Founded in 2011 by Richelle Sauceda, Pleasant Hill Dance Academy has become a cornerstone of dance education in our community — a place where dancers of all ages and levels are encouraged to grow, shine, and discover their potential. At PHDA, we combine high-quality instruction with a deep commitment to nurturing every dancer’s confidence, discipline, and love for the art. Our faculty includes accomplished professionals with real-world performance backgrounds and degrees in dance education, ensuring students receive technically sound, developmentally appropriate training in a supportive and encouraging environment. Whether your dancer dreams of the big stage or simply wants to move and express themselves, we believe in celebrating each unique journey — one step, one leap, one performance at a time.
Meet Our Team
Behind every great dancer is a great teacher. At PHDA, our faculty brings together years of professional performance experience, educational expertise, and a shared passion for helping students thrive. Our instructors are not only skilled dancers — they are mentors who create a positive, inclusive environment where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to grow.
Richelle Sauceda-Lyon
Owner/Studio Director/Teacher
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Richelle Sauceda is a native of Kansas City with a life long dream of owning her own dance studio. Miss Richelle brings with her 14 years of early dance training, 10 years of professional dance experience and over 25 years of teaching experience. Her training included multiple genres of dance, including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe & stage acrobatics, with studies in Kansas City, New York, Chicago & Arizona. She continues her training to this day at dance conventions and at Teacher events. Richelle's professional career started in Kansas City and ended up taking her worldwide on ships with both Celebrity and Princess Cruise Lines, to Las Vegas and to Branson, MO. Before opening her studio in Pleasant Hill Richelle taught at studios in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Springfield, MO and Lee's Summit, MO.
In addition to teaching and choreographing for her own award winning competition team, Miss Richelle works for several competitions teaching classes and serving as a judge. She has also choreographed the musicals for a local prominent private school for the last 13 years, along with show choirs for several local High Schools. She has received many regional and national awards for her choreography. Miss Richelle is thrilled that every day she has the opportunity to enhance and change lives through dance! |
Erin Dechman
Teacher/Competition Team Choreographer
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Erin Dechman grew up dancing, studying Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary and Hip Hop. She was a competitive dancer for 14 years and had the opportunity to perform at the Jazz World Conference, Miss America pageant and with the Chief Cheerleaders.
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Debbie Sauceda
Office Manager
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Miss Debbie is Miss Richelle's mother and has spent many years hanging out at the dance studio! After living in Branson for 9 years she moved to Pleasant Hill to help her daughter fulfill her dream of owning a dance studio. She loves watching all of the kids grow in their dance ability and their love for dance just as she watched Richelle do the same. Debbie is so proud of Richelle and the teacher she has become!
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Jesselynn Divish
Teacher
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Jesselynn is 18 years old. She took her first dance class when she was just 4 years old and has been dancing ever since. In her 14 years at PHDA, she has taken classes in all styles of dance, her favorites being tap, hip hop, and contemporary. She was a part of the competition team for 10 years and has danced both ensemble and lead roles in every PHDA production of The Nutcracker and Wizard of Oz. She also performed in the community production of The Music Man. She was a student teacher for 3 years and, having graduated, is returning to PHDA to teach for a fourth year.
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Renee Miller
Shine Teacher
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Renee started dancing at 3 years old and continued throughout college. She danced competitively at a young age, and also trained in cheerleading and gymnastics. She was a member of the Ray-Pec Prowlers dance team all four years of high school and was also a member of UCM’s Mulekickers throughout college. She danced professionally with the KC Wizards Dance Team (Now Sporting KC) and has always enjoyed making dance a part of her life.
Throughout college she had a desire to teach children the joy of dance and gymnastics, so she began teaching at Talent Central, where she really fell in love with educating others. Renee joins us to teach our SHINE class, an inclusive class for children with special needs. She loves to give all children the opportunity to experience the joy of dance and the pride of performing on stage! She loves to watch her daughter, who has special needs, overcome challenges and make lifelong friends in dance at PHDA. Renee lives in Pleasant Hill with her husband and three kids. She is excited to see each child make progress and have fun!! |
Lillian Sims
Teacher
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Lillian is a junior at Pleasant Hill High School. This is her 13th year dancing at PHDA and has been a member of the award winning dance team for 11 years. Lillian enjoys all classes offered at PHDA with her favorite style of dance being contemporary. Lillian has been both ensemble and lead roles in The Nutcracker and The Wizard of Oz. This will be Lillian’s 5th year demonstrating and is excited to say that she will be joining the PHDA teaching staff this year. She is excited to help kids grow not just as dancers but as individuals.
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Sophia Slaughter
Teacher
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Sophia is a junior at Pleasant Hill High School. She has been dancing for 13 years, and this will be her 8th year on the competition team. She loves all the styles PHDA offers, with jazz and lyrical being her favorites. Sophia has loved performing in The Wizard of Oz and The Nutcracker, where she has been cast in both lead and ensemble roles. She’s been a demonstrator for the past three years and is thrilled to officially join the teaching staff this year! Sophia loves hearing all about her students days and seeing their excitement when they master new tricks. She can’t wait to share her love for dance with all her students this year!
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Jadalyn Ransom
Aerial Silks/Lyra Instructor
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Miss Jade absolutely loves dancing! A classically trained ballerina growing up, she’s been dancing for 30+ years, & spent 15 years teaching many forms of movement, including Ballet, Zumba, Stretch & Pilates. Her professional dance career took her across the US, & she toured with Dramatic Truth Ballet Theatre in England & Hungary (fun fact—Jade turned 30 while in England!).
Jade began her aerial journey at Voler in 2019. She enjoys bringing her dancing skills to the aerial hoop (also called a lyra), & was thrilled to join Voler on the stage as Pegasus, for Flights of Myth & Mayhem in July of 2022. For this role Jade performed ballet on pointe, as well as the aerial hoop. Jade enjoys aerial so much because being in the air is the closest thing to flying there is! When not hanging upside down, Jade can be found out in the wilds on Smithville Lake, stand up paddle boarding for hours. Jade’s favorite thing in life is to hang out with her family—she has 4 kids, 2 year-old grandson, & a new grandbaby due in August. Jade loves helping to mentor future generations of circus performers, and is excited to teach kids aerial classes this fall! |
