Premiere Dance of Flemington Teachers
Michael Cuomo
At only 28, Michael Cuomo has accumulated an impressive list of credentials. He uses his passion for dance in his involvement in the Reachout charity, volunteering his time dancing and talking with people to raise awareness of such diseases as breast cancer and AIDS. The Reachout program also performs at DARE graduations throughout New Jersey.
Michael's dance experience includes dancing in showcases at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City in a piece choreographed by world renowned choreographer Rhapsody. In 2000, he choreographed a number in Z100's Jingleball concert and danced with 'NSYNC at the MTV Video Music Awards. He continued choreographing in 2001 for such artists as Christina Aguilera and Pink at KTU's Beatstock and in 2002 for a music video for R&B group, 112.
From 2002-2003, Michael broadened his horizons a bit and took on the role as tour manager for KTU's Tina Ann's "In My Dreams" tour. He also had the privilege of dancing at high profile parties at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho for such high profile clients as Bill Gates, Tom Hanks, and Oprah Winfrey. This past August, Michael danced for club artist Ali at KTU's Beatstock.
In addition to these experiences, he has been choreographer for the Knicks Dancers for the past five years and the Nets Dancers for the past two years.
We are very proud to have Mr. Michael as the owner of the studio.
Lori Carlucci
Lori Carlucci’s dance career started at an early age. Since the age of 3, Lori trained in many areas of dance and related fields, including: Ballet, Jazz, Baton Twirling, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Pom-Pon/Dance, Tap, and Modern. As a student, Lori attended workshops given many instructors in the Dance Educators of America Convention and other Conventions. She competed across the United States and also performed in the Soviet Union and Denmark. In addition to being a member and former Captain of a World-Champion Baton and Dance Company, she later returned to teach and choreograph them. In addition, Lori was Captain and Choreographer of the University of Maryland Dance Team, performing in basketball and football games as well as competitions.
As a professional, Lori has taught Jazz, Hip-Hop, Baton Twirling, Pom Pon, Pre-Ballet/Tap, Ballet, Tap, and Lyrical to dancers from ages 3-adult. She was also a model/dancer for Sashay Entertainment, performing in industrials sponsored by MCI, Tower Records, Bubbles Hair Salons, and County Seat Clothing Company in the DC Metro Area. In addition, she served as Head Instructor/Choreographer for the Eastern Dance Association, instructing technical workshops and dance camps along the East Coast. In addition to her dance experience, she was also a qualified judge with the Mid-Atlantic Pom and Dance Association in the DC Metro area. Lori continues her dance education today by taking classes in NYC.
Lori has a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maryland along with a Minor in Dance. She currently teaches second grade at Robert Hunter School in Flemington and has recently completed a Masters Degree in Educational Administration, as well. She has been teaching at Premiere Dance of Flemington since it opened. She is the Director of the studio and of the Legacy National Dance Team, the competition team at Premiere Dance of Flemington. Miss Lori looks forward to continuing to challenge each student to improve in all aspects of their dance ability, and to be lifelong learners. She wishes Legacy a terrific competition season, as well. Long Live the Legacy!
Shana Bonetti
Shana Bonetti has been dancing at Premiere Dance of Hillsborough since she was the age of three. When Shana was in eighth grade, she auditioned for The Somerset County Vocational and Technical School for the Performing Arts and attended their program during high school. Over the years, Shana has studied all forms of dance, such as jazz, ballet, modern, tap, lyrical, broadway jazz, pointe, and hip hop. Shana was one of the twelve New Jersey dancers chosen to attend the New Jersey Governor’s School for the Arts in 2004. It was at this intensive scholarship program that Shana realized that dance was not only a hobby, but a part of life.
Since then, Shana has attended and graduated with her BFA in dance performance and choreography from the University at Buffalo. While in Buffalo, Shana was a member of both university dance companies and also a choreographer in both Dancers Workshop, a student run show, and Emerging Choreographers Showcase, an audition only departmental show. In college, she was fortunate to study ballet, jazz, modern, tap and contemporary. Shana has studied with numerous companies while attending school in Buffalo such as Urban Bush Woman, American Ballet Theatre, Ron Brown, HT Chen, and Elisa Monte. Being a dance major in college not only pushed Shana to her limits with performing and choreographing, but she was also very fortunate to be able to learn about the history of dance and really appreciate where movement comes from. It is in her own style that she incorporates stuff not only from an entertaining point of view, but from an educational one as well. While it was performing and the thrill of being onstage that kept Shana going in dance, she has also developed a strong love for choreography. Besides putting work on college shows, she has also choreographed numbers for the New Jersey Governors School for the Arts in 2007 and 2008, as well as for the Somerset County Vocational and Technical School. Besides dancing, Shana also has a great interest in the body awareness and health. Because of this interest, she has studied in Pilates and Yoga, which she incorporates in her dance teachings and technique.
Shana believes that throughout her many years at Premiere, Vo-Tech and Buffalo, she has created her own unique style of dancing and a love for teaching others. It is from all of these great places and experiences that she finds herself back teaching with the astounding teachers and mentors who got her to where she is today. It is her pleasure to offer others with all of the knowledge she has learned over the years and looks forward to becoming part of the Premiere family once again.
Nathan Coder
Nathan
began dancing when he was nine years old at Hillsborough Dance
Academy. He began his training in Hip-Hop, and eventually grew to
appreciate and love all forms of dance. His training included
Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Ballet. He then continued training and competed
in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, and Contemporary, being part of
national and regional first-place-winning dances. He has received
several honors and awards personally, including being the highest
scoring male soloist at the Starbound National Finals in Atlantic
City.
Nathan continues his training by frequently attending one of New
York Citys most well-known dance schools for both beginners and
professional dancers Broadway Dance Center. There, he continues to
train in Hip-Hop, Street Jazz, Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Ballet and
Theater. All of which help him to become a better performer and
dancer, but also a much better teacher.
Nathan has performed in live shows and on television, including a
performance at Trentons Sovereign Bank Arena, a performance with
Tina Ann at Long Islands Mega Jam, and live performance with
pop-artist Shannon on the Fox News Channel. He has also performed
and danced in productions at Villagers Theatre and Rutgers
University.
Currently Nathan studies Modern and Ballet at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, taking dance classes every day. At Mason Gross, he has worked with or currently working with well known choreographers like Randy James, Brian Brook, and John Evans. He is a dancer in the University's Dance Works Company which tours locally to schools, teaching master classes and performing pieces.
Nathan has taught and assisted in Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical. He has taught dance to children and teens of all ages, including being the head of Dance at Camp Harmony during the summer of 2009. He is very excited to be teaching at Premiere Dance of Flemington as a teacher, and while teaching the fundamentals of dance, he hopes to inspire in his students the love and passion for dance that he has grown to know.
Samantha Cuilis
Growing up in New Jersey, Samantha trained at studios in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, musical theatre, and modern to name a few. Samantha started dancing at Premiere Dance of Hillsborough were she was part of a national dance team that competed all over the United States receiving many top awards with her team and also as a soloist.
While continuing to train at her studio and on her competition team, she was honored to be accepted into the Somerset Country Vocational and Technical High School’s Dance department where she was able to perform at the National High School Dance Festivals in both Miami, FL and Norfolk, VA. During this time Samantha also started to take classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Here Samantha found amazing opportunities that led her to receive scholarships to many different conventions and work with choreographers such a Mandy Moore and Dan Karaty.
Samantha has trained at the prestigious Marymount Manhattan College as a dance major and is continuing her education at Rutgers University as a double major in Dance and Journalism and Media Studies. She has had the opportunity to teach at local studios and also at a drama program for mentally challenged adults. Samantha has also co-choreographed for the New Jersey Nets Basketball team and for local artists in the tri-state area.
Most recently Samantha had the opportunity to attend the Hollywood Summer Tour in Los Angeles along with dancers from all over the world where she performed at a taping of "So You Think You Can Dance" and was a principal dancer in Jordan Setacci's music video, "New Girl on the Block".
Not only has she been in front of the camera but she has recently started to work behind the scenes for OnPoint National Dance competition and as a webcast moderator for one of the biggest dance production companies around, Break the Floor Productions. Samantha loves to use her artistic talents as both a dancer and graphic designer to update numerous studio websites and advertise for through numerous outlets.
Samantha interned at Walt Disney World in the fall of 2010 with their entertainment department. After a few months away, Samantha is excited to be back in New Jersey dancing. She is now a part of the prestigious New Jersey Devils Dance Team, dancing and cheering on the NHL Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Angela Cusumano
Angela Cusumano started dancing at the age of 5 in Brooklyn, NY and has studied under some of the biggest choreographers in the industry such as, Wade Robson, Gil Duldulao, Tyce Diorio, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Frank Hatchett, Christopher Gattelli, Savion Glover, LaurieAnn Gibson, Chris Judd, George “Geo” Hubela and Dave Scott. Theater credits include: “The King and I,” “Crazy For You,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Cabaret,” “Sweet Charity,” and “West Side Story.” Performances at Six Flags Great Adventure include “Dead Man’s Party,” “The Spirit of the Tiger,” “Industrial Movement,” and “World of Magic.” For Six Flags, Angela also helped recreate the Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance break in the “Awakening Parade” during Fright Fest season. Dance company experience includes “Push Factor Dance Company,” an alternative jazz based company in Astoria, Queens, NY. She was also an original member of professional hip hop dance crew, “Iconic,” based out of Englishtown, NJ. She served as the hip hop instructor for Push Factor’s National Dance Convention, “DanzJam”. Other performances include Britney Spears impersonations for corporate events throughout NY, NJ and CT, Mr. Black’s Dance Den in NYC, Tubway’s In Living Color’s Fly Girl Tribute, Fashionably Yours Fashion Show, and other industrial, club and studio performances throughout NYC and NJ. She toured nationally and internationally with Subliminal Records artist, “Who Da Funk”, and has performed at KTU’s Beatstock. Currently, Angela serves as a member of the all girl dance crew, “Venom Dance Crew”. Venom was featured on Paula Abdul’s show “Live to Dance” which aired on CBS in January of 2011. Angela, along with some of the other girls of Venom, was featured in the music video for Island Def Jam artist, OneShot BK Reppa.
Angela also serves as the only faculty member at ARB’s Princeton Ballet School to teach hip hop, which allows her to teach students between the ages of 9 through adult, including Dance Majors from Rider University. She also has choreographed for Rider University’s yearly “Rider Dances” performances. Angela also teaches 3rd graders throughout the New Brunswick public school system for the DANCEPOWER program, originally founded by Gregory Hines. She is also a Certified Zumba instructor and teaches a hip hop/street jazz fusion class for Twisted City Dance Convention.
Angela is skilled, passionate and ambitious about her craft. Class style ranges from street to sassy, with tones of hip hop, contemporary and street jazz.
Toby Harris
Tappin Toby Harris has been dancing since the tender age of two. He has studied the art of tap with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. He has won such awards as top dance soloist of New Jersey, Mr. Dance America, NAACP national talent award for outstanding performer, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem's pro-amateur dance scholarship. Toby has appeared in the Off-Broadway play Runaways as well as a featured role in the music video for The Kinks. He is also known for his award winning choreography and teaching kids to competition standard. He is thrilled to be a part of the Riverdance family, having done a five-year worldwide tour of Riverdance to start his career as a professional tap dancer, and humbled to have reached his dreams of presenting a dance school called Dance Perfect and KNOWS that practice makes Dance Perfect!
Max Kaliczynski
Max has been dancing professionally for about 7 years in styles that include hip hop, salsa, and what he is most passionate about, break dancing.
Max is extremely well rounded in break dancing and has performed with various entertainment companies. He has also won several competitions, and can currently be found teaching break-dancing at different dance schools.
Max is highly motivational and knows how to get large crowds excited as well as his own crew/ team members.
Marie Kubeck
Miss Marie started dance training at the age of five and has been teaching for almost 30 years. Since her father was in the United States Air Force, she has studied dance all over the country. Miss Marie has extensive performance experiences with several regional ballet companies, Resorts International Casino, Empress Regal and Carnival Cruise Lines. She has also performed in and choreographed for numerous dance competitions. She started her teaching career in 1982 for Michelle Mathesius, now Dance Department Chair at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia H.S. of Performing Arts also known as the “Fame” school. She has taught in dance academies across the country including Hillsborough Dance Academy (now Premiere Dance) in New Jersey, Las Vegas Ballet Company Academy of Dance, in Las Vegas, Nevada and, in Utah, for Salt Lake Community College and Linda Fenton School of Dance, one of the premiere ballet schools in the area. In those dance academies, she has taught advanced and intermediate ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, and tap. While she was in Utah, Miss Marie had the great opportunity to study jazz and contemporary dance with Emmy-awarding winning choreographer, Bonnie Story, one of the choreographers of High School Musical. This past summer she participated in a classical ballet repertory workshop with Elena Kunikova from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia. She is also a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Miss Marie is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum
Sandra Locke-Urban
“Miss Sandy” began studying dance at the age of 3 and teaching at the age of 16.
Her instructional experience includes tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, ballet, Hawaiian, musical theatre, acting and acrobatics. Her choreography experience includes the Essex County Jr. Miss Scholarship Program, Mrs. NJ International Pageant and multiple award winning competition routines. Sandy’s professional experience includes traveling around the country as a magician’s assistant, print modeling, acting in commercials, being a movie extra, pageant judging and coaching, as well as being a dancer on the hit TV show “Club MTV”.
On a personal level, Sandy is a mother of two children, but has always seen her students as an extension of her own family. Teaching dance is not just a job to her, it is an expression of who she is and it will forever be her legacy.
Allison Tarriff
Allison received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Desales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. At Desales, she studied ballet and modern technique, tap, broadway jazz, pointe, costume design and theatre construction and performance. In college she performed in the Young Choreographers Series, Dance Ensemble, and Action Dance touring company. She was also the director of the Conservatory of Dance in which dance majors would teach local students then put on a yearly performance for the community. Since graduating Allison has performed in musicals including Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Evita, Anything Goes, and Joseph.
She is looking forward to starting another fun filled year of dance at Premiere.
Colleen London-Link
Miss Colleen has been dancing since the age of four. She began her training at the James Sutton/Alexi Ramov studio in Scranton, PA. She studied Tap, Broadway Jazz, Ballet and Pointe. Mary Ann Strickla (former Radio City Music Hall Rockette) was also one of Colleen’s teachers in Tap and Broadway Jazz. Colleen was a member of the Scranton Ballet Guild, under the direction of Alexis Ramov. She performed in the annual “Nutcracker” in several featured roles. She also attended Tiffany Falls Summer Arts Camp which included many teachers from the Lehigh Valley Ballet Guild. In high school she extended her training with Ann Marie Turi in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz and Modern. Here at the Turi Studio of dance Miss Colleen She also helped to develop the program “Dancers with Disabilities” for those children who wanted to study dance and had special needs. She was a teacher assistant within that program for four years.
Miss Colleen received a dance scholarship at DeSales University, PA where she had an outstanding experience both in performance and choreography. She toured with the DeSales dance troupe during her sophomore year of college, performing at many local public schools in PA and NJ to bring awareness to the Arts. At DeSales University Miss Colleen trained in advanced levels of Modern, Ballet, Jazz and Tap. Her studies also included Dance History, Early Childhood Education and Kinesiology.
During her junior year she attended the American College Dance Festival (ACDFA) at Rutgers University, NJ. She was selected by the organization to perform in the final showcase in a Modern dance. During her senior year she attended ACDFA at Smith University, MA. There she was selected by the faculty committee to attend the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, IL. While she would have loved to accept this offer she was already enrolled at Duke University for the summer. While attending DeSales University, Miss Colleen was selected by the Dance Faculty to perform in numerous Main Stage productions in all dance forms both by professors and students. Her Senior Choreographic work was one of the few student pieces chosen to be showcased in the annual dance concert. It was a great honor! She graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Dance.
In June following graduation from DeSales, Miss Colleen attended the American Dance Festival (ADF) at Duke University, Durham, NC. There she studied under the direction of James Sutton (Ballet Master), Woody McGriff, Billy Siegniefield, Stuard Hodes and the great Anna Sokolo. Miss Colleen received the distinguished honor to have been chosen in a Master class by Anna Sokolo to perform in a creative choreographic modern work by this dance icon. It was a lifetime experience that she will always cherish! Miss Colleen has trained with the following artists in New York City, Joe Lateri, A.C. Cialla, Desmond Richardson and Suzi Taylor just to name a few. She has also attended classes in numerous dance forms, but with an emphasis on Lyrical, Jazz and Modern at “Broadway Dance Center” and “Steps”.
In the fall following her graduation from college, Miss Colleen began her teaching career at Hillsborough Dance Academy (now Premiere Dance of Hillsborough). There she instructed Children’s Combo classes, Ballet, Tap, Jazz and creator of the Lyrical and Modern program. In 1992 she became the Assistant Director of the studio and the following year the Director of the Dance Competition Team “Dynamics”. She had the pleasure of teaching thousands of children over the course of the sixteen years that she worked there. Hundreds of her Lyrical and Jazz routines received Platinum and top score awards throughout every age category. She finished her final season in the summer of 2005.
“Going out on top” while attending “Showstopper” National Dance Competition in Myrtle Beach, SC; there were two of Miss Colleen’s dances that broke all records. Out of the several thousand entries at this National competition, two of Miss Colleen’s dances were chosen for a special honor. First her Senior Lyrical Group dance (“Completely”) and secondly her Junior Lyrical Group dance (“Concrete Angel”) were awarded Platinum and First place scores. These two dances then went on to compete in the top overall twenty dances in both the Senior and Junior age divisions, this final showcase was televised live and broadcasted. She also received an Outstanding Choreography award for each of these dances.
After relocating back to PA in 2005, Colleen became the Director of the Dance Competition Team at David Blight’s Studio in Wilkes Barre/Pittston, PA. The David Blight’s Studio has been around since the 1950’s in Northeastern PA. For the next several years she brought all of the studios groups to outstanding competitions both at regional and national levels and success followed. The dancers won top scores from solos to groups and productions in all dance forms. Miss Colleen also won multiple awards for outstanding and innovative choreography along with costume design.
Miss Colleen has been judging dance competitions since 1996. She has had the pleasure of working with “Movement Beyond Comparison”, “Moving in Time” and “Omega Dance Challenge”. Her most recent professional experience with judging has been with the newly and highly acclaimed “On Point Dance Competition”. In the 2010 season Miss Colleen was a featured judge and will be on their staff for the 2011 season at all regional and national level competitions.
During 2006-2009, Miss Colleen worked as an Executive level assistant for the CEO of an Insurance agency in Northeastern, PA. She gained a wealth of experience in the business and management departments. Recently she moved back to the Lehigh Valley area and currently resides in Bethlehem, PA. She is studying Modern, Jazz and Ballet at Cedar Crest College this summer. She is currently working to attain her Masters Degree in Dance, with a concentration in Dance Education Studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Miss Colleen’s love for dance and teaching is evident in each of her classes. It gives her great joy and happiness to return to NJ and she is honored to be a part of the family at Premiere Dance of Flemington.
She looks forward to a wonderfully successful year of dance with all of you. “Dance from your heart and the body will follow.” (Mia Michaels)