Together, our team brings decades of combined experience from every side of the dance industry. From leading and producing premier dance events to experiencing the industry firsthand as dancers, coaches, and event professionals, we understand what makes a dance event truly exceptional. Every decision we make is driven by a shared passion for the dancer experience and a commitment to creating innovative, intentional events where dancers, coaches, studio owners, and families feel valued from the moment they arrive. At Center Line Dance Events, we’re not just hosting competitions, we’re setting a new standard and redefining what a dance event can be.
MEET OUR TEAM
Cheryl Passalacqua
Owner + President
Cheryl Passalacqua has spent nearly two decades helping shape the All-Star dance industry, building experiences and opportunities that have changed the landscape of competitive dance. From launching The Dance Summit and The Groove Experience under Varsity Brands to creating and founding Stage 8 Dance Brands, her career has been defined by a commitment to moving dance forward. Cheryl's dance training began as a competitive studio dancer at the age of 8 in Louisville, KY. Later, she was drawn to the athleticism of the dance team industry and transitioned from solely competing in studio dance to being a member of the Louisville Male High School dance team. This foundation helped prepare and train Cheryl to be a collegiate dancer for the University of Louisville Ladybirds where she gained 3 NDA Collegiate National titles. Cheryl completed her competitive career as a dancer and graduate from Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, HI where she holds a Bachelor's degree in Justice Administration. For more than 15 summers, Cheryl led and instructed camps for Universal Dance Association with Varsity Brands. She was a part of UDA’s College and Elite instructional staff teaching dancers across the US and internationally. As a distinguished UDA State Director from 2005-2011, Cheryl hosted Regional Championships, hired/trained UDA Staff and conducted conferences for Dance Team Coaches in IN, KY, MI, OH, and TN. Her experience as a dancer, educator and choreographer has ultimately become the foundation for a career focused on creating better experiences for dancers at every level. Cheryl went on to become a driving force behind some of the most influential events in All-Star dance. In 2010, she co-founded and launched The Groove Experience under Varsity, one of the first competition brands built exclusively for the All-Star dancer. During her time with Varsity All-Star, Cheryl launched The Dance Summit, helping establish an end-of-season championship experience that would become a cornerstone of the All-Star dance calendar. In 2020, Cheryl took another major step forward as the Creator and Founder of Stage 8 Dance Brands, helping build one of the industry’s top All-Star companies dedicated exclusively to dance. Through Stage 8, she continued developing new events, concepts, partnerships, and opportunities that challenged what dancers and coaches could expect from the competition experience and helped inspire continued growth and innovation within the All-Star Dance Market. Her influence extends beyond producing competitive dance events. Cheryl has served the USASF through numerous leadership roles and currently sits as the Co-Chair for the Dance Worlds Advisory Board. Additionally, Cheryl serves on numerous committees for the USASF such as the Dance Rules Committee, Dance Sanctioning Committee and Dance Advisory Board. Her decades of experience have given her a unique perspective on the evolution of All-Star dance and an enduring commitment to helping move the industry forward. Today, Cheryl brings that vision to Center Line Dance Events as the Owner and Founder. Building on a career defined by creating what comes next, she is once again focused on raising the standard for competitive dance and designing innovative experiences centered around the dancers, coaches, and programs they serve.
Janna Thomas
Vice President
Janna’s passion for dance began at the age of two and has grown into a career dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for dancers of all ages. She competed with Larkin Dance Studio, served as captain of the University of Minnesota Dance Team during its inaugural double National Championship season, and proudly represented the United States as a member of the gold medal-winning USA Pom and Jazz National Team. As her career evolved, Janna discovered that her greatest passion extends beyond performing - it was creating experiences that inspire, educate, and connect the dance community. Working alongside Cheryl Passalacqua, she helped build Stage 8 Dance Brands and developed the concept for The Dance Connection, introducing the first convention experience in the All-Star dance space. Janna brings more than 15 years of experience as an instructor, choreographer, judge, and event professional. She is a former UDA Head Instructor who has choreographed camp routines, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade performances, and routines for nationally recognized high school and collegiate programs. She has judged studio, school, collegiate, and All-Star competitions throughout the United States and around the world, including serving on the Pom judging panel at the ICU World Championships. She currently serves on several USASF boards and is a former member of the USASF National Advisory Board. Through her work with the International Cheer Union (ICU), the international governing body for Cheerleading and Performance Cheer (dance), Janna has helped develop education, training, and certification programs for judges, coaches, and event officials. She has conducted educational programs in more than 40 countries and continues to support the organization's global marketing and communications initiatives for the sport worldwide. Janna is thrilled to begin this next chapter with Center Line Dance Events and to inspire exceptional experiences where dancers feel encouraged, coaches and studio owners feel supported, lasting connections are built, and unforgettable memories are made. She looks forward to sharing her love of dance, exploring new possibilities, and creating fresh, meaningful experiences that celebrate the incredible people who make up the dance community.
Molly Williams
Marketing Director
Molly Williams has spent two decades in All-Star dance, with experience on nearly every side of the industry as a competitor, coach, choreographer, event professional, marketer, and program leader. That unique perspective has shaped her passion for creating meaningful experiences for dancers, coaches, and programs throughout the industry. Molly grew up in All-Star dance, earning numerous national titles and competing at The Dance Worlds multiple times, including earning a bronze medal in Open Jazz. Her passion for performing led her to coaching and choreography, giving her the opportunity to shape the dancer experience from the other side of the competition floor. Molly also studied Dance Performance at Northern Kentucky University before earning her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Pikeville, bringing together her lifelong foundation in dance with an education in business. Her career has since expanded into event operations, marketing, social media, and program development. A defining part of Molly’s career has been her leadership of the Stage 8 Dance Brands Ambassador Program. As the first Lead Ambassador and later the Program Director, Molly played a leading role in building the first-of-its-kind program from its early stages into an influential platform for young leaders in All-Star dance. Under Molly’s leadership, it grew in both reach and purpose, creating opportunities for professional development, hands-on event experience, content creation, and meaningful industry connections—and ultimately setting the precedent for the ambassador and leadership programs now seen throughout All-Star dance. For Molly, dance competitions have never been simply about awards or placements. Some of her most meaningful memories were created at dance events, and those experiences continue to shape the work she does today. At Center Line Dance Events, she is passionate about leading the industry by creating innovative, intentional events where dancers feel celebrated, connections are formed, and moments on and off the stage become the core memories they carry with them forever.
Liz Rifino
Judging & Scoring Director
Liz brings decades of experience in dance education, choreography, judging, scoring, and event leadership to her role as Judging and Scoring Director for Center Line Dance Events. Liz studied on scholarship at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City, training extensively in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip-hop, and theatre dance. After several seasons with the NJ Dance Theatre Guild Ballet Company, she attended Rutgers University, where she served as captain and choreographer of the university’s dance team before eventually becoming its coach. During this time, she also began teaching, choreographing, and performing for Universal Dance Association. Her career with Varsity continued as Director of Choreography for UDA’s High School and College summer programs and later with Varsity’s International Dance Division. She went on to serve as Judging and Scoring Director for Stage 8 Dance Brands, where she played an integral role in hiring and overseeing judging and scoring across its dance events. Liz currently serves as Performance Cheer Director for the International Cheer Union (ICU). As the developer and certifier of the ICU Judges and Coaches Training Courses, she has worked with leading programs around the world and judged numerous international championships. Most recently, she served as Head Judge for the Pom Doubles Division at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China. Now, as Judging and Scoring Director for Center Line Dance Events, Liz brings that depth of knowledge and global experience to selecting and leading an exceptional judging panel and overseeing judging on-site at all Center Line Dance events.