Instructors

Michelle received her B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children – Dance Emphasis and Minor in Business Administration from SUNY Brockport.

Michelle has studied intensively under various dance professionals, including Clyde Morgan (African, Modern), Eddie Murphy (Irish dance), Colleen Hendrick (African), Jessica Fogel (Modern), and the Doug Elkins Dance Company (Modern). She has attended the intensive summer program at Binghamton University under Jeanne Fornarola. Michelle has performed at SUNY Brockport in Live Girls, a modern dance production with Pam Wunderlich.  She has performed with the Park Avenue Dance Company, a professional company based in Rochester where she continues to attend classes.  Michelle also continues to study dance by attending classes in Buffalo and New York City..

Michelle has taught various forms of dance to children at the Jewish Community Center.  She also has experience teaching Creative Movement to children at local daycare centers. Michelle is also a certified Zumba instructor.

Laurie received her B.A. degrees in Dance and Accounting from Mercyhurst College where she attended on dance and academic scholarships.

Laurie has performed solo roles in numerous ballets such as Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet. She has been a student of many well known ballet figures such as Jean-Marc Baier, Mary Price-Boday, Jay Kirk, and David Howard. She has attended the intensive summer dance programs at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Ballet in Pittsburgh, PA and the Russian Ballet Seminar in Scranton, PA. Laurie has choreographed several ballet pieces which have been selected through adjudication to appear in annual Dance Rochester! concerts, such as The Atrium Performance Concert at Rochester City Hall. Her former students have been accepted into college dance programs at Hamilton College, Hope College, Mercyhurst College, SUNY Brockport, University of Buffalo, and Slippery Rock University. Former students have also gone on to dance professionally for Disney Cruise Lines and Royal Carribbean Cruise Lines.

In addition to teaching at the studio, Laurie teaches dance at area daycare centers.

Renee is a Rochester native and began dancing at the age of four.  After training in the Rochester area with Margaret Hueston, Laurie DelVecchio, Donna Brett, and Michelle Bivone, Renee went on to earn her BA in Dance and Mathematics from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. and. a  Master’s degree in Education from Walden University.

While in college, she performed in numerous pieces and ballets put on by the Mercyhurst Dancers such as: A Midsummers Night’s Dream, Raw Edges III-V, Dance Sport, and many more.  She has studied under Tauna Hunter at Mercyhurst and has attended workshops with master teachers such as: Chris Tabor, Elaine Gardner, Tim Draper, Meggins Kelly, Luis Montero, and HT Chen in NYC.

At a young age Renee performed in several roles of the Nutcracker with Pittsburgh Ballet Company and Rochester City Ballet.  She also performed in the ballet Cinderella with a local company in Buffalo, Pick of the Crop under Elaine Gardner, where she continues to take workshops during the summer.  She has taught dance camp for several summers at local studios and continues to take classes at Dancers Alley.

In addition to teaching dance, Renee teaches math at a local high school for the Rochester City School District.

Nikki started dancing at the age of five at Little Red Dancing School, under the direction of Lisa Allain and Cayla Marilyn Allen. During her time at Little Red Dancing School she competed in many local and national competitions such as StarPower, Star Bound and Showstoppers.

Nikki has studied under many master teachers including Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, Sheila Barker, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman and Savion Glover. She has attended many dance conventions and classes through NYC Dance Alliance, Break the Floor and Dance Rochester.

Nikki has been teaching Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Hip Hop dance in the Rochester area for the past 13 years.

Rachel Kotas grew up in Rochester, NY and began her dance training at A Time For Dance at age 4. She has also danced with various studios including Rising Talents and the Draper Center. After high school, Rachel continued her dance education at the University at Buffalo where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. During her time in college, she trained under Jeanne Fornarola, Kerry Ring, Tom Ralabate, Joyce Lichtenberger, Danielle Sheather, and many other guest artists. Rachel was a member of Zodiaque Dance Ensemble, choreographed for Dancer’s Workshop, and was a Teaching Assistant for Ballet. She has been teaching in Rochester since graduating college. Although she loves all styles of dance, ballet is definitely her favorite.