Rachel Winsler
​Artistic Director/Dance Educator

Rachel is a Florida native.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising with a concentration in Dance from the University of Florida.  She is a member and certified teacher of the Cecchetti Council of America and attended the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School. 

Her dance training began at age five at Dancemoves Studios in Seminole, Florida when she started acrobatics.  Rachel moved to Inverness, Florida and continued her dance education under the direction of Heather Hagar at Step ’N Time Dance Studio. Through the years her love of dance grew and she expanded her training to include jazz, modern/contemporary, ballet (Royal Academy of Dance methodology) and pointe.  She worked as a teacher’s assistant through high school. After college she returned home to join the faculty of Step ’N Time teaching creative, contemporary, ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics classes to various levels.  She began studying the Cecchetti ballet method and holds teachers certifications in Grades I, II, III, and IV.

Rachel directed Citrus County’s Nutcracker Ballet in 2011 and was a co-director for six years prior to that. She attended the contemporary ballet summer dance intensive at University of Florida with the Neta Dance Company,  the American Academy of Ballet as a teacher’s assistance in jazz, numerous Florida Dance Masters (FDM) Conventions as a student and a teacher, FDM Teacher Workshops, and Cecchetti teacher workshops. Not only has she danced at the Central Florida Celebration of Dance for years but her works have also been performed. 
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Rachel’s love and passion for dance are the driving forces behind her dance career.  Her vision for the studio places its emphasis on the technical and artistic aspects of dance. Rachel wants to cultivate and inspire dancers to be disciplined, self-reliant, well-mannered and self-motivated so they can grow and thrive.

Our Family

Dance Educator 

Heather White Hagar

Heather White Hagar graduated cum laude with her BA Degree in Dance from the University of South Florida and holds an MFA in dance choreography.
Much of her professional dance career has been devoted to the education of dancers. In 1991, she founded Step N’ Time, Inc. and for the past ten years has directed Citrus County’s Nutcracker Ballet. Heather is a member and certified teacher of the Cecchetti Council of America, Power Pilates, and Florida Dance Masters, Inc. She is a past principal of FDM’s teachers’ continuing education seminars, and has served as FDM’s president and director of Main Attraction Dance Ensemble. At present, Heather is preparing for her Grade Five Cecchetti Teacher’s Examination.Heather was the head of the Jazz program for the American Academy of Ballet under the direction of Mignon Furman at SUNY Purchase College in New York for 10 years. Heather has guest taught at the University of South Florida and Jacksonville University, as well as many conventions and schools in the United States and the UK. She recently collaborated with childhood friend and professional cinematographer Matthew Alcorn in creating two site-specific dance films. Her thesis Under the Canopy dealt with the connection between human and nature and the potentiality of dance to act as a liason between society and the conservation of nature. Other works include pieces for International Dance Acclaim, Youth America Grand Prix, Central Florida’s Dance Celebration, and industrials. She has performed with the New York based company DiMauro Dance, Ann Reinking, The Florida Orchestra, Dance Theatre of Florida and Central Florida's Dance Celebration. Heather has attended: Off Jazz, The Harvard Dance Program, The White Mountain Dance Program, Dance Master's of America Teachers’ Training School, Royal Academy of Dance Summer Teacher's Training Course, Sarasota Ballet’s Teachers’ Training, Florida Dance Masters Intensive Training Seminars, and The World Jazz Congress. She has also studied with Alonso King, Heather Hansen, Juri Nael, and Mario Zambaro, Ralph Lemon, Danny Buraczeski, and Rachel Lambert.

Heather’s love of all genres of dance has led her to explore the teaching methodology of many different syllabi of all subjects of dance. From studying with the gymnastic coaches of Kent State University to experiencing the Vagonova, Cecchetti, and Royal Academy of Dance ballet syllabi, Heather believes the more she understands about dance the more she has to offer her students. At the age of five, Heather began her dance training in Cecchetti ballet and gymnastics with Elaine Trenta. After her teacher moved, Heather was introduced to tap and jazz when she entered Audrey Winter’s School of Dance. Audrey became Heather’s role model and mentored Heather when she opened Step N’ Time in 1991 and was a key part of the school until her death. At fifteen, Heather entered the dance department of the University of South Florida as a special student. Heather began to learn the Vagonova Ballet Syllabus with Gretchen Ward Warren and modern dance with the beloved William Hug. Heather was the first recipient of the Henri Parrish Memorial Jazz Scholarship, her jazz mentor. 

Student Teacher & Administrative Assistant

Kaylee Griffin

She started dancing at six years old and joined the SDA family five years ago. Her favorite styles of dance are contemporary, ballet, and tap. She is 16 years old and a senior at Lecanto High School. She loves animals – especially her two dogs, cat and two fish – and spending time with her friends and family. She’s active in her church youth group and participates in MedShare and student government at her school. One of her favorite things to do when she’s not busy with school or at dance is to sleep. She loves teaching dance and leads our Creative class. She is a role model for all dancers and she works for SDA doing all the things.

Our Front Desk/Reception Faces 

Miss Barb

She is Miss Rachel's mom and got "volunteered" for this job. She works in the public school system during the "day" and spends a few evenings with us.
She's married to Mr. Howard (who also helps out with the handiwork around the studio). 
​A few things she enjoys are Lightning Hockey (Go Bolts!), spending time with her family, driving her Mustang, crafting, and going to the beach. 

Miss Virginia

She is a family friend who volunteered to team up and work with Miss Millie. 
She supports and/or volunteers for many organizations including her church, the Salvation Army, CASA, the Moose Lodge and is President of the Floral City Lions Club. 
She lived in Chicago before moving to Florida and retired from United Airlines.
Miss Virginia loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. She enjoys traveling, baking delicious cakes and spends her free time doing crafts.  You'll see her driving her Mustang convertible.

Miss Alma

She’s a family and church friend and got volunteered for this job too - trying to give Miss Barb a night off.  She’s “retired” but volunteers with several different organizations every day of the week.
She’s married to Mr. Luis . They love their animals, three dogs - Penny, Blue, and Captain and a cat, Miss Kitty. 
Her hobbies are watching football and NASCAR, going to the beach, kayaking, and relaxing at home watching TV (Siesta Key and The Housewives).

Miss Millie 

She is Miss Rachel's grandmother, or Grammy as most of us know her. That's right, three generations in one studio! 
You'll find her bowling - almost every day of the week, baking the best chocolate chip cookies, and cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays.
A few things she enjoys are being with her family (especially her grandchildren), making quilts for the animal shelter and other various sewing projects.  
One of her favorite pastimes is playing Words With Friends. 

Miss Kim

She is a family friend who “volunteered” for this job too. She works with her husband, Mr. Bill, a few days a week. (Mr. Bill helps us out with handiwork and recital too!) They moved to Citrus County from “down south” after he retired from law enforcement in Miami.  
She has two grown children who are first responders.  Her daughter is in nursing and her son is in law enforcement. She loves her fur babies - Shelby (golden doodle), Minnie (maltipoo), and Kiki (the cat).
She enjoys all things Disney and is an annual pass holder. The Food & Wine Festival is one of her favorites. She too enjoys driving her Mustang (that’s how our families met).

Mr. Bobby

He is Miss Rachel's husband and helps out as needed.
He is a professor at the University of Tampa, one of his alma maters (he has three 3 but that's what happens when you have a PhD.). 
He runs Winsler Consutling and Advocacy and is one of our neighbors in the plaza.
A few things he enjoys are spending time with Miss Rachel, watching sports (especially baseball and Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey) and his dog, Zooey. He is a rower and helps coach the ROCCS rowing team in his spare time.