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LabX Collective
Where Creativity Meets Community

Proud of Our Roots

With over 25 years of combined experience as dance instructors, the owners of LabX have earned a respected place in the dance community, recognized for their exceptional expertise, artistry, and passion. Their professional journey has taken them to prestigious studios across the nation, where they have trained extensively, shared their knowledge, and shaped the growth of countless dancers. Their unwavering dedication to the art of dance has not only refined their own craft but also left a lasting mark on the students and communities they’ve served.

Beyond the studio, they have successfully led competitive dance teams to multiple championship titles, demonstrating their ability to cultivate technical excellence, artistry, and a winning mindset. This success reflects their keen understanding of both the athletic and expressive dimensions of dance, making them highly adaptable and in-demand educators.

Building on this legacy, LabX now offers a full range of services designed to elevate dance education and expand access to quality instruction. These services include consulting for dance programs and organizations, curriculum writing tailored to diverse learning environments, professional development workshops for educators, partnerships with after-school programs, and immersive summer dance camps. Each offering is grounded in LabX’s proven instructional methods and commitment to fostering creativity, discipline, and community engagement.

In response to the evolving landscape of dance education—and the growing desire for high-quality, in-person learning—LabX is poised to expand its reach. By leveraging local studios, workshops, community events, and school partnerships, they aim to connect with aspiring dancers of all backgrounds. Through this new chapter, LabX will empower students, support educators, and inspire a vibrant, inclusive dance community that raises the standard of instruction and nurtures a shared passion for the art form.

Meet the Owners

Director of Artistic Engagement - Karon Johnson

Karon Johnson, known to her dancers as Coach Johnny, served as Dance Director and Head Coach of the Gwynn Park High School Dance Program (2011–2023), leading one of the region’s most respected secondary programs with three competitive teams (Middle School, JV, and Varsity). Under her leadership, all teams earned first-place and special recognition awards, reflecting consistent excellence across divisions. 

Her work extended beyond choreography, cultivating a disciplined, student-centered dance culture rooted in performance excellence, teamwork, and personal growth. Dancers trained in jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, modern, and pom, while competing and performing regionally and nationally. Karon also produced and directed major events including nine competitive showcases, seasonal concerts, Extreme Dance Clinics, and the annual “Dancin’ in the Beehive” Dance Competition, strengthening both school spirit and regional dance culture. 

A former Lead Curriculum Developer and Writer for Prince George’s County Public Schools, Karon designs district-level curricula and instructional frameworks integrating culturally responsive teaching, SEL, restorative practices, and student voice. She continues this work as a Dance & Health curriculum consultant, partnering with districts to build sustainable arts and wellness programs. 

Beyond K–12, Karon serves on the Prince George’s Community College Dance Department Advisory Board and is a Resident Choreographer with Washington Performing Arts, creating original works and preparing performers for mainstage productions. 

She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Urban Leadership at Johns Hopkins University (2024–2028) with a 4.0 GPA, focusing her research on school discipline reform. Her career reflects a powerful integration of artistry, education, leadership, and systems-level impact—developing dancers as performers, scholars, and confident leaders. 

📸 Explore the legacy at @gphs__danceteam 

Director of Operations - Renie Spriggs

Renie Spriggs is an accomplished executive and multidisciplinary arts leader with over 18 years of experience in project management, organizational development, and administrative leadership, and more than 20 years as a dance educator, choreographer, and competitive performer. Her career spans the corporate, nonprofit, faith-based, and arts sectors, uniquely positioning her as a leader who integrates strategic business management with creative leadership and cultural enrichment. 

From 2011 to 2019, Renie served as Assistant Coach and Assistant Dance Director for the Gwynn Park High School Dance Program, working alongside Head Coach Karon Johnson to build one of the region’s most successful secondary dance teams. She supported competitive team training across multiple divisions, choreography development, rehearsal planning, competition preparation, and student mentorship, helping establish a disciplined, high-performing culture rooted in student growth and excellence. 

Renie’s artistic foundation is rooted in classical Cecchetti Ballet, shaping her approach across jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and competitive dance. With formal training in vocal performance and music theory, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective that strengthens performers’ musical intelligence, expressive clarity, technical precision, and refined artistry. 

She also brings extensive experience in live sound engineering and production design, supporting performances, worship services, and large-scale events. Her professional work includes high-profile venues such as Capitol Records, House of Blues Orlando, Hippodrome Theatre, Raymond James Stadium, and Good Morning Orlando, reflecting her sophisticated understanding of the integration of movement, music, voice, and technology. 

In her corporate career, Renie has managed multimillion-dollar projects in financial operations, HR systems, compliance, and enterprise project delivery. As a Project Manager at Ricoh USA, she implemented Agile methodologies that increased team efficiency by over 40%, strengthened risk management, improved workflows, and delivered executive-level reporting. Her technical fluency includes QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, ADP, and Workday, contributing to measurable organizational impact and cost savings. 

Across nonprofit, faith-based, and community spaces, Renie has served as sound engineer, program coordinator, and property manager, complemented by international leadership training and cultural exchange. Grounded in strategic vision, operational excellence, and people-centered leadership, Renie Spriggs offers a rare fusion of corporate leadership, artistic mastery, and technical expertise—positioning her to serve boards and initiatives committed to innovation, equity, artistic excellence, and sustainable organizational growth. 

📸 Explore the legacy at @gphs__danceteam