s choreography and pedagogical approach promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion as means to preserve the art of classical ballet by allowing it to evolve. Currently Aldo Kattón is Artistic the Artistic Director and founder member of Central New York Ballet and professor of dance for Syracuse University in the Drama ​Department.

TOP