5619 N. 5th Street 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19120
Email: TPDS1099@gmail.com
Phone: 267-971-4805​
Our Directors
Our directors at The Pointe! Dance Studio are truly the heart and soul of our organization. They have an infectious love for the arts, and their spirit and passion is reflected in every aspect of our studio. Get to know them better by reading their bios below.
Charell Chestang
Founder and Executive Director
Charell Chestang a native of Philadelphia, PA began dancing at the age of 9 under the direction of Mrs. Cheryl Gains-Jenkins at the La-Cher-Tari Dance Studio. Charell’s love for dance grew quickly as she extended her passion for the arts. Charell studied in studios such as Progressive Center for Dance know known as Ms. Carol’s Center for Dance, Philadelphia Dance Arts, Alvin Ailey, and the Pennsylvania Academy of The Ballet. She also performed in dance companies: THJ Dance ensemble and Grace Dance Theater (Formerly known as The Company Grace) where her talent earned her the title of principle dancer.
Ballet is Charell's forte and favorite genre of dance. There are many great pioneers in dance that Charell has had the pleasure of studying under:
Marion Cuyjet (who took a special interest in Charell), John Hines, Craig “Spider” Moore, Elmer Skeets Ball, Delphine Mantz, Carol Butcher and Melvin Purnell just to name a few.
Charell’s commitment and dedication to dance was and still is inspiring! After all of her teachings and experience it was destined for Charell to pioneer her very own dance studio and bring her unique vision to real life. With humble beginnings in October of 1999 The Pointe! Dance Studio began in the basement of a Mt. Airy row home with 17 girls enrolled in the program. Each year the program gained more and more students, and the recitals are known for leaving audiences in awe!.
Charell’s love for the arts have touched the lives of many and remain in the hearts of the performers that she has so diligently trained.
Ms. Charell is a Philadelphia Public school teacher that holds a BA in early childhood education, a masters in education and a master in leadership. She loves spending time with her dancers, family, friends and most of al her daughter Alana and her fur baby Gabanna.
Stephanie Demby
Artistic Director
Stephanie Demby-Afum, the recently appointed Director of Dance at the Creative and Performing Arts High School of Philadelphia (CAPA), realized her love and dedication to dance at an early age. She began formally training at the age of six at the Progressive Center for Dance before going on to study dance at CAPA. She later received her B.F.A. in Theater Arts with a concentration in Dance from the Howard University School of Fine Arts. Stephanie, a native Philadelphian, has performed with many companies and renowned choreographers. In 2012, Stephanie was a recipient of Dance UP's Rocky Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Philadelphia dance community. She is currently the Artistic Director of Grace Dance Theater Inc. in West Philadelphia. With over 20 years of experience her background includes performing, choreographing shows and major events, and teaching classes at various studios in the tri-state area.
Kareem Goodwin
Assistant Artistic Director
Kareem B. Goodwin, a native of Philadelphia, PA, began his dance journey at the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center. Here, he received formal training under renowned choreographers such as Charon Mapp, Wayne St. David, Anthony Burrell, and Faye Snow.
Afterwards, Kareem pursued his education at The University of the Arts. He focused on Jazz Dance with a special emphasis on Choreography, and his talent was recognized when he was awarded the Choreography prize upon graduation.
Throughout his career, Kareem has had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed choreographers including Christopher L. Huggins, Louis Johnson, Ronen Koresh, Gary W. Jeter II, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Dara Meredith, Kirven Douhit-Boyd Zane Booker, and Arthur Mitchell.
Currently, Kareem serves as the Assistant Artistic Director of The Pointe! Dance Studio.
In addition to being a dancer and educator , Kareem is an accomplished choreographer. He has set works on various dance companies and institutions such as Drexel University, 6 O’clock Dance Theatre, West Chester University, State University of New York (Oneonta Campus), and Eleone Dance Theatre.
Kareem's is also the Director of Grace Dance Theater 2. Furthermore, he is the Resident Choreographer for Washington D.C.'s Dissonance Dance Theater. Together with the dance company’s Artistic Director, Shawn Short, he co-choreographed the film "MUTE: Dance Silenced by COVID," which won the prestigious Best Dance Film award at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Kareem continues to make significant contributions to the world of dance through his artistry, teaching, and choreographic work.