Judges

Emily Jeffries, an Ohio native, is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and adjudicator residing in New York City. Emily graduated from Point Park University‘s Conservatory of Performing Arts with a bachelor of fine arts in jazz dance. Most recently, Emily was seen performing in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Orb Theatre in “Broadway Christmas Wonderland”, and in Times Square for New Year’s Eve as a dancer with Pzazz Productions for 2024, 2025, and 2026. Emily was also recently seen performing in the Lucille Lortel Awards in New York City as a swing for a section of “Contact” choreographed by Susan Stroman and set by Tome’ Cousin. Other career highlights include performing at the Jarvis Estate in Napa Valley, CA, as a Can-Can Dancer in the “Cabaret Cabernet”, dancing for Dublin Worldwide Production’s “Christmas on Ice” at the Fallsview Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and at the Eldorado Showroom in Reno, NV, dance captain for “Cinderella”at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, and performing as a swing for a reconstruction of “Rich Man’s Frug” with the Fosse Verdon Legacy. She is currently earning her Master’s in Dance Education from Point Park University. Emily is represented artistically by Nick Baldasare with YOU Talent Agency.

Hailing from the Washington, DC area, Geralyn Ward has dedicated over four decades to teaching dance. Her exceptional talent and commitment have earned her numerous awards for choreography, overall achievement, and high scores at regional, national, and world competitions.
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Geralyn’s passion for dance began as a competitive dance student. She pursued her love for the art by majoring in dance at the University of Georgia and George Mason University, where she also performed with their prestigious dance companies.
Geralyn’s students have gone on to achieve remarkable success—performing on Broadway, on cruise ships, in music videos, and as teachers, judges, and directors of esteemed dance competitions. She teaches all ages, from toddlers to adults, in a variety of dance styles.
In addition to teaching, Geralyn has served as a judge on the regional and national competition circuit for over 25 years. Recently, her students and choreography have been showcased in iconic venues like New York City and Walt Disney World.
Geralyn’s passion and dedication have not gone unnoticed; she was named Favorite Dance Instructor in Loudoun County, Virginia, by Loudoun Now for seven consecutive years (2018–2024). Her enduring love for dance and her students continues to inspire her work every day.

Jarin began dancing at the age of three. She danced competitively through various genres around the Midwest. While earning her Education Degree, she danced with a collegiate company, as well as the Fever Inferno hip hop squad for the WNBA for five seasons.

Continuing on with sports entertainment, she danced another five seasons with the Indiana Pacemates NBA dance team. Not only did the opportunity allow her to dance with individuals from around the world, it gave her the chance to represent the team at Pro Camps and across the globe in China.

Jarin is grateful and honored to be back in studios teaching jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop and technique. She enjoys working with competitive teams and looks forward to another season of judging to share her education with those that hit the stage.

Konner is a seasoned entertainment professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Starting his dance journey at the age of 12, Konner immersed himself in various styles, including jazz, ballet, lyrical, tap, modern, musical theatre, contemporary, and hip-hop. His passion for performance led him to the world’s biggest stages including various theme parks, theaters, and cruise lines where he was a Dancer, Aerialist, Dance Captain, and Company Manager. In his dance career, Konner also taught at numerous studios and dance teams across the Midwest, sharing his expertise and love for dance with the next generation of performers. Now based in Atlanta, he combines his flair for storytelling and entertainment as an Unscripted Casting Producer, contributing to hit shows including American Idol, MasterChef, and LEGO Masters. Thrilled to be part of the NexStar family, Konner aims to empower and uplift dancers, helping them reach their highest potential in artistry, performance, and technique. Konner’s extensive background and passion make him a fun and engaging judge who brings both warmth and wisdom to every competition!

Kym began her dance training at the age of three and has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, musical theatre, lyric, and contemporary. She has been a dance educator for more than 35 years studying in Boston, New York, and California and has a wealth of experience in varied dance genres. She has proven herself in the competition industry through her award winning choreography and competitive success of her students. They have won many prestigious awards, nationally and internationally, and have obtained professional careers as dancers with Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise ships, So You Think You Can Dance, New England Patriots Cheerleading, and on Broadway. Growing up she was involved in the pageant circuit and has coached many students participating in the Miss America and Miss Teen USA Pageant program. Kym’s greatest joy is teaching and instilling her
love of dance into students of all levels and ages and as a judge seeing each performer come alive on stage!

Lily Flanders, an Orlando native, is a versatile dancer and performer with a broad range of
experience. She began her professional career at 18 in “Jungle Book: Alive with Magic” at Walt
Disney World. After living in Japan for a year performing at Tokyo Disney Resort in “One Man’s
Dream II”, she moved to New York City, studied at Steps on Broadway, and danced at Lincoln
Center in the 2018 “Table of Silence Project”. Lily’s love for travel led her to perform as both a
dancer and aerialist with Celebrity Cruises for three contracts, and later return to Tokyo for
“Broadway Christmas Wonderland” in 2022. Her U.S. credits include performing in
“Extravaganza: The Vegas Spectacular” at Bally’s Las Vegas and “The All New Piano Men” at
the Palace Theatre in New Hampshire. She is excited to be a part of the Nexstar panel of
judges and wishes all dancers the best of luck!

Missy is excited to be judging with Nexstar for the 2026 Season! She grew up dancing in her hometown of Denver, Colorado at the age of two. Starting her professional career during her high school. Her credits include performing for the Rockies and the Broncos as a back-up dancer for Kenny Loggins and performing for the Olympic Committee in her dance group, “The Silhouettes’ ‘. Once she graduated high school she attended The Boston Conservatory for dance. While in school she worked with choreographers such as Stacy Tookey, Tammy Dyke-Compton, and Antonio Brown. She is lucky enough to have booked her first Professional Dance Contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines while auditioning on a whim during spring break. Dancing for Royal Caribbean from 2016 to 2018 traveling around the Caribbean. After Royal Caribbean she moved to New York and was hired by Step One Dance Company as a Dance Captain. While working with Step One Dance Company she has performed and worked with choreographers such as, Melanie Lewis, Brittney Cherry,
Benji Shwimmer, Talia Flavia and Ronnie Todoworski. During her time in New York, Missy has also trained with The Radio City Rockettes during her summers back on land. While not dancing, Missy is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Nutrition Coach, and Marathon Runner. She has been coaching people all over the USA for the last 4 years. Her passion is teaching dancers how to be strong in their dancing and to show them what they are truly capable of by giving them the foundation of technique and strength to drive them to their goals.

Sara hails from the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, where she was born and raised. From
the tender age of two, she immersed herself in the world of dance, stepping onto the
competition stage at just four years old. Blessed with the opportunity to train at
esteemed institutions across the industry, Sara honed her skills at renowned centers
such as Broadway Dance Center, EDGE Performing Arts Center, Giordano Dance
Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Dance Company and Dance 101.
Her journey in dance has taken her both nationally and internationally, gracing stages for
prestigious brands and events including Bloomingdales, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta
Airlines, JLL, Music Midtown, National Auto Sales, Peloton, SEC Championship Game,
Siemens, and Walt Disney World.
Beyond the spotlight, Sara has shared her passion for dance as a teacher and
choreographer in numerous studios, while also captivating audiences as a performer
with various entertainment companies. Seasonally, she imparts her knowledge and
expertise as she guides and mentors aspiring contestants for upcoming pageants.
Currently calling Stamford, CT home, Sara proudly celebrates her sixteenth season as an adjudicator.

Taylor Gordon is an international dancer, creator, and educator based in NYC for 20 years. Performance credits include: Metropolitan Opera Ballet (Lincoln Center), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (4 seasons), Angelina Ballerina (off-Broadway/US tour), Kennedy Center, & Carnegie Hall, NY City Center Encores! pre pro, Exit12 Dance Company, Black Iris Project, Dublin Worldwide Productions, TUI Cruises. Choreography credits include: Princeton University, STEPS Beyond Foundation, Dixon Place, “Juliette’s Miracle” film, Jazz Choreography Enterprises, Uptown Rising, Asian-American Film Awards, Women in Motion, Queens Outdoor Dance Festival, DanceAction Garden Series, Nacre Dance Group, T2 Dance Company, LILA Dance Festival. Teaching: NY Film Academy, United Nations Ballet Club, BDC, India, Japan, China, Indonesia, Peridance, Gibney Dance. Featured in NYTimes, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX5, The Times of India, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher Magazine, United Airlines Magazine. Taylor has been a Resident Director for Dublin Worldwide Productions since 2019. She recently attended Dance Lab NY’s Broadway Choreography Intensive and has assisted several Broadway choreographers as a Show Supervisor for RWS Global. She has danced across 50 countries and counting.

Tonya Ferrucci began her dance training at the age of three and has studied under the late Bette-Ann Monti Rossi for the past 30 years. Her dance training is both extensive and impressive and she was well known in the competition world winning many prestigious regional and national awards. She has trained in Boston, New York, and spent a brief time in California pursuing her dancing career. She was the owner and director of APAC Dance, Inc., one of the most successful studios in the New England area. Her students have won many prestigious regional and national awards including Petite Miss Dance of New England; Petite Miss American Dance Awards, Junior Miss Candance North America, dance-off champions and many national dance scholarships. Her students were gold medal World Dance Champions for the United States in Reisa, Germany. Her unique choreography has been the recipient of many regional and national awards as well. Tonya loves sharing her passion of the artform dance to the next generation of artists.