Who Is Ritz Dance Lab?
NEALEY RITZEL
CREATIVE DIRECTOR / OWNER
Ritz Dance Lab was born from a dream... one that had been growing quietly for years, waiting for the right moment to take center stage. Built on passion, creativity, and a deep love for performance, the Lab isn't just another dance studio in Southern Illinois... it's a movement. A place for dancers to not only grow in their technique but to find their artistic voice, embrace individuality, and train in an environment that feels both professional and personal.
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At the heart of Ritz Dance Lab is founder Nealey Ritzel, a professional choreographer and coach from Nashville, IL with an unstoppable drive and a résumé that spans the country. Nealey began training at the early age of three in jazz, hip hop, ballet, and tap. Of them all, tap has always held a special place in her heart. Over the course of 13 years, she traveled from New York to L.A. performing, competing, assisting, and training under some of the industry's most celebrated names. Her powerful stage presence and electric performance quality earned her numerous national titles and a reputation as a true standout.
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Nealey continued her dance career at Ball State University as a member of the nationally recognized Code Red Dance Team. She was honored as “Code Red Member of the Year” during her junior season and served as team captain her senior year. During this time, she trained at Pro Action Dance in Las Vegas with powerhouse choreographers. Her professional journey has led her across the country, choreographing for studios, middle schools, high schools, and collegiate dance teams, all while serving as a coach for both the middle and high school teams in Nashville.
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Many of Nealey’s students have gone on to dance on college teams, sign with top agencies, perform on major stages, and even appear in national ad campaigns and Disney productions. Her impact on the next generation of dancers is already undeniable, and Ritz Dance Lab is her latest and most personal way to take that impact even further.
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With state-of-the-art Marley spring floors, full-length mirrors, and high-quality sound systems, Ritz Dance Lab is built to inspire. Every inch of the space was designed to help dancers thrive, dream bigger, and work harder, all while having fun. The mission is simple: to craft strong, confident performers while making dance accessible, exciting, and empowering.
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The future of dance in Southern Illinois is just beginning… and it's happening right here, at Ritz Dance Lab.
LETICIA DE MELO LAKE
BALLET INSTRUCTOR
Leticia comes to Ritz Dance Lab from Brazil with an extensive background in ballet! She has been passionate about dance since childhood. Leticia started dancing at age 3 in a small school with a simpler methodology. At age 8, she joined IOA and later moved to Danzari Dance Studio, where she began traveling and competing ballet, lyrical jazz, jazz dance and contemporary. She had the privilege of participating in events like the Joinville Dance Festival, one of the most celebrated dance competitions in Brazil. At 15, Leticia became an assistant teacher, and by 18, she was teaching her own classes, working with students of all ages. As an adult, she worked as an assistant at Premier and as a teacher at Estúdio Andressa Fit, while continuing to take classes at IOA to refine her technique. She has experience with both the Classical Cuban method and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method.
For Leticia, dance is not just a passion, it’s a way to express creativity, discipline, and love.
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