Passion for Dance

Teacher, Choreographer, and Cultivator of Dance Excellence

Angel Fraser-Logan is an accomplished dancer and nationally renowned choreographer with a diverse background spanning all genres of dance. She is the owner and artistic director of Dance Empire of Miami, now in its 28th season, and the founder of the nonprofit youth dance company, AFL Dance Co. (AFLDC).

Angel studied ballet under Martha Mahr and developed her modern jazz style under the guidance of Mia Michaels. In 1991, she began sharing her talents and passion with students, developing a profound love for teaching and choreography. Her dedication to the craft earned her the prestigious Dance Educators of America Choreographic Award in both 1996 and 1997, as well as the Music in Motion Award from the same organization.

In 1999, Angel was selected as the Jazz Dance Representative for all Miami-Dade County Magnet Middle and High Schools. To present, she is still involved with this organization. By 2000, Dancer magazine recognized Dance Empire of Miami as one of the country’s strongest dance schools, featuring them in their televised “Up Close and Personal” interviews.

Angel’s choreography began to flourish, attracting interest from studios and professional contemporary companies nationwide. Despite offers from various locations, Angel remained rooted in Miami to build her legacy. In the summer of 2002, she showcased her work at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, where she earned the Bronze Medal. Her success led to additional offers from Euro Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines.

In 2003, Angel and two of her students competed on the nationally televised talent show Star Search, hosted by Arsenio Hall. They won the finals for two consecutive seasons, showcasing Angel’s exceptional choreography and unbeatable talent. That same year, she was invited to perform at the Theater of the Performing Arts for the Black American Film Festival and at the Fisher Island Benefit in Miami.

During the summer of 2003, Angel choreographed for the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, which premiered globally. Her work received high praise from The Village Voice, which described it as “moving both figuratively and literally, exquisitely provocative.”

In 2004, Angel founded AFL Dance Co., a nonprofit youth dance company. She debuted her original production Away You Go, choreographed and staged in May of that year, featuring live vocals from “Fisher the Band.” The show received rave reviews from both The Miami Herald and Miami New Times.

Today, Angel’s former students are members of prestigious companies such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet BC, Netherlands Dance Theater, and Alonzo Kings Lines. They have danced for top artists, including Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Usher, and Taylor Swift, and have toured with Broadway productions like West Side Story, 42nd Street, Wicked, In the Heights, and Hamilton. Many of her dancers have won national titles, received invitations to professional companies, and earned scholarships to elite arts programs, including Juilliard.

Angel remains dedicated to training and nurturing future generations of dancers, ensuring their growth as both artists and individuals, while continuing to leave an indelible mark on the dance world.

Marion-Skye Brooke Logan was born and raised in Miami Florida. As a native to Miami, Fl, Brooke grew up predominantly learning hip hop and jazz under the direction of Angel Fraser Logan and Tawanna Hall, training at Dance Empire of Miami for her entire childhood. After graduating high school she studied at Florida State University as a dance major. She was a member of the 2012-2013 FSU Golden Girl Dance Team. After returning from FSU Brooke took an internship with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company through Brazil and Argentina. She has studied for two summers at the San Fransisco Conservatory and was accepted as the resident choreographer for the summer 2014 for the San Fran Conservatory Summer Session. Later she received a full scholarship for the New World School of the Arts College Dance Program and recently graduated from NWSA College with her BFA in Dance.

In her later study’s, she discovered ballet techniques, traditional modern, and the language of Gaga. Brooke also spent her college career learning various repertoires such as works from Robert Battle, Paul Taylor, and Ohad Naharin. She also had her work showcased each year as a selected choreographer. Brooke is most recently the assistant to Alvin Ailey dancer and choreographer Jamar Roberts, and assisted him in his first creation on the company “Members Don’t Get Weary”. Professionally, Brooke recently held the principle role in Robert’s full length work, The House of the Most Loved. Brooke furthered her dance education this summer (2018) at Jacobs Pillow where she was selected for their summer intensive program. In the future, Brooke hopes to continue to learn and grow through the study of Gaga and plans to be involved in the Dance world, whether it’s performing in repertoire, being a part of the process to create them, or creating them herself.

Presently she is teaching at Dance Empire of Miami, from the young children’s Kinderdance program to the Elite Company dancers where she sharing her Gaga technique and passions of dance. Brooke is once again this year the assistant to Alvin Ailey dancer and choreographer Jamar Roberts, and assisted him in the creation on the company “Ode”, as well as she assisted him on his choreography on the Julliard School and will assist him with the New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet in the upcoming months.

Balli Logan was born and raised in Miami Florida; She trained at Dance Empire of Miami in all genres of dance since the age of two, training predominantly in jazz and hip hop under the direction of Angel Fraser Logan and Tawanna Hall. Through the years she has had the opportunity to train with master teachers and choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Jamar Roberts, Dee Caspary, Mandy Moore and Bobby Newberry to name a few. Miss Logan graduated from Westminster Christian School in 2015 and then studied at Florida State University as a dance major. While at FSU Miss Logan was a member of the 2015-2016 FSU Golden Girl Dance Team. She graduated from Florida State University May 2019 with a major in Psychology. Upon returning from FSU Miss Logan returned to Dance Empire of Miami to give back her passion for dance to the upcoming dancers and she was the 2019-2020 Dance Teacher for Miami Palmetto Senior High School.

Throughout his youth he also trained at the Dance Empire of Miami under the direction of Angel Fraser Logan. Shortly after graduation he moved to New York to train as a fellowship student at The Ailey School. Mr. Roberts was a member of Ailey II in 2001 and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He is currently a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 2002. Having resided in New York for over a decade now, Jamar has had the privilege of working with some of the best choreographers in the business such as, Judith Jamison, Ohad Naharin, Kyle Abraham, Robert Battle, Geoffery Holder, Dwight Rhoden, Wayne McGregor, Mauro Bigonzetti, Alonzo King, Roland K. Brown and many others.

Along with extensive touring in the U.S. and Internationally with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jamar has made several appearances on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing With The Stars”, BET 106 and Park, and “LIVE with Michael and Kelly”. He has also made guest appearances at the Vail International Dance Festival, “Stars of the 21 Century” Ballet Gala 2013, and the Youth American Grande Prix 2014 Semi-Finals Gala in Cordoba, Mexico. And In 2007 he was nominated Dance Magazine’s "Top 25 To Watch”.

With a wealth of knowledge and experienced gained from being such an accomplished dance artist, Jamar Roberts has now began to create his own choreographic works. His first work “213 And What Goes Down” earned him a spot as a semi-finalist at the Capezio A.C.E Awards Dance Competition. Since then he has created “Ole Acholi” for the PLGDT (Peter London Global Dance Theater), “Elegiac Lament” for the ADRF (Ailey Dancers Resource Fund), “Converge”, choreographed for himself and fellow dancer Alicia Graf-Mack, and now for the AFLDC his latest work titled “Veil”.

Melissa Marcus Vicente was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She trained at Joe Michael’s Dance Studio under Mia and Dana Michaels and was a member of the Miami Movement Dance Company. She continued to dance throughout high school, but ultimately decided to focus on training in sport baton twirling. She is a two-time World Baton Twirling Champion in the team event and former US Grand National Twirling Champion. She was also the featured baton twirler at Florida State University and the University of Miami.

She is the director and choreographer of Synergy Twirl Club, four-time National dance twirl team champions and the 2015 International Cup Team A Champions. She has been teaching dance and baton twirling from preschool age children to adults since 2005.

She completed her Masters and Doctoral degree in Exercise Physiology and Educational Research at the University of Miami and a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science and Sport Nutrition at Florida State University. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the physiological profile of modern dancers, sport baton twirlers, and competitive cheerleaders.

Melissa recently became Dance Empire's Communication Director which has greatly improved all communications between our students, parents and the teachers.

Stephanie Franco is a traveling choreographer, teacher, and movement artist based out of Miami, Florida. She is a versatile creator, with an evolving focus in contemporary and improv. Under the cohesive training of John Culbertson and Cookie Ramos, she deepened her journey at a local Dance Studio in Miami, as their contemporary instructor.

In and out of living in Los Angeles, she has worked with world-renowned choreographers such as Mia Michaels & trained under the direction of Erica Sobol, in deep process with artists such as Medhi Walerski, Tilman O’Donnell, Jermaine Spivey, and Adi Salant.

Living in Miami, developing as an artist, she pushes her awareness working with mentor Michelle Murray as a member of Jubilation Dance Ensemble. She is a catalyst for artistic expression in constant research, through spiritual resonance and abstract motion. Fostering an environment for all bodies she aims to help movers develop their own voice in embodied creativity and vulnerability.

She has also embarked on projects with Pioneer Winter, Dale Andree, Adele Myers, Hattie Mae Williams, Valeria Valleto and Urban Bush Women to name some. She was an artist in residency with Grass Stains ’22 under Pioneer Winter and Ana Sanchez & Miami DanceMakers ’22 under Adele Myers. She is currently a member of Syncopate Collective & NWD Projects under Dale Andree, along studying as a cohort of Rennie Harris University. She has also embarked on community engagement with Breakthrough Miami. Teaching dance on a deeper level is her virtue, constantly exploring through movement and beyond.

Nicole Perez was born and raised in Miami Florida where she trained in jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop and ballroom. She has worked with many choreographers such as, Mia Michaels, Jamar Roberts, Teddy Forance, and John Crutchman. Nicole has been seen on America’s got talent, Youtube series One Shot, and has also danced on The X-Factor. More recently, she was the assistant for West Coast Dance Explosion, has danced for Affinity Dance Company, and is a teacher on Ascend Dance Convention. Currently, she continues to travel around the country training and choreographing for studios all over and is based in Gilbert, Arizona at Artistic Motion Dance.

Shanheem Pierre has been dancing in the Elite Company of Dance Empire since 2008. She graduated New World School of the Arts Dance Program and attended New World’s College on a full Dance Scholarship. She has trained in all genres of dance and is now eagerly giving back her passion and talents to our Dance Empire students. Shanheem trains dancers in all genres of dance and is quite the choreographer, winning choreography awards at different competitions.